Trip from Delhi to Kathmandu (Sunday, 12th August 2012)
My brother-in-law had already arranged a cab for 4:30 AM next day morning as I had to get AI-0213 leaving Delhi at 7:30 AM to Kathmandu on August 12th, 2012. Delhi to Kathmandu is only about an hour and a half by flight. We landed at Kathmandu around 9:00 AM.
Nepal Visa at Tribhuvan International Airport at Kathmandu
Tribhuvan is not a very busy airport. Visas are issued at the airport. The formalities might have taken about an hour or so and the fee was USD 40 for 30 days Multiple Entry Visa. After completing all the formalities and obtaining (affixing Visa on Passport) the Visa I got out of Tribhuvan International Airport at Kathmandu, Nepal around 10:30/11 AM.
Reception at Tribhuvan International Airport by Badri Gajurel of Earthbound Expeditions
As promised, Mr. Badri Gajurel, of Earthbound Expeditions with mini bus was waiting to receive us at the arrival. As the airport was not very busy and as there were not many passengers it was easy for mutual identifications by passengers and by the Travel Agency.
Badri was our Team Lead for the entire trip. Badri had been to Kailash for twenty eight times. He is considered to be one of the best as having the least fatality during the trips. Only one of the Yatris died during his past 28 Parikramas (Padhikshanas or Circumambulations) of Manasarovar - Kailash. His younger brother Kedar was his primary assistant.
Co Passengers from New York to Delhi and Delhi to Kathmandu
There were a group of monks/saints in saffron dresses in the flight and I was under the impression they must be the group going to Kailash Manasarovar as I was told that some of the members of the group would reaching by the same flight. Also there was another group of passengers including some ladies who were thoroughly enjoying the flight with songs and loud conversations. Actually I was going to join the second team for my Kailash Manasarovar trip. But I came to know about them only at the hotel after the general introduction in the evening.
Places I wanted to visit and the initial conflict with the group
As noted in the caption I wanted to visit Everest Base Camp, Manakamna, Pokhra, Mukthidam, Valmiki Asram, Devi Ghat, Chitwan National Park and Janakpur along with the Kailash Manasarovar trip. (Also I wished to cover Lhasa which I was told I cannot get a visa.) I will provide the importance and significance of these places appropriately. Initially none of the members were interested to visit any of the places other than Pokhra and that is why Rajan asked me to have twenty four days as I have to come back to Kathmandu a couple of times to complete the trip.
Soaltee Crowne Plaza Hotel Accommodation and Introductory Meeting of Group Members (12th August 2012
From the airport we went to our hotel, Soaltee Crowne Plaza, Kathmandu. It is a first class hotel with four star ratings at Kathmandu. Rooms are nice and food was excellent. We did truly enjoy the services and stay in this hotel. My roommate was Subhash Varma. He joined me in the afternoon as he was travelling by a later flight. Around 4 in the evening we had group meeting to discuss about schedules and details of the trip to provide all details and passport to obtain Chinese Visa for the trip. In the meeting Rajan Simkhada of Earthbound Expeditions mentioned about my interest to go to EBC (Everest Base Camp) that may happen only after the Kailash Manasarovar Parikram (KMP). As many others were interested to go to EBC he told it is better to complete EBC trip at the very beginning. But they do not perform any trips without visiting the famous Pasupathinath Temple and offering our Havan or Puja or Prayers. So we decided to visit and offer our prayers to Pasupathinath Temple in the same evening and try to go to EBC next morning.
Pasupathinath Temple is within the city vicinity of Kathmandu. Though it was only about three or four miles from our hotel it might have taken an hour or so to reach due to traffic bottleneck. This is the oldest Hindu Temple in Nepal. Though we do not know the exact date when this temple was founded we have record showing that this temple has been in existence since 400 AD i.e. for over a minimum of sixteen hundred years. But the new temples we see now are erected in seventeenth century which means it must be four hundred plus years old. Pasupathinath Temple is located on the eastern banks of river Bhagmati.
My brother-in-law had already arranged a cab for 4:30 AM next day morning as I had to get AI-0213 leaving Delhi at 7:30 AM to Kathmandu on August 12th, 2012. Delhi to Kathmandu is only about an hour and a half by flight. We landed at Kathmandu around 9:00 AM.
Nepal Visa at Tribhuvan International Airport at Kathmandu
Tribhuvan is not a very busy airport. Visas are issued at the airport. The formalities might have taken about an hour or so and the fee was USD 40 for 30 days Multiple Entry Visa. After completing all the formalities and obtaining (affixing Visa on Passport) the Visa I got out of Tribhuvan International Airport at Kathmandu, Nepal around 10:30/11 AM.
