"Chobhar Resort Hotel , Chobhar, Suburban Kathmandu" Chobhar by Chobhar

An absolute jewel and if you want to discover this unique Hidden Paradise, called Chobhar Village Resort Hotel, ....escape polluted Kahmandu, Asia's most polluted city according to experts....and head out on the road towards Dakshinkali. After Tribbubhan University, you will pass a pine forest and only 8kms from the capital of Kathmandu, go up the Hill, to 1420 metres (ALT) to discover this absolute jewel. It is called CHOBHAR village, and in that village, there is only one hotel. The cafe, restaurant and rooms are located in fully renovated 200 year old traditional stone buildings, with American Standard comfort. All interior designed with wood carvings, cornices and art, live in complete peace and tranquility. The top floor is an apartment that can either accomodate 2 or 8 persons (like a group sharing a common interest such as yoga or meditation, or bird watching, etc.) The food is excellent and Chobhar Village Resort Hotel is listed in America's number one guide book. Reasonable prices and excellent food. Located between a Buddhist Monastery and a 15th Century Temple. Starting in 12/07 there is a Master with close to 20 years's experience to teach both yoga and meditation. Full of flowers and trees and amidst nature, you will discover Nepal's first and only outdoors modern art sculpture garden.
Panoramic views of the Himalayan Mountains. Lots to see: Chobhar Gorge (2kms) Nepal's 2nd largest network of limestone caves (1km) Kirtipur, Taudaha Lake where the King Nag Snake lives according to legend, Pharping, Bagmati and Taudaha harbour 120 kinds of wild birds etc....A place you will want to visit and never want to leave. www.nepalvillageresort.com to reserve.

Seven steps to heaven by Puran Khadka

In suburban Kathmandu, only 20 minutes from the capital, is Nepal’s first sculpture garden. The location is Chobhar, 20 minutes away, an ancient hill village (ALT 1420 metres) whose origins date back to the 12th century. In a panoramic setting surrounded by the snow-capped Himalayan mountain range, discover an impressive and ever increasing collection of permanently-sited works in durable materials, in landscaped surroundings which make up this unique outdoor Sculpture Garden. The works are by Nepal’s leading contemporary sculptor-artists. All are modern and futuristic. The basic theme and creator’s vision in assembling this “new-for-Nepal” collection is that the “PAST IS OVER” The collection therefore seeks to open up new horizons, to give a new sense of orientation to nepali art and to invite the public to share in this new vision by extremely gifted young talent nepali artists, emerging artists as well as established ones. Of the Nepali artists and craftsmen, it is often said that “they have gold in their hands and finger tips”

The sculpture garden, which is located on the grounds of the Chobhar Village Resort Hotel complex, consists of sculptures made of durable materials including marble, iron, steel, stone, aluminium, alloys, bronze, copper and even cement.

The garden is an ensemble of free-standing sculptures and large installations, some of them several meters high. The Curator of the Sculpture Garden is Puran Khadka, Nepal’s leading abstract artist, an active contributor to the Garden with some ten works which he has donated to our Collection. The Chobhar Sculpture Garden is open to the public, free of charge. Open every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Because entrance is FREE, and the organisers do not receive local, municipal or government support, it welcomes donations from private parties and/or international organizations who wish to contribute. Donations may be made through HKFT, an established non profit organisation HKFT stands for The Himalayan Kingdom Foundation Trust, whose founder and Head Trustee is Theo Steinert, a retired French-American living in Nepal since 1998. The full amount of donations (with no deductions) will go to acquire other modern and contemporary works, to support our wonderful and deserving nepali sculptors. For more information, visit:

www.nepalvillageresort.com Visitors to the Sculpture Garden can also spend the night at Chobhar Resort Hotel where there is a café-restaurant and fully renovated rooms all beautifully interior designed in traditional stonebuildings (200 years old) The hotel is listed in Lonely Planet Using its premises, the Resort Hotel can also organize and host international art workshops and accommodate, with room, food and lodging, groups of artists not exceeding 25.

Thai-Buddhist Monastery in Kirtipur near Chobhar

CHOBHAR BUDDHIST MONASTERY

Located atop Chobhar Hill Village, the Monastery is headed by Mingyur Rinpoche, a highly venerated teacher and master of the Karma Kakyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. The VIIth Mingyur Dorje Rinpoche is President of the Yongey Foundation. In March of 2007, Yongey Mingyur Dorje Rinpoche released his first book “The Joy of Living” His father, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche is one of the greatest meditation masters of our time. At 20, Mingyur Rinpoche was already a retreat master. Currently, there are 12 monks in residence at Chobhar, and periodically, the Monastery organises Nyung Ne retreats and other teachings. Mingyur Rinpoche teaches actively in the West and is connected to the Tergar Institute project in Bodhgaya, India.

15th CENTURY TEMPLE IN CHOBHAR called Adithnath Temple, sacred to Hindus and the Buddhist

ITINERARY ON THE WAY FROM CHOBHAR TO PHARPING (road to Dakshinkali)

FIRST STOP – Discover CHOBHAR GORGE – 1 km from Chobhar.

Stop to visit legendary Chobhar Gorge created by Goddess Manjushree

SECOND STOP - Stop to admire and take 20 minutes to admire this site of natural beauty which is Taudaha Lake which harbours 120 varieties of wild life birds– 3 kms from Chobhar.

THIRD STOP - SHESH NARAYAN - 5 kms from Chobhar on the same road

While better known for its Temple, where there is a beautiful shrine richly endowed with history and art (lovely pond and fountains), visitors also have the possibility to visit a small monastery built on the hillock, a short walk up from the main road. If you arrive at the right time either early in the morning or mid-afternoon, you can hear the monks chanting and prayers, an enriching experience. The monks are always very welcoming.

FOURTH STOP - PHARPING – About 10 Kms from Chobhar

Pharping is identified with the sacred site of Yangleshö (wyl. yang le shod), where Guru Padmasambhava attained the level of a Mahamudra vidyadhara. There are two major practice caves in Pharping blessed by Guru Rinpoche. Above Pharping is the wel-known Asura cave. This Cave Temple is the retreat center where the monks from Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery complete the traditional three-year retreat. Secondly, one should visit the Yangleshö cave. The exact number of existing monasteries in Pharping is not recorded but it is an a established fact that recent tibetan incomers have built no fewer than 25 additional monasteries in this area.

FIFTH STOP (OPTIONAL)

Having completed their visit to Pharping, visitors have the option to either come back to spend another day or night at Chobhar’s only Hotel or to make a fifth stop in Kirtipur, which is only half hour walk from Chobhar or 5 minutes by car. In Kirtipur, they can explore the hilly streets and fascinating temples of that ancient walled city and in particular visit a Thai-Buddhist temple donated by the government of Thailand which is the only one of its kind, architecturally speaking, in all of Nepal.

For directions or further Enquires, contact Tourism Information Office of CVR in Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal. Telephone: 2191010 or e-mail : info@nepalvillageresort.com

• Pros:So close to Kathmandu (8kms), escape air and noise pollution
• Cons:20 mins away by car from city centre
• In a nutshell:A hidden paradise with fine hotel set in a landscaped flower and sculpture garden.