Gorkha District

Gorkha District (Nepali: गोरखा जिल्ला Listen (help·info)), a part of Gandaki Zone, is one of the seventy-five districtsof Nepal, a landlocked country of South Asia, and connected historically with the creation of the modern country of Nepal and the name of the legendary Gurkha soldiers. The district, with Pokharithok (Gorkha) , later known as Prithivi Narayan Nagarpalika as its district headquarters, covers an area of 3,610 km² and has a population (2001) of 288,134. It is the location of the Manakamana Temple.^[1] Also, the temples of great sage Gorakh Nath and goddess Gorakh Kali temple is located in district, after which the district got its name. Four major rivers run within and along it, they are Chepe, Daraudi, Marsyangdi and Budhi Gandaki.There are four major legends associated with naming of "Gorkha".

• In Nepali,‘ Kharka’ means ‘Grass Land’. This land was believed to be like meadow in Ancient period. Thus it was named Kharka and later the term Kharka got modified to Garkha and Garkha changed to Gorkha.

• In Sanskrit Scripture, ‘Gorakshaa’ means the protection of cow. Since Nepal is a country where killing a Cow is condsidered unholy and a very serious crime, the land was named Goraksha and later it became Gorkha.

• Myth holds that a Saint named Gorakhnath appeared for the first in Nepal in Gorkha. There is still a cave with his paduka (feet) and idol of him in this place which supports the myth. Thus since the city was established in the place where Sage Gorakhnath appeared, it was named ‘Gorkha’.
• Manakamana Temple
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 Bhagawati grants the wishes of all those who make the pilgrimage to her shrine to worship her.

Cable Car connecting Kurintaar to Manakamana temple
• Gorakhnath Cave: It lies ten meters down the southern side of Gorkha Palace which is visited with great devotion by Brahmans and Chhetris considering it to be the holy pilgrimage Site. Great fare is organized each year on the day of Baisakh Purnima(the full moon Day of Baisakh) in Gorakhnath Cave.
• Gorakhkali Temple: This Temple is located at the west side of the Gorkha Palace.
• Chepe, Daraudi, Marsyangdi and Budhi Gandaki.
• Gorkha Palace : About 1700 steps leads you to the top of the hill at an altitude of 3281 ft. where Newar fashioned Gorkha Palace stands firm along with forts and temple boasting on its rich History. It is at 40–50 minutes of Walking Distance far from Gorkha Bazaar. One can view Manaslu(the 8th Highest Mountain of the World), Dhaulagiri and Ganesh Mountains from the Palace Complex.

Tallo Durba is a major tourist attraction
• Manaslu
• Ligligkot and Lakhan Thapa Gaon are popular places in Gorkha for Hiking.
• Dhike Dada is a new attraction for public from Gorkha,Tanahun and Lamjung.

Manakamana

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 Gorkha. The temple is located on a distinguished ridge 1,302 metres (4,272 ft) above sea level and overlooks the river valleys of Trisuli in the south and Marsyangdi in the west. The spectacular views of the Manaslu- Himachali and Annapurna ranges can be seen to the north of the temple. The temple is approximately a 104 kilometres (65 mi) drive from Kathmandu and can also be reached via bus east from Pokhara in around three to four hours.The legend of Manakamana Goddess dates back to the reign of the Gorkha king Ram Shah during the 17th century. It is said that his queen possessed divine powers, which only her devotee Lakhan Thapa knew about. One day, the king witnessed his queen in Goddess incarnation, and Lakhan Thapa in the form of a lion.^[4] Upon mentioning the revelation to his queen, a mysterious death befell the king. As per the custom of that time, the queen committed Sati (ritual immolation) on her husband’s funeral pyre. Before, her sati the queen had assured Lakhan Thapa that she would reappear in the near future. Six months later, a farmer while ploughing his fields cleaved a stone. From the stone he saw a stream of blood and milk flow. When Lakhan heard an account of this event, he immediately started performing Hindu tantric rituals at the site where the stone had been discovered thus ceasing the flow of blood and milk. The site became the foundation of the present shrine. According to tradition, the priest at the temple must be a descendent of Lakhan Thapa.Darshan comes from the Sanskrit word meaning sight. The pilgrimage to Manakamana is made by a great many people every year. This religious expedition to see the Goddess Bhagwati at Manakamana is hence referred to as Manakamana Darshan. According to Hindu mythology the universe is said to consist of five cosmic elements- earth, fire, water, air and ether. The offerings to the Goddess are made on this basis. At least one of the following should be amongst the worship materials:

