Rivers of Nepal

Nepal's rivers can be broadly divided into three categories in accordance with their origins. The first category comprises the three main river systems of the country-the Koshi, Gandaki and Karnali river systems, all of them originating from glaciers and snow-fed lakes.

The Koshi river system consists of the Tamor, Arun, Dudhkoshi, Likhu, Tamakoshi, Sunkoshi and Indravati rivers. Of these, the Arun and Sunkoshi originate in Tibet. The confluence of these rivers is at Tribeni (near Dharan) in Sagarmatha Zone. Flowing for almost 10kms through a narrow gorge before entering the plains, the "Sapta Kosi" or he "Koshi" swollen with the waters of the seven riversÕ finally merges into the Ganges.

The Gandaki river system in central Nepal consists of the Kaligandaki, Budhigandaki, Marsyanghi, Trishuli, Seti, Madi and Daraundi rivers. The Kaligandaki is the longest river and the Trishuli, the main tributary of this system.

The Kaligandaki originates in Mustang and converges with the Trishuli at Deoghat in Chitwan. The river is then called the Narayani and goes on to meet the Ganges. The Karnali river system in western Nepal consists of the Humla Karnali, Mugu Karnali, Seti and Bheri rivers and is the longest river system in the country. The Humla Karnali, which rises in Tibet, is the main tributary. After entering India, this river assumes the name Gogra.

Rivers like the Mechi, Mahakali, Bagmati, Kamala, Rapti, etc., most of which have their origin in the Mahabharat range, constitute the rivers of the second category. The Bagmati, which rises at Bagdwar and drains out through the Chobhar gorge, is the principal river of the Katmandu Valley.

Streams and rivulets originating mostly from the Chure hills make up the third category; these rivers rely on monsoon rains and are otherwise dry.

Manakamana Temple

Manakamana DarshanThe cable car in Nepal takes you up on a spiritual adventure to the abode of Mankamana, the wish-fulfilling Hindu Goddess. Even if you have no wishes to make (assuming that you have got it all or you are not a believer), this place offers a unique look into Nepali people's faith in the Goddess Mankamana. The Mankamana temple overlooks terraced fields, and the Trisuli and Marshyang-di river valleys. The hilltop (1302m) also offers a vantage point for taking in the breathtaking view of the Manaslu, Himalchuli and Annapurna massifs to the north. Venerated since 17th century and commanding royal patronage, Mankamana is located south of the historic town of Gorkha and 6 km north of Mugling.In the past, millions of pilgrims used to do the long arduous trek up to the hilltop. Much still do. The cable car station in Cheres is about 104 kms, west from Kathmandu and about 102 kms east from Pokhara. From the base-station at Cheres one can get to Mankamana temple in 10 minutes flat or less. The ride covers a distance of 2.8 kilometers. With 31 passengers and 3 cargo-cars, each with a seating capacity of handling 600 persons per hour.

Pashupatinath Temple

Nepal is the land of lord Pashupatinath, which is supposed to be the holiest Hindu temple in the world. The magnificent temple of Lord Pashupatinath about 5 Kms north-east of Kathmandu, is situated amidst many other temples on the right bank of the river Bagmati.  Pashupatinath is the guardian spirit and the holiest of all Shiva shrines in Nepal.
Lord Shiva is known by many different names; and Pashupati is one.  Pashu means living beings, and Pati means master.  In other words Pashupati is the master of all living beings of the universe.  This is how lord Pashupati is eulogized in the Vedas, Upanishad and other religious books.
Legends are numerous as to how the temple of Lord Pashupatinath came to existence here.  As stated in chronicles, the image of Lord Shiva in the form of Jyotirlinga was covered with earth over the years, and soft green grass sprouted over it.  Further, as the legend goes, a cow used to come here mysteriously every day and offer her milk to this holy but hidden Linga of Lord Shiva.  When the Gwalas (owner) saw that the cow had stopped giving milk since the last few days he started keeping eye on her; and finally came across the place where the cow used to offer her milk.  With a natural curiosity to know the importance of the place, where his cow used to make offering of her milk, the gwalas dug the place and found the Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva.  After this number of gwalas gathered to worship this Linga according to religious conformity, starting the tradition of worshipping this Linga.  As the time passed Lord Pashupatinath started gaining more and more popularity and reverence of the devotees as a guardian spirit and gradually the temple of Lord Pashupatinath became a great place of pilgrimage.

When is the best time to go to Nepal?

