KUMARI - The Living Goddess!

Nepal is not only the land of high peak mountains, lakes, caves, waterfall and so many amazing natural treasures, but also many Gods and Goddess, unique among all of them being the living, breathing Goddess - Kumari Devi, a young pre-pubescent girl. 

The custom of worshipping a pre-pubescent girl, who is not a born goddess, as the source of supreme power is an old Hindu-Buddhist tradition that still continues to this days in Nepal.

Selection procedure of the Living Goddess

The choosing process of the  Kumari , who is entitled to sit on the pedestal for worship as the living goddess is a huge affair. According to the traditions of Vajrayana sect of Mahayana Buddhism, girls in the age group of 4-7 year, who belong to the Shakya community and have an appropriate horoscope are screened on the basis of their 32 attributes of perfection, including color of eyes, shape of teeth and even voice quality. They are then are taken to meet the deities in a dark room, where terrifying tantrik rituals are performed.  The real goddess is one who stays calm and collected throughout these trials. Other hindu-Buddhist rituals that follow finally determine the real kumari.

After the ceremonies, the spirit of the goddess is said to enter her body. She takes on the clothing and jewelry of her predecessor, and is given the title of Kumari Devi, who is worshipped on all religious occasions. She would now live in a place called ‘Kumari Ghar’, at Kathmandu’s Hanumandhoka palace square. It is a beautifully decorated house where the living goddess performs her daily rituals.

Goddess Turns Human

The Kumari’s godhood comes to an end with her first menstruation, because it is believed that on reaching puberty the Kumari turns human. However, if she turns out to be unlucky, even a minor cut or bleeding can render her invalid for worship, and the search for the new goddess has to begin.

Adventurous Honey Hunting in Nepal!!!

 In Nepal, honey hunting has been practiced for thousands of years and is a vital part of the Nepali culture. These days, travelers are also able to join honey hunting expeditions and experience this adventure and tradition for themselves. Some villagers in Nepal depend on honey hunting for their livelihood.

Bees construct their hives on the cliffs of the country’s foothills, and watching the honey hunters at work is a sight to be seen. Due to the location of the bee hives, honey hunters make use of rope ladders and baskets to get to the combs after the bees have been flushed out with smoke by lighting a fire underneath the hives. Honey harvesting usually takes place twice a year, when honey hunters get together and head into the Himalayas to take on this massive task. To harvest one colony takes the honey hunters two to three hours depending on the location of the hive and its size.

There are a number of tour operators that offer visitors honey hunting tours, taking them to various locations to witness the entire harvesting procedure. Various tour options are available in regard to the length of the tour and location, and include fascinating sightseeing and educational information. The trekking routes to and from the honey bee hives are breathtaking, allowing visitors to take in the beauty and magnificence of the Nepali landscape and wildlife. The most popular honey hunting destinations are located in Bhujung, Nai Chi, Pasgaon, Naya Gaun, Ludhi and Dare. Tourists will be amazed at the speed and courage of the honey hunters, who hang from the cliffs to earn a living, and marvel at the ancient techniques that are still in use today.

Lord Buddha!!!

Gautam Budhha, whose original name was Sidhhartha Gautam, was born in the year 563 B.C. in Kapilvastu, Lumbini, Nepal. Sidhhartha Gautam was a son of  Shuddhodhana, the king of Kapilvastu and his Queen, Mayadevi. Unfoetunately, his mother died only in seven days after the birth of Siddhartha and so, he was brought up by his stepmother, Gautami. It is interesting to note that when \siddhartha was born, the astrologers had predicted that the prince would renunciate the comforts of the materialistic world and instead, opt for piddharthaath of his own. When the king Suddhodhana came to know about the prediction, he naturally became extremely cautious and tried to prevent a thing that was bound to happen,, and he died not let Siddhartha even move out of the palace. It was the deepest desire of the king that his son would fulfill his father's dream one day by becoming a king.


