JAI PASHUPATINATH JI ! - OUR NEPAL JOURNEY

 We reached hotel Hyatt Regency which was quite near the airport, as we entered through the main gate we were greeted by sprawling green lawns and many large trees, some of which were Rudraksha trees 

Set in 37 hectares of grounds, this luxury hotel is a 7-minute walk from the Boudhanath stupa, largest in Nepal and can be reached from the back of the hotel through a gate 

The exterior of the hotel was very impressive and created in the traditional Newari style of Nepalese architecture 

There were water bodies with fountains before the entrance to the foyer ,very soothing to the tired and supposed to very auspicious for the guests  

We were ushered in through a grand door and what impressed me most was the spacious foyer, the reception desk people very warmly received us, we were given the customary welcome drinks and allotted our room.

By then I was getting pretty much worried about our evening tour, our tour representative who waited till our check in got done, blithely remarked that it was better we rest in the room and have dinner as it was evening and vanished before we could even put in a word, we were asked to be ready by 8.30 am the next day and wait in the foyer for our flight to Pokhara

Our tour operator in Hyderabad had told us that all internal travel arrangements like domestic flight tickets, hotel bookings and the local transport arrangements would be arranged by our Nepal tour operator ,so we had no printed documents whatsoever 

It is seen to be believed about the faith of people in Nepal in Whatsapp, they don’t take or give printouts or brochures to the tourists, everything is done through Whatsapp messages and phone calls are also made through that app.

As my husband does not much believe in using or seeing Whatsapp messages regularly unless urgent and my Jio net faithfully failed to respond without wifi we were in deep trouble from day 1 and were literally sitting ducks, I was like the fuming lamb following Mary - my husband.

We were shown our room which was quite big, comfortable and fitting the architecture though looking a little worn out.

 After freshening up rapidly as it was only 6 pm we decided to go for a quick darshan of Pashupatinath temple by ourselves and then go around the market place for a few souvenirs

We walked down to the main gate where we could flag down a cab driver who drove us to the temple which was only 2 km away, he charged us 200 Indian Rupees but he cautioned us that the temple may be closed by the time we reached there, we thought we would test our luck as we still had half an hour left, we got down at the parking and rushed to the temple but found that it had closed just then by 6.30 pm to our extreme disappointment 

Pashupatinath Temple, presently the largest Hindu temple in the world is dedicated to Lord Pashupati and was classified as a World Heritage Site in 1979, it is the oldest Hindu temple in Kathmandu, it’s existence is recorded as early as 400 CE.

We found that the sprawling temple complex is built in an area of 246 hectares with a vast collection of 518 mini temples and ashrams, along the banks of the sacred Bagmati river 

The main temple is an ornamented pagoda housing the linga of Shiva. There are many legends describing how the temple of Aalok Pashupatinath came into existence here.

One legend says that Shiva and Parvati took the form of antelopes in the forest on the east bank of Bagmati river. The gods who were missing him by then caught up with him and grabbed him by one of his horns, forcing him to resume his divine form. The broken horn was worshipped as a linga, but over time it was buried and lost to the world.

Centuries later a herdsman found one of his cows showering the earth with milk and after digging at the site, he discovered the divine linga of Pashupatinath.

Another legend states that Pashupatinath Temple was in the form of Linga shaped Devalaya before Supuspa Deva constructed a five-storey temple of Pashupatinath which was reconstructed by king Shivadeva (1099–1126 CE). It was renovated by Ananta Malla who added a roof to it.

The main temple complex of Pashupatinath and the sanctum sanctorum were left untouched, but some of the outer buildings in the complex were damaged by the April 2015 Nepal earthquake, the tragic aftermath of this earth quake was evident to us all over Nepal

Main temple is built in the Nepali pagoda style, with the two-level roofs made of copper with gold covering ,there is a gold sikhara and four main doors covered with silver sheets .