You can find good places to trek somewhere in the Himalayas at anytime of year. Even though weather is probably the best guide for deciding when to plan your trip to Nepal.
The width of Nepal is only about 200 km on average, but within this short distance the altitude of the land rises from lowly 60m to all the way up to above 8000m. Hence the weather depends upon the altitude of the place in Nepal. However, in general Nepal has four climatic seasons:
Autumn: September, October and November are considered the best times of the year. During this period, the climate is dry offer the clearest skies, least rain, the festivities of harvest season and mild with temperature fluctuating between 20* C to 30* C (68* F to 86* F). The monsoon will have just ended, and clear skies with optimal temperature will prevail. The main festivals of Dashain and Tihar (Hindu equivalent of Christmas in terms of festivity) fall during these months. However, this is also the busiest tourist season, and the main tourist centers and trekking trails tend to be crowded with travelers like you.
Winter: Winter starts from December to February are cool and mostly clear. The morning and evening are very cold while the afternoon is pretty sunny. The temperature during these months rises from 15* C to 20* C (59* F to 68* F). The tourist flow ebbs a little, but not significantly, between the winter months of December and mid-February. It catches up once again between mid-February and mid-April.
Spring: Spring starts from March to May are warm months, though it is often hazy. The temperature of this season fluctuates between 20* C to 30* C (68* F to 86* F). Rhododendrons blooms at ascending altitudes from February through May are also a very good time to trek as snow melts at the upper altitudes.
Summer: Summer starts from June to August. These are also the pre-monsoon and monsoon months with occasional evening-thunderstorms and hot temperature, which time it rains almost everyday and most of the Himalayas are hidden behind the clouds. June is warm and humid, though still a good time to trek to the Everest area. July and August are monsoon months with lots of rain, but still you have great chance to trekking behind the Himalayas Manang, Mustang and Dolpo known as the rain shadow areas of Nepal.
September sees the end of the monsoon. The whole country is beautifully green and the trekking season starts again. In short, plan to visit Nepal between September and May; keeping in mind that September - November and March - May are the best times (but crowded with other travelers).For detail information on temperature and rainfall, check the Weather Chart.

