Hike from Swayambhu to Amitabh Monastery

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Hike from Swayambhu to Amitabh Monastery

Route

Swayambhu – Swayambhu – Amitabh Monastery

Date

8th Jun 2013 - Saturday

Coordinator

Participants

Ajay Gopal Shrestha, Bal Krishna Pandey, Bijay Shrestha, Dinesh Gautam, Jeevan Timilsina, Prakash Sapkota, Rachana Koirala, Sunita Singh Yadav, Sumira Shrestha, Sushant Pandey, Yangjee Rai, Surya Bahadur Bista

Report By

Photos By

Creative Support

Title	2013 Jun - Deerwalk Hike from Swayambhu to Amitabh Monastery
Route	Driving (Kathmandu >> Swayambhu), Hiking (Swayambhu >> Amitabh Monastery >> Swayambhu), Driving (Swayambhu >> Kathmandu)
Date	June 8, 2013
Hike Duration	4.5 hrs
Coordinator	Sumira Shrestha
Participants	Ajay Gopal Shrestha, Bal Krishna Pandey, Bijay Shrestha, Dinesh Gautam, Jeevan Timilsina, Prakash Sapkota, Rachana Koirala, Sunita Singh Yadav, Sumira Shrestha, Surya Bahadur Bista, Sushant Pandey, Yangjee Rai.
Photos By	Gopal Shrestha, Sunita Singh Yadav.
Report By	Prakash Sapkota, Sunita Singh Yadav, Yangjee Rai
Creative Support	Kanchan Raj Pandey, Milan Lohani
Edited By	Rinesh N Bajracharya

Prakash Sapkota It was June 8, Saturday when we were on our hike to Seto Gumba from Deerwalk. We were all together 12 participants in total. The hike started around 8:30 am from Swayambhu. I was very excited because it was my first time to Seto Gumba. It took us about 2 hours to get there. Firstly I looked around and found the environment to be very clear. It was Saturday and most of the people were there with their family and friends enjoying the place. The place was surrounded by Buddhist sculptures. The panoramic view from the place was magnificent and I shall remember the trip for a long time to come.

Sunita Singh Yadav After being a part of Deerwalk family it was my first hike and for that I was very excited. I got up early on the Saturday morning, and by 7.30 am I had reached the office premises; where my fellow friends were waiting. After a while we headed towards our destination which was Amitabh Monastery. Located in the midst of vivid terrain and lush green valley Amitabh Monastery (also called Seto Gumba or White Gumba) is popular as a heaven to witness. Just located in the outskirts of the valley Seto Gumba is a panoramic kaleidoscope of colors and rich culture that showcases the valley in the most spectacular way.

As we left the office premises at 8:00 am, we were all set and geared up for the hike and were singing along to the songs that Bijay was playing in the van. We had our breakfast at Swayambhu and our hike began then on. Capturing beautiful sceneries in our camera we hiked up through the hills and stairs, and had lots of fun on the way. We climbed a long stairway which was a shortcut compared to the road. As I have health problems and cannot climb hills or walk for a long time, I had difficulties in the hiking. But thanks to one of my very good friend and colleague, Ajay, who was there to help me every step of the way. We ate the local TITAURAS on the way which spiced up our hike. Finally we reached Amitabh Monastery at 11.30 am.

I rejoiced the smell, sounds and prayer flags that spread around the message of peace, patience, and calmness. The visuals overlooked the valley in a synchronizing way of contouring the old cultural heritage. I got nostalgic in the presence of finding and seeing the explicit environment that melded me in its presence. Endorsed with a rich Tibetan culture and architecture, it splurged vivid colors in the murals, statue and paintings professing Buddhism and its techniques.We clicked many beautiful pictures and made uncountable and unforgettable memories in the hike. While returning back we had a great time playing ‘Antakshari’. Our cheerful friend Prakash made us laugh with his unique way of singing songs. Finally we landed at Tama (restaurant) to do some “pet puja” after the tiring yet wonderful hike. I experienced moments of ecstasy which will be remembered for a long time to come.

Yangjee Rai It was cool weather outside. I reached the Deerwalk premises at around 7 am. All the hikers gathered and the van left the office premises at around 8 am.

After a while, the van stopped at Swayambhu from where our journey began. Our destination was Seto Gumba. We had breakfast before heading off at 9:20 am.

We were very excited to go to Seto Gumba. We all walked cracking jokes and laughing. The journey was going fine. The weather was cool and refreshing. After walking for about 30 minutes, we stopped by a small shop. We had some water-melons to refresh our body. We walked up the hills. It was quite tiring but we could not wait to reach our destination. Finally, we reached Seto Gumba around 11:30 am. We all got passes to enter.

Seto Gumba, also called Amitabh Monastery was very beautiful and mesmerizing. We could see the Kathmandu valley from there. It was awesome. I found peace in the environment even though the Gumba was surrounded with lots of people. We took some photos. It was very refreshing because of the soft breeze. Around 2000 statues were arranged in the walls of the Gumba in a very artistic way. There was a big statue of Lord Buddha. I prayed for the wellness of my family. After exploring the Gumba, we headed for lunch. We were very hungry so we stopped at a restaurant for some food. We had roti , curry and rice and they were delicious.

We all had a great time and lots of fun. It was really a short and sweet hike. My first hike with Deerwalk was a real success and I look forward to more.