Community Radio Madanpokhara (CRM) Palpa

Community Radio Madanpokhara FM 106.9

Finalists for IPDC-UNESCO Rural Communication Prize for 2003 Announced.
Community Radio Madanpokhara (CRM) developed out of a community audio tower project run by local women. Members of the community participate through a wide range of different forums, organizing themselves each month to decide on radio programmes based on the needs of their community. There is a network of 95 listener clubs and centres with strong participation from women, farmers and youth, which makes an annual action plan to stimulate creative and sustainable development work in their locality.

 

Madanpokhara -9, Palpa
Tel/Fax: 075-521405, 520655

E-mail: mailto:crm_plp@hons.com.np%20

Tour in Palpa

Tansen, a hill station, is rich in culture and traditional handicrafts. Visiting historic places and temples, metal and dhaka textile factories will be a great life time experience to all who visits Tansen.

Tour Programmes :

 

1 Night 2 Days Tour

Day 01: Arrival in Tansen.
            Check in at Hotel.
            After some rest at Hotel, visit to Bhagawati Temple and around Tansen Bazaar.

Day 02: Early morning visit to Shrinagar Hill

             Departure from Tansen.
Note: Do not forget to drop at Siddhababa temple and Bhoot Khola if you are travelling Tansen via  Butwal.

2 Night 3 Days Tour

Day 01:  Arrival in Tansen.
             Check in at Hotel.
             After some rest at Hotel, evening walk around Tansen Bazaar.

Day 02:  Early morning visit to Bhagawati Temple and worship Goddess Bhagawati.
              After breakfast, visit to Dhaka Textile and Metal Crafts small industries.

  P.M.: Visit to Shrinagar Hill.

              Shopping Time

Day 03:  Departure from Tansen

              Note: Do not forget to drop at Siddhababa temple and Bhoot Khola if you are travelling Tansen via  Butwal.
3 Nights 4 Days Tour

Day 01: Arrival in Tansen.
             Check in at Hotel.
             After some rest at Hotel, evening walk around Tansen Bazaar.

Day 02: Early morning visit to Bhagawati Temple and worship Goddess Bhagawati.
             After breakfast, visit to Dhaka Textile and Metal Crafts small industries.

 P.M.: Visit to Shrinagar Hill.

             Shopping Time

Day 03: Early morning visit to Bhairavthan.

             P.M.: Visit to Parvash Lake for boating

                                    OR

             Trek to Rani Mahal and return (5 hours Trek)

Day 04: Departure from Tansen.

             Note: Do not forget to drop at Siddhababa temple and Bhoot Khola if you are travelling Tansen via  Butwal.

4 Nights 5 Days Tour

Day 01: Arrival in Tansen.
             Check in at Hotel.
             After some rest at Hotel, evening walk around Tansen Bazaar.

Day 02: Early morning visit to Bhagawati Temple and worship Goddess Bhagawati.
             After breakfast, visit to Dhaka Textile and Metal Crafts small industries.

 P.M.: Visit to Shrinagar Hill.

             Shopping Time

Day 03: Early morning visit to Bhairavthan.

             P.M.: Visit to Parvash Lake for boating

                                    OR

             Trek to Rani Mahal and return (5 hours Trek)

Day 04: Visit to Madan Pokhara V.D.C. for Agriculture Tour

Day 05: Departure from Tansen.

             Note: Do not forget to drop at Siddhababa temple and Bhoot Khola if you are travelling Tansen via  Butwal.

5 Nights 6 Days Tour

Day 01: Arrival in Tansen.
             Check in at Hotel.
             After some rest at Hotel, evening walk around Tansen Bazaar.

Day 02: Early morning visit to Bhagawati Temple and worship Goddess Bhagawati.
             After breakfast, visit to Dhaka Textile and Metal Crafts small industries.

 P.M.: Visit to Shrinagar Hill.

             Shopping Time

Day 03: Early morning visit to Bhairavthan.

             P.M.: Visit to Parvash Lake for boating

                                    OR

             Trek to Rani Mahal and return (5 hours Trek)

Day 04: Visit to Madan Pokhara V.D.C. for Agriculture Tour.

Day 05: Visit to Ridi.
Day 06: Departure from Tansen.

Palpa, Dhaka Topi and National Identity

Tansen is a small ancient hill town situated 4300 meters above sea level. Palpa, common name of Tansen city located in the Western part of Nepal is located in Palpa district, one of the 75 geographic districts in Nepal (see map below). The beautiful place is located on the way from Pokhara to Butwal and is considered one of the beautiful places in Nepal.

Major attractions here are the ancient culture, excellent mountain views, serene atmosphere and friendly people. The weather here makes it a pleasant place to visit in any season. On clear days Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, Manaslu, Gauri Shankar and other peaks can be seen.
Dhaka – the most popular hand woven cloth of Nepal comes from this region. The Nepali topi (national cap) is made of Dhaka and You can see the weavers at work on their looms or see a bazaar of Dhakas in Tansen.