Prithvi narayan shah

Prithvi narayan shah was born in 27 poush 1779 B.s His father was Narbhupal shah and mother was Kaukshalya vati. King Narbhupal shah have four queens, he had done four marriages. The first queen chandraprabhavati devi did not got any children. Second queen kaushalya vati had 3 children their name were prithivi narayan shah,dalmardan shah, prithivi pati shah. The first queen did not have any children so she had adopted prithivinarayan shah. And she took all the necessitity care of prithivinarayan shah. First married of prithivinarayan shah was done with Indrakumari; she was the daughter of king Hemkarn sen princess of makwanpur. unfortunately the married was not successful because pritihvinarayan shah has demanded one elephant with one teeth whose cost was nine lakh and he wants to take his wife with him at married time but Indrakumari father rejected all the demand due this prithivinarayan shah was felling insulted so in same year he had done another marriage with Narendra laxmi daughter of Ahimansingh princess of banaras (India). In 1799 B.S. Prithvi narayan shah father got death at that time prithivinarayan shah was only 20 years old. And he becomes the king of gorkha. When prithivi narayan shs become the king at that time Nepal was not single country it was divided into 52 states at that time kathmandu have 3 states and due to this they all were quarreling everytime. Due to this situation king prithivi narayan shah decided that he will make on single powerful state.
In 1800 king prithivi narayan shah attacked on Nuwakot in command of Kaji Biraj thapa, but unfortunately he did not get success and he return empty hand. Prithivi narayan shah realized that he did not have enough weapon and trained military force. So solving this problem he think and decided that every house should pay some money for weapon and when he collected the wanted money than he went to kashi, Banaras from where he bought the weapon and trainer for his force and after sometime he made a disciplined military force(Gorkhali). In 1801B.S. King prithivi narayan shah again attacked on Nuwakot this time the commander was kalupandey and the gorkhali attacked suddenly that the people of Nuwakot cannot understand what happened and they run here and there . at same time dalmander shah catch the Nuwakot commander and cutted him and the gorkhali got the victory over Nuwakot. This victory made them more powerful and by 1803 B.S. they captured sakhu, change, sindhupalchowk, Kavereplalnchowk area. But prithivi narayan shah was not satisfied his main target was Kathmandu valley and this was not easy. Prithivi narayan shah realized that before attacking on Kathmandu he have to attack on kirtipur so on 1814B.S.he sent kalu pandey and his force to attack on kirtipur at same time the king of Kantipur realized that if gorkhali wins than after some time they will attack on Kantipur so he himself went to help kirtipur and he also gived message to king of lalitpur and Bhaktapur that if gorkhali will win to kirtipur than they will attack on us. Now the four kingdom were one side and gorkhali were alone but they fighted bravely but unfortunetly kaly pandey hitted with an arrow and he fall down at same time the other force killed him. Now the gorkhali did not have the commander so they runaway , king prithivi narayan also saved his life very difficulty. In this 500 gorkhali were killed , this was very heavy loss to gorkhali but they did not gave up. In 1819 B.S. in command of kaji bansram pandey, kehersingh basnet, mahodam kirti shah, surpratap shah, daljeet shah, gorkhali attacked on Makwanpur, In this war gorkhali got victory, their 50 soilders and 400 makwani soilders were killed., their 50 soilders and 400 makwani soilders were killed. The makwanpur king, minister and remaining soilders ran away to hariharpur gadhi. After mentaning peace on makwanpur, gorkhali force attacked on hariharput gadhi and they got victory, their 55 and 400 makwani soilders were killed. The family of makwani king were arrested but king himself and his minister ran away to khudaghat and they appeal for a help with bangali nawab mir kasim. Mir kasim helped him and sent 3000 bangali force in command fo gurgiin kha to attacked on makwanpur, but gorkhali fighted bravely and they got victory, their 100 soilders and 1700 soilders were killed, in this war gorkhali got benefit that they captured 500 guns after seeing the result of war the makwani king surrender himself. King prithivi narayan shah gor complete victory against makwanpur. Now King prithivi narayan shah was on fire he decided to attack again on kirtipur, when he held a meeting for attack than everybody said pls stop, this is not right time but king prithivi narayan shah did not listen to anyone, so on 1821 B.S. in command of surpratap shah, kaji daljeet shah and shree harsh gorkhali went to attck on kirtipur this time the kirtipur force did not came for fight they closed all their door and sitted inside. Now the gorkhali forces tried to go inside by climbing on wall on this when climbing on wall surpratap hitted by a arrow on his eyes and he was seriously injurged, gorkhali tried but they did not got success and they returned empty hand. In 1822 gorkhali again attacked on kirtipur, this time also they did not come for fight they closed their door and sitted inside. Gorkhali forces also did not do anything they sitted around the kirtipur and waited for six months and this made the shortage of food and everything at last the commander of kirtipur become frusted and he open door. The gorkhali forces wentinside and they got victory over kirtipur.

His majesty Pratap singh shah
The elder son of king Prithivi narayan shah was pratap singh shah. He was born in jestha, 1808 B.s. Pratap shah become the king of Nepal in magh, 1, 1831 B.S. Pratap singh shah did not ruled for a long time. He ruled for 2 years, nine months. In 1834 B.S. He left the world.


His majesty Run bahadur shah.
Ran bahadur shah was born in jestha 10, 1832 B.S. and after two years of his birth only he become the king of Nepal when Ran bahadur shah was young that time His majesty Rajendra Laxmi and bahadur shah they both looked the country when Ran bahadur shah was 10 years old at that Period Rajendra Laxmi died after death of Rajendra laxmi Bahadur shah take the change of the kingdom. When Ranbahadur shah become matured he took the charge and started to ruled and made so many changes. In Aashin, 19, 1855B.S. King Ranbahadur shah made his son king and he himself went to Kashi(India) for meditation. But In 1860 B.s he returned back to Nepal but due to his family Problem, he was killed by his own brother sherbahadur shah.


His Majesty Gribanyudh Bikram shah.
Gribanyudh Bikram shah was the son of His majesty Ran Bahadur shah and Knativati. Gribanyudh Bikram shah was born in 1854 B.s. In His father time only when he was one and half years old he become the king and in 1873 when he was 20 years He left the world. In his Period Nepal lost his One fourth of his territaroy by British India.

His majesty Rajendra Bikram shah

His majesty Rajendra Bikram shah was the elder son of His majesty Gribanyudh Bikram shah.
His majesty Rajendra Bikram shah was born in1870 B.s. when
His majesty Rajendra Bikram shah was three years old, he become the king of Nepal in 1873 B.s. In Rajendra shah period there was many unbeliable things happen like sucide of the great Bhimsen Thapa, Murder of Mathwor singh Thapa and Gagan singh. In 1904 B.s. to 1938B.s. Rajendra Bikram shah was in prison in Hanuman dhoka(kathmandu) and in prison only he left the world and went to heaven.