Inside are two garbhagrihas , inner garbhagriha or sanctum sanctorum where the idol is placed, and the outer sanctum is an open corridor-like space where the pilgrims are allowed

The main idol is a stone Mukhalinga with a silver yoni base bound with a silver serpent. It is one metre high and has faces in four directions, which represent various aspects of Shiva

The east facing face is known as Tatpurusha, Jatta (hair in forehead) is visible in this form and he wears rudraksha mala. This face is also known as Kuber form which is associated with spirituality 

The south facing face is known as Aghora. This face is both peaceful and fearsome and the left earring is a snake. The face is the brightest among the four faces.

The north facing face is known as Vamadeva,it is half-Shiva and half-Parvati and is associated with Ardhanarishwara concept and creation. Shiva has moon in his matted locks. 

The west facing face is known as Sadyojat. This face is known as child form of Shiva , it is a wakeful and wordly form of Shiva. 

The upward facing face is known as Ishaan, without any form – Nirakaar. It has the power of both Shiva and Shakti and is associated with wisdom, eternal knowledge and moksha.

Each face has tiny protruding hands holding rudraksha mala in the right hand and kamandala in the other. 

Unlike other Shiva lingams in India and Nepal, this linga is always dressed in its golden vastram except during abhisheka, so pouring milk or holy water is only possible during the rituals through the main priests.

The temple courtyard has four entrances and the western entrance is the main entrance to the temple courtyard and the remaining three entrances are open only during festivals. Practising Hindus and Buddhists of Nepal and Tibet are only allowed into the temple courtyard 

As the temple was closed we had darshan of few temples outside and went for shopping for Rudraksha in the neighboring shops which were plenty and brightly lit ,lot of street food corners were there enticing the passers by

There were plenty of beads but there was no way to guess at their authencity and Ek mukhi rudraksha are very rare and very costly, so we could only window shop

We took a cab and returned to the hotel as we had an early flight next day, 

To our delight there was live music arranged in the foyer where two musicians were playing traditional Nepalese music on flute and Tabala and a small child was playfully accompanying them

We wanted to recharge our cell phones but couldn’t as the sockets in our room were not able to hold the chargers, a call to the reception and we could get an extension cord which solved our problem, we had a light dinner at our room itself 

Next day I woke up early to have a morning walk and also glance around the hotel and its premises, from our room I could get a beautiful view of the Stupa , green lawns and tennis courts .

The hotel, opened in 2000, is built in the traditional Newar architecture. It is operated by Taragaon Regency Hotels, and employs around 400 workers. The exterior of the hotel is very well designed and maintained, I looked out for Rudraksha under the trees but alas couldn’t find any 

Next to the entrance was the casino Tara which we didn’t have time to visit and I thought maybe we can see it along with the gym and the spa while on the way back 

The grounds were beautiful and the pool area was located next to a large garden that provided a tranquil view, people were playing tennis and some were doing yoga and walking

There was an organic garden on a rather large patch of land for fresh herbs to salad leaves to be used in the hotel, this feature I observed in almost all the hotels that we stayed in Nepal

The indoor foyer had architectural stone figures and decorative motifs and all 9 famous stupas of Nepal were displayed there prominently, places where one can sit and relax gave one an opportunity to rest 

Overall the hotel was like a relaxing resort and not a commercial hotel, the staff were very friendly and had cheerful faces

We went to the Sesame restaurant for the complimentary breakfast which was extensive and filling. 

The breakfast buffet consisted of the standard selection of cold items such as cut fruits, fresh juices, cereals and greens. There were live counters like egg, waffle/pancake and dosa counters which were superbly prepared 

Apart from this there was a selection of items on the buffet largely Asian and Indian , at the end fully satiated I asked for tea which was served in a glass tumbler, I particularly liked the prompt service, clearing of the soiled plates promptly and offering of hot starters at the tables 

There was another restaurant - Rox the hotel's signature restaurant, serving Italian cuisine and exciting cocktails, traditional food was being prepared in a wood-fired oven for an authentic taste. 

