BUDDHA – THE ENLIGHTNED ONE

The Buddha was born on the northern edge of the Ganges River basin, an area on the periphery of the civilization of North India, in what is today southern Nepal. Scholars speculate that during the late Vedic period the peoples of the region were organized into tribal republics, ruled by a council of elders or an elected leader; the grand palaces described in the traditional accounts of the life of the Buddha are not evident among the archaeological remains. It is unclear to what extent these groups at the periphery of the social order of the Ganges basin were incorporated into the caste system, but the Buddha's family is said to have belonged to the warrior (ksatriya) caste. The central Ganges basin was organized into some 16 city-states, ruled by kings, often at war with each other.

The rise of these cities of central India, with their courts and their commerce, brought social, political, and economic changes that are often identified as key factors in the rise of Buddhism and other religious movements of the 6th and 5th centuries BCE. Buddhist texts identify a variety of itinerant teachers who attracted groups of disciples. Some of these taught forms of meditation, yoga, and asceticism and set forth philosophical views, focusing often on the nature of the person and the question of whether human actions (karma) have future effects. Although the Buddha would become one of these teachers, Buddhists view him as quite different from the others. His place within the tradition, therefore, cannot be understood by focusing exclusively on the events of his life and times (even to the extent that they are available). Instead he must be viewed within the context of Buddhist theories of time and history.

According to Buddhist doctrine, the universe is the product of karma, the law of the cause and effect of actions, according to which virtuous actions create pleasure in the future and non-virtuous actions create pain. The beings of the universe are reborn without beginning in six realms: as gods, demigods, humans, animals, ghosts, and hell beings. The actions of these beings create not only their individual experiences but the domains in which they dwell. The cycle of rebirth, called samsara (literally “wandering”), is regarded as a domain of suffering, and the ultimate goal of Buddhist practice is to escape from that suffering. The means of escape remains unknown until, over the course of millions of lifetimes, a person perfects himself, ultimately gaining the power to discover the path out of samsara and then compassionately revealing that path to the world.

A person who has set out on the long journey to discover the path to freedom from suffering, and then to teach it to others, is called a bodhisattva. A person who has discovered that path, followed it to its end, and taught it to the world, is called a Buddha. Buddhas are not reborn after they die but enter a state beyond suffering called nivana (literally “passing away”). Because Buddhas appear so rarely over the course of time and because only they reveal the path to liberation from suffering, the appearance of a Buddha in the world is considered a momentous event in the history of the universe.

The life of the Buddha was written and rewritten in India and across the Buddhist world, elements added and subtracted as necessary. Sites that became important pilgrimage places but that had not been mentioned in previous accounts would be retrospectively sanctified by the addition of a story about the Buddha's presence there. Regions that Buddhism entered long after his death—such as Sri Lanka, Kashmir, and Burma (now Myanmar)—added narratives of his magical visitations to accounts of his life.

LEGEDARY LAKE (SIKKIM) – DISCOVER BEAUTY AND PEACE

Even in mid-May, Gangtok is cool, a merciful respite from the sweltering heat and dust that make life in the Indian plains intolerable. Little wonder, the Sikkimese capital is swarming with tourists trying to beat the 40+ degree Celsius sultriness just four hours’ drive downhill. But once here, the tourists from the plains yearn to see and experience something chillier – snow.

Lake Tsomgo (pronounced Chhangu), just 38 km north-east of Gangtok, is where everybody heads for its stunning alpine scenery, but also for the legends associated with it.

Tsomgo is it restricted area, lying as it does just 20 km from the sensitive Nathula Pass on the border between India and China. A Protected Area Permit issued by Sikkim’s Tourism Department is, therefore, required to go there.

As our sturdy jeep sturdy jeep slowly begins climbing out of Gangtok, it soon dawns on us that the trip if not just about getting form points A to B. Rising above the mists, the road passes through towering green hills, rushing mountain streams and some of the most scenic waterfalls that cascade hundreds of feet below in plumes of white. As the ascent continues, we wrap ourselves in sweaters and jackets and huddle of our seats to beat the chill outside.

Another 12 km drive, and we are in Tsomgo, nearly four hours after we began our journey. Nestled at an incredible height of 3,780 m, the lake measures about a km long and in about 15 m deep. Tsomgo in the Bhutia language literally means “source”. They say the lake collects water from the melting snow of the surrounding mountains which then flows downhill to form the Lungtze Chu River.

Around the picturesque Tsomgo Lake is woven a rich legend. Folklore has it that the lake was initially at Laten, several km away form its present location. One night, an old woman form Tsomgo had a dream that forewarned the lake at Laten was shifting. As soon as she woke up, when went to alert two other herder neighbors. But they paid no heed.