1. Abir (vermillion)
2. Kesar (pure saffron extract)
3. Flowers and leaves
4. Dhup (incense)
5. Diya (oil lamp)
6. Bastra (Cloth, usually in red as it is considered auspicious)
7. Fruit and foods such as coconuts and sweet desserts
8. Bell
9. Betel nut and jannai (sacred thread)
10. There is a tradition of sacrificing animals at the temple. Some pilgrims sacrifice a goat or pigeon in a pavilion behind the temple. However, recently the District Livestock Service Office, Gorkha has banned the sacrifice of birds such as pigeons, roosters, and ducks to name a few. Senior livestock service officer Chhetra Bahadur K.C. said poultry sacrifice would not be permitted until further notice.
11. Manakamana darshan is most popular during Dashain (Sept –Oct) and Nag Panchami (July –August) during which time devotees stand for as long as five to ten hours to pray to Goddess Bhagwati.

Butwal

Butwal (Nepali: बुटवल) is one of the major cities in Nepal. It lies in Western Development Region, Lumbini Zonein Rupandehi District. It acts as an administrative headquarter for Lumbini Zone. It is situated at the bank of Tilottama River Tinau River. It is located 265 km west of Kathmandu 161 km south of Pokhara and 22 km north of Siddharthanagar Bhairawaha, at the northern edge of the Terai plain below the Siwalik Hills. Its name is derived from Batauli Bazaar in the town's oldest district; also known as BTL informally.

Geographically, Butwal is the mid section (Cross Roads) of the Nepal's National Highway (Mahendra Highway & Siddhartha Highway). It connects western Nepal to the capital Kathmandu through highway and air links. It has become one of the fastest growing cities in Nepal in terms of mainly education, infrastructure, highway, marketing, health & safety, communication, trade and banking sectors. It has highway connections to the Indian Border at Sunauli and to hilly towns Tansen and Pokhara valley. And holds the title of being "The Best City in Nepal" twice.

Butwal was officially declared as a sub-metropolitian city on 2 December 2014 by combining two neighbouring VDCs Motipur and Semlar.Fossils of ancient hominoids Ramapithecus were found near the Tinau (Tilottama) River as early as 1932, including a 10.1 million year old tooth.

Historically Butwal connected Nepali people with their Indian neighbors. As the British East India Companyannexed Awadh from its hereditary rulers while the Shah Dynasty attempted to annex the Terai, Butwal became one of bones of contention leading to the Gurkha War 1814-16.

When King Tribhuvan fled to India in 1950 during the revolt against the Rana dynasty he travelled through Butwal. Then it was little more than a village on the western bank of Tilottama River (also known as Tinau). With completion in 1968 of Siddhartha Highway from the border at Sunauli through Butwal to Pokhara and then in the 1990s Mahendra Highway across the full east-west expanse of Nepal's Terai, Butwal has developed rapidly.

Arghakhanchi District

Arghakhanchi (Nepali: अर्घाखाँची जिल्ला Listen (help·info))is one of the districts of Lumbini Zone in Nepal. The district headquarters is at Sandhikharka. The district covers an area of 1193 km² and has a population (2011) of 197,632.Its neighboring districts are, Palpa in the east, Gulmi in the North, Kapilbastu in the south and Pyuthan in the west. The famous places are Supa Deurali (Supa Deurali Temple), Argha (MahaKali Temple) and Chhatraganj temple, Narsing Thana at Hanshapur Bamruk etc.The district consists of two pre-unification principalities Argha and Khanchi. Argha (Nepali:अर्घ) was the name given to ritual offerings made at the former principality's main Bhagwati temple. Khanchi may come from the word Khajanchi (Nepali:खजाञ्चि) or tax collector since the center of the latter principality was known for its tax office. Both were two of the Chaubisi rajya (24 principalities) centered in the Gandaki Basin. In 1786 A.D. (1843 BS) during the unification of Nepal the two were annexed by Gorkha. Later the merger was renamed “Arghakhanchi” and added to Gulmi District. Arghakhanchi became a separate district in 1961 A.D. (2018 BS). In 2001, the population was 208,391. In 1991, the population was 180,884. According to the 2011 census the total population was 197,632. Of these 86,266 were male and 111,366 are female. Total no of household 46,835 and average household size 4.22 on the basis of usual place of residence. Sex ratio ( No of male per 100 female population) is 77.5 and population density 166.The major religion of this district are Hindu and also followed by Muslims too. Arghakhanchi lies between 27'45"N and 28'6"N latitude, and 80'45"E to 83'23"E longitude. It covers 1,193 km². The altitude of the district varies from 305 to 2515 meter above the sea level. 68% of the district is in the mountainous Mahabharat Range and the rest is in the Siwalik Hills. Elevations range from 305–2575 m above sea level and about 40% of the total area is forested. The major rivers of the district are Bangi khola, Bangsari Khola, Mathurabesi Khola, Banganga Khola, Durga khola, Sita khola, Khakabesi Khola, Rangsing Khola, Ratne Khola, Jhimruk Khola, Khankbesi Khola etc.. The major lakes of the district are Thada lake and Sengleng lake.

