Lonely Planet Nepal by Lonely Planet

Author:Lonely Planet
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lonely Planet

Gupteshwor Mahadev CaveCAVE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; foreigner/SAARC Rs 100/50; h6am-7pm)

Across the road from Devi’s Falls, this venerated cave contains a huge stalagmite worshipped as a Shiva lingam. The ticket allows you to clamber through a tunnel behind the shrine, emerging in a damp cavern adjacent to the thundering waters of Devi’s Falls.

TIBETAN REFUGEE SETTLEMENTS

Many of the Tibetan refugees who hawk souvenirs in Lakeside live in the Tibetan refugee settlements within and around Pokhara.

The largest settlement close to Pokhara is Tashi Palkhel, about 5km northwest of town at Hyangia, on the road to Baglung. With prayer flags flapping in the breeze in the rocky valley, it genuinely feels like you’re in Tibet. The colourful Jangchub Choeling Gompa in the middle of the village is home to around 200 monks. Try to time your visit in the afternoon to experience the rumbling of monks chanting and horns blowing during the prayer session (held 3.30pm to 5pm).

Masked dances are held here in January/February as part of the annual Losar (Tibetan New Year) celebrations. To reach the gompa you have to run the gauntlet past an arcade of very persistent handicraft vendors. A ‘tashi delek’ (a greeting in Tibetan) will win many smiles here. Nearby is a chörten (Tibetan Buddhist stupa) piled with carved mani stones bearing Buddhist mantras, and a carpet-weaving centre, where you can see all stages of the process and buy the finished article. If you’d like to spend the night, Friend’s Garden (%9806535582; r without bathroom Rs 250) has spartan rooms and a restaurant serving Tibetan food. A few other hole-in-the-wall restaurants, such as Rita’s (no English sign), serve excellent thukpa (Tibetan noodle soup) and momos (dumplings). You can reach Tashi Palkhel by bike, bus, taxi or foot.

The folks from Tashi Palkhel have recently opened a Tibetan Mini Market in Lakeside with craft shops and restaurants.

About 3km south of Lakeside, on the road to Butwal and near Devi’s Falls, is the smaller settlement of Tashi Ling. Near the entrance of the camp is a small open space where handicraft purveyors set up stalls and entice visitors to part with cash. There’s also a small carpet factory and showroom. A smaller settlement, Paljorling ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ), resides in the city centre near Prithvi Chowk.

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