Sensing danger, the old woman milked her dri (female yak), poured the milk on the ground to seek good luck and then decamped for a place called Lhachungkar. As she was leaving, she saw a silver haired woman with fair complexion enter Tsomgo, and immediately the place turned into a lake. In it, the two obstinate herders drowned together with their herd of yaks.

The lake is held very sacred by the local inhabitant. On the lake side is a small temple o f Lord Shiva. Although the lake abounds in trout, nobody goes fishing here. In times gone by, lamas (Buddhist monks) are said to have foretold the future by observing the color of the lake’s water. If the water had a dark tinge, it foreshadowed a year of trouble and unrest in the state.

To visitors, though, Tsomgo signifies untrammeled beauty. When we were there, the ice had just melted, and its crystal clear water formed a perfect mirror, reflecting the softly wooded hills that rise behind it and the prayer flags that ring the lake’s periphery.

After parking our vehicle, we decided to walk around the lake towards the hills that had a fresh coat of snow. Some of the tourists were having a great thrill riding on the richly ornamented yaks while others were throwing snowballs at each other on the foothills.

Up the slippery slope we scrambled, tugging at shrubs and rhododendron branches for support. Finally, after what seemed like hours, we reached the top. A solitary caravanserai stood beside a stone paved mule track in testimony that the ancient caravan route to Lhasa, Tibet passed through here. Indeed, Tsomgo lies on the ancient trade route between Gangtok and Nathula Pass, and until 1962, merchants and their mules used to plod up and down this track ferrying commerce to and from Lhasa over the 4,400-m high pass.

As we stood watching, the oval-shaped lake below us looked simply mesmerizing in the cold, quiet surroundings. Behind us, the vast expanse of the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China stretched for miles on-end on the other side of the barbed wires that demarcate the two territories. With the stunning vistas of the surroundings, you can spend hours here, lost to the world.

VITAL STATISTICS

Location: 38 km north-east of Gangtok
Getting there: Three hours’ drive (35 km) from Gantok by four-wheel drive vehicle
Permit: A Protected Area Permit is required to visit Tsomgo. It is issued by the Tourism Department at Gangtok only to groups of at least four people
Season: March-May, September-mid-December
What to wear: Light woolen clothing during the spring season and heavy woolens during winter

TRIPURA MAHADEV(NEPAL) – NEGLECTED TREASURE OF TRIPURESHWOR

Tripura Mahadev temple is one of the most important pilgrimages for the natives as well as for the outsiders coming from different parts of the country.

Tripura Mahadev temple is one of the most important pilgrimages for the natives as well as for the outsiders coming from different parts of the country. Though, known to the people at large as a pilgrimage, it is rarely looked at as an important heritage site well worth preservation. This temple was originally established in the Nepali year of 1875 Bikram Samvat during the Rana regime. Though autocratic in nature, during the reign of the Ranas, many contributions have been made in adding and strengthening the heritage of Kathmandu. The whole Tripureswor heritage constructions were largely done by the Ranas. Tripura Mahadev temple, a temple devoted to the Lord Shiva of the Hindu myth, is among them. This temple was built by Queen Lalit Tripura Sundari in the name of her husband King Rana Bahadur Shah for his eternal bliss and for the good of the nation. Her prayers can still be seen along with her beautiful bronze sculpture in a seated position on a pillar which stands on a tortoise. This shows her devotion for her husband and the nation. A symbolic phallus of Lord Shiva, called Shiva Linga, was made and put in the temple in BS 1877, which can be termed as the official year of its establishment. This temple is the most important temple after The Pashupatinath temple, and fair numbers of devotees visit here every morning and evening. Devotees and pilgrims come in mass during special occasions and festivals. This temple can actually be called as a mini Pashupatinath, where rituals of the dead could also be done but with time, the ritual has been stopped. Entering the main temple in the centre where the linga resides, you are surrounded by four significant mini temples of Bhagawati and Bishnu in the north and Ganesha and Surya towards the south. A stone sculpture of the great bull of Lord Shiva sits perched on a pillar towards the west, and behind it is another tall pillar supporting a bronze bull, which is a recent construction. These four deities along with Shiva make up a bond of five, which is a well known and respected Hindu myth.

This extraordinary temple has been severely affected by the great earthquake during the early 1900s. The preservation and renovation of the temple was done by Judda Shamser, a figure in the Rana time. However, after the end of Rana autocracy, the temple was neglected more and more over time, and is in a critical situation. The present government ahs taken a very good initiative in renovating the once ruined temple. The renovation of the temple is in its finishing stage, but the surrounding temples and artifacts still remain to be polished, and work is underway. Soon, a fresh version of the antique piece will allure more visitors.

