Mega Adventures Pvt. Ltd.

PLACE TO SEE:

NEPAL’S UNIQUE TREASURES

Mt. Everest – Highest Point on Earth
Kumari – The Living Goddess
Lumbini- Birth Place of Lord Buddha
Hinduism- Nepal’s religion and culture are dominated by Hinduism and its oldest religion of the world.
Wildlife watching
Himalayan Views
Temples
The Sacred & The Spiritual
Villages and Day Hike
Trekking

1. UNESCO HERITAGE SITES

There are four UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Nepal. Two are in cultural category and two are in natural category. World Cultural Heritage Sites of Nepal are: Lumbini, the birth place of Lord Buddha, and seven monuments of Kathmandu valley within a radius of 20 km (together counted as one Heritage Site). The World Natural Heritage Sites are Chitwan and Sagarmatha National Parks.

Kathmandu valley World Heritage Site comprises of three historical palaces – Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur Durbar Squares; two Buddhist stupas – Swayambhunath and Bauddhanath; and two Hindu temples – Pashupatinath and Changu Narayan. Nepal offers incomparable scope to connoisseurs of art and culture to see and study different aspects of fine arts in its paintings, sculpture, wood carving and architecture.

2. UNESCO NATURAL WORLD HERITAGE SITES

– Chitwan National Park (932 sq. km)
– Sagarmatha National Park (1,148 sq. km)

Other National Parks
– Bardiya National Park (968 sq. km)
– Khaptad National Park (225 sq. km)
– Langtang National Park (1,710 sq. km)
– Makalu-Barun National Park (1,500 sq. km)
– Rara National Park (106 sq. km)
– Shey-Phoksundo National Park (3,555 sq. km)
– Shivapuri National Park (144 sq. km)
Wildlife Reserves
– Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve (175 sq. km)
– Parsa Wildlife Reserve (499 sq. km)
– Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve (305 sq. km)
Conservation Areas
– Annapurna Conservation Area (7,629 sq. km)
– Kanchenjunga Conservation Area (2,035 sq. km)
– Manaslu Conservation Area (1,663 sq. km)
Hunting Reserve
– Dhorpatan (1,325 sq. km)

3. PILGRIMAGE SITES

Nepal is not only known for its natural beauty but also as a cultural melting pot where two of the oldest religions of the world combine – Hinduism and Buddhism. With its history dating back to thousands of years, some of the oldest religious sites in Nepal are revered as the holiest places to find salvation by Hindus and Buddhists. Experience the breathtaking beauty of the snow-capped Himalayas, and trek along deep valleys and get an out of this world experience which is both physically and spiritually charging.

A land steeped in legends and mythology, Nepal is home to many Hindu and Buddhist pilgrimage sites. As the Hindu scripture Skanda Purana cites, “In a hundred ages of the gods, I could not tell thee of the glories of the Himalaya. The dew is dried up by the morning sun, so are the sins of mankind by the sights of the Himalaya.”

The country abounds in many temples, monasteries and shrines visited by the devout followers of their respective faiths, which include the places of worship of other religions such as Islam, Christianity, Bon, Kirat, Jain and Sikh. Some of these sites are located in the Kathmandu Valley, the capital city, while others are situated in different parts of the country. The Hindu pilgrimage sites can be divided into four sections or Char Dhams i.e. the Pashupat Kshetra, Mukti Kshetra, Ruru Kshetra and Baraha Kshetra, spread in different parts of the country, east to west and north to south. Similarly, there are Vaishnav, Shaiva and Shakti shrines, as per the devotees’ division of faith among Vishnu, Shiva and Kali or Bhagabati.

Despite having a predominantly Hindu population, Hinduism and Buddhism have co-existed in Nepal as nowhere else in the world. There are many temples, shrines and monasteries which are equally sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists. While there is the Pashupatinath Temple, the holiest of the holy temples for Hindus, in Nepal, Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, and one of the most sacred places for Buddhists, is located in the Terai district of Rupandehi.

Similarly, Gosainkunda in Langtang, a holy lake tucked in the serene arid lap of the Himalayas at an altitude of 4,380 m, is dedicated to Lord Shiva. There are also Bonpo shrines in Lupra, north of Jomsom in Mustang, and Shey Monastery in Dolpo. These pilgrimage sites are visited by a large number of pilgrims during specific festivals and occasions. The temple of Pashupatinath draws large numbers of pilgrims from Nepal and India during the Shivaratri festival. Besides their overwhelming religious significance, the Pashupatinath Temple, the two great stupas of Swayambhunath and Bauddhanath, and Lumbini are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.