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| Pilgrimage tours in Nepal |
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Nepal, once the only Hindu Kingdom in the world, is a Hindu majority country. The second largest religion is Buddhism. Hinduism is a multi disciplinary religion called Sanatan Dharma. The Hindu religion has a large number of Gods but the Trinity of Gods is considered Supreme. The Trinity of Gods are:
Brahma: The Creator;
Vishnu: The Preserver or Savior; and
Shiva: The Destroyer.
The Gods are always associated with their consorts. The Gods are not considered complete without their female counterparts i.e. Consorts. The three gods represent the three fundamental powers of nature which are manifest in the world viz. Creation, destruction and maintenance. The creation is going on all the time and so is the destruction. And preservation is an integral part of the processes of creation and destruction.
Brahma: The Creator is not worshiped as such and no known temples or pilgrimage is associated with Brahma except for his consort Sarswoti. Sarswoti is Goddess of Learning.
Vishnu: The Preserver or Savior. Occasionally, the balance of power is upset in favor of evil, and then Lord Vishnu is believed to descend to earth in a mortal form to save humankind or the world. The phenomenon is called Avatar (Re-incarnation). Ten such incarnations are commonly recognized, of which Lord Rama and Lord Krishna are the most important. Nine such incarnations have already occurred, the most recent being Lord Gautama Buddha himself; the tenth and the last Kalki is yet to come.
Shiva: Ma Parbati incarnated as a Shakti (power) to destroy the Demons (evil power). Kali, Chandi, Durga are her most famous incarnations. Lord Shiva and his consort are very “popular”God and Goddess. Lingam (phallus) is symbol of Shiva and is worshiped. Lord Shiva appears as Bhairab when he is in his fearful or terrific form.
There are three kinds of Hindu Pilgrimages in Nepal for
1. Lord Shiva
2. Lord Vishnu, and
3. Ma Shakti.
According to the Purans, Himalaya is home of Lord Shiva and Parbati. Hence there are many Pilgrimage sites related to Lord Shiva in Nepal.
Pashupati Nath Temple is the Holiest pilgrimage of Lord Shiva. Mt. Kailash is the mountain of Lord Shiva and it is considered holiest of all holy mountains. Mt. Kailash is in Tibet near Nepal Tibet border. A mountain with a Temple on its top is also considered Holy Mountain.
There are several Shakti-peeths related to the Goddess Durga through out Nepal. Dakshinkali and Guheswori are most famous Shakti-peeths of Kathmandu valley. Other important Shakti-peeths are Pathibhara, Shaileswori, Vindyavashini, Mankamana, Jogeshwori, etc. Such Shakti-peeths are usually situated on the top of a mountain.
The confluence of rivers, particularly when they are major tributaries of the Ganges, is always regarded as religiously significant by Hindus, as it is believed that a third spiritual river also joins. Such a confluence is called Triveni.
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The overwhelming majority in Nepal follow Hinduism. Shiva is regarded as the guardian deity of the country. Nepal is home to the largest Shiva temple in the world, the famous
Pashupatinath Temple, where Hindus from all over the world come for
pilgrimage. According to mythology, Sita Devi of the epic Ramayana was born in
the Mithila Kingdom of King Janaka Raja. Near the Indian border, Lumbini, is a
Buddhist pilgrimage site and UNESCO World Heritage Site site in the Kapilavastu
district.
It is held to be the birthplace in about 563 B.C. of Siddhartha Gautama, a Kshatriya caste prince of the Sakya clan, who, as the Buddha Gautama, gave birth to the Buddhist tradition. The holy site of Lumbini is bordered by a large monastic zone, in which only monasteries can be built. All three main branches of Buddhism exist in Nepal and the Newar people have their own branch of the faith.
Differences between Hindus and Buddhists have been minimal in Nepal due to the
cultural and historical intermingling of Hindu and Buddhist beliefs. Morever
traditionally Buddhism and Hinduism were never two distinct religions in western
sense of world.
Most of the festivals in Nepal are Hindu. The Machendrajatra festival, dedicated
to Hindu Shaiva Siddha, is celebrated by many Buddhists in Nepal as a main
festival. As it is believed that Ne Muni established Nepal, some important
priests in Nepal are called "Tirthaguru Nemuni".