Sindhuli District

Sindhuli District (Nepali: सिन्धुली जिल्ला Listen (help·info)), a part of Janakpur Zone, is one of the seventy-five districts of Nepal, a landlocked country of South Asia. The district, with Sindhulimadhi Kamalamai as its district headquarters and covers an area of 2,491 km². In 2001, it had a population of 279,821, in 2011 the population was 296,192.i) Before being annexed as the integral part of Nepal, it was under the governance of Makwani king. During 1530 Raghab Narendra Sen was the King of Makwanpur and was renowned as the Sindhul. He had outseted the settlement over this region. Since then it got the name Sindhuli.^[3]

ii) At ancient time the great saint used to dwell in the hill (1077 m from the see level) of nowadays Sindhuli madi. He was popular as Siddha Baba(one who got enlightened)among residents of Sindhuli district.This place got its naming under his name and began to be called as Siddhasthali सिद्धस्थाली (place where enlighten lives). With time it got deviated and began to be pronounced as Sindhuli.

iii) An indigenous group (Tamangs) were predominant in this region. These indigenous people call Singthuwa (सिङ्थुवा) for cutting down tree and Sinthuji (सिङ्थुजी) for collecting timber.Due to the presence of intense forest within this region the herding of goats was popular and way of living was dependent on agriculture and forest resources.Over time due to gradual deviation in the naming this region got its name as Sindhuli.

Rukum District

Rukum District(Nepali: रुकुम जिल्ला Listen (help·info), is a "hill" and "mountain" district some 280 km west of Kathmandu in RaptiZone of Nepal's Mid-Western Region. Rukum covers an area of 2,877 km² with population of 188,438 in 2001 and 207,290 in 2011. Musikot (also called Jhumlikhalanga) is the district's administrative center. Rukum district has many potential tourist attractions that remain unexplored. There is 5,911 metres (19,393 ft) Mt. Sisne (Nepali: सिस्ने हिमाल), the westernmost high peak in the Dhaulagiri massif. Sisne is also called virgin mountain, Hiunchuli Patan and Murkatta Himal. It was unclimbed until a Nepalese expedition led by Man Bahadur Khatri reached the summit in May 2013. Rukum is also called "the place of 52 lakes and 53 hills". Rukumkot (Nepali: all of them Shyarpu tal is greatest Lake of rukum रुकुमकोट） has a beautiful pond called Rukmini Talor locally Kamal Dhaha. Nearby are notable temples called Barah and Sibalaya, and caves such as Deurali Cave.Rukum district is the northernmost part of Rapti Zone. It is in the basin of Bheri River, a major tributary of the Karnali. Most of Rukum is drained by west-flowing tributaries such asUttar Ganga draining Dhorpatan Valley and to the north of that the Sani Bheri draining southern slopes of the western Dhaulagiri Himalaya.

Rapti Zone Map

Elevation ranges from below 800 meters along the Bheri and its lowest tributaries to about 6,000 meters in the Dhaulagiris with a range of climates from tropical to perpetual snow and ice. Agricultural use ranges from irrigated rice cultivation through upland cultivation of maize, barley, wheat, potatoes and fruit, to sub-alpine and alpine pasturage reaching about 4,500 meters.

Sagarmatha Zone

Sagarmāthā (Nepali: सगरमाथा अञ्चल Listen (help·info)) is one of the fourteen zones located in eastern Nepal. It includes mountain districts of the Himalayas (including Mount Everest) in the north, hill districts in the center, and valley districts of theTerai in the south. It is bordered by China to the north, India to the south, the Kosi Zone to the east and the Janakpur Zoneto the west.The main city of the Sagarmāthā Zone is Rajbiraj which is also the headquarters. Other towns of the Sagarmāthā hill area are Katari, Okhaldunga, Diktel, Salleri and Namchebajar; while Kathauna , Lahan, Fatepur, Rajbiraj and Siraha are in the outer Terai. Triyuga is an emerging city in the zone.

Sagarmāthā takes its name from the Nepalese name for Mount Everest, which is located in the very north of the zone within the Sagarmatha National Park (1,148 km²) in the Solu Khumbu district. Sagarmāthā means "the Head in the Great Blue Sky".