Trip to Tansen

Trip to Tansen

A Beautiful Hill Station in the western part of Nepal, Tansen is the headquarter of Palpa District. It lies between Pokhara (122 km from Tansen), a famous tourist city and Lumbini (85km from Tansen), a birthplace of Lord Buddha, founder of Buddhism. Tansen is only 65 km from Sunauli, an Indian Border.

The town ship of Tansen is among a few towns outside the capital which bears a rich legacy of the traditional art and architecture. Perched on the lap of the spectacular Srinagar Hill, Tansen commands a gorgeous panorama of the Himalayas as well as the plains of Terai. Located at an elevation of 1310 metres, Tansen is a pleasant place to visit during any season of the year.

Tansen is famous for various kinds of handicrafts, textile and organic coffee. Karuwa, a water jug made of bronze, typical Nepali cap & shawl made of Dhaka textile are legendary souveniers from Tansen. Recently an organic coffee from Tansen and its surroundings is getting worldwide attention due to its unique taste. Tansen is also famous for Ginger.

Introduction of Tansen

Tansen, a typical newari town, is the best hill station in the South West region of Himalayan country Nepal. It is the administrative headquarter of Palpa district, one of the 75 districts of Nepal. It lies between Pokhara, a famous tourist city and Lumbini, a birthplace of Lord Buddha, founder of Buddhism.

The township of Tansen is among a few towns outside the capital which bears a rich legacy of the traditional art and architecture. Perched on the lap of the spectacular Srinagar Danda (hill) Tansen, commands a gorgeous panorama of the Himalayas as well as the plains of Terai. Located at an elevation of 1310 meters Tansen is a pleasant place to visit during any season of the year. The hill of Srinagar, half an hour’s walk up Tansen Bazaar at an elevation of 1524 m. is rare vantage point to view the contrasting manifestation of nature. An Incredibly Long panorama of the mountains encompassing 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.

Tansen is a good put off point for short as well as long treks. You 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.For longer treks you can choose any area in Annapurna-Dhaulagiri region such as Dhorpatan, Jomsom, Ghorepani or Annapurna Sanctuary. Tansen also provides opportunity for study of Buddhist culture and the life and culture of Magar tribes.

Tansen is famous for various kinds of handicrafts, textile and organic coffee. Karuwa, a water jug made from bronze, typical Nepali cap & shawl made of Dhaka textile are legendary souveniers from Tansen. Recently an organic coffee from Tansen and its surroundings is getting worldwide attention due to its unique taste. Tansen is also famous for Ginger production.

History of Tansen

The ancient name of Tansen was Tansing. The word Tansing descends from Magar Language. The word “Tansing”means a denser or northern settlement. In past, whole region of Palpa and surrounding districts were dominated by Magar Tribes. Magars are one of the ethnic groups of Nepal having their own language, culture and history and are assumed to be the first settlers in this area.

Before the unification of Nepal there were several small kingdoms and hill states. In this region, they were known as “Barha Magarat”, meaning the twelve regions of Magar. These regions of Magar included Palpa, Gulmi, Arghakhanchi districts of Lumbini Zone and other districts of Rapti and Bheri Zone.

During the invasion of Muslims into India, numerous kings of different states escaped from there to the northern hill areas. Some of them conquered the local kings and established their own estates. The former Sen Dynasty of Palpa, founded by Rudra Sen (1483-1518 A.D.) had its roots in those days. Under the reign of his son, Mukunda Sen (1518-1553 A.D.), the kingdom of Palpa reached its largest expansion and Tansen became its capital. The kingdom Palpa spread as far as the Koshi River in the east, Gorakhpur in the South and Gulmi and Kaski districts in the west and north respectively.

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 they 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 part of the Kathmandu kingdom afterwards and Tansen became the administrative city for the area.

