Visiting Nepal

Tansen

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Tansen, the capital of Palpa district, is a classic traditional town of Western Nepal situated at an altitude of 1372 meters on the southern slope of the Shreenagar hill.

The history of Tansen started from around the 11th Century AD when the region was part of the Bara Magarat, the twelve country managed by the Magar rulers. The town developed as a market centre for the Newari traders and artisans famous for their metal and dhaka (cloth) industry. Tansen is a evidence to the living heritage and structural design of the Newari people. Tansen, an antique hill town, with it's architecture strongly prejudiced by Newari migrants from the Kathmandu valley. Located at the southern grade of the Mahabharat Range, about half way from the Indian border to Pokhara and the Himalayas, this town offers an opportunity to experience real Nepalese culture, away from westernized places like Thamel in Kathmandu or Lakeside in Pokhara. Old artistic Newari houses and cobbled streets shape the townscape. The town's hill, Shreenagar, allows breathtaking views of the Himalayan range from Dhaulagiri in the west to Ganesh Himal in the east. Tansen is the district administration headquarters of Palpa district, one out of 75 districts in Nepal, and it is Municipality since 1957. Tansen Itself is often referred to as Palpa, and its people (population approximately 13,000 in the core area) as Palpalese. At an height of about 1350m (4430ft) above the sea level the town experiences a pleasant climate throughout the year. The daily maximum temperature, even in pre-monsoon times, hardly exceeds ever 310C (88F) and it is only in December/January the daily minimum temperature can fall below 100 (50F). The annual precipitation is about 1500 mm of which 90% falls in the monsoon time.

Climate of Tansen

Tansen Municipality is located at an altitude of about 1350m (4430ft) above the sea level the town experiences a enjoyable climate throughout the year. The daily highest temperature, even in pre-monsoon times, barely exceed ever 310C (88F) and it is only in December/January the daily minimum temperature can fall below 100 (50F). The annual rain is about 1500 mm of which 90% falls in the monsoon time.

Peoples of Tansen

In Tansen, Palpa there is a vast variety of backgrounds, beliefs, customs and cultures. All the people live and work in traditionalism and cooperation. In this small district more than ten racial groups and different casts lives. According to the last national survey the population of Palpa is 236,313. The number of household is 41,864. The population growth rate is (1.79%). The largest portion of the population of the district consists of the Magars (45.4%), Brahmans(20.2%), Kamis (6.6%), Newars (3.8%), Sarkis, Kumals, Damais, Thakuris and others. Religion wise the Hindus(98.8%), Buddhists(0.6), Muslims(0.2) and other(0.4)

Communication in Tansen

Tansen is well facilitating with modern mass communication services. All the means of communication such as postal service, telephone services with STD and ISD facilities, e-mail and Internet are easily available here.

Important Places

Tansen Darbar, the place of Tansen is the managerial courage centre of the Palpa District. It is located in the heart of the town. It is the largest western style building in western Nepal. Tansen Durbar was built in 1927 AD by Pratap Shamsher Jung Bahadur Rana. There was an old small palace here before the present palace was constructed. There are sixty three rooms, two meeting halls, two minarets at two sides. Timber is abundantly utilized in its construction. Steps of the building made with wooden and inner design remind us one of the Darbar of Kathmandu. The walls are made of sun-baked-bricks and roof is made of corrugated sheets. The building is square shaped and at the centre there is an open square.

Now the palace is the residence of the Chief District Officer and it accommodates the office of C.D.O., Land Revenue and Public Procecuter.

Shitalpati (the round house)

Sitalpati is a community square. It was Built by Khadga Shamsher, the original shitalpati is of octagonal shape. A round house around the Shitapati has been recently built. The historically significant shitalpati is a puplular hang out for the locals now. The 'Baggi Dhoka'. the biggest gate of its kind in Nepal is located in this square. The locals often tend to compre it with the architecture of Mugal Empire in India.

