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Pokhara is a remarkable place
of natural beauty. Situated at an
altitude of 827m from the sea level
and 200km west of Kathmandu valley,
the city is known as a center of
adventure. The enchanting city with
a population of around 95,000 has
several beautiful lakes and offers
stunning panaromic views of
Himalayan peaks. The serenity of
lakes and the magnificence of the
Himalayas rising behind them create
an ambience of peace and magic. So
today the city has not only become
the starting point for most popular
trekking and rafting destinations
but also a place to relax and enjoy
the beauty of nature.
Pokhara is part of a once
vibrant trade route extending
between India and Tibet. To this
day, mule trains can be seen camped
on the outskirts of the town,
bringing goods to trade from remote
regions of the Himalaya. This is the
land of Magars and Gurungs,
hardworking farmers and valorous
warriors who have earned worldwide
fame as Gurkha soldiers. The
Thakalis, another important ethnic
group here, are known for their
entrepreneurship.
The climate of Pokhara is slightly
warmer than Kathmandu with daytime
temperature hovering around 15
degrees Celsius in winter and 35
degrees in summer. The monsoon
season which lasts from mid-June to
mid-September is very wet; in fact
Pokhara records the highest rainfall
in the country. Best time to visit
is between October and April.
The activities of foreign visitors
to Pokhara focus around two
districts known as Damside and
Lakeside (or Pardi and Baidam, in
Nepali, respectively). These two
areas, with their strips of hotels
and restaurants, are a few
kilometers south-west of the main
Pokhara bazaar.
Phewa Tal (Lake)
Phewa lake, the second largest lake
in the kingdom, roughly measuring
1.5 km by 4 km, is the center of all
attractions in Pokhara. The
enchanting lake is an idyllic
playground. Brightly painted wooden
boats and sailboats can be rented on
reasonable cost around lakeside.
The lake is neither deep (roughly 47
meters at most) nor particulary
clean, but the water is warm and
swimming is pleasant if you don't
think about the probable pollution.
The eastern shoreline of the lake,
popularly known as Lakeside or
Baidam, consists of seemingly
endless strip of lodges,
restaurants, bookshops and souvenir
shops. One of the fascinating parts
of lakeside is the splendid view of
the mountains, especially when the
still water reflects the peaks,
creating a double image.
Begnas lake and Rupa lake
The lakes are located about 15km
from Pokhara at the end of a road
that turns north from the highway to
Kathmandu. Divided by the forested
hillock called Panchabhaiya Danda,
the lakes offer the perfect nature
retreat because of their relative
seclusion. Splendid boating and
fishing can be done here.
Barahi temple
This is the most important religious
monument in Pokhara. Built almost in
the middle of Phewa lake, the two
storied pagoda is dedicated to the
boar manifestation of Ajima, the
protectress deity representing the
female force Shakti. Devotees can be
seen, especially on Saturdays,
carrying male animals and fowl
across the lake to be sacrificed to
the deity.
World Peace Pagoda
The pagoda is a massive Buddhist
stupa and is situated on of a
hill on the southern shore of Phewa
lake. Besides being an impressive
sight in itself, the shrine is a
great vantage point which offers
spectacular views of the Annapurna
range and Pokhara city. You can get
there by crossing the lake by boat
and then hiking up the hill.
Seti Gandaki
Flowing right through the city, the
boisterous river runs completely
underground at places. Amazingly, at
certain points the river appears
hardly two meters wide. But its
depth is quite beyond imagination -
over 20 meters! Mahendra Pul, a
small bridge near the old Mission
Hospital, provides a perfect view of
the river's dreadful rush and the
deep gorge made by its powerful
flow.
Devi's Fall
Locally known as Patale Chhango
(Hell's Fall), Devi's fall (also
known as Devin's or David's) is an
awesome waterfall lying about 2 km
south-west of Pokhara airport on the
highway to Tansen. An interesting
modern legend says that a foreigner
named David was skinnydipping in the
Pardi Khola (river) when the
floodgates of the dam were opened,
sweeping him into an underground
passage beneath the fall, never to
be seen again.