Reception at Tribhuvan International Airport by Badri Gajurel of Earthbound Expeditions
As promised, Mr. Badri Gajurel, of Earthbound Expeditions with mini bus was waiting to receive us at the arrival. As the airport was not very busy and as there were not many passengers it was easy for mutual identifications by passengers and by the Travel Agency.
 |
| I am being received at Tribhuvan International Airport by Badri Gajurel of Earthbound Expeditions with red garland as a mark of identification. |
 |
| Badri Gajurel of Earthbound Expeditions at Tribhuvan International Airport to receive their passengers |
Badri was our Team Lead for the entire trip. Badri had been to Kailash for twenty eight times. He is considered to be one of the best as having the least fatality during the trips. Only one of the Yatris died during his past 28 Parikramas (Padhikshanas or Circumambulations) of Manasarovar - Kailash. His younger brother Kedar was his primary assistant.
Co Passengers from New York to Delhi and Delhi to Kathmandu
There were a group of monks/saints in saffron dresses in the flight and I was under the impression they must be the group going to Kailash Manasarovar as I was told that some of the members of the group would reaching by the same flight. Also there was another group of passengers including some ladies who were thoroughly enjoying the flight with songs and loud conversations. Actually I was going to join the second team for my Kailash Manasarovar trip. But I came to know about them only at the hotel after the general introduction in the evening.
Places I wanted to visit and the initial conflict with the group
As noted in the caption I wanted to visit Everest Base Camp, Manakamna, Pokhra, Mukthidam, Valmiki Asram, Devi Ghat, Chitwan National Park and Janakpur along with the Kailash Manasarovar trip. (Also I wished to cover Lhasa which I was told I cannot get a visa.) I will provide the importance and significance of these places appropriately. Initially none of the members were interested to visit any of the places other than Pokhra and that is why Rajan asked me to have twenty four days as I have to come back to Kathmandu a couple of times to complete the trip.
Soaltee Crowne Plaza Hotel Accommodation and Introductory Meeting of Group Members (12th August 2012
From the airport we went to our hotel, Soaltee Crowne Plaza, Kathmandu. It is a first class hotel with four star ratings at Kathmandu. Rooms are nice and food was excellent. We did truly enjoy the services and stay in this hotel. My roommate was Subhash Varma. He joined me in the afternoon as he was travelling by a later flight. Around 4 in the evening we had group meeting to discuss about schedules and details of the trip to provide all details and passport to obtain Chinese Visa for the trip. In the meeting Rajan Simkhada of Earthbound Expeditions mentioned about my interest to go to EBC (Everest Base Camp) that may happen only after the Kailash Manasarovar Parikram (KMP). As many others were interested to go to EBC he told it is better to complete EBC trip at the very beginning. But they do not perform any trips without visiting the famous Pasupathinath Temple and offering our Havan or Puja or Prayers. So we decided to visit and offer our prayers to Pasupathinath Temple in the same evening and try to go to EBC next morning.
 |
| Soaltee Crowne Plaza at Kathmandu |
So immediately after the meeting we all yathris (members of the parikram group) with Badri, Kedar, and a couple of other crews started out to Pasupathinath Temple in a bus. Traffic bottlenecks in Kathmandu are probably worse than that of Indian cities like Mumbai or Delhi. By grace of Lord Sri Mahadeva we were in time for the Havan and to pay our obeisance to Pasupathinath.
Pasupathinath Temple in Kathmandu 12th August 2012 (Sunday)
Pasupathinath Temple is within the city vicinity of Kathmandu. Though it was only about three or four miles from our hotel it might have taken an hour or so to reach due to traffic bottleneck. This is the oldest Hindu Temple in Nepal. Though we do not know the exact date when this temple was founded we have record showing that this temple has been in existence since 400 AD i.e. for over a minimum of sixteen hundred years. But the new temples we see now are erected in seventeenth century which means it must be four hundred plus years old. Pasupathinath Temple is located on the eastern banks of river Bhagmati.
The chief priest of the temple was traditionally Bhatts, the Brahmins from the south Indian state of Karnataka. But later on, during the time of Sankaracharya, it has been transferred to Namboothiris. Namboothiris are Brahmins from south Indian state of Kerala. Adi Sankaracharya himself was born at Kaladi, Kerala. It seems in 2009 during the time of Maoist government priesthood of the temple has been transferred to local Brahmins.
No comments:
Post a Comment