When Siddhartha had grown into an intelligent young man, He moved out of his palace one day, and saw certain things that changed the entire course of His life. He first saw a very old man who could barely walk, a sick man who was in A severe pain, and lastly a corpse. Since, He had never been exposed to pain before, these sights affected him immensely, although His charioteer tried to explain Him that pain and death - both were inevitable. 


This entire episode turned His life and His heart compelled Him to evaluate His life completely and then, He began the search for the reason of existence. King Shuddhodhana got perturbed by whatever his son was going through and therefore, he arranged Siddhartha's marriage with a young and beautiful princess, Yasodhara. For some time, Siddhartha again got involved into the worldly pleasures, but somewhere at the back of His head, He had still not forgotten what He had seen! It was soon after the birth of son Rahul, that Siddhartha on a starry night, left His wife and son in deep sleep and left the palace.


Siddhartha was only 29, when He had left home. For some time, He moved around the entire country meeting various sadhus and saints in His search for  inner peace. It was during this period that Siddhartha lived the life of a hermit and involved Himself in rigorous ' tapasya' in order to comprehend the reason for life and death. A time came when He realised that it was useless to torture one's body while finding the truth, and then, He denunciated the method of tapasyaand fast.
Then one fine day as Siddhartha reached Bodh Gaya and being very exhausted, He took a seat under the shade of a peepal tree and closed His eyes. It was  then He felt a divine light coming within Himself. This was the turning point in His quest as He realised that the truth is within every human being and to search for it outside was baseless. After this incidence, He came to be known as ' Buddha' or the enlightened one. 


For 45 years, Buddha spread His message of spiritual life to not only His disciples but the common people as well. He gave emphasis on the purification of  mind, heart and ultimately, soul by following the Eightfold Path, the Four Noble Truths and the Five Preceptions. This path included the right speech, understanding, determination, deeds, efforts, awareness, thinking and living. As per Buddhism, if one follows these paths, one could overcome desires, which were the reason for all the grieves and miseries. 
After spreading His message to the world successfully, Buddha died at the age of 80 years in 483 BCE. at Kushinagar, India. Today, Buddhism has a strong following in various Asian countries and is gradually finding its feet in some of the western countries as well.

Naturally Nepal!!!

Nepal is living museum of ancient temples, places, palaces and shrine, square and country yard. Nepal is considered as one of the best adventure destinations in world. The best way to experience Nepal’s unbeatable combination of natural beauty and cultural richness is gained by walking. You  can even  make  trek on  high  mountain to  low  hills which  would  welcome you  by fresh air and smell of jasmine. You can make trekking on the remote place like dolpa, manang that can make you sock by the smile of the mountain with snow capped. If  you  do  trekking  on  the  hills,  the  forest animals and birds will show you  the  right  way .The thousands  of  butterflies  with different  colors will show you  the  destination, making like a rainbow.

Nepal is famous for rafting, bungee jumping and canyoning. You can even enjoy the nature by jungle safari on the terai region on national parks. You can visit there by different means like elephant, jeep, foot, dugout canoe, etc.  The jungle walk gives you the close opportunities to view the animals nearby. The unlimited thrill of bungy jump can be experienced in Nepal. The jump is 160 m above and some jumpmasters from various countries are there to help you. It is above one of the biggest rivers, bhote koshi. If you think you can do it, then welcome to Nepal.

A place which is famous for rock climbing, mountain biking, bird watching, mountain flight, etc., can make your holiday wonderful. You can enjoy by village tour, Para gliding, hot-air ballooning .If you have a month holiday, make sure you will visit Nepal so you will  believe this article. We all would be glad to extend our warm hospitality and hope that you will come to Nepal to visit.

Nepalese culture, community and religion!!!

Culture
The culture of Nepal is a assemblage of music, architecture, religion and literature. This mountain kingdom is multi-ethic and multi-lingual. The land is rich with unique cultural groups like Tharu,Yadav, Ahir, Newars and others. 


