Hindu Pilgrimage Tour

Arrival in Kathmandu (1350m), Transfer to Hotel

Flying into Kathmandu is a memorable experience with the view of Himalaya spreadings. The flight will land at (TIA) Tribhuwan International Airport at 1350m after you will receive Nepal entry visa which can be obtained in advance or on arrival and for the visa processing at TIA might take around 45minutes depending on the number of people in a queue. For the Nepal entry visa information, kindly refer to Nepal government official site Department of Immigration Nepal. After you exit from the gate, you will see our company’s representative waiting for you holding placard written with the company name & logo. Company representative welcomes you by offering the holy Tibetan scarf and transfer to the hotel in a private vehicle. It takes around 30min to reach at Thamel from TIA via means of transportation. The scenes of Pashupatinath (sacred Hindu temple), city, full of various vehicles, peoples make our journey more enjoyable and amazing, then you reach the hotel and take rest. Thamel is full of restaurants, shopping centers, and good accommodation. Trip briefing and afterward invited to attend welcome dinner.

Pashupatinath Darshan, Guhyeshwori, ChanguNarayan, drive to Nagarkot & overnight stay in Nagarkot.

Pashupatinath Temple:
Pashupatinath Temple is one of the holiest Hindu temples in Nepal. It is located on the banks of Bagmati River on the eastern outskirts of Kathmandu. Pashupatinath is the most important temple dedicated to the god Shiva.

Guhyeshwori:

Guhyeshwari Temple is an important pilgrimage destinations for the Hindus as well as the Buddhists. Located around one kilometer east of the main Pashupatinath Temple, it is one of the most important temple within Pashupatinath area. Recognized as a Shakti (power) Peeth, it is considered as a symbol of power. It is believed that a body part of Sati Devi (wife of Lord Shiva) fell after her death at the very place where the temple is now located. This temple was built by King Pratap Malla in 17^th century. Pashupatinath & Guhyeshwari are beautiful representations of the Shiva & Shakti unity. Located at the banks of Bagmati River, the temple portrays the female side of the divine. Guhyeshwari is also known for its Tantrik rituals (esoteric tradition of Hinduism). It is believed that people who want to gain strength should visit this temple to worship mother goddess.

ChanguNarayan Temple

Changu Narayan is an ancient monumental Narayan Temple. Two storey pagoda-style temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu and surrounded by ancient carvings and statues. Having survived destruction in 1702 and 2015, it is said to be the oldest Hindu temple still in use in the Kathmandu Valley today. Changu Narayan temple has a distinct historical and architectural significance. The authentic and oldest ever inscription is located in the precinct of Changu Narayan. The oldest inscription dated 464 AD is credited to have been set up by Lichchshavi King Mahadeva. The erection of Garuda Pillar by Manadeva is an expression of his devotion and reverence to Changu Narayan as learned from the inscription, points out that the temple of Changu Narayan was built sometime before 464 AD & is widely considered to be the oldest Hindu temple in Bhaktapur, and one of the oldest in Nepal. Built on top of a high hill about seven miles directly east of Kathmandu, the temple is dedicated to Vishnu, although shrines to Lord Shiva, Ashta Matrika, Chhinnamasta, Kileshwor, and Krishna are also found within the wider temple complex.

Nagarkot

After worshipping these three sacred spots, we will head to Nagarkot for natural refreshment. Nagarkot is a hill town, considered to have the best Mountain View with extensive views in clear weather from the Annapurna range to Kanchenjunga on eastern border including Mt. Everest. It is situated at the altitude of 2195 meters above sea level which is the second largest hill station in Kathmandu after Chandragiri hill. The site also top rated for adventure seekers. You will enjoy a beautiful sunset & sunrise view with panoramic scenic beauty. Overnight stay at Nagarkot.

Drive to Doleswor Mahadev and Sanga, 2nd tallest Shiva statue, Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square

After sunrise view & a breakfast at hotel, you will be driven to Doleswor Mahadev Temple, considered as a head part of Baba Kedarnath, then sanga pass in Kavre where you will see the magnificent tallest (143 feet) Mahadev statue in front of you which was made using copper, zinc, concrete & steel. This statue is called a Kailashnath mahadev, the lord who is the beginning of almost everything that we learn & enjoy today. With the typical Nepali engineering its construction began in 2003 and completed in 2011. It was constructed by a businessman Mr. Kamal Jain.

With the blessings of Lord Shiva, we will head to another city which is an outstanding amalgamation of ancient art, architecture & history called Bhaktapur Durbar square.