Shreenagar Hill

One of the most charming sports in the whole Palpa region, Shreenagar hill abounds in scenic grander and superb natural surroundings. A mere 30 minutes climb on foot or 10 minutes drive from the town of Tansen, one would reach the top of the hill which commands a unique range of natural extravaganza-from the snow-clad Himalayan peaks in the north to the lush green wide expanse of plains of Terai in the south, and of course, the panoramic view of the Tansen town. The impressive meadow on the hill top is an ideal spot to view the spectacular scenes of majestic Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and the famed twin peaks of also, many beautiful short walks and excursions may be enjoyed from this point. To the comfort of the visitors, there are nearly built facilities like cottages and camping sites on the top of the hill. An added magnetism is a recently built 'Twa- dewa', a huge Newari style bronze stand.

To climb the hill of Tanse you have to find your way back to Sital Pati. Take the steep street uphill left of "Nanglo West" called Thado Galli. At the T-junction turn left and follow the tarred road to another T-junction above the houses and on the edge of the forest. Here turn left again and remain on the tarred road until you reach the crossroads and the big tree with a board of directions.

Follow the tarred road turning right to the northern slope of Shreenagar hill. From here and all the way along until you reach the saddle to the east of the hill you will have a beautiful view of the high Himalayan range in clear weather. Running from Dhaulagiri in the west to Ganesh Himal in the east. You can make out the huge Kali Gandaki River valley between Dhaulagiri and Nilgiri, leading north to Tibet. For the next quarter of an hour you will pass through peaceful forest, pine plantation to your right and deciduous forest with a lot of rhododendrons to your left. The road ends in front of the entrance gate to Shreenagar Park.

Make your way through the park continuing east and reach the Buddha Statue at the eastern end of Shreenagar ridge in about half an hour. Thai monks donated the Buddha statue with the monkey and the elephant. It commemorates a part of Buddha's life. According to the legend, while meditating in a jungle for about three months a monkey and an elephant served Buddha in many ways.

With a last glimpse on the high mountain range descend the staircase to reach an umpaved road on the edge of the forest. Turn right and follow that road back to Tansen.

The big complex of buildings you see while descending is the United Mission Hospital founded in the sixties. The pleasant valley behind is the Madi Valley. In clear mornings the valley is covered with clouds and fog forming the so-called "white lake", an impressive sight during sunrise.

TUNDIKHEL

There are some other interesting places which you would like to see. Tundikhel, the historical parade ground is an important place where the people of this town entertain themselves by visualizing various games and national ceremonies, and congrigations. There is a public plateform in the southern part of the ground from where speakers address the public on important occasions. In the northern part the Town panchayat has recently constructed its building and a town hall.

To the south west corner of the ground there is a beautiful rose garden called Birendar park.At the centre of the park a full size statue of His majesty king Birendra is erected on a lotus shaped pillar.

Rambha Pani

Rambha according to Hindu mythology is the name of a fairy from Heaven and Pani in Nepali means water. The idyllic spot known as Rambha Pani, therefore gets its name from a perennial spring found in the vicinity and named after the fairy.

The spring is surrounded by a thick, ancient forest and has about it that typical pastoral quality, usually associated with palces of beauty and romance. The forest are fruit with different kinds of flowers and fruit and the incessant chirp of numerous kinds of colorful birds, adds a unique, celestial aura to the immediate surroundings

Legend has it that Lord Ram – the hero of Hindu epic Ramayan – and his wife Sita were passing through the place. Since they were tired, they sat down in the forest to rest awhile . Sita felt thirsty and asked for some water to drink. On seeing that there wasn’t any nearby. Ram shot an arrow deep into the ground and immediately a sping welled up. Sita was thus able to quench her thirst. The people who village love to tell and retell the story and firmly believe that the spring, which is seen to this day, is the one from which Sita slaked her thirst.

The temple built in the name of the goddess Rabha Devi is a humble one, very much unlike the opulent ones found in city areas. The rest house next to the temple is almost identical; the walls of which like the temple are plastered with red earth. But somehow, the stark simplicity of the two modest structures that blend perfectly with the landscape created in me the impression that if god really did reside in any temple it would be in these modest ones. There was something about the place that strongly exuded the presence of the gods . For a moment I felt they were there, somewhere, where they had always been, among the trees, the rocks, the spring, the mountains, the waterfalls. The very calm and serenity of the place seemed so full of them.

