Religious Getaway

If you are looking for a peaceful and religious getaway from the chaos of Kathmandu Pharping is the best travel destination for you. Lying 18 km south of Kathmandu on the valley rim, Pharping is perched on a hilltop with many Buddhist monasteries. One can easily reserve a vehicle or use public transport to reach this destination. On the way to Pharping one can find many amazing places which carry a lot of religious importance. You can find Taudaha pond, which is allegedly believed to be the home of the nagas released from the Kathmandu Lake. You can also see Chobhar gorge which is believed to be created by  Bodhisatva Manjushree, using his sword, to drain out the lake which once covered the valley. There is a small but picturesque temple of Adinath on the top of a hill from where one can have a panoramic view of the snow-capped mountains.  Also, one can opt to visit the Dashinkali Temple on the way to Parping as well as it is just a matter of a half an hour road from Pharping. Apart from these En route destinations, the major attractions of Pharping are an elaborate 17th-century temple which houses a glided image of Goddess Bajra Jogini. Other fascinating sights here include a cave and a hand-imprint of Padmasambhava, Buddhist saint, on the rock face over its entrance. More Buddhist monasteries are opening up around here every year, some of which accept foreign dharma students. During and after the 2015 earthquake, it is one of the least damaged towns.

DAKSHINKALI

Mere four kilometers further south of Pharping is the temple of Dakshinkali where the Hindu Godess Kali is worshipped. Pefectly placed at the union of two sacred streams in a rocky cleft amidst the forest, and undamaged in the 2015 earthquake, the temple is dedicated to the goddess Kali, who is believed to be the most bloodthirsty incarnation of Parvati. During the annual celebrations of Dashain the temple is washed by a crimson tide with thousands of devotees visiting the temple to make their sacrifice to Goddess Kali and the image of Kali is bathed in the gore.

SHESHA NARAYAN

Situated atabout 600 m downhill from the main junction at Pharping, in the direction of Kathmandu, the temple of Shesha Narayan is believed to represent one of the four Narayans of the Kathmandu Valley. The other three Narayans being Changu Narayan of Bhaktapur, Visankhu Narayan of Patan and Ichangu Narayan of Kathmandu.The Shesh (or Sekh) Narayan Temple is said to be a highly revered Vishnu shrine surrounded by ponds and statues, placed beneath a rocky cliff wall and a Tibetan monastery. The main temple was built in the 17th century, but it’s believed that the cave to the right (dedicated to Padmasambhava, or Guru Rinpoche) has been a place of pilgrimage for far longer.

The major attraction of the Sesh Narayan Temple is both its Buddhist and Hindu Religious importance. There we can find some magnificient art work on the statues which date back to the Licchavi-era and the lovely ponds that surround the temple are filled with colourful koi carp and semi-submerged carvings, including an image of Aditya, framed by a stone arch.