Bhaktapur Durbar Square

The city is also known as a museum of medieval art & architecture with many examples of sculptures, woodcarving & colossal pagoda temples consecrated to different gods & goddesses. It is conglomeration of pagoda style & shikhar style temples around a fifty-five windows palace of brick & wood. The square is one of the most charming architectural showpieces of the valley as it highlights the ancient arts of Nepal. The golden effigies of kings perched on the top of stone monoliths, the guardian deities looking out from their sanctuaries, the wood carving in every place-struts, lintels, uprights, tympanums, gateways & windows all seem to form a well-orchestrated symphony. Pottery & weaving are its major traditional industries.

Patan Durbar Square

As we move closer to Kathmandu, we will stop by another beautiful medieval period palace, called Patan Durbar Square. It is one of the three medieval cities in Kathmandu valley, a destination of fine arts & has hundreds of fascinating Hindu and Buddhist monuments scattered in and around. Patan City is an enchanting mixture of palace buildings, artistic courtyards, and former palace complex. Most of the monuments are back to the medieval Malla period 15th to 17th century as the golden period of Nepalese art and architecture. Krishna Mandir- a stone temple of Lord Krishna with its 21 spires and bas-relief art depicting scenes from the Mahabharata and Ramayana epics and surrounding Hindu and Buddhist temples. The main highlights are the Golden Gate and the Golden Window of the old Palace, the beautiful piece of traditional metal crafts, the famed Krishna temple with 21 golden pinnacles, the Royal bath of Sundari Chowk, a perfect piece of the classic work in stone, Royal Taleju temple, Vishwanath Temple and Char Narayan temple are the finest examples of the unique craftsmanship in wood; the temple of Bhimsen with the magnificent golden balcony overlooking the square outside plus many other shrines and sculptures scattered in and around the square.

Here comes the end of a day long tour, now it is time to drop you off at your hotel. Since you are in core tourist area you may prefer to indulge in evening shopping, dinner outdoor, relax or many more. Overnight stay at Kathmandu.

Drive or Fly (25 Minutes) to Pokhara, a guided Pokhara City Tour

You will have early breakfast at hotel and be prepared to fly to another beautiful city, Pokhara also known as the Lake City owing to a large number of lakes in the city. Be ready to soak up the sheer natural beauty from window of your flight since the thirty minute duration of your flight gives you an enormous panoramic view of Himalayan range in to northern side where top peaks including Ganesh Himal, Manasalu, Annapurna will be smiling & welcoming plus aerial view of Pokhara valley with lakes from the sky will be fabulous.

After you land in Pokhara Airport, you will be transferred to Hotel. As soon as checking in process completes, you will start to explore Pokhara valley. We will try to cover the major tourist attractions in Pokhara includes:

Bindhabasini Temple:
Lies in the center of the religious old bazaar. It is dedicated to Goddess Bhagwati, yet another manifestation of Shakti. The park grounds offer a fine picnic and relaxing area.
Davis falls:
Locally known as Patale Chango and in the southern flank of the Pokhara valley is where the stream flowing from Fewa Lake collapses and surges down the rock into a deep gorge, leaping through several potholes.
Gupteshwor Cave:
The revered Gupteshwor Cave is situated 2 km from Pokhara airport. The entrance is right across from Devi’s fall and the cave is almost 3 km long. It has some big hall-sized rooms and some passages where you have to crawl on all four.
Phewa Lake and Barahi Temple:
Situated at an altitude of 800m above sea level, it is the second-largest lake in the kingdom. With the Barahi Island Temple in the middle of the lake, it is the most important religious monument in Pokhara.
Seti River Gorges:
Carved by Seti-Gandaki is one of the natural wonders of Pokhara. K.I. Singh bridge at Bagar, Mahendrapool & Prithivi Highway Bridge near bus park, provides a perfect view of the river’s dreadful rush and the deep gorge made by the turbulent flow of white water.

Sarangkot Sunrise view, Drive (10 Hours) or Fly to Jomsom, Jomsom to Muktinath via road, Temple darshan & puja.

Early morning we will visit Sarangkot, a popular hill station for a beautiful sunrise view. Following breakfast at the hotel, you will embark on a flight over the Himalayas, passing the stunning Dhaulagiri and Annapurna mountain ranges, with the deep Kaligandaki Gorge visible below. The Mustang district, including Muktinath and Jomsom, is known as the place beyond the Himalayas. Muktinath, located in the Annapurna conservation area of Mustang district, Nepal, is a highly revered Hindu pilgrimage site. Sitting at an altitude of 3,762 meters, approximately 22 km northeast of Jomsom, the temple is commonly referred to as 'Mukti Dham' for Hindus and 'Chumig Gyatsa' for Buddhists. Hindus consider it a 'Mukti Kshetra', where people attain liberation or Moksha, while Buddhists view it as one of the 'Bodhisattvas'. According to legend, Guru Rinpoche, also known as Padmasambhav and the founder of Himalayan Buddhism, meditated here on his way to Tibet.

