Janakpur Muktinath Pilgrims Tour

Our representative received from the border and drop to Hotel. A brief about the whole tour and about Janakpur.

Janakpur: Janakpur is one of the key religious/cultural tourist destinations in the Terai region of Nepal. The Janaki Temple is the major attraction that Janakpur has on offer. Located in Dhanusha district, the sub-metropolitan city is the capital of Madhes Province. During the Treta Yug, Janakpur used to serve as the capital of the Kingdom of Mithila ruled by King Janak. As the birthplace of Sita, the consort of Lord Ram, Janakpur is highlighted in the Hindu epic Ramayana as well.

Vivah Panchami is a major Hindu festival celebrated in Janakpur. The unique cultural event marks the union of Ram and Sita as mentioned in the Ramayana. In the Treta Yug, the marriage ceremony is believed to have taken place on the fifth day of the waxing moon in the month of Mangsir. A weeklong festival is celebrated in commemoration of the wedding between Ram and Sita. Dedicated to Sita, the Janaki Temple is an exceptional amalgam of the rich Mughal and Rajput architectures having a beautiful garden along with a wedding courtyard dedicated to them.

On this occasion, grand colourful processions are taken out and dances performed. The locals as well as visitors from Ayodhya and other Indian cities take part in such cultural activities.

Being home to numerous temples, ponds, Mithila art and several vibrant cultural festivals, Janakpur holds a lot of cultural significance. Lying about 390 kilometres southeast of Kathmandu, Janakpur is a must-see tourist destination. It takes about 9 hours for passenger buses to cover the distance between Kathmandu and Janakpur. However, one can reach Janakpur from Kathmandu within 30 minutes by air. It is convenient for tourists to stay in Janakpur with the availability of good hotels and lodges.

Janakpur darshan and transfer to Kathamandu hotel : After morning, Darshan of Janakpur Temple takes breakfast and moves towards Kathamandu. It takes a 7-hour drive. Check in at Kathmandu hotel.

Pashupati Temple.One of the most mesmerizing rituals at Pashupatinath Temple is the Pashupati Bagmati Aarati (a religious ritual which involves cleansing in the river, or in oil). Bagmati is the holy river which flows through the temple. The river divides the temple into two sides, with the main Pashupatinath Temple being on one side and the location of the Aarati is performed on the other.Bagmati has great importance in Hindu religion. It is believed that taking a holy bath on this river washes away sins

Baudhanath Stupa. There is nowhere quite like Bodhnath. Asia’s largest stupa (temple) pulses with life as thousands of pilgrims gather daily to make a kora (ritual circumnavigation) of the dome, to spin the many prayer wheels, beneath the watchful eyes of the Buddha, which gazes out from the gilded central tower. You will see Tibetan monks in maroon robes and with shaved heads wander around the prayer flag–decked streets. You’re welcome to spin the prayer wheels, enjoy the view, or take a cup of local tea in one of the many cafes and watch the many people perform their prayers.

Patan Durbar Square is the ancient Royal Palace of Patan and faces on to a magnificent Durbar Square. This concentrated mass of temples is perhaps the most visually stunning display of Newari architecture to be seen in Nepal.

Chandragiri

Situated only about 16 kilometres away from the heart of Kathmandu City, Chandragiri has now emerged as one of the major tourist hotspots. Lying 2,551 metres above sea level, the Chandragiri Hill offers incredible views of the wonderful Himalayas and the Kathmandu Valley. As this place is away from hustles and bustles of urban life, visitors can experience a tranquil environment with fresh air and beautiful sceneries. A short cable car ride (2.5-km) makes your journey to the Chandragiri Hill from Thankot pleasant.

The Bhaleshwar Mahadev Temple, a sacred Hindu shrine, is another main attraction among visitors. The elegant wood carvings in the temple represent the magnificence of the traditional Nepali art and architecture. This appealing tourist spot is suitable for people belonging to varied age groups. Those willing to hike can start their journey from Thankot. They can hike along the forested trail. Adventure seekers can experience zip-lining and paragliding facilities as well at Chandragiri. Hikers can also extend their trips to Hattiban and Chitlang.