Climate of Tansen

The climate of Tansen is moderate and charming. The temperature doesn’t rise above 28° Celsius during summer and it doesn’t fall below 8° Celsius during winter. Monsoon arrives here in the summer and it gets very little precipitation in the winter.

Fairs & Festivals in Tansen

As Tansen is home to a number of different ethnic groups, there is at least one fair/festival in a month. Most festivals are based on Hindu or Buddhist mythology. They are celebrated according to the lunar calendar and announced according to the Nepalese months.

Fairs of Tansen

Ridi Mela or Maghe Sankranti

A 3 day festival, held in January/February at Ridi Bazaar is the main festival of the region. During this occasion, numerous Hindu pilgrims from Nepal and India come to Ridi and take a holy bath in the Kali Gandaki River and worship at Rishikesh Temple. During the fair, the area turns into a huge market of handicrafts and products namely woolen blankets, wooden pots, bamboo products, sugarcane cakes, walnuts and more.

Satyawati Mela

The one night festival is held in the full moon night in Nepali month of Kartik (Oct/Nov) at Satyawati Lake, south of Tansen. The legend says that on this night an old goddess with bad hearing will fulfill the wishes of the pilgrims who circle the lake three times and shout their hopes out to her. People take a holy bath in the lake and sacrifice animals and birds to Goddess Satyawati.

Parvas Mela: The fair is held in Nepali month Falgun (Feb/Mar) on Shiva Ratri, the birthday of Lord Shiva. People come here to worship the god Krishna and Shiva. Animals and agriculture products are exhibited in the fare and best farmers are rewarded.

Lalpati Mela: The fair is held in Holi Festival in Falgun (Feb/Mar) in Lalpati in the centre of Madi Valley.

Rambha Pani Mela

The fair is held in Krishnastami in Bhadra (Aug/Sep) in Rambha Pani, 30 km east of Tansen city. People visit there to worship Goddess Rambha Pani and sacrifice animals and birds to fulfill their wishes.

Festivals of Tansen

Baisakh Sankranti ,Nepali new year
Ram Nawami
Matatirtha Aunshi
Baisakh Purnima, Buddha’s Birthday
Sithi Nakha
Rishikeshotshav
Tulsi Ropan
Guru Purnima
Ghanta Karna
Pancha Daan, Gunla
Nag Panchami
Janai Purnima
Gai Jatra
Ropai Jatra
Shree Nagar Ganesh Jatra
Bagh Jatra
Taksar Ganesh Jatra
Bhimnsen Jatra
Krishnastami
Bhagawati Jatra (Bhadra Krishna Nawami)
Kushe Aaunshi ()
Amar Narayan Jatra ()
Laxmi Narayan Jatra ( Bhadra Shukla Dwadasi)
Teej
Rishi Panchami
Dashain
Tihar
Maghe Sankranti
Chhath Parva
Mahakali Bhagawati Yatra, Darlam danda
Maghi Parva
Basanta Panchami
Shiva Ratri
Fagu Purnima/Holi, Festival of Colour
Chaite Dashain
Ram Nawami

Places of Interest in Tansen

Shreenagar Hill: Shreenagar hill, at 1525 m high, is about an hour uphill from the town center. While climbing this hill, one can not only enjoy a breath-taking panoramic view of the Himalayas running from Dhaulagiri in the west to Ganesh Himal in the east, but also get pleasure of passing through peaceful forest, pine plantation and decidious forest with a lot of beautiful rhododendron flowers. There is a statue of Buddha at the eastern end of Shreenagar ridge. It takes about half an hour to reach this statue. Thai monks donated the Buddha statue with the monkey and elephant. It commemorates a part of Buddha’s life. According to the legend, when Buddha was meditating in a jungle for roughly three months, a monkey and an elephant served him in many ways.

Tansen Durbar-This former palace of the provincial governor was built by then Western Commander in Chief, Pratap Shamsher in 1983 B.S. (1927 A.D.) in the Rana style and was government office till Maoist destroyed it on 31st January 2006. Its under reconstruction.