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Festivity is synonym to the Nepalese Culture. For the Nepalese, festivals are
not merely the annual spectacles, but also are a living part of their rich
cultural heritage. Festivals effectively bind together the Nepalese people of
diverse cultural backgrounds and beliefs into one nation.
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Saraswati Puja:
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Saraswati Puja or Shree Panchami is a day to celebrate the
birthday of Saraswati – the Goddess of Learning. This is a day when people from school students to scholars worship their pens and books to please the Goddess and expect her favor in their studies so they become wise and knowledgeable.
People also throng around the idol of Goddess Saraswati, especially in Swayambhunath and offer flowers, sweets, fruits, etc. On this day, small children are taught to read and write and people write on the stones and slabs with chalks and pencils. This day which falls between
January/February is regarded as a very auspicious day for marriages too as it is believed that Goddess Saraswati herself blesses the couples.
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Shivaratri (Maha Shivaratri):
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Shivaratri or the night of Lord Shiva that falls sometime between
February/March is one of the major festivals of Nepal. This day is dedicated to the Lord of the Lords –
Lord Shiva or Mahadev who lived in Mt. Kailash in the Himalayas. Lord Shiva is the most worshipped God in the Hindu religion.
More than 100,000 of Hindu devotees from India and Southeast Asia throng weeks ahead of the festival and gather in and around
Pashupatinath temple – one of the holiest shrines of the Hindus in Kathmandu to pay their homage to Lord Shiva on his birthday. “Pashupatinath” literally means “the Lord of animals” as Lord Shiva is considered as the guardian and protector of everything that exists in the Himalayan Kingdom.
On this holy day, worshippers take dip and bath in the holy river at early dawn and fast for the whole day and stay around fire to keep them warm as it is still winter in Nepal. The devotees also freely indulge in using marijuana and other intoxicating substances as these things are believed to please Lord Shiva and marijuana use is legal only on this sacred day.
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Holi:
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This festival of water and colors that falls between
February/March is also known as “Phagu” in Nepal. This day is observed to rejoice the extermination of female demon Holika who together with her King brother conspired to kill his son Pralhad, an ardent devotee of
Lord Vishnu.
This day, playful people especially the young ones wander through the streets in groups on foot or vehicles with various colors smeared all over them and the people in houses make merry throwing colors and water balloons at each other and also to these people on the streets.
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Buddha Jayanti:
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Buddha’s birth anniversary is celebrated every year during
May in Nepal. On this day people swarm in Swayambhunath and Boudhanath to pay homage to
Lord Buddha and also visit Buddha’s birth place in Lumbini and chant prayers and burn butter lamps.
Lord Buddha was born as Prince Siddhartha Gautam but he abandoned his luxurious life when he realized the misery of mankind and went in search of enlightenment.
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Krishna Janmastami:
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The birth anniversary of Lord Sri Krishna, believed to be the 8th incarnation of Lord Vishnu falls sometime in
August/September. All the devotees assemble in Krishna Mandir, the ancient Krishna Temple in Patan Durbar Square and other temples with the idol of Sri Krishna and offer prayers, flowers, food, sweets and chant hymns too.
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Indra Jatra:
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This festival named after Lord Indra- the God of Rain and also the King of Heaven is celebrated by both the Buddhists and Hindus in Nepal in
August/September. This festival lasts for eight days with singing, mask dancing and rejoicing. The chariot of Kumari – the Living Goddess is taken through the main streets of Kathmandu with much fanfare.
On the first day, the King of Nepal also pays homage to Goddess Kumari. The crowd of excited people from performers to spectators engulfs the streets of Kathmandu during this festival. People get to enjoy various classical dances like elephant dance, lakhe – a very popular dance of a man with a mask.
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Tihar:
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This festival of lights that falls between October/November is the second biggest festival after Dashain. This festival lasts for five days and people
worship Laxmi – the Goddess of Wealth. All the houses are cleaned and decorated with the belief that Goddess Laxmi will enter the house that is the cleanest and people lit candles, oil lamps and other lights and the whole place looks illuminating.