Around 7:30 am, after breakfast, we will drive to the majestic Pokhara, which is one of the most beautiful locations where you can catch many glimpses of the breath-taking Himalayas.

Manakamana Temple: Manakamana Temple is a famous Hindu shrine dedicated to goddess Bhagwati. An incarnation of Parvati, the goddess Bhagwati is believed to fulfill the wishes of her devotees. So, a large number of pilgrims, mostly from Nepal and India, visit this temple to pay their homage to the powerful deity every year. More devotees throng this temple during Nag Panchami (July-August) and Dashain (September-October). As a saint from the Magar community built the temple in the 17th century, the tradition of having the priest from the same community still continues.

Located at an elevation of 1,300 meters above sea level on the Kafaldanda Hill of Sahid Lakhan Rural Municipality in Gorkha district, the pilgrimage site is about 106 kilometres southwest of Kathmandu. The two-storey temple is in the traditional Nepali pagoda style. When the weather is clear, visitors can have a stunning view of various mountains such as Annapurna, Lamjung Himal and Manaslu peaks from the temple premises. The local Magar culture is another attraction among visitors.

With the installation of a cable car facility there in 1998, it has been easier for pilgrims to get to the temple from Kurintar and return. Kuringtar is located on the sandy banks of the Trishuli River near the Prithvi Highway. Previously, visitors had to start their journey to Manakamana by hiking from Anbu Khaireni. They had to walk along an uphill trail for about three hours before reaching the temple.

After reaching your hotel in Pokhara, you can take some time for refreshments and enjoy some well-deserved leisure time. You might like to rest and have a few drinks or stretch your legs and take a walk to the wonderful lakeside. The main Lakeside road has many cafes, restaurants and shops selling items such as pashminas, or local handicrafts made by the Woman Skill’s Development Workshop (a fair trade organization and a non-profit and income-generating program for economically disadvantaged, disabled, abused, single and outcast women from rural Nepal, supporting them to be self-supportive and independent.) or visit the Helping Hands Handicraft shop which employs Deaf workers who make items on their loom such as scarves. You could also visit the Seeing Hands Blind Massage Clinic, where you can receive a muscle relaxing massage from a well-trained blind masseuse!

After breakfast, we drove toward Jomsom in a private vehicle. We will see landscapes, waterfalls. We will pass along the bank of the Kaligadaki river. The Kaligadaki river is a sacred river. We can get Shaligrams from this river. After a 7 hours' drive from Pokhara, we can reach Jomsom. Jomsom is the district headquarters of Mustang, and it is a beautiful small city situated on the bank of the Kaligandaki river. Stay overnight at Jomsom hotel.

Early in the morning we would get up and get ready to go to Muktinath Dharsan. Within a 1-hour drive, we can reach near to the temple. From parking to the tample one-kilometer distance, but it takes half an hour walk due to the high altitude. We have an option: either we can take a pony or walk ourselves.

Muktinath is an appealing spot for pilgrims (both Hindus and Buddhists) as well as adventurers. Hindus visit the Muktinath Temple to worship Lord Vishnu while Buddhists worship him as Avalokiteshwar. Located at an altitude of about 3,800 metres above sea level at the base of the challenging Thorang La Pass (5,380m), the sacred site plays host to thousands of visitors every year. The pilgrimage site lies on the world-famous Annapurna Circuit trek in Mustang district

Several Hindu scriptures have highlighted the area where the famous Muktinath Temple is located. There are 108 sacred waterspouts near the temple. Pilgrims take a ritual bath there. Muktinath is renowned for fossil stones (shaligrams) that are found along the Kali Gandaki River. Black shaligram can be seen at the temple as well. Hindus from around the world worship shaligrams that are believed to represent Lord Vishnu in the form of stone. The existing pagoda-style temple was built at the beginning of the 19th century. And the idol of Lord Vishnu is considered to date from the 16th century. Another sacred temple called ‘Jwala Mai’ lies nearby Muktinath Temple. Both Hindus and Buddhists worship this eternal blue flame that keeps burning in the temple.