Sital Pati (shady restplace), near Ason Tole, is the most popular square in Tansen. The square is named after the white octagonal shaped building, that lies in the middle of the square. The Sital Pati was built under the order of Khadga Shamsher, governor of Palpa from 1891- 1902. Khadga Shamsher, an ambitious politician, was exiled from Kathmandu after plotting against the Prime Minister.

Baggi Dhoka is the gate where the chariots of religious festivals have to pass through. The fine woodcarvings on the buildings on both sides of the gate represent the fine Newari craftmanship. This Baggi dhoka leads to the palace grounds.

Bhusal Danda:

United Mission Hospital is located at Bhusal Danda.

Taksar:Metal Workshop in Taksar

Taksar is another interesting place of the town, where for centuries the famous bronze and brass works of Tansen were produced. One can have a look at how the famous ancient articles such as Karuwa (water jug), Hukka (water pipe), Auntee (jug for Nepali brandy) etc are produced.

Temples and Bihars in Tansen

There are lots of pagoda style temples and Buddhist shrines in Tansen city. Most popular are :

Bhagawati Temple: It was rebuilt by Col. Ujir Singh Thapa, the governor of Palpa in 1815A.D. to commemorate the victory over colonial British Indian Forces. in the battle front of Butwal. The large temple was damaged by the devastating earthquake in 1935 A.D. Then it was renovated in the present size which is comparatively very small than the previous one. In the vicinity of Bhagawati Temple, there are three small temples of God Shiva, God Ganesh and Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom. In the month of August every year, a chariot procession of deities is taken out throughout the town with military honour to observe the historic bottle.

Amar Narayan Temple: It was built in 1807 A.D. by General Amar Singh Thapa. According to a legend, a holy spring (lake) is hidden under the three storey pagoda style God Narayan (Vishnu). temple. The erotic carvings on the wooden structures are very remarkable. The temple is surrounded by one meter wide stone wall locally known as the Great wall of Palpa. In the vicinity of the temple, there are two temples of God Shiva and Vishnu Paduka.

Amar Ganj Ganesh Temple: Before building the Amar Narayan Temple in 1807 A.D., Amar Singh Thapa had built this temple of God Ganesh. The temple bears the same style and character of Amar Narayan Tempe. The rest house of the temple that has space to shelter thousand people has been converted into a school. Within its premise, there is a temple of Bhairab called Batuk Bhairab. The mask of Bhairab which is worshipped here was snatched away by the King Mukund Sen from Kathmandu.

Siddhi Binayak Temple: The temple of God Ganesh call Siddhi Binayak is situated at the slope of Shrinagar Hill. It is said that the sculptors who came here from Kathmandu to build the temple of Amar Narayan, carved the figure of an elephant on a big stone and gave the shape of God Ganesh, whose head according to mythology was replaced by the head of an Elephant after he was beheaded by his own father Lord Shiva..

Laxmi Narayan Temple: The temple of God Narayan (Vishnu) constructed in Nepalese Pagoda style is situated in Basantpur. Three main Hindu Gods namely Brahma (the creator), Vishnu (the protector) and Shiva (the destroyer) are worshipped in this temple. In the month of August/September, an annual festival is held here.

Bhimsen Temple: Built in a pagoda style, the oldest temple in town is the temple of Bhimsen. According to the ‘Mahabharata’ Bhimsen is the strongest hero. Though he is not a god, Newars worship him like a god for the protection of their property and on business journeys. The temple lies in west of Sitalpati.

Buddhist Shrines:

Ananda Bihar and Maya Chaitya Bihar are the two main Buddhist shrines in Tansen. ‘Bihar’ is a sacred place where Buddhist monks live and meditate.

Getting There

By Air

Though there is no direct flight to Tansen, visitor who wants to avoid long vehicle ride can take a flight from Kathmandu either to Bhairahawa and take a bus up to Tansen (64 km/2hours drive) or to Pokhara, from where Tansen can be reached in 3 hours drive.. Since there is no direct bus service from Bhairahawa airport to Tansen, bus has to be changed in Butwal.