During the five days, crows, dogs and cows are worshipped and honored with vermilion, garland and delicious food for what they have done in the lives of humans. Crows are regarded as the messenger that brought news even during the times when there were no postmen and no postal services. Dogs are the most obedient animals and they guard our house as true guardians. Cow is also a symbol of wealth in Hinduism and she is also the national animal of Nepal. During Tihar, the Newari community in Nepal also observes Mha puja – a ritual of worshipping one’s own body and life. On this very day, the Newari New Year which is also known as Nepal Sambat begins.
The festival ends with Bhai Tika – brothers’ day when his sisters worship him for his long and healthy life to safeguard the lives of his sisters. This is also a gambling time in Nepal as gambling is not illegal during this festival.
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Dashain (Bijaya Dashami):
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During the month of Kartik (late September and early October), the Nepalese people indulge in the biggest festival of the year, Dashain. Dashain is the longest and the most auspicious festival in the Nepalese annual calendar, celebrated by Nepalese of all caste and creed throughout the country.
The fifteen days of celebration occurs during the bright lunar fortnight ending on the day of the full moon. Thorough out the kingdom of Nepal the
goddess Durga in all her manifestations are worshiped with innumerable pujas, abundant offerings and thousands of animal sacrifices for the ritual holy bathing, thus drenching the goddess for days in blood.
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Vibhaha Panchami:
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This is a famous festival of Janakpur in the eastern Terai. The occasion commemorates the
marriage of Sita to Ram, one of the most venerated Hindu divinities.
It attracts thousands of pilgrims from India to Janaki Temple in Janakpur.
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Pashupati Nath :
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Lord Shiva is worshipped as Pashupati, which means Lord of all living creatures. The temple of Pashupatinath is 6 Km east of Kathmandu. Pasupat-Chhetra (site of Pashupatinath) is one of the holiest places in Hindu Kingdom of Nepal. Many Hindu Pilgrims come to Pashupatinath throughout the year. Hundreds of thousands of Hindus from all over world make pilgrimage on the day of Shivaratri (Night of Shiva, one day before black moon in February).
There are many temples of various Hindu Gods in this holy site. Guheswori temple is the most important among other temples. A walk from this temple to Aryaghat near Pashupatinath temple is very popular among non-Hindu tourists. Pashupatinath Temple area is UNESCO World Heritage site.
Pashupati is one of the four most important religious sites in Asia for Shiva devotees. The Pashupatinath Temple is the largest Hindu temple and is considered to be the holiest of all Hindu Temples. This is a two-tiered golden temple with four silver doorways, hundreds of Shiva linga's shrines and holy symbols. It is located on the holy river Bagmati, 6 km east of Kathmandu.
Non- Hindus are not allowed into this temple.
It is believed that this temple was built long before the Christian era begin. The Pashupati Temple was built in the fifth century and later renovated by Malla kings, Its original beauty still remains with the beautifully sculpted stone sculptures found here. Thousands of Hindus come each year on Shivaratri.
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Muktinath Temple:
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This is one This is one of the 106th sacred Muktichhetra (assured of salvation) of 108 sacred place of Vaishnavs, where Lord Vishnu got free from the curse of Sati. Here is a largest Shaligram. Here is also a Jwaladevi, a divine flame is continuously burning since thousands of year. This pagoda –shaped temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu situated at an altitude of 3800 m. Set into the wall around 108 water spouts from which pour holy water.
The famous temple of Muktinath lies in the district of Mustang. Muktinath is a pilgrimage place for both Buddhist and Hindu.
It is situated 48 km north east of Jomsom at an altitude of about 3749 m. Its main shrine is a pagoda-shaped temple dedicated to lord Vishnu. Behind the temple there are 108 waterspouts cast in the shape of cow headed pour holy water. Here lots of pilgrimage takes bath from the ice-cold holy water. The temple is situated on a high mountain range. During the festival of Janai Purnima, Hindu devotees gather here to pay homage to lord Muktinath. Another famous temple of Jwaladevi, the goddess of flame, is situated about hundred meters south of Muktinath.
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Gosaikunda :
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Gosaikunda iGosaikunda is a glacier lake in Langtang. It is 2 to 3 days trekking from Dhunche. According to the Purans, lake Gosaikunda was created by Lord Shiva by his Trident. He had to drink water after intake of Halahal or Kalkut poison. He had to digest the Kalkut poison which was the product obtained from Samundramanthan by the Gods and the Ashurs(demons).