Walking down the small trail from the southern gate of the temple, towards the bank of the river Bagmati, more and more relics and artifacts unveil. The place is a treasure not yet discovered and is buried with the slums, ghettos and the stinking flowing sewage beside it. Each and very step unfolds small monuments, and richly carved temples.

Another significant temple is the temple called Bam Bikateswor temple. It is the temple established by Bam Bahadur Kunwar, younger brother of the greatest Rana ruler Janga Bahadur Rana. He built in the BS 1907, when, Janga Bahadur Rana was on foreign visit and he was made the running Prime Minister for the time being.

There are other small parks and monumental zones around the place. One of the monuments is in a Muslim architecture, but is actually a Hindu temple. The perfect blend between Hindu and Muslim architecture is one of a rare kind. Wandering beside the river, thinking of its as a place twenty years back, with clean water, and historical buildings, monuments, green parks and precious temples, it could have been a paradise beyond words. Today the place is a garbage sit, where precious gems are hidden.

SIKKIM – TALK ABOUT TOKS – THE TWO ‘TOKS’ OF GANGTOK

Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim in the northeastern part of India, is topped by tow hills known as Ganeshtok and Hanumantok. As the names suggest, the prominent landmarks of these tow hill tops are the temples dedicated to the elephant-headed God, Ganesh, and the monkey God, Hanuman, respectively.

GANESHTOK

Ganeshtok is located on a above the TV TOWER, which can be seen high above town, and is beside the Indiara Gandhi bypass road. Situated at an altitude of 6,5000 ft, it is about 4 km from the town center. One can reach the hilltop by taking a taxi or hiking via the Palace ridge road, Sincochu tourist lodge. Enchey monastery and the TV tower. A small temple, so small that the inside can only accommodate the priest and the idol of Ganesh, is what you will see at the top of the hill. From the hilltop one can take in a panoramic view of Gangtok town. The view of the ridge road, the Palace and the Tsuklakhang. Enchey monastery and of Gangtok’s main market is unique. On a clear day, one can even see the entire Kanchenjunga and Sinolchu mountain ranges and their snow peaks. Ganeshtok is also the entry point to the Himalayan Zoological Park. Patronized by tourists as well as by the local people, Ganeshtok, of course, can be a better tourist spot with more improvement and public amenities.

HANUMANTOK

Hanumantok is at a much higher altitude and farther away from the town center than Ganeshtok. This place was originally known a Looksiyama and is the cremation ground for the royal family of Sikkim. Chorten and stupas mark the places where the mortal remains of departed souls were cremated. As time went by , a small temple dedicated to Hanuman was built most probably by th Indian army unit stationed there and hence the change of name.

At present, a new and bigger temple of Hanuman stands at the hilltop, which is at an altitude of 7,200 ft. The complex is maintained by a unit of the Indian army stationed nearby. A good motorable road, bifurcating from the road to Tsomgo Lake and the Nathula pass, goes all the way to the top, which is at a distance of 7 km from town. Located in the midst of a pine forest, away from the humdrum of city life, Hanumantok is a calm and serene retreat. The breathtaking view of the Kanchenjunga and Sinolchu mountains makes the place even more magical. There is scope for making the place more beautiful from tourism, nature and wildlife viewing points of view.

