Gorkha

About this historical and ancient hill town of Nepal - Royal Dynasty's `#1 Pick of all the lands in Nepal'

About Gorkha

A 25 kilometer road off the main highway connecting Pokhara and Kathmandu brings you to an ancient Gorkha - the untouched and captivating town of Nepal! Some 300 years ago, Nepal was divided into 50 tiny states, and Gorkha was one of them. King Prithivi Narayan Shah, the founder of `Shah Dynasty' which runs Nepal today, unified Nepal into one kingdom. His Gorkha palace resides on top of a hill at an altitude of 3281 feet (about 1000 meter) The King would watch-over his people as far as his eyes could see from the tallest palace in the very center of Nepal! Gorkha is also the home of Gurkhas - the legendary brave warriors who fought with knives against guns.

Places to Visit and Things to do in Gorkha

Gorkha Palace                                                                                                                        Gorkha Palace

Visit the Gorkha palace here to begin your sightseeing of the region.Climb the palace steps from the bottom of the hill, all the way to the top, climbing about one thousand seven hundred steps (1700), in about two hours. That's some hiking to do! If you get tired sit down on a step or think how much easier the trip down will be! You will be glad you got to the top. On a clear sky day, you can view Himalayan range including spectacular view of Manaslu and Himalchuli Mountains, and panoramic views of the valleys.

Also view the palace building, one of Nepal's historical landmark, some buildings have interesting wood carvings portraying various romantic scenes. Also viwe the temple of Goddess Gorakhkali residing on the west side of the palace. To view sunrise from the palace, climb very early in the morning.

King Prithivi's Birthday Celebration

On King Prithivi's birthday, which is a national Nepali holiday known as Prithivi Jayanti , various celebrations are held throughout Nepal, one of which is held in Gorkha bazaar located at the foot of the hill. So if you happen to visit Gorkha on that day, observe that event as well. Prithivi Jayanti is on 27th of January 2005 (1st of Poush 2060, according to Nepalese Annual Calendar).

The King's statues are found in many places in Nepal which many visitors find of interest to observe. Many places are dedicated to his name, for example Prithivi Chok (Cross Road) in Kathmandu, Prithivi Chok in Pokhara, Prithivi Chok in Bharatpur, and the Highway connecting Kathmandu with Pokhara and then to Baglung is called Prithvi Highway. Photos and Portraits of the King have his right-hand's first finger pointing up, signifying that Nepal is one kingdom (or in Nepali, the meaning is `We all come together as one'). His statues have that characteristic.

Dashain Jamara Procession

During Nepal's popular festival Dashain, Jamaras are brought from the Gorkha palace to the modern Narayan Hiti Royal Palace in Kathmandu. The King Prithivi Narayan Shah had moved the capital of Nepal from Gorkha to Kathmandu, and he is the founder of the Shah dynasty. Jamaras from Gorkha are used by the Royal family as a blessing from the King and above! On the Dashain Fulpati Day, there is a Royal Army parade, Fulpati procession to Gorkha Durbar and other activities of religious and cultural interests which visitors may find interesting to observe. For more on Jamaras and Dashain see Dahsain festival (The 7th Day of Dashain) :: [New Window]

Popular Trekking from Gorkha

If you seek to trek from Gorkha, there is no where a better place to taste some of Nepal's hillside experience than from Gorkha. You can chose to trek from Gorkha to Kathmandu or Gorkha to Pokhara, However, the most popular trekking from Gorkha is from Gorkha to Pokhara, which is of 10 days. First day, arrive at Gorkha Bazaar, complete sightseeing of the Gorkha palace, then from the second day onwards start trekking from Gorkha - Luitel - Hirmantar - Tarughat - Besisahar - Ghattekhola - Gharpokhari - Rupatal - then arrive Pokhara on the 10th day, then extend a few days of trekking or sigtseeing in and around Pokhara

How to get to Gorkha?

Gorkha, located midway between Kathmandu and Pokhara, can be reached from either cities by taxi or public bus. For accommodation and dining, there are hotels, guest houses and restaurants located in Gorkha to satisfy your preferences. Transporation Cost should not cost you $2 to $3 by bus, about $20 by Taxi from Pokhara, and about $30 by Taxi from Kathmandu, and accomodation is relatively inexpensive here.