The most auspicious day for the pilgrimage is full moon day (Shrawan Purnima) in
July. Many pilgrims from Nepal and India bathe in the lake.
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Shaligrams and Shalgrams:
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The ShaligraThe Shaligrams are specifically described as fossil-stones which have taken shape in the Gandaki-river, and are characterized by the presence of discus marks . The legend, related at length tells us that Gandaki, the lady-devotee, performed penances for long years, and that she got a boon from Vishnu, which made Vishnu reside in her womb (in her depths) as her own offspring; the Shaligram-stones are thus the forms of Vishnu. Like the worship of Shiva in the form of a lingam, the worship of Vishnu in the shape of a Shaligram is an iconic in character.
Shaligrams are always naturally found in the river Gandaki. The region where Shaligrams are found is also called Shalgrams. The Shaligrams region is in Mustang and River Gandaki basin. These also include the famous Kali-Gandaki river, Muktinath, Damodar Himal, Damodar Kunda, Devghat, etc.
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Janakpur :
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Janakpur is in 375 Km south east of Kathmandu and is famous Hindu pilgrimage site.
Janakpur is a birthplace of Janaki Sita. Janaki Sita was married to Lord Ram the 7th incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
Places of interest are: Janaki Temple, Biwah Mandap, and numerous beautiful ponds. The most auspicious day for the Pilgrimage is
Biwah Panchami (November). It is day of celebration of the wedding of the Goddess Sita and the God Ram with mock wedding processions. Many pilgrims from Nepal and India attend the celebration.
A holy saint Sri Shurkiswor Das discover the ruins of the ancient capital
Mithila King and the birth place of Sita. The present temple was built by Queen
Brishabhanu of Tikramgarh of India.
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Barah Chhetra:
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Lord Vishnu,Lord Vishnu, the Preserver of the Universe, has incarnated as Baraha (Boar) in this region and hence it is called Barahachhetra. It is one of the four holy places in Nepal.
According to Puran that Lord Vishnu came down to earth in the form of a boar and destroyed Hiranyakashyapu, an evil demon, at this very spot. It is on the bank of Saptakoshi. This pilgrimage is accessed through Dharan. Since the site is related to Lord Vishnu it is assumed as sacred as Gaya for Shraddha (Offering to ancestors).
The Pilgrimage is at a confluence of tributaries of river Koshi and hence many pilgrims around Nepal and India come here for dip at the day of Makar Shankrati.
This pilgrimage is accessed through Dharan. Since the site is related to Lord Vishnu, it is assumed as sacred as Gaya for Shraddha (Offering to ancestors), and many pilgrims around Nepal and India come here for a dip at the day of Makar Shankrati.
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Manakamana:
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People believe Manakamana Devi fulfills the wishes of her devotees, thus called the wish fulfilling Deity. Manakamana temple is located 12 Km south of historic town Gorkha and situated on a prominent ridge.
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Devghat:
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Devghat is aDevghat is a confluence of river Trishuli and river Kaligandaki and is very significant religious Triveni. It is 6 Km north of Narayanghat. Here all 7 holy Gandaki Rivers meet together to form a Narayani River. Like Triveni of Ganges and Yamuna at Alahabad in India Devghat is one of the main sites for the festival of Makar Shankranti in Nepal.
Many pilgrims from around Nepal and India to immerse themselves in the river. Makar Shankrati is also popularly known as Maghe Shankranti. It is first day of Nepali month Magh (Mid January). In this place the demigods came to honor Lord Vishnu when he saved Gajendra, an elephant from the attack of a crocodile after hearing his prayers of devotion.
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Balmiki Ashram:
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It is an island in Narayani River near Triveni, 20 km south of Kusunde, which lies between Narayanghat and Butawal in Mahendra Highway. Goddess Sita was exiled from the royal palace and stayed here. She gave born twin sons Lava and Kusha. This Ashram was a retreat used by the great sage Balmiki, who wrote complete epic of Ramayan.
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Damodarkund:
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Damodarkund Damodarkund is a glacier lake at the slope of Damodar Himal in Mustang. The Damodar lakes are located three days walk north east of the main Mustang trekking route and very close to the border with Tibet.