Community
The people of Indo-Aryan community are the original inhabitants of Nepal. No wonder their descendents form the majority even now. Other major groups in Nepal are Gurungs and Magars who live mainly in the western region; Rais, Limbus and Sunwars who live in the eastern mid hills; Sherpas, Manangpas and Lopas who live near the mountains of Everest, Annapurna and Mustang respectively.


Religion
Religion in Nepal is not only a system of social coherence based on certain rituals and beliefs, rather it is the binding force that ties the mountain kingdom together. Though Nepal is famous, as the world's only Hindu Kingdom, equal respect is given to other religions as well. Buddhism is the second largest religion followed in Nepal, others being Tantrism, Islam and Christianity.

Trek in Nepal!!!

Mustang

Humla

Humla

Trekking in Nepal will take you through a country that has captured the imagination of mountaineers and explorers for more than 100 years. You will meet people in remote mountain villages whose lifestyle has not changed in generations. Most people trust foreigners. Nepal is one of only a handful of countries that has never been ruled by a foreign power. If you have the time and energy to trek, don't miss the opportunity to leave Kathmandu and see the spectacular beauty and the unique culture of Nepal. Fortunately for the visitor, there are still only a few roads extending deeply into the hills, so the only way to truly visit the remote regions of the kingdom is in the slowest and most intimate manner - walking. It requires more time and effort, but the rewards are also greater. Instead of zipping down a freeway, racing to the next "point of interest," each step provides new and intriguing viewpoints. You will perceive your day as an entity rather than a few highlights strung together by a ribbon of concrete. For the romanticist, each step follows the footsteps of Hillary, Tenzing, Herzog and other Himalayan explorers. If you have neither the patience nor the physical stamina to visit the hills of Nepal on foot, a helicopter flight provides an expensive and unsatisfactory substitute.
A trek in Nepal is a special and rewarding mountain holiday.

Annapura

wOrld's highest internet cafe

The Biggest and the Oldest hindu temple - Pashupatinath!!!

Pashupatinath temple is located in Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal. Hindu devotees people basically come to this temple to worship of Lord Shiva. Foreigners also come to this temple to visit its tempting architecture and  glamorous beauty. The temple is of pagoda style. All the features of pagoda style is founded in this Temple area like cubic construction, beautifully carved wooden rafters on which they rest (tundal). The two level roofs are of copper with gold covering. It has four main doors, all covered with silver sheets. This temple has a gold pinnacle which is called "Gajur" in nepalese language and it is taken as a symbol of religious thought. The western door has a statue of large bull or Nandi, again covered in gold. The deity is of black stone, about 6 feet in height and the same in circumference.


The most important Day!!!
The most important festival celebrated in this temple is called Shivaratri or it is also called the night of Lord Shiva. Along the shores of the Bagmati river near the temple lies "Arya Ghat", the most widely used place of cremation in Nepal, especially in and around Kathmandu Valley.On the day of Shivaratri thousands of devotes come to this temple. 

Sadhus in Lord Hanumaan's attire @ Pashupati Temple

Its Story!!!
According to Nepal Mahatmaya and Himvatkhanda, one day Lord Shiva grew tired of his palace atop Mt. Kailash and so went in search of a place where he could escape to. He discovered Kathmandu Valley and, without telling anyone, he ran away from his palace and came to live in the Valley. He gained great fame there as Pashupati, Lord of the Animals, before the other gods discovered his hiding place and came to fetch him. He disguised himself as a majestic deer and would not help the other gods when they asked for his help. When Shiva did not yield to their pleas, they planned to use force. God  Bishnu grabbed him by his horns and they shattered into pieces. Vishnu established a temple and used the broken horns to form a linga on the bank of the Bagmati River. As time went by, the temple was buried and forgotten. Then a cow was known to have secretly sprinkled her milk over the mound. Apparently, when the cow herders dug around the spot, they found the lost lingas and again built a temple in reverence.