Unisha Shrestha
The hike to Namo Buddha was an experience worth remembering. A superb one-day hike that features exploring the famous Buddhist monastery on a sunny day. We started our hike from the office premises at 7 AM and picked up our remaining colleagues, from Koteshwor to Banepa, on our way to Namo Buddha. Namo Buddha, a Buddhist monastery atop a hill, is a famous ancient site in Nepal situated at 1750 meters above sea level, inhabited mostly by Tamang which is one of the largest Tibeto-Burman ethnic group in Nepal. The legend has it that King Mahasattva offered his body to a hungry tigress at this very place which makes Namo Buddha a holy site for Buddhist people. It is also famous for growing rice, mustard, and millet. We were mesmerized by the beautiful hillside terraced farms throughout the day of the hike.
Namo Buddha, a Buddhist monastery atop a hill, is a famous ancient site in Nepal situated at 1750 meters above sea level, inhabited mostly by Tamang which is one of the largest Tibeto-Burman ethnic group in Nepal.
We started from Panauti, a small historical Newari town, from where our destination was about 10 kilometres. We reached Panauti at around 9 AM, had some breakfast, and started our hike. Even though most of us had visited the place before, this route was very new for all the hikers, which was one of the reasons why we were so excited in the first place. As soon as we started the hike we realized that the route was actually not for hiking because it was all blacktopped road. This route seemed to be good for cycling though. But I must say it was fun because the route was full of beautiful sceneries. We passed through gorgeous paddy fields and orange gardens. At one of them we decided to pick some oranges. Kishor Dai as always volunteered sportingly to climb the tree and picked some oranges for all to enjoy. Finally, a long uphill climb took about 45 minutes to our final destination, Namo Buddha. At the top of the hill, there lies a beautiful monastery, full of beautiful carvings. The monastery is open to the public as well. This place is also a home to hundreds of monks. I remember seeing a grotesque statue of a prince feeding his own flesh to the tigress and her cubs which hunted me for several days. Surrounded by prayer flags, people practice an interesting ritual here. They hang photos of their beloved ones who have passed away around the place with their belongings. From atop, we could see the breathtaking view of the beautiful valley that we traversed through the meandering roads. After taking few photos, it was time to return. Our office van had already arrived to pick us up. Then we headed towards Dhulikhel to have lunch in a popular place called ‘Chapro’ and visit ‘Ghar pachadi ko Newa Kitchen’ to have some dessert. The moment we realized that our hike was over and it was time to go back home we actually felt bitter and sad. Above all, it was a wonderful day.