His Majesty Surendra Bikram Shah
His Majesty Surendra Bikram Shah was born in Aaswin 20, 1886 B.s. Prime Minister Jung bahadur Rana changed the Rajendra Bir bikram shah and made surendra Bikram shah the king of Nepal in 1904 B.s. he ruled for 34 years and in 1938B.s. he dead.

Mount Everest

 Mount Everest is one of the tallest mountains in the world. It is part of the Himalayan Mountains. They were formed in the last few million years. After the supercontinent of Laurasia broke up millions of years ago, India moved slowly north towards Asia and then crashed into it. The seabed between the two plates (the earth's crust is divided into large areas of land called plates) was crumbled and pushed up on the northern rim of India to form mountains. These two plates of the earth's crust are still moving, so the Himalayas are being pushed up higher.
The highest mountain on the planet, Mount Everest is growing two inches taller each year. Satellite technology says the mountain is currently 29,107 feet tall. First recognized as the highest peek in 1852, it got its western name ten years later in 1862. Mount Everest was named for Sir George Everest (1790-1866), a British surveyor. Surveyors don't agree on the height of Mount Everest. The British government in the 1800's thought the height was 29,002 feet. In 1954 the Indian government said it's 29,028 feet, but a widely used unofficial figure says it is 29,141 feet!
Mount Everest sits on the border between Nepal and Tibet.
People from the western hemisphere weren't allowed to climb Mount Everest until the early 1920's. The first known climb that made it to the top was made by a New Zealander named Edmund Hillary and a Napalese named Tenzing Norgay. They climbed the mountain in 1953. Since then Everest has been climbed by 400 people. Access is restricted by the Nepalese to prevent too much damage to the environment.
Mount Everest is 97 degrees below freezing, talk about cold!

climate of nepal

Nepal has a great deal of variation in climate... and a tropical and subtropical climate exists in the Tarai Region. Outside the Tarai, however, the climate is completely different. The remarkable differences in climatic conditions are primarily related to the enormous range of altitude within such a short north-south distance. The presence of the east-west-trending Himalayan massifs to the north and the monsoonal alteration of wet and dry seasons also greatly contribute to local variations in climate.... five climatic zones in Nepal based on altitude: the tropical and subtropical zone of below 1,200 meters in altitude; the cool, temperate zone of 1,200 to 2,400 meters in altitude; the cold zone of 2,400 to 3,600 meters in altitude; the subarctic climatic zone of 3,600 to 4,400 meters in altitude; and the arctic zone above 4,400 meters in altitude. In terms of natural vegetational regimes or distribution patterns, altitude again plays a significant role. Below 1,200 meters, the dominant form of vegetation consists of tropical and subtropical rain forests.

Altitude also affects annual rainfall or precipitation patterns. Up to about 3,000 meters, annual rainfall totals increase as the altitude increases; thereafter, annual totals diminish with increasing altitude and latitude. In addition to this latitudinal differentiation in rainfall, two other patterns can be discerned. First, given the northwestward movement of the moisture-laden summer monsoon (June to September), the amount of annual rainfall generally decreases from east to west.... Second, the horizontal extension of hill and mountain ranges creates a moist condition on southand eastfacing slopes whereas it produces a major rain shadow on the northern sides of the slopes. The aridity increases with altitude and latitude, especially on the northern slopes, and reaches its climax in the inner Himalayan region and on the Tibetan Plateau. Eastern Nepal receives approximately 2,500 millimeters of rain annually, the Kathmandu area about 1,420 millimeters, and western Nepal about 1,000 millimeters.

The towering Himalayas play a critical role, blocking the northwesterly advances of moist, tropical air from the Bay of Bengal, and ultimately leading to its conversion to rain in the summer. In the winter, this range prevents the outbursts of cold air from Inner Asia from reaching southern Nepal and northern India, thus ensuring warmer winters in these regions than otherwise would be the case.

In addition, there are seasonal variations in the amount of rainfall, depending on the monsoon cycle.... The premonsoon season generally occurs during April and May; it is characterized by the highest temperatures, reaching 40° C during the day in the Tarai Region and other lowlands. The hills and mountains, however, remain cool.