By Road

From Kathmandu (306 km)

There are lots of direct bus and van services from Gongabu Bus Park, Gongabu and Sundhara, near to Central Post Office. Buses and Vans leave Kathmandu early in the morning and in the evening. Or you can hire a vehicle from hotel or travel agencies. Its around 7 hours drive. (306 km)

From Pokhara (122 km)

Only one direct Daily bus service (duration 3/4 hours) from Pokhara Bus Stop at 6.00 a.m. (please confirm the departue time). Another option is to take Tourist coach to Sunauli and get off at Bartung junction and take a bus or jeep for the 4-km link road to Tansen.

From Chitwan (175 km)

There are two possibilities to reach Tansen. Having made your way from the National Park to Narayanghat, you can either catch the bus and vans coming from Kathmandu on its way to Tansen (duration 4 -5 hours), all vehicle arrive around noon in Narayanghat Pulchowk; or take one of the several buses to Butwal (duration 2 – 3 hours) and change there for a bus to Tansen.

From Lumbini (85 km)

There is no direct bus service from Lumbini to Tansen. Buses have to be changed in Bhairawa as well as in Butwal.

From Bardiya National Park (362 km)

There is no direct bus service from Bardiya National Park to Tansen. Buses have to be changed in Butwal.

From Butwal (38 km)

It can be easily seen that Butwal is the most important traffic junction for Palpalis to nearly all destinations. Buses leave every 40 minutes for Tansen, as do buses from Tansen to Butwal. The duration of the journey is approx. 1hour.

From Sunauli (65 km), an Indian Border

There is a daily tourist coach service from Sunauli to Pokhara. You have to get off at Bartung junction and take a bus or jeep for the 4km link road to Tansen. Several local buses leave Sunauli for Butwal, where you have to change a bus to Tansen.

Accommodation/Hotel in Tansen

Palpali Chhen, Hotel Srinagar, The White Lake Hotel, Hotel Indreni and Restaurant and Rose Resort are the best tourist standard hotels in Tansen. Others are Gauri Shankar Guest House, Hotel Gulmeli and Restaurant, The Bajra Hotel.

Other hotels which offer attached bathrooms are : Hotel Simrik, Hotel Dhawalagiri, Amrit Guesthouse. Hotels having rooms without attached bathrooms are New Everest Hotel, Gautam Siddhartha Hotel, Sherchan Hotel and Shringa Hotel.

There are large number of low budget guesthouses around the buspark. Some of them are: Mohan Guesthouse, Juniya Maiya Hotel, Rampur Hotel, Rambhapani Hotel, Sangam Hotel, New Gulmi Hungeli Hotel, Gulmi Malika Hotel, Sharma Hotel, Jorte Hotel, New Hira Hotel, Hotel Chherlung, Thakali Hotel and Lodge.

For homestay lovers, there are lots of houses which provide homestay service. Please visit http://www.visittansen.com/index.php?linkId=97 for more information.

For nature lover, Tansen Hill Cottage will be best but they provide room in EP Basis (no meal supplied) only. Please visit http://visittansen.com/index.php?action=cms&id=17 for more detail.

Dining and Restaurants in Tansen

There are large number of small restauants in the town, selling Nepali dishes and snacks. “Nanglo West” restuarant at Sital Pati square is one of the excellent restuarants that serves western style, Palpali, Nepali, Indian and Chinese cuisine. Hotel Srinagar provides some western meals too.

Another new restaurant has been recently opened in Basantpur. Its called Royal Inn (Tel No. 522780). It has free WIFI facility too.

Try Hansko chhyola ( roasted or grilled spiced duck meat ), Chukauni ( Pickle of Boiled Potato and Curd ), Jhiniya roti, Sel Roti and Batuk ( a lentil flour patty ), if you like hot and spicy food. They are Tansen’s special cuisine.

