Gorkha: the land of the bravest of the brave is the foundation of Nepal. Every Nepali citizen feels proud to call themselves a Gorkhali. Gorkha holds the history of the small, beautiful and united country Nepal. It is the place where the initiative for the unification was taken. The map which is set in the heads of every Nepali started from this place Gorkha.  

The first thing that comes in every Nepalese mind when they listen Gorkha is most probably Prithvi Narayan Shah; the then king of the small state Gorkha. King Prithvi Narayan Shah was not only a king but also a brave and clever soldier. During the ancient time, Nepal was not a single country. There were many small states scattered and have their territory and kingdom. Before being unified by Prithvi Narayan Shah, there were 54 states in Nepal. Prithvi Narayan Shan, the king of Gorkha, dreamt of conquering all the scattered states and ruling the whole big nation.  

Gorkha district lies in the Gandaki Pradesh. The district covered an area of 3,610 km2 and had a population of 288, 134 according to the census of 2001 AD. Prithvi Narayan Nagar Palika (municipality) is the headquarters of the district.

Getting to Gorkha

Gorkha lies in the midway between Kathmandu and Pokhara. It is about 145 km west of Kathmandu and 60 km east of Pokhara. If you are traveling from the capital city of Nepal, Kathmandu, then you can catch any bus heading towards Pokhara or at least up to Abhu Khaireni from Kalanki, the western part of the city. The buses frequently depart on a daily basis, so you will not face any difficulties getting one. The journey of 4 hours on the bus will drop you at Abhu Khaireni. It is where the road is going to Gorkha and Pokhara separate. From there, you can catch a bus that goes to Gorkha. It will take about an hour to reach Gorkha from Abhu Khaireni.  

You can also book a seat on a bus that departs from New Bus Park directly to Gorkha. Only the matter is that getting a bus from Kalanki gets you to Gorkha quickly.

If you are traveling from Gorkha, get on any of the buses that are leaving for Kathmandu. Get off in Abhu Khaireni and take a bus towards Gorkha.

Places to visit in Gorkha

The place of historical importance, Gorkha is famous for the following places:

The Gorkha Durbar

The Gorkha Durbar built in the 16th century is a fort, palace, and temple all in one. The durbar rests at the top of the hill with the beautiful views of Trisuli River and magnificent peaks of Annapurna, Manaslu and Ganesh Himalayas. You will climb the stairs which are almost 1500 stone steps between the old villages and the orange trees.

The Durbar is a religious site, so the visitors should take off their leather shoes and belts before entering the durbar. There is also a tradition of sacrificing the animals that is a goat in the temple. Most of the pilgrims enter the durbar trough the western gate. Only the Brahmin priest and the kin can enter the temple. The non-Hindus are however allowed to look the places from the terrace. There is a former palace of Prithvi Narayan Shah towards the east which is called the Dhuni Pati.  

You can find a Royal Guest House in the northern corner on your way back. You should not miss the roof struts and the crocodile carvings on the windows. Descending from the north, you find a Hanuman statue and a Chautara (a resting place).

The Museum

The museum of Gorkha is inside the tallo durbar. It was built in 1835 and is in Newari style. The beautiful courtyard, with carved windows and doors, is such a pleasant place to wander around. The museum displays the paintings and the artifacts from ancient days of Prithvi Narayan Shah. Inside the museum, you can see the cannons, rifles, arrows and even the throne of King Prithvi Narayan Shah.

Gorkha Museum

The Gorakhnath

The Gorakhnath temple lies ten meters below the north of the palace. The temple is a religious site for the Brahmins and the Chhetries. They celebrate a great fare on the occasion of Baisakh Purnima, the full moon day of Baisakh every year.

The Kalika Temple

The Kalika Temple stands on the western half of the Durbar Building. No one is allowed to visit the interior part of the temple except the priests. People scarify animals especially goats in the temple except on Ekadasi (falls every 14 days). Worshippers arrive the temple with a goat or a chicken, scarify it in the temple and leave the head in the temple taking back the body. Scarifying the animals is more common in the greatest festival of Dasain which usually falls in October.

Manakamana Temple

Manakamana Temple lies in the Gorkha district of Nepal and is the temple of Goddess Durga, a Hindu goddess. The temple stands on the top of the hill about 1300 meters. It is about 9 km northeast of Mugling and about 90 km west of Kathmandu. The word Manakamana means ‘the wishes.’ It is believed that the goddess fulfills the wishes of the one who worships her with devotion.

You can reach Manakamana temple in three to four hours from Katmandu or Pokhara. Cable cars operate from Kurintar that takes the visitors on the hill where the temple lies in just 10 to 12 minutes. The cable car facility is available from 9 am to 5 pm with a lunch break from 12 pm to 1 pm. The charge for the cable car is Rs.250 for Nepalese and US $10 (tax-free). An extra charge of Rs 140 should be paid for the scarifying animals like a goat, but the cock can be taken with the passengers.

Manakamana Temple

Devotees offer flower, scent, dress, makeups, and colors to the goddess while worshipping. During the festive season, devotes stand in a long queue longer than a few kilometers up to 6-10 hours to worship in the temple. People stand in the long line with the pooja samgri (worship materials) in their hand while some other also carry the duck, cock or goat with them.  Their faith in the goddess gives them the strength to stand in the long queue for multiple hours without food, some even without water.

The priest inside the temple takes the puja samagri from the devotee when they reach near to the statue of Devi. He offers the pooja samagri to the Goddess and returns them the same materials. People make vow and Bhakkal (resolution) in the temple. The priest himself asks the devotees if they have any vows or resolutions. In case they have any, the priest offers the Puja materials in the name of the vow or resolution. They believe making a vow will fulfill their wishes. After their wish is fulfilled, the devotees again visit to see the goddess Durga in Manakamana and offer their sincere gratitude.

Ligligkot

Ligligkot also was known as ‘liglig’ is located in the top of the hill in Palungtar municipality of Gorkha district, Nepal.  It lies at the altitude of 1437 meters above sea level. The name is believed to be derived from a Magar word ‘lingling’ which means a clear and beautiful view. Ligligkot is a hiking destination in Gorkha.

There was a tradition of choosing the king for one year through the race from Chepeghat to Ligligkot top. Whoever completes the race first becomes the king for the next one year. In 1599, Drabya Shah, brother of the king of Lamjung won the race. This was the foundation of the Shah dynasty in Gorkha. A hike to the Ligligkot on the top of the hill offers the visitors with the remains of the ancient palace at the top. One can also start trekking from Gorkha.

Apart from these, other attractions of Gorkha are Budhi Gandaki River, Trisuli River, Chepe River, Daraudi River, Marsyangdi River, Ganesh Mandir, Rinji Gumba, Sano Dudh Pokhari, Thulo Dudh Pokhari, Tatopani, Bishnumandir, Maheshmandir, and Bhulbulekhar. You can go for a three-day Gorkha-Trisuli trek experiencing the Nepali rural life. A long walk from Gorkha to Beshishahar is also an option, which is a starting point for Annapurna and Manang treks.