The summer monsoon, a strong flow of moist air from the southwest, follows the premonsoon season.... Even though the arrival of the summer monsoon can vary by as much as a month, in Nepal it generally arrives in early June, is preceded by violent lightning and thunderstorms, and lasts through September, when it begins to recede. The plains and lower Himalayas receive more than 70 percent of their annual precipitation during the summer monsoon. The amount of summer monsoon rain generally declines from southeast to northwest as the maritime wedge of air gradually becomes thinner and dryer. Although the success of farming is almost totally dependent on the timely arrival of the summer monsoon, it periodically causes such problems as landslides; subsequent losses of human lives, farmlands, and other properties (not to mention great difficulty in the movement of goods and people); and heavy flooding in the plains. Conversely, when prolonged breaks in the summer monsoon occur, severe drought and famine often result.

The postmonsoon season begins with a slow withdrawal of the monsoon. This retreat leads to an almost complete disappearance of moist air by mid-October, thus ushering in generally cool, clear, and dry weather, as well as the most relaxed and jovial period in Nepal.... The postmonsoon season lasts until about December.

After the postmonsoon, comes the winter monsoon, a strong northeasterly flow, which is marked by occasional, short rainfalls in the lowlands and plains and snowfalls in the high-altitude areas. The amount of precipitation resulting from the northeast land trade winds varies considerably but increases markedly with elevation. The secondary winter precipitation in the form of snowfalls in the Himalayas is important for generating a sufficient volume of spring and summer meltwaters, which are critical for irrigation in the lower hills and valleys where agriculture predominates. Winter precipitation is also are indispensable for the success of winter crops, such as wheat, barley, and numerous vegetables.

Chitwan National Park

For a country known for its beautiful mountains, the Gangetic flat lands of the Terai that stretches through out the southern part of Nepal provide a wholly different experience. A visit to Nepal remains incomplete without seeing the beauty of the Terai.
And Chitwan is the best place to do so. The Royal Chitwan National Park, established in 1973, provides a great wildlife experience with its rich flora and fauna –read further for more details. The wildlife and the landscape are not as breathtaking as those found in Africa but still, the experience will stand out.
Chitwan is only 150m above the sea level. The place gets steamy from March-June, with peak temperatures reaching 43°C in the shade. Short grass makes Feb-May the best game-viewing season, but the autumn months are gorgeous, with Himalayan views, and in winter (December-January), Chitwan is pleasantly warmed compared to Kathmandu. The monsoon season (July-August) is intense, with pounding rain, swollen rivers, and luxuriant vegetation. While the rain isn't constant, the humidity is all pervasive.

devghat

The village of Devghat, situated about five kilometers north-west of Narayanghat in Nepal, is renowned for its pervading atmosphere of tranquility. Resting in an area where the Kali Gandaki and Trisuli Rivers converge to form the Narayani River, which goes on to flow into the great Ganges River, Devghat is considered by Hindus to be a most holy place. This is also the spot where wooded hills meet wide open plains, adding to the exquisite beauty of the landscape of this popular pilgrimage destination.

Legend has it that Sita, the heroine of the epic Ramayan, died at Devghat. Adding to the significance of the area, King Mahendra’s ashes were sprinkled where the three rivers meet. Many who have renounced the world (known as sanyasan) live out their last days in houses on the banks of the rivers. By renouncing the world, these sanyasan hope to achieve a favorable death and rebirth. Others have retired to live out their last days in Devghat, reportedly either to avoid being a burden to their children, or because they have no children, and resident priests (known as pujari) will perform the necessary rituals upon their death.

In January each year, the Makar Sandranti festival is celebrated in Devghat, attracting Hindu devotees from far and wide who gather to perform ceremonial bathing rituals in the river. There are a number of historical and sacred sites in and around Devghat which visitors to the area will find interesting. These include the Triveni temple and the Balmiki Ashram, where the retreat of the great sage Balmiki was situated. Tourists can visit the Someswar Kalika temple and the Kabilaspur fort, which was built by the kings of ancient Palpa. Another noteworthy site is Pandavanagar, the home at one time of the supporters of the Mahabharat. The epic poem, Mahabharat, is significant in Hinduism as Lord Krishna preached the gospel of duty, or Bhagvad Gita, to Arjun at the time of the great battle of Mahabharat. This profound philosophy on the preeminence of duty became a foundation of Hinduism.

Visitors to Devghat will soon appreciate why it has earned the reputation for being one of the most tranquil places in Nepal, while enjoying the unsurpassed beauty of the surrounding scenery and contemplating the significance that Devghat has for those adhering to Hindu teachings.

chitwan national park sangam