Theme: Festive Fever
Hiking Route: Kavre- Bhanjayng to Namo Buddha
Day: November 02, 2008, Sunday
Hike Coordinator: DeepakM
Participants: ArbindK, AsimK, BirajS, DeepakM, MaheshR, PrajwalS, ShekharP,
Photos: Team
Caption: MaheshR/PrajwalS
Report: ArbindK / DeepakM
Creative Support: Pallavi Sharma/ Ganesh Thapa/ Dijup Tuladhar

Namo Buddha Hike: Trail to Nirvana

As we were still in the festive mood, we gave continuity to our theme based hiking Festive Fever and this time the destination was Namo Buddha.
Seven Charming people, encouraging trail and bags full of foodstuff – all got blended in such a way that the hike became a memorable one. As always, we started our journey early in the morning enjoying the cloudy fog. At Surya Binayak we stopped for breakfast and enjoyed hot tea coupled with puri – tarkari. Then all the way to Kavre Bhanjyag – rich fields, curvy roads and tall stories made our journey very short. After that, consulting with local villagers we chose a bit challenging trail to Namo Buddha. As we set up for hike- dense forest, twittering birds and narrow trail energized all of us.

However, after an hour or so, we lost our way (or we found a new one?). However in the mean time, we saw a Stupa at the top of other side of the hill. So, we had to slide down the steep hill to catch up the right trail.

After an hour uphill walk then, we were welcomed in a villager’s home where they served us with cool cucumbers and fleshy fruits. All the team members seemed to be satisfied with the food combined by reminiscence of house owner about Kathmandu 30 years ago. We really liked the good company and generous offer to have a lunch at his home. But then, it was time to give continuity to our hike.

We also distributed some stationery and sweets to children on our way because schools were closed pretty early as they were still in the festive mood!

Then after a tiresome yet fascinating hike of four and half hours, we reached Namo Buddha. When we reach there, we were awestruck by the magnificence of the idol of Lord Buddha. We spent some time there praying and lighting some candles. After that, we went towards a monastery where monks were busy praying. Seeing some monks spending their time constructing the road was really inspiring.

After spending some time wandering at Monastery, we visited the place where Lord Buddha in his earlier life had sacrificed his life to save weak mother tigress. According to legend, Lord Buddha was born as Prince Mahasattwoo whose reincarnationed form was Gautam Buddha. During the course of hunting in the forest, he saw a weak mother tigress and her five cubs so starved that they were near death. There was no other way for the young prince to feed the starving tigress without killing other animal. The young prince became so compassionate towards the starving tigress that he decided to cut his own flesh and feed her. He sacrificed his own life to save the starving mother tigress and her cubs. So the main Stupa dedicated to Namo Buddha depicts this story of self-sacrificing action of the prince.

Finally taking some lessons from this story we decided to go back home. Then on our way home we had a good lunch at Kavre.
In short, we had a really good time together enjoying some fun –filled and exemplary hike.

Cheers!

01 Initial Excitement that lasted long	02 Into the Fog
03 Getting loaded in Bhaktapur	04 Kabre Landscape
05 Gearing up for the hike	06 leaving the vehicle we move on
07 Gathering information from a local person	08 Hiking starts
09 A Camouflaging Creature	10 A Stupa on the way
11 left right left	12 As the sun get higher, hiking becomes tough
13 Lost in green	14 solitary
15 Honey hunters	16 gravity
17 Jungle safari	18 ukali ma agi agi
19 Matrix of Pine Trees	20 Lost in Middle of the jungle
21 Thought for food	22 Tiffin box
23 leaves or flowers	24 Mountains showing up
25 Perfect scene	26 Blues in Harmony
27 Cha cha huiya	28 Band of boys
29 Festive Flowers I	30 Festive flower II
31 beaming Village	32 Hamro palama
33 Four legged Tractors	34 How do i look
35 Its time to rest	36 kori bati chitika
37 malai ta lazz lagyo	38 Ready to serve us
39 Traditional kitchen	40 Den
41 Hu yatri euta….	42 How to open it
43 Into Shades	44 Isn`t it tough
45 Prajwal pakha na	46 Spiky pines
47 Born leader	48 Picturesque range
49 Streching	50 Lost and found
51 Cloth bearing tree!	52 1000 wishes
53 For the sake of peace	54 hmm..lamp
55 Monastery	56 bravura!
57 wishlist	58 serene
59 way of life	60 Picture story
61 Tranquality	62 Monk at work
63 sound purifier	64 Carnival
64 Embellishment	65 In the Name of God
66 Light of Asia	66 Nirvana
67 We have to Reach There	68 Hills, Hills and Hills
68.Magnanimous	69 Art of Nature
69.sibllings	70 Trakes
71 Thanks D2 but what about 5 rupee note!	72 With the mountains