"NEPAL THE LAND OF PASHUPATINATH ( LORD SHIVA)" Nepal by goutammitra

Nepal Travel Guide: 3,920 reviews and 10,570 photos

The Temple of Lord Pashupatinath ( Lord Shiva)

We visited Nepal ( the only Hindu Kingdom in the world) from 8th September to 16th September, 2007. We have been thinking for quite sometime where to go on holiday, Bangkok or Kathmandu. We decided for Kathmandu, as Rakhi and Munu both have never seen Nepal though I have visited Kathmandu about 50 times and Nepal 200 times!!! But all visits were before my marriage in 1991. Since, I grew up in Patna and was also incharge of sale for North Bihar, it was possible for me to make visit to these places from 1974 to 1991.

Our trip was wonderful and a memorable one. Moreover, our VT friend Urvashi & her husband Divya Rana made our trip a great one. During our stay both of them not only gave us lot of their time ( which they took out from their busy schedule) but also gave us valuable advise, assisted us in travelling, shopping, treating us with wonderful dinner at China Town, discussing with us about our cultures, countries, taking out Munu on bike and so on. We are really fortunate to have Divya and Urvashi as our friend. It was possible because of VT. Thanks to VT too!!!
Now we plan to visit Nepal again next year. It can be said that Nepal is a country to be explored and every time something new will come out. We had the opportunity to travel the usual tourist route, Kathmandu, Patan, Bhaktapur, Nagarkote, Dhulikhel, Pokhra etc. but we also travelled to the inner parts of rural Nepal, experiencing the life of Newars ( the original ethnic inhabitants of Nepal), taste their hospitality , food and culture. We also had the opportunity to meet the KUMARI DEVI ( the only living Goddess in the world) and talk to her with her family and seek blessings from her as well after two attempts.

A SHORT HISTORY OF NEPAL

The Palanquin of Kumari Devi( the living Goddess)

Aryan tribes began arriving around 1500 BCE from the northwest. Around 1000 BCE, small kingdoms and confederations of clans arose in the region. One of the earliest confederations was that of the Shakya clan, whose capital was Kapilavastu, near the present-day border with India. One of its princes was [[Gautama Buddha]] Siddharta Gautama (563–483 BCE), who renounced his royalty to lead an ascetic life and came to be known as the ''Buddha'' ("the enlightened one"). By 260 BCE, most of North India northern India was ruled by the [[Maurya Empire]]. Although not all of Nepal was under Maurya rule, there is evidence of at least the influence of [[Ashoka]] the Great (the ruler of the Maurya Empire from 273 BCE 273 to 232 BCE). The remains of a Buddhist convent have been found in the Kathmandu Valley. In the fourth century CE, the area fell under the [[Gupta Empire]]. Cultural diffusion is evident despite the lack of direct control of Nepal by the Gupta Empire.The Licchavi dynasty went into decline in the late eighth century and was followed by a Newari era, from 879, although the extent of their control over the entire country is uncertain. By the late 11th century, southern Nepal came under the influence of the Chalukaya Empire of southern India. Under the Chalukayas, Nepal's religious establishment changed as the kings patronised Hinduism instead of the prevailing Buddhism.
From the findings at the ancient capital of Handigaun it appears that Licchavi rulers were in power on two occasions: from about 200 CE to the 5th century, and from about 750 to 1200 CE.[7]
Modern Nepal was created in the latter half of the 18th century when Prithvi Narayan Shah, the ruler of the small principality of Gorkha, formed a unified country from a number of independent hill states. The country was frequently called the Gorkha Kingdom. It is a misconception that the Gurkhas took their name from the Gorkha region of Nepal. The region was given its name after the Gurkhas had established their control of these areas. Gurkha, also spelt as Gorkha, are people from Nepal who take their name from the legendary eighth century Hindu warrior-saint Guru Gorakhnath. Gurkhas claim descent from the Hindu Rajputs and Brahmins of Northern India, who entered modern Nepal from the west.
After decades of rivalry between the medieval kingdoms, Prithvi Narayan Shah dedicated himself at an early age to the conquest of the Kathmandu valley and the creation of a single state, which he achieved in 1768. Between 1717 and 1733, the Nepalese in the west and Bhutanese in the east attacked Sikkim many times, culminating with the destruction of the capital Rabdentse by the Nepalese. The Sikkim king fled to Tibet. After Shah's death, the Shah dynasty began to expand their kingdom into India. Between 1788 and 1791, Nepal invaded Tibet and robbed Tashilhunpo Monastery of Shigatse. Alarmed, the Chinese emperor Qianlong dispatched a sizeable army that forced the Nepalese to retreat and pay heavy repatriations.
After 1800, the heirs of Prithvi Narayan Shah proved unable to maintain firm political control over Nepal. A period of internal turmoil followed. Rivalry between Nepal and the British East India Company over the annexation of minor states bordering Nepal eventually led to the Anglo-Nepalese War (1814–16), in which Nepal suffered a complete rout. The Treaty of Sugauli was signed in 1816, ceding parts of the Terrai and Sikkim to the British in exchange for Nepalese autonomy.

% Swambhunath Temple.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Extremely Friendly People.
Cons:Now polluting, too much vehicle.

Last visit to Nepal: Sep 2007
Intro Updated Sep 17, 2007
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Travelogues (1)

Written Oct 6, 2007

8 photos

V.T. Friend Urvashi & Dibya SJB Rana of Kathmandu

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Comments (5)

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tenluk Nov 11, 2009 at 5:17 AM

Nice Nepal's history.. thank you ..
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besal Oct 28, 2007 at 4:51 AM

Good to have fun when one travels. Great tips on Nepal!
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tiabunna Oct 6, 2007 at 4:17 AM

This is an excellent historical background to Nepal, Goutam. An interesting travelogue, too - great that you were able to enjoy Nepal with other VTers!
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Pat_Bangkok Sep 22, 2007 at 10:48 PM

Very informative of Nepal. Glade you have wonderful trip with warm family. I shold go to Nepal one day.
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Rupanworld Sep 12, 2007 at 8:31 AM

Hi Gautamda, earnestly waiting for you to update this page of yours, with all your wisdom, great pictures and good insight. Hope you have a memorable trip with family. Went to your neighbourhood again today. We'll surely meet after you land here.