Damodar Kunda is the source of River Kaligandaki. The site is the region of Shaligram and hence it is also called Shalgrams. Other names of River Gandaki are Kaligandaki, Saptagandaki, and Narayani.
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Ridighat:
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50 km from Tansen at the confluence of the Kali Gandaki and Ridi Khola. In this small place, here is a temple of Rishikeshwara (Vishnu) with 50 other small temples. Pilgrims visit here to earn merit for this life as well as for their next life. About 200 Vishshnavas of the Nimbarka & Sri Ramanuja Sampradaya sects live in near by Ridi Bazar.
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Lumbini:
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Lumbini is tLumbini is the birthplace of Gautama Buddha. This the apostle of peace, compassion, non-violence and universal brotherhood was born here in 624 B.C. It is the most sacred place of Buddhism and lies in the Terai about 250 km south west of Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal.
Lumbini remained neglected for centuries. Further exploration and excavation of the surroundings area revealed the existence of a brick and sandstone sculpture within the temple itself, which depict the scenes of Buddha's birth.
Very recently, several Buddhist countries have built several beautiful shrines in Lumbini. An international committee has also been set up for the development of this sacred historical place.
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Namobuddha:
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Namobuddha is the place where Lord Buddha, in an earlier life, offered his body to a starving tigress so she could feed her cubs. It is said that his hair, bones and so forth were made into a Stupa, the Stupa now known as Namobuddha. It is in east of Kathmandu valley near Panauti.
Important Buddhist stupas in Kathmandu valley are Swoyambhunath, Bouddhanath, four stupas built by Ashok Emperor in Patan and one in Chabhil, etc.
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Kapilvastu :
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About twentyAbout twenty-five and some years ago, Kapilvastu was a small republic situated beneath the Churia or Shiwalik range of the foothills of the Himalayas. At the time of the birth of Buddha, Suddhodana the father of Buddha was ruling in Kapilvastu as its chief or king. The first description of Kapilvastu is by the Chinese historian and pilgrim, Fa-hien who visited Lumbini and Kapilvastu in 403. A.D. When he reached the site, the city was marked by desolate ruins and mounds. A few monks and common people lived there.
Excavation of Kapilvastu and the surroundings was started from 1899 and Kapilvastu was located in 1901. Proper excavations were conducted in 1967 and onward by the department of archaeology, His Majesty's Government (HMG). At this site the structural remains of the palace of the king Suddhodana and several stupas were found.
Kapilvastu is an important native place of Buddha where he spent his first 29 years of life. Kapilvastu is associated with several incidents of his life such as: meeting the sick person, meditation of Saint Asit, competition with Shakya youth, shooting of an arrow to cause the spring of water to gush out and so on. When Buddha got enlightenment in Bodhgaya, 500 Shakyas and 8 princes adopted Buddhism in Kapilavastu. He also preached to his father and son Rahula here.
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Swayambhunath:
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This is the This is the second holiest place of Buddhism in Nepal. Swayambhunath is perched
on hilltop over looking Kathmandu and is a complex of temples including Nepal's
most famous landmark, this large stupa adorned with eyes watching over the
Kathmandu valley. Swayambhunath located 6.5 km west of Kathmandu is popularly
called Swayambhu which means "self-existent".
This shrine is dedicated to the supreme Adi-Buddha. Its religious significance is also described in the Swayambhu Purana written in the 15th century. This is a very holy shrine for Buddhist and is equally regarded as sacred by the Hindus as well.
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Boudhanath:
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Baudhanath iBaudhanath is one of the largest Buddhist shrine and is situated on the north east of Kathmandu about 8 Km on the way to Gokarna and Sankhu.It is by and large, a Tibetan shrine and the date of construction is not known but is regarded as one of the oldest Lamaist shrines in the world.
It is believed to have been built over the small garbha, which contains probably some of the ashes of a very eminent Tibetan Lama named Kasha who came to Nepal on a pilgrimage but died here. Mainly it is a pilgrim spot of Buddhist Tibetans, Sherpa and other highland peoples of Nepal.
It is dedicated to Bodhnath, the god of wisdom , and is located at the centre of Kathmandu Valley.
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