Gupteswar Gupha
Gupteswar Gupha, a sacred cave, lies
2 km from Pokhara airport on the
Siddhartha Highway leading southwest
from the city. The entrance is right
across from Devi's Fall and the cave
is almost 3 km long. It has some big
hall-size rooms and some passages
where you have to crawl on all
fours. This cave holds special value
for Hindus since a phallic symbol of
Lord Shiva is preserved here in the
condition it was discovered. An
entrance fee of Rs. 5 is charged and
taking pictures inside the cave is
prohibited.
Mahendra Gupha
Mahendra Gufa, locally called
Chamero Odhaar ("House of Bats"), is
the large limestone cave. Shepherd
boys are said to have discovered it
around 1950. A two hour walk to the
north of Pokhara, it is best to
bring your own torch to see the
stalactites and stalagmites,
although most of them have been
carted out by souvenir hunters.
The Old Bazaar
Pokhara's traditional bazaar is
colorful and so are its ethnically
diverse traders. In its temples and
monuments can be seen ties to the
Newar architecture of the Kathmandu
Valley. Located about 4 km from
Lakeside, the market's original
charm is alive and well.
Bindbyabasini Temple
Bindhyabasini temple is the center
of religious activity in the old
bazaar. It is dedicated to goddess
Bhagwati, yet another manifestation
of shakti. Worshippers flock here to
perform sacrifices, and especially
on Saturdays the parklike grounds
take on a festive fair.
Museums
Pokhara Museum , located between the
airport and Mahendra Pul, reflects
the ethnic mosaic of western Nepal.
The lifestyles and history of ethnic
groups such as the Gurung, Thakali
and the Tharu are attractively
displayed. Open daily, except
Tuesdays and holidays, from 10 am to
4 pm. Entrance fee is Rs. 5 and
there is an extra Rs. 10 for cameras
(Tel: 0612041 3).
Annapurna Museum , also known as the
Natural History Museum, is located
at Prithvi Narayan Campus east of
the old bazaar. Managed by the
Annapurna Conservation Area Project
(ACAP), the museum has an
exceptional collection of
butterflies, insects, birds, and
models of wildlife as well as
samples of various precious and
semi-precious stones and volcanic
rocks. Open daily, except Saturdays
and holidays, from 9 am to 4 pm.
Entrance is free (Tel: 061-21102).
Himalayan Vista
The magnificent Annapurna panorama
that's visible on the northern
skyline of Pokhara is quite
incredible. The main peaks are
Annapurna I to IV and the beautiful
Machhapuchhare (or Fishtail
Mountaian, so named after its twin
peaks). Besides these, you can also
see the Himchuli, Varahashikhar,
Gangapurna and other peaks. The
mountains will probably be hidden in
the clouds between April and
September. A nice evening on the
banks of Fewa Lake with the mountain
range as the backdrop is what
Pokhara is really about!
Nightlife and Entertainment in
Pokhara
There is not much of a nightlife in
Pokhara other than dining. The town
shuts down by about 10:30 in the
evening. Until you can hang out some
of the bars and pubs that are
becoming trendy in the area.
Fishtail Lodge puts up an hour long
nightly Nepali cultural show with
dances and such.
Around Pokhara
Pokhara is the starting and ending
point for many of the popular
trekking routes in Nepal. Longer
treks (one to three week long) such
as the Jomsom trek, Annapurna
Circuit, and Annapurna Sanctuary
begin here. Check a book on Nepal
trekking for more details on this.
Otherwise, you can also visit this
site Pilgrims Book House for
information on trekking books of
Nepal.
For those with less time, Pokhara
also provides shorter (one to seven
days) more leisurely treks around
the neighboring hills and villages.
The popular ones are:
Ghachowk Trek : two days, a
circuit through Lhachowk to Ghachowk
and down to Batulechaur, north of
Pokhara, close up view of Fishtail
mountain.
Naudanda Trek : two days, to
Naudanda from Suikhet and then back
through Kaski, west of Pokhara.
Ghorepani Circuit : five to
seven days long, upto the Gurung
village of Ghandruk village, great
views of the Annapurna range,
north-west of Pokhara.
Kahun Danda : day trip, north
east of Pokhara, 1560m altitude.
Sarangkot : day trip, great
view of the mountain range including
Dhaulagiri, north of Fewa Lake,
1592m altitude.
Rupa and Begnas Lakes : day
trip, 15km south-east of Pokhara,
take a bus there and leisurely walk
along the ridge that separates the
two twin lakes. |