Cuisine/Food in Tansen

There are various types of Nepali foods according to ethnic groups and castes, depending on ingredients available and affordable. Indian, Chinese and Tibetan flavors and aromas can easily be detected in Nepalese meals although Nepal’s cuisine maintains its own flare. Most Nepalese prefer Dal (lentil soup), Bhat (steamed rice), Tarkari (curried vegetables) and Achhar (pickle) twice daily.

Souveniers in Tansen

Tansen produces a good quality of Organic Coffee, Dhaka Textile Products and Metal Products which are very popular among all the tourists who visit there.

Coffee from Tansen

Organic Coffee: The coffee produced in Tansen and its surrounding areas is an organic coffee as no chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides are applied at all. As it is grown in 800 to 1500 meter above from the sea level, the quality is very high. Beans are generally medium in size. They are aromatic and tasty. Recently the coffee from Tansen and its surrounding areas is exported to various overseas countries specially to United States, Europe and Japan. Coffee is available in many shops around Tansen Bazaar.

Coffee producing cooperative/companies in Tansen:

Siddhakalika Coffee Products Cooperative, Archale
Nepal Organic Coffee Products, Madanpokhara

Dhaka Textiles: A cap wore in our national dress is called ‘Dhaka topi’ (cap made of Dhaka cloth) and Palpali dahaka topi is the most famous and popular among Nepalese people as well as among foreigners. Shawls and ‘Thaili’ (a typical nepali woman purse), made of dhaka are also very famous as souveniers. There are lots of dhaka shops and small industries in Tansen.

Dhaka Industries in Tansen

Bhagawati Dhaka Kapada Udhyog, Barudkhana

Chandi Dhaka Udhyog, Makhan Tole
Dilip Textile, bhimsen Tole
Karki Dhaka Kapada Udhyog, Dhrubaghat
Karki Dhaka Udhyog, Dhrubaghat
Laxmi Dhaka Kapada Udhyog, Kailash Nagar
Menuka Dhaka Udhyog, Basantpur
Purnima Dhaka Udhyog, Badigyan Tole
Rameswor Kapada Udhyog, Bhimsen Tole
Rayamajhi Textile Industries, Makhan Tole
Shiva Sundar Dhaka Kapada Udhyog, Barudkhana
Shree saraswati Dhaka Kapada Udhyog, silkhan Tole
Shrestha Dhaka Udhyog, Bartung
swadeshi Bastrakala Palpali Dhaka Udhyog, Bhimsen Tole

Metal products: A typical Nepali style water jug “Karuwa” made up of bronze is the most popular water jug in Nepalese household. An “Aunty”, a typical newari jug specially used to keep “rakshi”, homemade alcohol is also a very good souvenir for toursits to take back their home.

Taksar Tole is the famous place for metalcrafts where you can see their works and can do shoppng as well.

Metal-crafts Industries in Tansen:

Dhatukala Udhyog, Taksar Tole
Palpali Karuwa Udhyog, Taksar Tole
Pasa Hastakala, Taksar Tole
Sainju Hastakala Industry, Taksar Tole

Around Tansen

Achhameswor-Achameswor is a very narrow gorge, made by the river Kaligandaki separating Gulmi from Syangja district, 4 km. east from Ridi and is also called Sangure, literally meaning narrow place. It is a very calm and quite place. There is a small area where boating and fishing can be done. When the water is calm and clean a stone idol is visible in the water. It is supposed to be the idol of a saint who meditated there long ago. In the month of Kartik (October/ November) people visit there to worship the saint and for picnic as well.

Arghali-Arghali village is 38 Km north from the district head quarter Tansen. Like in other villages, mountains,forests and farmlands surround this village. However, unlike other villages it is situated closer to the famous rivers Kaligandaki and Ridi. Kamal Pokhari, Ghufa, Kaligandaki River, forests and farmlands are the major natural attractions of this VDC. Rishikesh temple, Gayatri temple and Devisthan are the major cultural attractions in this VDC.