Muktinath is now easily accessible as this sacred site is connected with Pokhara by road. Flights between Pokhara and Jomsom are also in operation on a regular basis. It takes about five hours for trekkers to reach Muktinath from Jomsom. At Jomsom and Muktinath, good accommodation facilities are available for visitors.

After we finished Darshan, we would go back to the hotel to take breakfast and return to Pokhara have the same route which had been taken at the coming time.

Pokhara is known as Nepal’s number one stop for both leisure and adventure. Many trekkers will begin and end their trekking journey in Pokhara. It has a photo shoot opportunity at every corner, with the lake, the mountains and all the sites. It is the second main city of Nepal, and even many Nepalese people will choose Pokhara as their own holiday destination! From Pokhara there is trekking, paragliding and many chances to have a boat ride which you’ll experience yourself tomorrow (with a local rower who can row for you if you would rather sit back and enjoy the bliss of the quiet and peaceful lake.)

Early morning at around 5:30 am, you will be taken for a drive to the hill station, Sarangkot, for the spectacular Sunrise and Mountain view - where you can see all of the mountains: Dhaulagiri, Annapurna South, Annapurna I and III, Fishtail, Gangapurna, Lamjung Himal, Manaslu and many more other small peaks. It is paradise for a photographer. And an unparalleled experience for everyone. You will never see anything more amazing that the sun rise around the mountains.

After sunrise, you’ll return back to hotel and after breakfast, we have half day sightseeing around the Pokhara valley – and Boating in the Fewa Lake!

After breakfast we will go to the Mountain Museum. Mountains and mountaineering have a history of their own. Without preserving it, it will not be long before all the records and evidences will be lost forever. Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA), established on 1 Nov 1973, initiated the establishment of International Mountain Museum (IMM) in Pokhara. The basic objective for its establishment was made to record, document and chronicle the past and present development of mountaineering activities in the world in general and to preserve the saga of the momentous feats in the history of mountaineering in the Himalayan peaks in particular, you will see David Fall Sunset view from the Peace Pagoda.

After breakfast, we can drive towards Lumbini by hilly road. After 6 hours’ drive, we will reach Lumbini and check in the hotel.

lumbini :Situated in the Rupandehi district of Nepal, Lumbini is the birthplace of Lord Buddha. Buddhists from around the world consider Lumbini as one of the sacred places to visit. The Buddha was born in 623 BC in the sacred area of Lumbini. This fact has been testified by the inscription written on the pillar erected by the Mauryan Emperor Asoka in 249 BC. Lumbini has been a major Buddhist pilgrimage site since the early 3^rd century BC.

In Lumbini, the Sacred Garden is the major attraction among pilgrims as well as other visitors. The Garden is home to the Marker Stone of Buddha’s birth, the Mayadevi Temple, the Sacred Pond, and the Asoka Pillar. This is the Garden where Queen Mayadevi gave birth to Prince Siddhartha under a tree. The Ashoka Pillar is located close to the Mayadevi Temple. The Pillar was built by Asoka to commemorate his visit to Lumbini. Various archaeological excavations have shown that the Buddhist stupas and monasteries were built in the Sacred Garden by pilgrims in the ancient times.

In Buddhism, there are three key schools. They are Mahayana, Theravada and Vajrayana. Mahayana focuses on the role models of bodhisattvas. Theravada calls for a monastic lifestyle and meditation as the way to enlightenment while Vajrayana offers followers a faster path to enlightenment. This is because Buddhists believe that a person can attain enlightenment in one lifetime using specific rituals. Buddhism impacts cultural norms as well. Community actions are carried out through Buddhist monasteries.

After finishing Lumbini, sightseeing, had breakfast and transferred to Gorakhpur.