Gorakhpur-Lumbini-Pokhara-Kathmandu Tour

Pashupati Nath Temple, situated 5 km east of Kathmandu, the temple of Lord Shiva is considered one of the most sacred Hindu shrines in the world. Also, it is one of the biggest and most famous Hindu Lord Shiva's temples in the world. So every year thousands of Hindu pilgrims and Tourist visit the temple. The two-tiered pagoda with golden roofs and 4 silver doors houses the sacred linga, or phallic symbol, of Lord Shiva. Chronicles indicate the temple existed before 400 A.D. It is listed under the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

It also spelled Guheswari or Guhjeshwari, is one of the revered holy temples in Kathmandu, Nepal. This temple is dedicated to Adi Shakti. The temple is a Shakti Peetham near the Pashupatinath Temple on the banks of the Bagmati River, where, according to mythology, a portion of Sati Devi, Lord Shiva’s consort, fell when a grief-stricken Shiva wandered aimlessly across the earth carrying her dead body on his shoulders following her self-immolation. The largest of Vishnu’s stone statues, (Budhanilkantha) Jal Narayan, lies at the foothills of the Shivapuri hills, 8 km north of the Kathmandu city center.

The large granite figure of Lord Vishnu, reclining on a bed of serpents known as ‘Nagas’, seems to float in a pond. This shrine dates back to the 5th century. Bouddhanath Stupa, one of the most imposing landmarks and the biggest stupa in Nepal, lies about 7 km east of the capital. The Bouddhanath stupa, also called by many as Khasti Chitya, is one of the oldest stupas in the country. The stupa, a well-known Buddhist pilgrimage site, is included in the World Heritage Cultural Site List by UNESCO.

In Bouddhanath stupa, there are many monasteries or Gompa attractions. They are all impressively adorned and colorfully painted. Nepalese chronicles date it to the reign of King Mānadeva (464-505 CE). Kathmandu Durbar Square is the plaza in front of the old royal palace of the then Kathmandu Kingdom. It is listed under the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The preference for the construction of royal palaces at this site dates back to as early as the Licchavi period in the third century. It holds the palaces of the Malla and Shah kings who ruled over the city. Along with these palaces, the square surrounds quadrangles, revealing courtyards and temples. It is known as Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square, a name derived from a statue of Hanuman, the monkey devotee of Lord Ram, at the entrance of the palace. Major attractions of Kathmandu Durbar Square are Living Goddess, Kumari, Kasthamandap, Ashok Binayak, Kaal Bhairav, Jagannath Temple, Kotilingeswara Mahadev, Mahendreswara, and the three-roofed Taleju Temple.

Bhaktapur Durbar Square (भक्तपुर) (UNESCO World Heritage Site): - The Bhaktapur Durbar Square is listed under the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.It is located in the current town of Bhaktapur, also known as Bhadgoan, which lies 13 km east of Kathmandu. While the complex consists of at least four distinct squares (Durbar Square, Taumadhi Square, Dattatreya Square, and Pottery Square), the whole area is informally known as the Bhakapur Durbar Square and is a highly visited site in the Kathmandu Valley. Major attractions of Bhaktapur Durbar Square are the 55-window palace, Golden Gate, Lion's Gate, Mini Pashupati, Batsala Temple, and Statue of Bhupatindra Malla.

The Patan Durbar Square is situated at the heart of Lalitpur city; it constitutes the focus of visitors' attraction. It is listed under the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Square is full of ancient palaces, temples, and shrines, noted for their exquisite carvings and marvel of Newa (a kind of ethnic community) architecture. The Krishna temple was built in 1637 by King Siddhinarasimh Malla, which is the most important temple in Patan Durbar Square of Shikhara style. There are 21 golden pinnacles in the Krishna temple. Below the pinnacles there are 3 stories.