The most important characteristic and aspect of Arghali VDC is the Rishikesh temple. It is regarded as the Beneras of Nepal. That is why Juddha Shamsher Rana spent his later part of his life in this VDC. The remains of his palace still exist. This village lies at the confluence of a mountain stream called Ridi Khola and the river Kali Gandaki. The village is situated in a deep narrow valley.

This VDC has also mixed culture. Magars as an ethnic tribe also exists in this VDC. However, Newars are the main inhabitants of Ridi and near by areas. Fagun Purnima, Gaijatra and Maghe Sankranti are the main festivals tha t are observed with great rejoice and pleasure. Especially on Maghe Sankranti thousands of devotees from India and other parts of Nepal come to Arghali (Ridi) to adore Rishikesh.

On every eleventh day of the lunar months and on the occasion of the solar and lunar eclipses, pilgrims come here to have a dip into the sacred river. Arghali Village is linked with the district headquarters Tansen. A feeder road from Bartung, which extends up to Tamghas of Gulmi district is the only linking road to Siddhartha Rajmarg. The total distance to this village from the district headquarters is about 38 Km. The road linking Arghali VDC is not in a good condition.

Bagnas Hill-The best place to view Long Himalayan range and Kaligandaki gorge at north , plains of Terai and MadiValley at South and Tansen city at west. It is situated 20 minutes drive or 1 hour hike towards east from Tansen. An open temple of Goddess Devi can also be visited.

Baugha Gumha-One of the famous Magar Villages of Palpa District, is 10 km far from Tansen and is road accessible. Beautiful scenery of Mountains, Hills and River Kali Gandaki can be viewed from here. The famous Ranimahal is situated in this village development committee. Since last year the village has started homestay programme for the visitors. Another feature of this village is that every house is faciliated with rain water harvesting system.

Bhairabthan-BHAIRABSTHANBhairabthan temple is the major cultural attractions in the Bhairbvthan VDC.The figure of Bhairab is identical to Kal Bhairab of Kathmandu. A temple of God Bhairab is famous for its large (Trishul) trident. The temple’s statue of Bhairab is kept hidden becauseit is said that its sight is unbearably frightening and that people who catch a glimpse of it are in danger of losing their liver. So even the priests worship the statue from behind a curtain. Hundreds of devotees visit this temple on every Saturday and Tuesday and offer Rot a kind of rice cake, and sacrifice animals.

The temple lies 9 kilometer northwest from the district headquarters Tansen and is situated on the top of the hill. Like other places, one can view the panoramic beauty of the Himalayas such as Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and Machhapuchhare from this point.

Bhoot Khola

Located near to Rupandehi District, Bhootkhola is a beautiful place for tourist to spend 2-3 hours. It is situated 32.5 km from Tansen, 6.5 km from Butwal city and 2 minutes walk from Siddhartha Highway. Naturally built small pond has a breathtaking waterfall too. Constant flow of water from waterfall has made the water of this pond very clean.

Lots of tourists love to visit here and swim for hours.

Chandi Bhanjyang

Located about 200m. above Tansen and connected by a fascinating trail running along the spur of the hill,Chandi Bhanjyang is one of the most loveliest spots of Palpa. From here one can view the better scene of Himalayas than from Shrinagar Hill. The hill is crowned by a temple of Bhairav – one of the most famous pilgrimage and picnic spots of Tansen.

Chilangdi

Within an hours walk from Tansen, there lies a typical Magar village called Chilangdi. Chilangdi is a word from Magar language, which means a place with a water source. The village is situated at the southern lap of Shreenagar hill range. Chilangdi is easily accessible. A motor road links the village, however, no motor or bus service is available. Almost all the families of Chilangdi have at least one member engaged in the army.