It is believed that the migrant from Kathmandu valley, specially the Newars played an important role in enriching the architecture and culture of Tansen, and this can be seen today in Tansen.
The place is made popular by Palpali Dhaka, a cloth used to make the National dress in Nepal. The Palpali Topi is a cap worn by many males in Nepal. The unique cap is only available in Nepal and is considered one of the National identification.
Popular Palpali products are:

• Palpali Dhaka (fabric and its products)
• Palpali Karuwa (Metal water bottle)

The hat is made of a fabric called Dhaka, which is also used for a type of blouse, a dhaka-ko-cholo. The word topi means "hat" in the Urdu language. Ganesh Man Maharjan invented the Nepali topi, in the town of Palpa. Following are the different design of Nepali Caps (Topi) made from Palpali Dhaka:

About Palpa

Palpa, queen of the hills beautiful place for tourist

remote village of palpa

Palpa (a historical place) is in Lumbini zone, named for the birthplace of Guatama Buddha. Palpa's high hills command an impressive view of Nepal in all directions with the great Madi Valley in the west and the Kali Gandaki River along its northern border. Palpa is made up on sixty-five VDC areas  and a municipality and a population of around 240 thousand people. The district, withTansen as its headquarters, covers an area of 1,373 km². It is situated at the southern slope of the Mahabhrat range, and the Himalayas. The main religion of the people of Palpa is Hinduism followed by Buddhism. There are also Muslims and Christians in small communities. Tansen was the capital of the Palpa kingdom ruled by the Sen Dynasty, before Nepal was united,. The history of Tansen dates back to the 16th century. Prithvi Narayan Shah, who united Nepal, mother was from the Sen Family. For years the Gorkha and Palpa kingdoms were in alliance and combined them took control of western Nepal. In 1806, Prithivipal Sen, the last king of Palpa, was asked to come to Kathmandu and he was beheaded. Palpa became parted of the Kathmandu kingdom and Tansen became the administrative city for the area. Members of the Shah and Rana family have ruled the region.

view of tansen

At an elevation of about 1350-m (4430 ft) above sea level palpa experiences a pleasant climate throughout the year.

There are many places in palpa district  which are quite interesting for visitors in terms of scenary and historical importance.I would like to maintain few places which shouldn’t be missed.

Tansen is a hill town, enterprising Newar traders and craftspeople and the rich culture of the Magar people and other groups who make up the town and area's population combine to make Tansen unique in Nepal. With views of the Himalaya from Shreenagar and rich natural environment all around, Tansen is one of the most scenic places in Nepal. As a gateway to Palpa and surrounding areas, it offers access to Palpa's variety and character of rural life, small towns, religious and historical sites. Though it boasts a busy market and is a centre in Western Nepal and the headquarters of the Palpa district, Tansen is quiet and pollution free. Kathmandu Valley and Tansen are much closer in their character: Newari houses, cobbled streets, Rana buildings, pagoda temples etc. 

view from srinagar

Mul dhoka

damaged darbar after maoist atatck

An ancient hill town Tansen-1350 meters above sea level is the administrative headquarters of Palpa district. It is a typical Nepali town with numerous fairs, festivals, religious and cultural events. The name Tansen has been derived from the Magar language tansing-means the northern settlement. Magars in Palpa district and Newars in Tansen town inhabit in majority and there are also Chhetris and Brahamins and others.

panoromic view

Tansen is the best and nearest hill station of west Nepal and northern states of India due to its location and climate. There are great views of the Madi Valley from town. From the close by hill call Srinagar Danda, there are excellent views of the Himalaya Mountains. The climate of Tansen is most pleasant throughout the year. In summer it stays mild and charming-hardly exceeds 28° degree Celsius. In winter it is quite warm and sunny -the temperature does not fall near freezing. Tansen Durbar was the palace of the provincial governor built in the Rana style. It has an impressive but run-down eastern gate called ‘Baggi Dhoka’ or ‘Mul Dhoka’. Outside the gate is a public square called ‘Sitalpati’. General Pratap Shamsher built this palace in 1927 AD. It is a four-storied building with sixty-three rooms, two meeting halls, and two minarets at two sides. The main gate of this palace is known as 'Baggi Dhoka' the biggest gate in the Kingdom. The ‘Durbar’ is known as a 'Singh Durbar of Palpa". But this ‘Durbar’ and ‘Mul Dhoka’ is affected during the war with Maoists last year and is now again started to reconstruct. Other attraction of tansen is a traditional three-tiered pagoda-style temple Amar Narayan Temple   built in 1806. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful temples outside of Kathmandu Valley. The temple was built by Amar Singh Thapa, who annexed Tansen to become part of Nepal.