The Living Room which was in the hotel lobby area apparently appealed to the young, trendy, and health-conscious tourists and was quite crowded at all times

We saw another restaurant the Terrace set amidst the gardens near the pool, it  was serving light food, healthy meals, salads, freshly squeezed juices, and refreshing cocktails , only disadvantage was the presence of uninvited guests in the form of crows which quickly pecked away at food ,they had to be shooed away by the staff

We vacated our room and came to the foyer sharply at 8.30 am as instructed where we got the shock of our life

KATHMANDU HERE WE COME -- OUR NEPAL JOURNEY

 We had been thinking of touring Nepal since a very long time but it is said man proposes and God disposes, so we couldn’t go to Nepal till miraculously and suddenly our Muktinath tour materialized in April 2023 

We were told that a tour to Muktinath was a once in a life time opportunity with its own elements of danger and uncertainty and my usual practical and cautious heart responded quite erratically in response to the challenging gauntlets thrown at me and agreed for the tour and booked our tickets through a travel agency.

Much to our chagrin we came to realize during the course of our tour, the local  travel agency in Nepal was more accustomed to organize huge Everest Base camps than sedate tours for travel anxious but budget conscious senior citizens like us 

For me Nepal personified the land of Gurkhas, Nepalis the ever smiling gentle people who used to come and work as sentries for our  apartment buildings and of course the beautiful ms Manisha Koirala

Nepal is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, parts of Indo-Gangetic Plain, bordering the Tibet Autonomous region of China to north, and India in south, east and west, separated from Bangladesh by Siliguri Corridor and from Bhutan by Sikkim.

Nepal has a diverse geography, including fertile plains and subalpine forested hills, for many main attraction of that country is possession of eight of the world's ten tallest mountains, including Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth.

Nepal is a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-cultural state, with Nepali as the official language. 

Kathmandu the largest city is the nation's capital and Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, was born in Lumbini in southern Nepal

The Nepalese Armed Forces are the fifth largest in South Asia and are noted for their valiant Gurkha history, particularly during the world wars where they remained undefeated by invaders

We started for Kathmandu on 5th April which was a Wednesday, our Vistara flight to Delhi was at 7am so we had to start at home early 

We had to check in our luggage which would hopefully greet us at Kathmandu airport, its weight had significantly increased as we had packed woolens to withstand the cold weather in Jomsom in Nepal. It gave me sadistic pleasure and delicious anticipation to pack the woolens in the sweltering heat of Hyderabad, He! He !

Regarding currency ,Nepal is one of the countries where our rupee has more value than theirs ,our 100 Rupee equals 160 Nepali rupees and we found that our 200 Rupees are accepted all over the country so it is better we keep a lot of small change in form of 50 Rs,100 and 200 Rupee notes

It was the first time we were traveling by Vistara airlines which is a joint venture of Tata Sons Private Limited and Singapore Airlines Limited (SIA) and our experience was very good, our seats had ample leg space and hot breakfast with tea and coffee was served ,crew were very caring , within no time we reached the Delhi airport 

In Delhi we had a lay over till 2 pm but we still had to finish the process of immigration

Only Indian passport and Voter ID are valid for Indian Nationals travelling by air between India and Nepal and other documents like Aadhaar, Pan Card and Driving License are not accepted 

We approached the counter where we were asked to produce our vaccination certificates and passports, then we proceeded for security check and finally reached our gate after meandering through the brightly decked up duty free shops, I always wonder if a day would come when I would also nonchalantly shop around for branded items and pay for them without any qualms but alas my middle class cautious mentality  would not permit it I think!

Our Haldiram's snacks bought in Hyderabad served as an appetizer as we were getting lunch in the flight to Kathmandu , I also observe that during journeys be it flights or trains one tends to be more hungry and also use the wash room than one normally does maybe just in case !