Muktinath is unique in that it is the only place on earth where one can find all five elements - fire, water, sky, earth, and air - in their original forms, near the Jwalamai Devi Temple. This spot is known as Sri Murthy Mahatmyam. The name 'Muktinath' is derived from two Sanskrit words - 'Mukti' meaning salvation or nirvana and 'Nath' meaning god or master. The name holds great significance for spiritual individuals in the South Asian sub-continent, and for devout Hindus, it carries religious and emotional significance.

Major Places in Muktinath

Muktidhara: There are 108 waterspouts which are constructed behind the temple. All these faucets are designed and shaped as billhead and are arranged very close to each other (barely at a distance of a foot) in a semi-circular form. Pilgrims visiting Muktinath take a dip in every waterspout. However, it requires a lot of courage to take a bath as waterspouts contain freezing cold water.

Kundas: There are two Kundas established in front of the Muktinath Temple which is named as Saraswoti and Lakshmi Kunda. Devotees visiting the temple take a dip in these Kundas as they believe that doing this will wash away all their past sins and will set them free from the negative Karmas.

Jwalamai Temple: This ancient temple is reckoned for its three eternal flames “Holy flame from Rock”, “Holy flame from the soil” and “Holy flame from water”. Hindus devout believe that this miracle of continuous burning flame was offered by Lord Brahma. Among these three eternal flames, only two are burning presently.

Gomba: A monastery dedicated to Guru Padmasambhav (Rimpoche) housing a huge image of Rimpoche. The monastery is established to the north of Muktinath temple ans is a must visit place after completing the puja rituals and prayers at the temple.

Shaligrama: The other major attraction of Muktinath is Shaligrama which is a black stoned fossil. It can be collected from Kali Gandaki River where the fossils of Jurassic Park age are present. One can also buy these fossils from locals by paying certain bugs.

Samba Gomba: It is newly built monastery where one can find the idols of Chenrezig, Shakyamuni as the main deities. Visiting this beautiful monastery is a worth visit and to add on some more memories to the trip.

Drive or Fly from Jomsom to Pokhara, drive to Janakpur. 8hrs drive. (Via road option available, one more extra day)

After having breakfast, you will get ready to fly back to Pokhara. Upon arrival at the Pokhara airport, you will be driven to Janakpur, the birthplace of Janaki Mata (Sita). During this journey, you will experience the Nepalese style of travel by road on Prithvi Highway. Along the way, you will have the opportunity to observe Nepalese lifestyles, traditional homes, terrace farming, greenery, and small and large river tributaries. The road is located on the steep hill bank of a major river, providing a naturally peaceful environment that will take your breath away. As you approach Chitwan, you will begin to notice a difference in the landscape as you transition from a hilly region to a relatively low plain area known as Terai. The lifestyle, houses, and landscapes here will be quite different from those of the hilly areas. You will pass through both traditional and modern cityscapes, as well as a dense forest, before reaching Janakpur. You will spend the night in Janakpur

Janaki Temple darshan, Janakpur City tour, fly back to Kathmandu. Janakpur, Janaki Temple

Janakpur city, also known as Janakpurdham, was founded in early 18th century which is the 3rd largest city in Terai region. The city is located about 225km southeast of Kathmandu. Janakpur is most important pilgrimage site for Hindus worldwide due to its connection with great epic of Indian subcontinent called Ramayana. It is believed that Janaki Mata (Sita) was born in this place. According to the Legend, Janakpur used to be the capital of King Janak’s Kingdom called Mithila. There are many historical as well as mythical stories about King Janak & goddess Sita. In Ramayana, Sita is a consort of Lord Ram. Hence this place is called as an origin of Mithila culture & language spoken in this area called ‘Maithili’. It has been mentioned in the epic that Janaki mata had had swayamvar (marriage) with Lord Ram in this place. The prime attraction of Janakpur is the magnificent Janaki temple dedicated to goddess Janaki. Apart from this, Janakpur is also famous for its temples, ponds, Mithila art & vibrant festivals. Known as cultural centre for Hindus in Terai plains of Nepal, Janakpur has been holding special significance to Indian travelers (pilgrims) for centuries. Unique edifice of Janaki temple represents magnificent late medieval period architecture.
This is a place where any Hindu must visit once in his lifetime.
Dinner with Nepalese Cultural performance.

Final day, transfer to Airport. Good Bye.

A representative from the company will see you off at airport