Chandra Giri Hill
Once you reach the vantage
point, the entire Kathmandu Valley unfolds like a giant map. From Budhanilkantha
in the north to Bhaktapur in the east, one can see the entire stretch of the
Ring Road, visibly outlined by the giant pipal trees that have been planted on
either side of the road.
The present landscape isn't
exactly what Prithivi Narayan shah might have seen in the early 1760s when, with
arms akimbo, he is said to have surveyed the Kathmandu Valley as his next
conquest. But the panoramic views of the Kathmandu Valley from a top the
Chandragiri Hill still continue to lure many people to this day. Especially so
after the access through the thick foliage has been made easy by the
construction of a stone paved motor able road that takes you straight to the Hattiban Resort on top of the western peak of the hill range. On a sturdy enough
motorbike or a car, the ride takes about twenty minutes from the highway leading
to Pharping, while many visitors still choose to hike all the way up, enjoying
the natural sights and smell first hand.
Once you reach the vantage
point, the entire Kathmandu Valley unfolds like a giant map. From Budhanilkantha
in the north to Bhaktapur in the east, one can see the entire stretch of the
Ring Road, visibly outlined by the giant pipal trees that have been planted on
either side of the road. And if the weather's all right, you can even identify
manmade landmarks like the Royal Palace, Rani Pokhari and Dharahara, which, one
must say, surprisingly doesn't appear to be in the center of the valley. The
airport runway looks like a giant log laid to rest amidst an ocean of buildings,
while the distant Lalitpur and Bhaktapur look like nothing more than specks of
dust. Indeed, from the top, one can't help wondering about how small and
insignificant the human from is compared to the other spectacles of nature.
But even this diminished
perspective does offer detailed views of the some nearby settlements, specially
the ancient villages of Khohana and Bungmati. Famous for its traditionally
pressed and blended mustard oil, the Khokana village is marked buy the
unmistakable silhouette of the Surrya Vinayak temple, one of the most revered
forms of Lord Ganesh. The vibrant red colors of the baked bricks used in the
constructions of all the temples and housed make the entire village shine like a
ruby in the middle of luscious green pastures made of the finest emeralds. The
luster is matched only by that of Bungmati, which becomes a scene of intense
religious activities during the chariot pulling festival of the Rato
Machchhindranath.
The other imposing landmark
seen from Kattiban is the Chobhar Gorge, which mythically and geologically is
the only major water drainage out of the valley. Legend relates the dramatic
formation of this gorge to a time where massive demons terrorized the lands and
the gods frequently intervened to protect their subjects. As such, it is
believed that Chandragiri was a place of intense divine activities, this being
the place from where Manjushree (or Krishna) used his massive sword to split
open chobahar and slay the mighty Kachchhaspasur or the tortoise demon who had
blocked the outlet in the first place and turned the valley into a lake. The
prodding Chobhar hill is believed to be the remains of this mighty demon, and
strangely enough from a top the chandragiri, the rather small hill looks like a
tortoise shell.
Still, just alongside this
ancient attraction are the much modern but ghostly remains of the defunct Himal
Cement Factory, acting also as a reminder of the present industrial slump in the
country. While on the other side of the hill, one can see Nepal's first
hydroelectric plant, which was built downhill from pharping in 1911 by the then
Rana Prime Minister Chandra Shumsher, Interestingly, the entire electric output
from the power.
And yet, there are so many
other interesting stories about the Chandra Giri Hill itself. Legend has it that
this summit was once so rich in chandan (Sandalwood), trees that Goddess Parvati
herself, the mythical mother of all living beings, rummaged around its foothills
to look for them. In fact, some scholars believe that the name Chandragiri was
derived from the original chandan- giri, giri meaning mountain in Sanskrit,
Although, considering the exploits of Rana Prime Minister Chandra Shumsher, it
might be equally tempting to attribute the name to him.
Not surprisingly, chandra
Shumsher isn't the only one who has left his permanent mark on the mountain.
Even at Hattiban itself, besides the buildings of the resort, there is a
beautiful Buddhist monastery with large prayer flags all around. Unfortunately
though, access to this beautiful abode is difficult for apparent reasons. You
can also see the famous gompa of pharping and numerous other religious landmarks
from the other side of Hattiban. One of them is the Sesha Narayan Temple, which
is acctually a naturally formed cliff face which is actually a naturally formed
cliff face which, if you like to work up your imagination a little, looks like
the blown up hood of a cobra. Hence the name after the shesh Nag.
But for the most part, the
retreat at Hattiban is as beautiful and tranquil as it must have always been.
So many of its trees might have actually witnessed the invasion of Kathmandu by
Prithvi Narayan Shah or the overthrow of the Rana Regime, and also the colors of
Indra Jatra and the grandeur of the valley that was before. Chances are the
trees and the rocks will outlive our own generation and many forthcoming ones.
so, in a way, its them, and not us, who are doing the sightseeing.
28 september - 5 oktober 2004 -
Verslag week 3
(Nepalese taalles, lezing Lama Rimpoche, Budhanilkantha, computerlessen in
kinderhuis) 21 - 28 september 2004 -
Verslag 2 - o.a. Bouddhanath,
Kirtipur en Indra Jatra festival
Lubhoo in the Kathmandu Valley /
Kirtipur /
Tatopani
/
Budhanilkantha /
Tansen /
Chandra Giri Hill
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