hope the Pokhara Valley, first comprehensive travelers guide book will prove useful to readers, foreigners as well as Nepalese interested in knowing the most captivating features of the Pokhara Valley. The book deals with several newly developed tourist sights worth visiting around the Pokhara Valley. Virtually nothing has been written on these sights. The book, I believe, will fulfill a long-felt need and turn out to be a source of information for the forthcoming books on the subject.
It's also a rare pleasure to present an account of Pokhara with a special focus on caves. The caves of Pokhara are mysterious and also the subject of urgent attention. Regardless of the shape, size, and religious significance, each cave stands out with its own distinct features. In recent years, caving in Pokhara has become extremely popular among domestic and foreign tourists as an exciting adventure.
Writing a traveling guide book was entirely a new experience for me. I learnt many valuable lessons in the course of writing. But my caving experience was something that I would never forget in my life. While caving the Crazy Cave, I fell in a narrow crevice and was trapped badly. I lost my torchlight the moment I fell into the cleft. The local guide tried his best but could not haul me up. He went out and brought a strong man who later rescued me in one piece.
The second time I was under the ferocious water fall of Devi's fall. I passed through a long tunnel of Gupteswor Mahadev cave and reached the bottom of Devi's fall. I wanted to capture the best picture of Devi's fall, I was looking for a special angle. I walked in the pond with great care, but ended up falling in the pond. The water was cold and the pond deep and dark. I went down speedily and when I was trying hard to come out, the powerful waterfall falling from 200 meters height pushed me down. I made several attempts to free myself but without success. I was fast losing remaining strength of my body. I had to do something fast or my death was inevitable. About that time an idea flashed my mind. I took a deep plunge into the pond and began swimming straight away from the fall. The idea worked. When I came up onto the surface, I was far away from the deadly trap.
The third time again, I was in serious trouble.
This time again it was a cave, Bat's cave. I explored the cave with great care. The cave was surprisingly spacious and attractive. After walking about half an hour, I reached the other end of the cave. The exit of the cave was much difficult, and I was advised not to make any effort from the exit hole, but I was adamant.
The Pokhara Valley, a land of spectacular beauty T crowned by the majestic Himalayas, conjures visions of calm but vibrant green hills. Loaded with luxuriant vegetation and dotted with shimmering lakes, the valley offers awesome vistas. Magnificent image of Mount Machhapuchhare reflected in the clear waters of the Lake Phewa leaves everyone spellbound. One of the Nepal's adventure hubs, it has reputation of being the second home for the tourists worldwide.
Pokhara is situated at an altitude of 730 meters to 1030 meters. Its rich topographical conditions are responsible for the profusion of flora and fauna. The geographical location has made Pokhara one of the biggest valleys in Nepal. The valley is encircled by lush green hills ranging in height from 1077 meters in the South East to 2738 meters in the North East. Snow clad mountains add a special radiance to the valley. They also form snow-fed rivers that run through the heart of the valley.
The geographical studies reveal that centuries ago a glacier was formed in the valley. As the time passed, the temperatures steadily increased and the solid ice melted and formed a river that began flowing, cutting into the soil of Pokhara. The regular flow of glacial waters created several underground tunnels. Currently, most of these tunnels are dry and are found in the form of caves.
However, Dr. Harka Gurung (Nepal Geographical Society, The Himalayan Review Vol. 11-111, 1969) a renowned geologist of Nepal, holds a different opinion altogether. He believes the uplifting of the southern hills formed the plains of Pokhara, and subsequently diverted the Seti River from south to north-west forming the Seti Gorge. Over the years, a dense jungle covered the valley and several lakes and ponds were formed. The people from various places began to migrate to the valley in search of a fertile land and lively environment. Those early settlers found the valley an ideal place to live in as it was rich in water, good soil, and vegetation.
Among other advantages, the valley is popular for many different ethnic groups known for their rich art and cultural heritage. The combination of stunning natural beauty and spectacular art and culture has attracted visitors to the Pokhara Valley.
According to a popular legend, during the Mahabharata era, Bhim, one of the five Pandava brothers, visited a place called Hamada, 15km. from Pokhara. Bhim went looking for a Lotus called Rukh Kamal (a species of lotus that blooms on the tree) to please his wife, Dropadi. Those days Pokhara was a vast lake circled by high mountains. Since the deep water blocked Bhim's search, he made a gash with his sword. As a result, the water drained out and he was able to pluck Rukh Kamals for his beloved wife. The place was later named Bhima after this Herculean epic hero from The Mahabharata.
Several popular legends prevail in the valley. According to a legend, the valley is a perfect place where people of diverse origins live in perfect heaven. They freely participate in the religious and cultural activities of one another without a caste or creed bias.
Pokhara is also recognized as one of the major destinations for adventure tourism. Micro-light flying.
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