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Gorkha was the birthplace of Prithvi Narayan Sha, conqueror of the Kathmandu Valley and founder of modern Nepal. It´s a major pilgrimage destination, particularly for Newars, who regard the Shah kings as living incarnation of Vishnu. The main attraction here is the Gorkha Durba, the former palace of the Shahs, which lords over Gorkha from a precarious ridge above the town.
SIGHTS
GORKHA DURBAR
Regarded by many as the crowning glory of Newari architecture, Gorkha Durbar is a fort, a palace and a temple all in one. This magnificent architectural confection is perched high above Gorkha on a knife-edge ridge, with superb views over the Trisuli Valley and the soaring peaks of the Annapurna and Ganesh Himalaya.
As the birthplace of Prithvi Narayan Shah, the Durbar has huge significance for Nepalis. The great Shah was born here in around 1723, when Gorkha was a minor feudal kingdom, in thrall to the larger citystates in the Kathmandu Valley. Upon gaining the throne, Prithvi Narayan forced the Kathmandu Valley into submission, forging a kingdom that extended far into India and Tibet. In 1769 the capital was shifted from Gorkha to Kathmandu and Gorkha was relegated to the status of a national monument.
To reach the durbar, you must climb an exhausting stairway of 1500 stone steps, snaking up the hillside above the Gorkha bus stand.
KALIKA MANDIR
Build in the reign of King Ram Shah (1606-36), but extensively remodelled over the years, the temple is a psychedelic fantasy of carved peacocks, demons and serpents. The woodcarving around the doors and windows is particularly striking - note the ornate peacock windows and the erotic scenes on the root struts.
Glory sacrifices of goats, chickens, doves and buffaloes are carried out in the courtyard in front of the temple to honour the Goddess Kali, the destructive incarnation of Parvati, the consort of Shiva. Only Brahmin priests and the king can enter the temple, but non-Hindus are permitted to observe sacrifices from the terrace.
DHUNI PATI
The other major structure in the compound is Dhuni Pati, the former palace of Prithvi Narayan Shah. Like the temple, the palace is covered in elaborate woodcarvings, including a magnificent window in the shape of Garuda, the man-bird vehicle of Vishnu. Non-Hindus cannot enter but can view the room where Prithvi Narayan Shah was born through an ornate star-shaped window.
GURU GORKHANATH SHRINE
Behind the palace is the mausoleum of Guru Gorkhanath, a reclusive saint who acted as a spiritual guide for the young Prithvi Narayan. This part of the compound is closed to non-Hindus, but you can descend some stone steps to peak into the cave where the saint once lived.
HANUMAN STATUE
If you leave via the northern gate, you´ll come to a vividly painted carving of Hanuman, the monkey god, and a series of carved stone steles. A path leads east from here past a large stone resting platform (chautara) to an exposed rocky bluff with awesome views of the mountains and a set of carved stone footprints, attributed variously to Sita, Rama, Gorkhanath and Guru Padmasambhava.
The durbar is an important religios site, and visitors must follow strict rules. Shoes should be removed and photography and leather - including belts - are banned inside the Durbar complex.
Credit: Jenny_Kim / Clinton Global Initiative
Breakout Session: Water Scarcity: From the Wetlands to the Water Glass
PARTICIPANTS:
Jane Madgwick, Chief Executive Officer, Wetlands International
Mahadev Raman, Arup Fellow | Chairman Americas Region, Arup
Achim Steiner, Executive Director , United Nations Environment Programme
Robert Zimmerman, Senior Manager of Sustainability, Kohler Co.
FACILITATORS:
Ravi Chhatpar, Co-Founder and Principal, Dalberg’s Design Impact Group
Robert Fabricant, Co-Founder and Principal, Dalberg’s Design Impact Group
Shiva, or commonly known as Mahadev, is the destroyer of evil and the transformer. He is the Supreme being who creates, protects and transforms the universe.
Credit: Jenny_Kim / Clinton Global Initiative
Breakout Session: Water Scarcity: From the Wetlands to the Water Glass
PARTICIPANTS:
Jane Madgwick, Chief Executive Officer, Wetlands International
Mahadev Raman, Arup Fellow | Chairman Americas Region, Arup
Achim Steiner, Executive Director , United Nations Environment Programme
Robert Zimmerman, Senior Manager of Sustainability, Kohler Co.
FACILITATORS:
Ravi Chhatpar, Co-Founder and Principal, Dalberg’s Design Impact Group
Robert Fabricant, Co-Founder and Principal, Dalberg’s Design Impact Group
The Supreme Energy. According to hindu's Lord Shiva or Mahadev is the Lord Of Lord's. There are many templesof Shiv in and around Udaipur. Among these temples the famous Ekling ji temple is also included in Udaipur
This is from the gangasagar mela in Kolkata, where the pilgrims halt before going to Gangasagar. Found a little boy dressed as Mahadev.
Gokarna is a village development committee in Kathmandu District in the Bagmati Zone of central Nepal. At the time of the 2011 Nepal census it had a population of 7,508 with 1,768 households.
In the village on the banks of the Bagmati River stands the Gokarna Mahadev temple. It is one of the oldest temple in Nepal contemporary to the Changu Narayan Temple. This temple is of great historical, cultural and archeological importance. It is built in the Newari pagoda style with three tiers and is dedicated to Shiva in the form of Mahadev, the Great God.
Worth the mention and the main reason to go to this temple is the wealth of sculptures of the many different Hindu deities. These fine stone carvings are definitely worth a closer look. Some of them are dated back to the Licchavi Dynasty (C 450–750).
We can explore:
Aditya - the sun god
Brahma and Chandra - the moon god
Indra - the elephant-borne god of war and weather
Ganga - with a pot on her head from which pours the Ganges
Vishnu - as Narsingha
Shiva - as Kamadeva, the god of love - and many other forms
Gauri Shankar - with elements of Shiva and Parvati
Brahma - with four heads
In late August or early September people go to this temple to bath and make offerings in honor of their fathers, living or dead, on a day called Gokarna Aunsi.
The Gupteshwar Mahadev Cave (known in the local tongue as Bhalu Dulo) is recognized as one of the longest caves in Nepal with a length that exceeds 2 km. The cave sits across the street from the David's Falls (see previous pictures earlier in this album). The long spiral stairs to Gupteshwar which I am on now is interspersed with several Hindu mythological figures, and inside the cave, one can hear the thundering sound of water. As per the local beliefs, the cave was said to be discovered in the 16th century. During those times, there wasn’t any sort of modern-day decorations that you see today. The main entrance of the cave was only constructed around 1991. More notes about the Gupteshwar caves appeared earlier in this album. (see previous pictures). (Pokhara, Nepal, Oct/ Nov. 2019)