Nepal

Pokhara's Climate

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Pokhara enjoys mild tropical temperatures where the winters are not severe and the summers are not as sweltering as in the hot plains of the south. Given its proximity to the gigantic Annapurna massif, one would expect an extremely cold winter but their impact is minimal. Pokhara’s at 827m, enjoys a favorable warm climate making it such a haven for tourists. During summers, the heat and humidity dominates life in the valley while winters are pleasant especially from October to December. Monsoon in Pokhara begins from early-June to September though rain may come sooner as pre-monsoon showers from April or May. The valley’s maximum temperature can go up to 30-32 degree Celsius in the summer and a minimum of 6-degree Celsius during the winter. Days remain perennially warm through the seasons, except for some days during the monsoon and winter.

Boating

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Pokhara's Phewa Lake naturally draws visitors towards it. Easily the best means of recreation, boating is a favorite past time which one can indulge in according to whim any time of day. The second largest lake in Nepal, the Phewa measures approximately 1.5 by 4 km. Its eastern shore, also known as Lakeside or Baidam, is the center of tourist activity in Pokhara while the opposite bank remains pristine and uninhabited. The other two lakes, Begnas and Rupa Tal are located 15 km out of Pokhara at the end of a road that turns off the Kathmandu highway. Less visited but no less beautiful, both these lakes are excellent for boating and preferred by those seeking serenity and peace. A boat can be rented easily for a number of hours and one can head out to the middle of the lake or the other banks where there is much greenery and tranquility. Taking a swim on a warm sunny day can be the highlight of your stay in Pokhara. It is also possible to hire a boat for the day or on an hourly basis. An interesting option is to do away with the boatman and go on your own for a more adventurous time. When it comes to choosing a time, the best time for boating in Pokhara is in the winter months between October and February, when the skies are clear and the mountains cast their shadows on the lake's tranquil waters.

International Mountain Museum

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The International Mountain Museum (IMM) has an impressive façade. It was built with the objective of recording, documenting, exhibiting and chronicling the entire past up to the present day, the development of mountain and mountaineering activities in the world. It has received much support from the many mountaineering clubs and associations as well as individual donors from around the world. The museum was established by Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) with the theme ‘Man, Mountain and Mountain activities around the world’. Accordingly, the entire display area of the museum has been divided along the theme.

Nepalese Art and Craft

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Handicrafts are one of Nepal’s major exports chiefly metal craft and wood carvings. The Newar community is blessed with the ancient traditions of carving on stone, woods and metals, handed down from generation to generation. Some of the finest of Nepalese art and craft come in the form of wood carvings, metal statues, jewelry, the famous Gorkha knife-- the Khukuri, pottery, handmade rice paper, thangkas and pauvas, woolen carpets and garments.

Kathmandu

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Geological studies have shown that the Kathmandu valley indeed was once a massive lake. The three cities that were subsequently built in the valley: Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur have seen many battles and intrigues through the centuries and have benefited from the artistic rivalry that led to the building of opulent palaces, fabulous squares, artistic temples and other well-designed monuments. The richness of the cultural heritage has led UNESCO to designate three palace squares, two stupas and two temples in the valley as World Heritage Sites. Covering an area of 564sq.km.the valley is 1,348m. above sea level. The artistic brilliance of the Newar inhabitants is showcased by the exquisite wood carvings, the skillfully crafted statues and statuettes and the architectural marvels: the pagodas and stupas. In this valley, Buddhism and Hinduism have co-existed in religious harmony over the centuries, and many deities are common to both religions.

National Museum

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Located in Chauni, near Swoyambhu, the building that houses the National Museum was once the residence of Nepal’s most famous Prime Minister, Bhimsen Thapa of Dharahara fame. The museum has a fine collection of ancient Nepalese religious art, amazing weapons and costumes worn in battle in ancient times, a sword gifted by Napoleon III; of particular interest are the Tibetan leather cannon and locally built machine gun. The coin section has a fascinating collection of antique while the Buddhist section preserves thangkas from the 18th and 19th centuries and pieces of old ruins found during excavations.

Nepal Tourism

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Surrounded by the lofty heights of the Himalayas, Nepal is a land of eternal beauty and attraction. It's a land of colorful cultures, ancient history and people, picturesque scenery and some of the best walking on earth. It is popularly known for the highest mountain peak of the world, Mount Everest which stands tall at 8848 metres. Nepal tourism informs about places to visit in Nepal, famous for the birthplace of Gautam Buddha who laid the foundation of Buddhism in the country. Come and explore Nepal having rich traditions of art, culture and heritage. Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal is a treasure house of ancient art and culture.

Dashain

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On this day we take tika and jamara from our elders and receive their blessing. We visit our elders in their home and get tika from them while our younger ones come to our home to receive blessing from us. The importance of Dasain also lies in the fact that on this day family members from far off and distant relatives come for a visit as well as to receive tika from the head of the family. This function continues for four days. After four days of rushing around and meeting your relatives Dashain ends on the full moon day, the fifteenth day. In the last day people stay at home and rest. The full moon day is also called 'Kojagrata' meaning 'who is awake'. The Hindu goddess of wealth Laxmi is worshipped. On this day the goddess Laxmi is given an invitation to visit each and everyone.
After Dashain everyone settles back to normal. After receiving the blessing of goddess Durga, people are ready to work and acquire virtue, power and wealth. Dashain thus is not only the longest festival but also the most anticipated one among all the festivals of Nepal.