Finally we were called for boarding of flight to Kathmandu and though the journey was only 1 hour 45 minutes, we were served full meal course and drinks even alcohol was served, very unlikely these days for a short trip like ours. There was free wifi to watch movies and play games

To get a view of the Himalayas we have to book the window seat on left side while going to Kathmandu and on right side while returning to India

As not all can be mountaineers ,it is indeed awesome to watch from the aircraft the mighty mountains, some clothed in snow and some bare, here and there we could see few houses surrounded by small fields, I wondered as to how the inhabitants there managed any medical emergency

Mount Everest at 29,029 feet is the tallest mountain in the world and also known as Sagarmatha in Nepali and Chomo lungma (Goddess Mother of the World) in Tibetan.

The fourth highest mountain in the world at 27,940 feet, Lhotse is located on the border between Tibet and the Nepalese Khumbu. 

A part of the Everest massif, Nuptse stands at 25,791 feet and is located in the Khumbu region of Nepal.

Known for its distinctive shape, Ama Dablam is a mountain located in the eastern Himalayas in Nepal. It stands at 22,349 feet and is often referred to as the "Matterhorn of the Himalayas."

Located on the border between Tibet (China) and Nepal, Cho Oyu stands at 26,864 feet. It is the sixth-highest mountain in the world and is a popular peak for mountaineering expeditions 

At 27,838 feet Makalu is the fifth-highest mountain in the world and located on the border between Nepal and Tibet, it is known for its steep slopes and challenging climbing routes.

While we were busy admiring the Himalayan range, the harried air hostesses hardly had time to serve lunch to all and pack up before we reached the Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu where we set our watch for the local time 15 minutes ahead of Indian time

The airport was originally named Gauchaur Airport, after the area of Kathmandu where it was situated. In Nepali, "Gauchaur" refers to a place where cows graze

Tribhuvan International Airport Kathmandu is located about 5 kilometers from the Kathmandu city center, and has one international terminal and a separate domestic terminal

Within no time our flight had reached the runway and we got down, I searched for the hills and could only see the clouds decorating the blue skies, there was a Nepal Airlines shuttle bus waiting to take us to the arrival terminal

As soon as we entered the lobby we were greeted and welcomed to Nepal by a large statue of Buddha , we formed queues and had our vaccination certificates ready 

We then went to the immigration check point where we had separate booths for Nepalis and tourists, we presented our passports and travel documents and were cleared quite smoothly and fast with our passports getting arrival stamping done

We then went down an escalator to the TSA check point to get our hand luggage screened, there was a lot of chaos there, finally we gathered all our bags and we waited for our check in luggage pieces which luckily came quite fast

For me checking in my luggage in airports is quite a sentimental experience each time I travel, from the minute I get them weighed with bated breath to see if they are overweight and see them bidding a reluctant goodbye to me and forlornly ride along the luggage belt chute to join other bags till I see them back at my destination on the conveyor belt with a welcoming sigh! 

We then went through the green channel and saw many money exchange counters, SIM card counters and liquor shops, we found the airport modern and maintained spick and span

The ground floor where the exit was there could be accessed by lifts or an inclined escalator which was causing quite a lot of problem to some people due to the trolleys refusing to stop and their owners having to precipitately rush down the escalator behind them

We came out of the airport and phoned our tour contact person who came and received and guided us to our car, we had to request the driver to put on the AC as it was very hot and dusty

The Kathmandu city roads were quite crowded and on our way about 1 kilometer from the airport we passed the Pashupatinath Temple. I asked our local operator who was speaking quite a good Hindi if he would be showing us that temple in the evening after we check into the hotel as per our itinerary, the only answer I got was ‘’Aap Chinta mat karo ’’ meaning you don’t worry which indeed sent me into a panic because till then our trip was going on smoothly, alas! little did I know what was in store for us in future days .