Deule Archale

Deule Archale is situated in Siddeshor VDC at the bank of Ridi Khola. One can go there from Ridi walking up stream and reach there within three hours, however, a trail from Harthok is a more conventional route from Tansen the headquarters. The earliest construction here is the temple of Radha Krishana. Beside the temple there is another temple of Bhagwati and a Yagya Mandap where the rituals of sacrificing corn to the God of fire is performed. A holy pond exists over there where water from all the four most holy places of the Hindu Religion have been mingled. Pilgrims come to this place to take a holy dip on festivals. Besides these man made objects, Siddheshwar Gupha (the cave) is one of the major attraction in this village.

Madan Pokhara

Madan Pokhara the adjoining site from the district head quarter Tansen, is highly prosperous village. The northern part is attached with the Tansen Municipality and is about only 7 Km down hill from the main center. The bowl shaped VDC encompasses the valley, mountains, forests and farmlands. The beauty of natural valley holds unique attraction in this mountainous district. Similarly, this model village for community forestry also holds Kalanki Devi temple in ward-number 2, and Devisthan and Mandabya temple in ward number 6 as the cultural attractions. This village is most popular in agricultural products and supplies such as Vegetables, ginger, fruits, poultry, fish & pets products, organic coffee and forestry.

Madan Pokhara is linked with Siddhartha Rajmarg at Banstari from where the road stretches further north to Damkada. The road is graveled and covers a total distance of only 4 Km. however, within the village, there is good road network linking almost all wards of the VDC. There is a vulture conservation centre in Damkada

Madi Valley-Madi Valley is a paddy field on the lap of Tansen Municipality in Palpa district. This paddy field is one of the richest paddy growing fields in palpa districts and Nepal.

This at a distance of nearly 7 to 10 kms from the centre of Tansen town.This paddy field is located on the south- Eastern part from Tansen town. The shape of this valley looks like a creater of a volcano. The valley is well viewed from most of the place of Tansen city.

Prabhas/Parvas-Boating in Lake at PrabhasPrabhas/Parvas is the name of mythological place described in the great epic, Mahabharata where Yadu Bamsa, a clan to which Lord Krishna belonged, was destroyed in internal conflict. It is situated about 6 km south of Tansen, at the foot of the Shrinagar Hill.

In its southern side there is a temple of Krishna, called Bansi Gopal. The old Shivlaya lies in the west of the lake. Inside this Shivalaya there is a big stone which is covered with imprints of chakra or circles. It is said that after the death of King Muni Mukunda Sen his body turned into stone. This stone is supposed to be the head of his body and the trunk lies at Devghat, where the king spent rest of his life. On Shivaratri, the birthday of Lord shiva, a fair is held here.

Rambhapani-Rambhapani lies in the eastern part of the district about 30 km from Tansen just above Tahoo Bazar. According to the Hindu religious leterature, Rambha is the name of a fairy of heaven and “Pani” means water. The place got its name from the perennial fontain which springs here. The fountain is surrounded by a dense forest. According to a legend, the fountain was the gift of God Rama, the hero of the great epic Ramayana. Ram Shot an arrow with his bow into the ground and the fountain emerged and quenched the thirst of his beloved wife, Sita. There is a temple of Goddess Rambha Devi. On Krishnasatami annual festival is held and people from different places visit here to worship the Goddess and vow to sacrifice animals and birds if their wishes are fulfilled.

Ramdi-Situated on a bank of Kali Gandaki River Ramdi is regarded sacred for performing religious ceremonies and funeral rites. Ramdi is famous for cave temple also. People of surrounding villages offer milk to the cave, called Soongufa for the safety of their animals from wild animals.

Ranighat-The then Commander in chief Khadga Shamsher, the governor of Palpa, had constructed a marvelous building on the bank of river Kaligandaki in the memory of his beloved queen Tej Kumari and established a holy place for pilgrims called Rani Ghat or Queen’s confluence. The construction was started in 1950 A.D. and completed in 1954 A.D. There are altogether 25 rooms and 52 artistic windows in the building.

