Early morning you will begin your Pokhara tour, being driven to Sarangkot [approx. 30 minutes’ drive under normal road condition]. From Sarangkot you can witness the breathtaking sunrise view and the also get to see the Annapurna range from a very close distance.
The first stop on the Pokhara tour
is SARANGKOT: the most popular tourist destination from where the tourist can enjoy the great view of the Pokhara Valley and the magnificent view of the mountains. Sarangkot is only 5 km from Lake Side, Pokhara. Sarangkot is the highest view point for a sunrise and it is just 1592m high. Sarangkot is 5 degrees cooler than Pokhara. Sarangkot can be reached easily by 45 minutes by a car ride to the top from Pokhara and then 45 minutes hike up to the main view point. Many tourists come to Sarangkot for sunrise view and go back after few hours but it will be good if tourist stay there for one night and enjoy the view and city light of Pokhara from Sarangkot. Paragliding can also be done from Sarangkot. From Sarangkot, on the northern direction we can see Dhaulagiri in the far west. Annapurna range is visible when the weather is clear on the same side.
After breakfast at the hotel and visit to Davi’s fall, Gupteshwor Cave and Bindabasini Temple
DAVI’S FALL: The original name for the waterfall is Patale Chhango. On July 31st 1961 a Swiss husband and wife were swimming just up from the waterfalls. The woman, Mrs. Davis, was pulled by the current and fell to her death down the waterfall. Her body was found after a large effort. Since then the waterfall has been called Davis Falls. However, due to Nepalese spelling and pronunciation her name often translates to Devis. Dev is a common name in Nepal similar also to the name of the Buddha's mother, Maya Devi. Indeed on the street gate leading to the waterfalls is a sign saying "Devis Falls" and a lot of maps also say "Devis Falls." There are also some rumors saying it was her husband and not her that died that day. However all evidence suggests it was a woman with the surname Davis.
GUPTESHWOR CAVE: Located in the south-east at Chhorepatan, Pokhara, the Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave is considered 599 years old. While the young local people went deeper, they found out that an idol-like object resembling Lord Shiva had formed naturally on the spot. Later on, it was taken to be Lord Shiva and the local people formally consecrated and installed it at the mouth of the cave in 1992. The long flights of stairs wind down to the temple of Lord Shiva where the lord balanced on a raised platform fenced by iron bars can be seen. The cave is musty and damp but a string of electric light bulbs emits enough light to see the stairs clearly. Most of the time one needs to bend down until one has passed through the 50 meters long tunnel. Once one has passed through the tunnel, there is a huge open cavern with enormous rocks, no trace of soil at all, only little pebbles scattered everywhere. On the right hand side there is a deep gorge. After a few yards of scrambling through the darkness, there is a crystal clear pond and from here one can see the awe-inspiring Patale Chhango (Devi’s falls) falling right from the top.
Continue the Pokhara tour heading to BINDABASINI TEMPLE: Bindabasini Temple is one of the most popular shrines among the Hindu's people. Locally, this temple is called Bindabasini Mandir. This temple is located on the hilltop and is at 3000 meters from the sea level. This temple is white pagoda styled and is located in the old bazaar of the Pokhara valley. This temple is devoted to the Hindu goddess Durga also known as Shakti or Maa Kali the symbol or the blood thirsty aspect of the goddess Durga. There is the daily worshiping up to 9 days during the greatest festival of the Hindus i.e. Bada Dashain as it is the victory of the truth over the untruth or the demons. So, the sacrifice is given to the goddess on Saturdays and Tuesdays. Just at the opposite side of the Bindabasini Temple, there is another temple called Krishna Mandir where the annual birthday of Lord Krishna is celebrated on the day called Krishna Janmaaastami. Other rituals such as marriage, Barta-Bandha are held on this religious shrine. And the scented fragrances of “Dhup” give the fresh and the cool environment.
Overnight at Hotel, ending here the Pokhara tour.
Read more
POKHARA