The temple a rounded structure, harbors two statues of the goddess, an old bronze one and a relatively new one made from marble. In the course of conversation with the old priest of the temple, he told me that the goddess Rambha Devi was indeed sakchhatkar with real power and presence – and not like other deities. Not understanding what he really meant, I asked him in what way and he told me of a true incident associated with the goddess. “Slome twenty six years ago.” Began the priest, watering the garden around the temple premises, “a man from the city , who had obviously head about the value of the bronze idol of the goddesss came here to steal it. At the time, there was no temple built here and the idol used to be left in the open, beside the spring for public worship. The idol lifter saw this to be an advantage and quietly ran away with the status during the night. The villagers to their utter dismay, discovered the theft only in the morning. As the thief tried to board a plane at the Bhairahawa airport the very next day we heard he suddenly lost his eyesight. The man panicked and started shouting for help. The airport authorities got suspicious and on checking his baggage, came across the stolen idol of goddess. The man admitted to the left and the idol was brought back here where it rightfully belonged. Surprisingly, the eyesight of the thief was miraculously restored soon after the idol was put in its original place. Such is the power of this goddess. For some time, after the incident” continued the priest straightening his back, “the statue, for fear of
being stolen again, used to be taken to the priest’s house for safe keeping during the night, and would only later that this temple and rest house was built to prevent the idol of the goddess from being stolen again,” he said.

According to the priest, the people from far and wide come to worship the goddess and devotees’ vow to offer sacrifice if their wishes are fulfilled. The people belive that if they sacrifice birds or animals to the deity, they will be blessed with good health and prosperity. During festive occasions, especially during Krishnastami, a large number of people throng the place and hundreds of birds and animals are sacrified. The forest on this annual occasion comes alive with happy voices of the devotees. A lively fair with a display of home made produces for sale also takes place. Folk songs and dances go on till late in the night, romance is in the air and there are even cases of instant love marriages that take place before the idol of the goddess on that married on that particular day. The belief is that couples married on that day, are blessed with a long, happy and prosperous life.

In today’s fast changing world, it is somewhat hard to believe that places like
Rambha Pani, as god made them, still remain untouched by civilization. It is equally hard to believe that this places like Ramba Pani, as god made them, still remain untouched by civilization. It is equally hard to believe that this idyllic location is barely an hour’s drive from Tansen, the headquater of the Palpa district, which in turn is a nine-hour bus ride from Kathmandu. The bus ride from Tansen takes you to a place called Aryabhanjyang and from there a pleasant two hours trek through friendly villages gets you to the place. In a country where deforestation is a serious problem. The thick forest of Rambha Pani has, more or less, remained untourched for fear of the goddess.

Should you be tempted to stay the night in Rambha Pani, the friendly villages will be more than happy to take in a traveler for the night. But should you prefer to stay in the temple rest house, like I was, it will be worth it. Snugly ensconced in my sleeping bag, I stared into the darkness and listened to the sounds of a typical Himalayan night for quite some time. Not knowing when I dozed off, I was suddenly awakned during what I thought was still night-by the ringing of temple bells, the soothing sound of hymns and prayers , and a rather pleasant aroma of sandalwood incense. Obviously, the devotees of Rambha Devi had already started their early morning worship.

I strolled behind the temple premises to get a feel of the place, and suddenly, unaware, found myself looking right down into mist filled valleys and cloud veiled mountains. About an hour or two later, unable to decide whether to stay another day or move on, I came back to the temple rest house to a steaming hot breakfast of Haluwa, Puree and Tarkari, prepared with practiced ease by the wife of the temple priest. I still do not know what made me decide to stay on in Rambha Pani for a few more days. Maybe it was the peace and quiet that pervaded the place. Maybe it was the spectacular early morning view I had just seen. Maybe it was the sound of temple bells and the chanting of hymns and prayers in the early dawn. Maybe it was the divine breakfast. Or come to think of it, maybe it was a curious blend of them all.

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Special Thanks

• Images Provideded By : Dip ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

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