Tamples in Palpa

Bhairavsthan is the most popular temple in Palpa and also throughout the nation. Situated at 5 km North-west of Tansen on the Palpa-Gulmi, this temple also has the largest ‘Trishul’- a symbol of God Shiva, of Asia.  Every year during the Dashain, the greatest festival of Hindus of Nepal, people from different places come here to worship the god- ‘Bhairav’ and show homage by paying Him the blood of five different cattle- known as ‘Panchabali.’ 

Trishul of bhairabsthan temple

Tahu is another attractive village with mixed culture and beautiful natural surroundings of mountains, forests and farmlands. One can also see beautiful views of mountains from here. There are also temples of Rambha Devi and Jalpa Devi in Tanahu. It is 32 kilometers from Tansen and can be entered from Aarya bhanjyang of

Siddhartha Highway

 

Rambha devi temple



Bhagwati temple

Bhagawati Temple near the Tansen Durbar, was originally built in 1815 to commemorate the victory over the British at Butwal. In the area there are small temples dedicated by Ganesh, Saraswati and Siva. It was rebuilt by Col. Ujir Singh Thapa, the governor of Palpa in 1815 A.D. to commemorate the victory over British Indian troop in the battle front of Butwal.  The temple of God Ganesh called siddhi Binayak, is situated at the slope of srinagar hill just above the town. Devotees visit this temple on every Tuesday. One can have a very good view of the town from here. 

Palpa Trekking

Situated at 1372m. above sea level, the ancient town of Tansen is the headquarters of Palpa district. Ancient culture, excellent mountain views, serene atmosphere and friendly people are the major attractions of this area. Besides, Tansen has also gained its popularity for historical monuments, temples and lively handicraft industry. It is located about seven kilometers northwest of Bartung in Siddhartha Highway.

The moderate weather of this pristine peace of earth offers trekking in this region throughout the year. Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, Manaslu, Gauri Shankar and other peaks can be seen when the days are clear. Dhaka - the most popular hand woven cloth of Nepal has its origin in Tansen. The Nepali topi (national cap) is made of Dhaka and one can find weavers at work on their looms. Visitors are offered cultural programs such as Dohari, a local singing competition in which the team of boys and team of girls sing one after another to win the other group on request. Doharis are popular songs which move every Nepali for its rich melody and heart-touching quality. There are various places worthy to be visited in Palpa. The major attractions are as followes:
Balanced on the lap of the spectacular Srinagar Danda (hill), Tansen boasts a gorgeous panorama of the Himalayas as well as the plains of Terai. Tansen is among a few towns outside the capital which bears a rich legacy of the traditional art and architecture. Situated at an elevation of 1310 meters, Tansen is a pleasant place to visit throughout the year. The hill of Srinagar located at an elevation of 1524m, half an hour’s walk up Tansen Bazaar, is rare vantage point to view the contrasting manifestation of nature. An incredibly long panorama of the mountains encircling Kanjiroba, Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and Langtang Himal at a stretch is visible from here on one hand, while on the other the plains of Madi valley and the bigger terai also comes to distinct view from the same point. Besides, one can visit some of the beautiful points on the Kali Gandaki river such as Ranighat Palace and Ramdi Ghat, the dense and serene woody slopes of Rambhapani and Satyawati lake. Tansen also provides opportunity for studying Buddhist culture and the life and culture of Magar tribes.
Shreenagar Hill is another attraction of this trek. It is one of the most picturesque spots in the whole Palpa region. Shreenagar hill is situated in a scenic grander and magnificent natural surroundings. A mere 30 minutes climb on foot or 10 minutes drive from the town of Tansen, can lead to the top of the hill which commands a unique spectrum of natural extravaganza-from the snowcapped Himalayan peaks in the north to the lush green wide expanse of plains of Terai in the south, and of course, the panoramic view of the Tansen town. The impressive meadow on the hill top is an ideal spot to view the breathtaking scenes of majestic Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and the famed twin peaks of Machhapuchare-the fishtail mountain.
Amar Narayan Temple is the next attraction of this trek. Built in 1807 AD by Amar Singh Thapa, the temple of Amar Narayan is considered an important landmark of Tansen. It is built in typical Nepali Pagoda style. It is famous for its historical and architectural significance. The intricate works of wood carvings in the temple are simply marvelous. The temple is surrounded by one meter wide stone wall-locally known as the ‘Great wall of Palpa’. Inside the temple-complex there are the temple of Lord Mahadev, ponds, parks, rest houses and a natural water spring. Every morning and evening devotees gather in the compound and chant ‘Bhajans’ ( holy recitals) in chorus.
Tansen Durbar, built in 1927 AD by Pratap Shamsher Jung Bahadur Rana, is a grand imposing palace in the heart of the town. Once the seat of the Rana governors, the Durbar is now the district secretariat of Palpa district.
Shitalpati (the Round House) is another attraction of Tansen. Built by Khadga Shamsher, the original Shitalpati is of octagonal shape. A round house around the Shitapati has been recently built. The historically important Shitalpati is a popular hang out for the locals now. The ‘Baggi Dhoka’, the biggest gate of its kind in Nepal is located in this square. The locals often rend to compare it with the architecture of Mugal Empire in India.
Bhagawati Temple, built by Ujir Singh Thapa in 1814 AD to mark the victory over colonial British-India forces, is a small structure but holds immense religions importance. Located near the Tansen Durbar, it is a pilgrimage of Palpalies. It is said that the original structure was remarkably bigger and beautiful. It has undergone many physical adjustments, most recently after the great earthquake of 1934. In the month of August every year, a chariot procession of deities is taken out throughout the town with military honor to observe the historic battle.
Amargunj Ganesh was also built by Amar Singh Thapa. Similarly, Amar Narayan temple was also built in 1807 A.D. by Amar Singh Thapa. Architecturally, the temple bears the same style and character of Amar Narayan Temple. The temple has a big artistic ‘Rest House’ where a school has been run currently