Maha Shivratri

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Maha Shivratri or Maha Shivaratri (Night of Shiva) is a Hindu festival, celebrated all over the country with much pump and enthusiasm.The festival usually falls every year on the 13th night/14th day in the Krishna Paksha of the month of Maagha (as per Shalivahana) or Phalguna (as per Vikrama) in the Hindu calendar.The festival is exclusively dedicated to Lord Shiva which is known by hundreds of names.Maha Shivratri is the day to rejoice…to pray to the almighty for wellness. Almost all Hindus throughout the world offer prayers in the morning/evening and some observe fasting throughout the day. Most people visit the nearby temples of Shiva and offer prayers in large crowds.

The prayers and worship continue throughout the night and the devotees offer coconut, Bilva leaves, fruits and specially prepared sacred food to Shiva and his divine consort Parvati.As this is a dark fortnight, devotees light candles and diyas (a lamp made usually of clay, with wick made of cotton and dipped in ghee) throughout the night – this is a symbol of spiritual manifestation.

Holi

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The festival of colors - is undoubtedly the most fun-filled and boisterous of Hindu festival. It's an occasion that brings in unadulterated joy and mirth, fun and play, music and dance, and, of course, lots of bright colors! With winter neatly tucked up in the attic, it's time to come out of our cocoons and enjoy this spring festival. Every year it is celebrated on the day after the full moon in early March and glorifies good harvest and fertility of the land. It is also time for spring harvest. The new crop refills the stores in every household and perhaps such abundance accounts for the riotous merriment during Holi. This also explains the other names of this celebration - 'Vasant Mahotsava' and 'Kama Mahotsava'.

Tihar

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The Nepali festival Tihar is also known by many names such as Dipawali or Bhai Tika or Laxmi Puja or as a festival of lights. It is a five-days festival, which comes soon after the Dashain Festival, and Tihar is all about worshiping of different animals such as crow, dog, cow, and worshiping of the Hindu Goddess of Fortune or Wealth (Goddess Laxmi), and cooking great meals at home, brothers and sisters shopping for gifts, flying kites, decorating homes and streets, playing cards with friends, resting and relaxing, and finally ending the festival with an exchange of a special temporary mark on forehead (tika in Nepali). The last day of the festival is known as Tika day or popularly known as Bhai Tika day (Bhai in Nepali means Brother). To sum up Tihar festival, Tihar is the festival when sisters wish a long life to their brothers (Bhai)!

Rhinoceros

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Purpose
To establish an integrated approach of conservation to meet a key conservatin goal in Nepal: stabilising and incresing the numbers of the highly endangered greater one horned rhinoceros, and the protection of its Terai grassland habitat.

Activities
Objectives of Scoping trip: a) Meeting with Project Partners; b) Site visits: Chitwan NP, Royal Bardia NP and Royal Suklaphanta Wildlife Reserve and 2 potential sanctuary areas; c) Joint writing of main DI proposal with Project Partners, with particular attention given to finalising logical framework, implementation timetable, project outputs and costings. This will all be done within the current conservation frameworks set up by other international agencies and especially that of the IUCN Asian Rhinoceros Specialist Group which has prioritised the Nepal rhino as in need of improved conservation action.

Geography

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A landlocked country the size of Arkansas, lying between India and the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China, Nepal contains Mount Everest (29,035 ft; 8,850 m), the tallest mountain in the world. Along its southern border, Nepal has a strip of level land that is partly forested, partly cultivated. North of that is the slope of the main section of the Himalayan range, including Everest and many other peaks higher than 8,000 m.

Government

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In Nov. 1990, King Birendra promulgated a new constitution and introduced a multiparty parliamentary democracy in Nepal. Under pressure amid massive pro-democracy protests in April 2006, King Gyanendra gave up direct rule and reinstated Parliament, which then quickly moved to diminish the King's power. In Dec. 2007, Parliament voted to abolish the monarchy and become a federal democratic republic. The transition to a republic was completed in May 2008, when the Constituent Assemby voted to dissolve the monarchy.

History

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The first civilizations in Nepal, which flourished around the 6th century B.C. , were confined to the fertile Kathmandu Valley where the present-day capital of the same name is located. It was in this region that Prince Siddhartha Gautama was born c. 563 B.C. Gautama achieved enlightenment as Buddha and spawned Buddhism.
Nepali rulers' early patronage of Buddhism largely gave way to Hinduism, reflecting the increased influence of India, around the 12th century. Though the successive dynasties of the Gopalas, the Kiratis, and the Licchavis expanded their rule, it was not until the reign of the Malla kings from 1200–1769 that Nepal assumed the approximate dimensions of the modern state.
The kingdom of Nepal was unified in 1768 by King Prithvi Narayan Shah, who had fled India following the Moghul conquests of the subcontinent. Under Shah and his successors, Nepal's borders expanded as far west as Kashmir and as far east as Sikkim (now part of India). A commercial treaty was signed with Britain in 1792 and again in 1816 after more than a year of hostilities with the British East India Company.