The first floor holds the main shrine of Lord Krishna, with shrines of Radha and Rukamini at each side. The second floor is dedicated to Lord Shiva and the third to Lokeshwor (Lord Buddha). Major attractions are Krishna Temple, Vishwanath Temple, Taleju Bhawani Temple, Patan Museum, Golden Temple, Kumbheshwor Mahadev, Bangalamukhi Temple, and Chowk & Courtyards are Central Mul Chowk, Sundari Chowk, and Keshav Narayan Chowk. Manakamana Temple (15 minutes by cable car—ropeway ride up to hill).

The Manakamana Temple, situated in the Gorkha district of Nepal, is the sacred place of the Hindu goddess Bhagwati, an incarnation of Parvati. The name Manakamana originates from two words, "mana,” meaning heart, and "kamana,” meaning wish. Venerated since the 17th century, it is believed that Goddess Manakamana grants the wishes of all those who make the pilgrimage to her shrine to worship her. The Manakamana temple lies 12 km south of the town of Gorkha. The temple is located on a distinguished ridge 4,272 feet above sea level.

Wake up Early in the morning, drive to Sarangkot for sunrise view (optional) and if you wish to experience the paragliding in Nepal then you can also do paragliding from here. Return to the hotel for breakfast and start your half-day sightseeing of Pokhara, such as Bindvabashini Temple, which is famous for Hindu pilgrimage; the Davi’s Fall, locally known as Patale Chhango (hell's fall); a lovely waterfall lying about two km south west of Pokhara Airport on the Siddartha Highway; and Gupteswar Cave, a sacred cave situated opposite of Davi’s Fall. The cave is almost 3 km long. and the picturesque Fewa, Begnas, and Rupa lakes enhanced its beauty.

For the Mountain Lovers, Pokhara offers the magnificient views of Mt. Fish Tail, locally named "Machhapuchre, the“ 5 peaks of Mt. Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Himanchuli, and other peaks. Pokhara Valley is such a place in the world to provide such dramatic views in the subtropical setting and its colorful bazaars.

Later, visit and take the opportunity to shop for souvenirs. Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, in the Terai plains of Nepal, is one of the greatest pilgrimage sites for Buddhists. More than 400,000 Buddhists and non-Buddhists visit Lumbini every year. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site (culture) and holds immense archeological and religious importance. Sacred Garden: It was here in the gardens of Lumbini that Prince Siddhartha Gautam, who later became the Buddha, was born in 623 BC.

The nativity site is marked by a commemorative pillar erected by Mauryan Emperor Ashoka of India during his pilgrimage to the holy site in 249 BC. The inscription on the Ashoka Pillar indentifies the Sacred Garden—spread over 9 sq. km.—as the spot where the Enlightened One was born. A large number of Buddhist pilgrims from all over the world visit Lumbini to pray at the Mayadevi Temple, where excavations have revealed the “marker stone,” showing the exact spot where Siddhartha Gautam Buddha was born. The sacred Puskarni Pond, where Queen Mayadevi had taken a bath before the birth of Buddha, lies to the south of the pillar. It was also in this pond that the infant Buddha was given his first bath, NTB.

For 4000 years, people have been searching for the head of the Hindu deity Kedarnath, who assumed the shape of a bull to avoid the five Pandava brothers, the heroes of the Mahabharat. The legend goes back to the fabled battle of Kurukshetra fought between the five Pandava brothers and their cousins, the 100 Kaurava brothers, which is the pivot of the Mahabharata. The Pandavas won, but sorrowed by the loss of lives, they renounced the kingdom they had wrested back and headed for the heavenly abode of the gods, believed to be atop the mighty Himalayan Mountains.

The Pandavas reached the Kedarnath region to seek forgiveness from Lord Shiva for the loss of lives during the 18-day Mahabharata war. But Lord Shiva was not ready to forgive them, and he took the form of a bull to avoid them. The Pandavas soon realized that the bull was Lord Shiva and tried to stop it by pulling its tail. Suddenly the head got separated from the body of the bull, and the Pandavas could not locate it. The hump-backed structure at Uttarakhand’s Kedarnath temple is worshipped as the torso of the holy bull. It was not until 2009 that temple priests determined that the deity at Doleshwar Mahadev Temple in Nepal is indeed the long-missing head of Kedernath.