The 7-km trail from Tansen to Ranighat is a steady slope passing through a narrow gorge. On the way more than five hilly streams and brooks meet with Barangdi Khola before it joins with Kalighandaki. The songs of birds and challenging call of pheasants from the dense forest and rocky hills above the travelers’ head give a charming feel. Barangdi Khola and tributaries provide good fishing spots in many places. After crossing the brooks and bridges and trekking rocky trails one can experience a great relief and relax at the sight of the beautiful palace in the lap of green hills, just above the blue water of Kaligandaki. It presents a very wonderful view. After looking at this grand masterpiece of architecture in such a remote area one may imagine it as a creation of super natural power

Ridi-Ridi lies at the confluence of a mountain stream called Ridi Khola and the river Kali Gandaki. There are many historic temples. Most famous of them is the temple of Rishikesh built by the 1st Palpa King Mukund Sen. On Maghe Sankranti, the festival in mid January; thousands of people visit here from India and various parts of Nepal and take a holy bath in the Kali Gandaki River. A track of about 10 kilometer leads the travelers from Tansen to Ridi. A regular bus service is also available.

Sidhha Baba Temple-Sidhha baba Temple is one of the famous temples in Palpa district. It lies just 1 km from the border of Palpa and Rupandehi districts in Siddhartha Highway on th bank of Tinau River.

“Sidhha” means fulfillment and “Baba” means saint in Nepali. Devotees believe that Siddha Baba will grant their wishes, and whosoever’s wishes are granted offers pigeons at the temple. Large number of pigeons can be seen at the temple.

Satyawati lake-To the south of Tansen and across the beautiful fertile valley of Madi there stands a majestic looking hill protecting the valley from the heat of the south. This hill is called Kaude Lekh. In the Kaude Lake range, near Satyawati village there is a sacred lake called ‘satyawati Tal’ at a height of 1400 meters. The lake has a unique feature. It is believed that the prestigious lake takes its name from Godddess satyawati. The one night festival is held in the full moon night (as per lunar calendar) in Nepali month of Kartik (Oct/Nov) at Satyawati Lake, south of Tansen. The legend says that on this night an old goddess with bad hearing will fulfill the wishes of the pilgrims who circle the lake three times and shout their hopes out to her. People take a holy bath in the lake and sacrifice animals and birds to Goddess Satyawati. When the water is sufficient in the lake some migratory birds spend a few days in this area.

There are many foot trails to reach the lake, but the main trail starts from a place by the side of the Siddhartha Rajmarg, about 30-km south from Tansen and 19 km north from Butwal. It is just two hours trek up the hill from the main road. One can also enjoy the panoramic view of the Himalayan range in the north and the vast extent of the plain in the south. Meanwhile, the trekkers can also enjoy the different types of flora and fauna. There is a small lake like formation at a little distance from the main.It is called Budhi Satyawati. It is situated on the trail from the main lake to the Satyawati village.

Tahoon-Tahoon is an attractive village having natural surroundings of mountains, forests and farmlands. One can view the panoramic beauty of Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and Machhapuchhare Mountains from this VDC. Hatti Lekh, Rambha forest, Bakumgadhi, Rimbha lekh, and Kaaude lekh are other natural attractions within and around this VDC. Among the cultural attractions, Rambha Devi and Jalpa Devi temples hold the overriding position. Usually on full-moon days and other festivals a large crowd gather here to worship.

Tahoon VDC has mixed culture. Ropai Jatra, Gai Jatra, Rath Jatra and Krishna Asthami are the main festivals that are observed with great rejoice and pleasure.

Tahoon Village is 32 Km southeast from the district headquarters Tansen and is linked by a motorable road which diverts east from Aryabhanjyang in the Siddhartha Highway. The total distance to this village from Aryabhanjyang is about 21 Km.