Magar Association in Palpa

1) According to Bal Chandra Sharma [NEPALKO AITIHASIK RUPREKHA] Ratna Sen was the last King of Chhitaurgarh, Rajasthan, India.

2) His oldest son Jaya Sen fled and took shelter in Prayag. Jaya Sen's descendants while again chased by the Muslims arrived "Rib+di+kot", neighboring kingdom of Palpa via Butwal, Rishing and Ghiring. [Magar Kings are cited as "Bhure Takure Rajas" by historians].
3) Sharma has also written that Rudra Sen defeated Palpali King. But who was that Palpali King? Magars? How did the lone Rudra Sen fight with the Palpali King? There is no mentioning at all. Sharma's history is a biased one, lacks foundation. Unclear history !
4) MUKUNDA SEN is described as a Sen Magar in Naradsmriti Granth [Keshar Library, Kathmandu]. He had attacked Kathmandu twice in 1521 BS. And in Chaitra 11, 1522 BS he attacked and annexed Kirtipur. He is described as MAGAR RAJADHIRAJ MUKUNDA SEN.
5) GOPAL RAJVANSHAVALI also cites SENS as MAGARS. There are some SEN MAGARS in Nepal today.
6) KUSUNDA ORIGIN MYTH: Once upon a time there was a king who had three sons. Upon the death of the father the first son became king. Whatever he did everything turned out unsuccessful. So the second son went to him and argued, "Whatever you did that came out bad so you are no longer King. You live in the jungle begging and hunting". This is how the oldest son became Kusunda. The second son in turn became the king. Everything he did resulted in good. The king went to offer a pig to Chandi deity. He didn't find a person to kill the pig. The third son said "I will kill it". And he killed it. The descendants from third son became Magars. The descendants of the second son became Thakuris. [This version seems to be influenced by Shikhar Nath Subedi's "Thargotra Prabaravali", a booklet published from Banaras India, could be found in some bookshops in Bhotahiti, Kathmandu].
7) RAJTARANGINI AND ARAMUDI : It is the oldest written authority for the history of various dynasties which ruled KASHMIR from the earliest period down to the time of the author who began to write his chronicle in SHAKA YEAR 1070 [AD 1148 , BS 1204] "Atha Aramudi iti prashiddha mayabi Nepaldeshasya Raja" [AD 782 - 813] [KASMIREITIHAS pp 99]. Prof. Raja Ram Subedi and Prof. Jagadish Chandra Regmi believe Aramudi as Magar King of Kali Gandaki Area.
8) MAGGWAR BISHAYA: [Nepal Sambat 221 or BS 1157] "Shree Dhanap Nayak Shree Shoab Rane". Mahesh Raj Panta and Aishowryadhar Sharma recognize him as RANA MAGAR. Dhan Bzra Bazrachayra also recognized Shohab Rane as Rana Magar.
9) "VIRSTAMBHA" - MEMORIAL IN DULLU DAILEKH : Thapa Magars are cited as rulers suggesting that they were also in great numbers. Prof. Ram Niwas Panday believes Khas are descendants of Thapa Magars of Dullu Dailekh. Khas are also known as Thakuris.
10) F. B. Hamilton, Dor Bahadur Bista, Rhisikesh Shah believe Kings as the Magars. Eden Vansitart, Percival Landon, John Whelpton, Jiro kawakita, Brian H. Hodgson also have written the same way.
11) Whatever be the relationship with MUKUNDA SEN or the King makes no difference to the MAGARS of today.