Nage Gompa Gokarna Temple day hike

Itinerary

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  Day 01: After breakfast, we are driven to the foothill of the Shivapuri Hill.

  First, we visit the temple complex of Budhanilkantha, where one can see the masterpiece art of stone carving (one piece) in a huge stone image of Lord Vishnu dating back to the 5th century. It is believed that in the 17th century, a farmer found the image from underneath of his farmland while digging the land in his farm. The proof we can see on the tip of the nose of the art which has been nicely sliced by the farmer’s spade.
  We further drive uphill from behind the Budhanilkantha Temple Complex. Then, we enter the Shivapuri Forest Conservation Area and climb the hill through the dense forest exploring various flora and fauna. It takes almost 2 hours to reach the Nage Gompa. Nage Gompa is the Buddhist nunnery beautifully located in the plain green land of the mid-hill part of the forest. The moment we reach the Gompa, we are fascinated by the fabulous Gompa and the valley view offered from the garden of the Gompa. It is spectacular. It is only from this spot, we can have an idea of the size of the Kathmandu Valley with such a dense and lovely inhabitation.
  After enjoying our packed lunch in the beautiful garden of the nunnery, we start our afternoon walk to eastern direction along the ridge lying north to south direction with a nice view side by side of the ridge. The trail is highly scenic and we come across the lovely, but sparse thatches pressing us to think about how the daily essentials are supplied in this lonely area. The pine tree smell is the specialty of the walk. Everywhere we walk, the smell is strong and pleasant. With some water break or toilet break, we keep traversing on the ridge.
  Although there is no Himalayan view on this walk, the freshness in air, pleasant smell of different flowers and pine trees, coolness produced by the wilderness and above all, the view of the Kathmandu Valley fully compensate the absence of the Himalayan view. This walk is different as it is difficult to believe that even in such a close proximity from the modern Kathmandu city, this kind of wilderness walk is possible.
  Finally, we reach Gokarna Temple. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva in pagoda style. It dates back to medieval era. It is famous for the pilgrimage which is annually organized here for those who have lost their fathers. They pay special homage to their dead fathers with good food, sweets and fruits. This is like an anniversary festival in the memory of dead father.
  By the time we complete our sightseeing of Gakarna Temple, it is late afternoon. Then, our car/van will pick us up and drive back to hotel via an important tourist site called Boudhanath Stupa. We can also stop and visit the Stupa, if time permits.