SIKKIM – A HIMALAYAN STATE

Gangtok Market

Sikkim is a state of India. It is located in the northeastern part of the country. It is the second smallest state in India, covering an area of 2,740 square miles (7,096 square kilometers). It is bordered by the kingdoms of Nepal to the west and Bhutan to the east, the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the north and northeast, and the state of West Bengal to the south. Gangtok is the capital.
Long a sovereign state, Sikkim became a protectorate of India in 1950 and a state in 1975. Because of its location, it has a political and strategic importance out of proportion to its size.
Physical and human geography
Sikkim is a basin surrounded on three sides by precipitous mountain walls. There is little lowland, and the variation in relief is extreme. Within 50 miles (80 kilometers) the land rises from an elevation of 750 feet in the Tista River valley to 28,208 feet (8,598 meters) at Kanchenjunga, India's highest peak and the world's third highest mountain. The Singalila Range separates Sikkim from Nepal in the west, while the Dongkya Range forms the border with China to the east. Several passes across this range afford easy access to the Chumbi valley in Tibet and beyond to Lhasa, imparting considerable strategic and political value to the region.
About two-thirds of Sikkim consists of perpetually snow-covered mountains, dominated by the Kanchenjunga massif. The Sikkimese have traditionally viewed the mountain as both a god and the abode of gods. The legendary abominable snowman, or yeti, called Nee-gued in Sikkim, is believed to roam its slopes. Other major peaks—all above 23,000 feet—include Tent, Kabru, and Pauhunri.
Drainage and climate.
The Sikkim basin is drained by the Tista River and its tributaries, such as the Rangit, Rongni Chu, Talung, and Lachung, which have cut deep valleys into the mountains. Originating in a glacier near the Tibetan border, the Tista River descends steeply, dropping about 15,700 feet to Rongphu (Rangpo), where it has cut a gorge through the Darjeeling Ridge (7,000–8,000 feet) before emerging onto the Gangatic Plain. Hydroelectric projects on Sikkim's rivers provide power to Gangtok, Rongphu, Singtam, and Mangan.
Sikkim exhibits a variety of climatic types, from almost tropical conditions in the south to the severe mountain climates in the north. Depending on altitude and exposure, annual precipitation varies from 50 to 200 inches (1,270 to 5,080 millimeters), most occurring during the months of the southwest monsoon (May through October). The heavy rains and snows often trigger destructive landslides and avalanches.
Plant and animal life
About one-third of Sikkim is forested. Sal, pandanus, palms, bamboos, ferns, and orchids are common in the subtropical forests found below about 5,000 feet. In the temperate forests (5,000 to 13,000 feet), oak, laurel, maple, chestnut, magnolia, alder, birch, rhododendron, fir, hemlock, and spruce predominate. Alpine tundra replaces forest at the higher elevations.
Sikkim has a rich and varied animal life, including the black bear, brown bear, panda, numerous species of deer, wild goats, sheep, goral, and the Tibetan antelope; the tiger, leopard, and lesser cats are also found. Birdlife includes pheasant, partridges, quail, eagles, barbets, Himalayan cuckoos, Tibetan black crows, and minivets.
The people
Three-quarters of Sikkim's population is Nepalese in origin, speaking Nepali (Gorkhali) dialects and mostly Hindu in religion and culture. The Bhutia, Lepcha, and Limbu are significant minorities; they speak Tibeto-Burman dialects and practice Mahayana Buddhism and the pre-Buddhist Bon religion. Migrants from India since 1985 have added to the Hindu population, and there are also a small number of Christians and Muslims.
The population is mostly rural, living in scattered hamlets and villages. Gangtok, with fewer than 30,000 people, is Sikkim's largest settlement; other towns, in descending order of population, include Singtām, Rongphu, Jorthang, Nayabazar, Mangan, Gyalshing, and Namchi.

Buddhist pilgrimage

Within the first two centuries following the Buddha's death, pilgrimage had already become an important component in the life of the Buddhist community. During these early centuries of Buddhist history there were at least four major pilgrimage centres—the place of the Buddha's birth at Lumbini, the place of his Enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, the Deer Park in Varanasi (Benares) where he supposedly preached his first sermon, and the village of Kusinara, which was recognized as the place of his Parinirvana. During this period, the place of the Buddha's Enlightenment at Bodh Gaya was the most important pilgrimage centre; it continued to hold a preeminent position through much of Buddhist history, and it is the major pilgrimage site of world Buddhism today.

In addition to these four primary sites, major pilgrimage centres have emerged in every region or country where Buddhism has been established. Many local temples have their own festivals associated with a relic enshrined there or an event in the life of a sacred figure. Some of these, such as the display of the tooth relic at Kandy, Sri Lanka, are occasions for great celebrations attracting many pilgrims. In many Buddhist countries famous mountains have become sacred sites that draw pilgrims from both near and far. In China, for example, four such mountain sites are especially important: O-mei, Wu tai, Pu-to, and Chiu-hua. Each is devoted to a different bodhisattva whose temples and monasteries are located on the mountainside. In many Buddhist regions there are pilgrimages that include stops at a whole series of sacred places. One of the most interesting of these is the Shikoku pilgrimage in Japan, which involves visits to 88 temples located along a route that extends for more than 700 miles.

Buddhist pilgrimages, like pilgrimages in other religions, are undertaken for a wide range of reasons. For some Buddhists, pilgrimage is a discipline that fosters spiritual development; for others it is the fulfillment of a vow—as, for example, after recovery from an illness; and for others it is simply an occasion for travel and enjoyment. Whatever the motivations that support it may be, pilgrimage is one of the most important Buddhist practices.

Rites of passage and protective rites
Initiation
Ordination

Admission to the sangha involves two distinct acts: pabbajaa , which consists of renunciation of secular life and acceptance of monasticisms as a novice, and upasampada, the official consecration as a monk. The evolution of the procedure is not entirely clear; in early times, the two acts probably occurred at the same time. Subsequently, the Vinaya established that upasampada, or full acceptance into the monastic community, should not occur before the age of 20, which, if the pabbajja ceremony took place as early as the age of 8, would mean after 12 years of training. Ordination could not occur without the permission of the aspirant's parents. The initial Pali formula was “Ehi bhikkhu,” “Come, O monk!”

The rite established in ancient Buddhism remains essentially the same in the Theravada tradition. To be accepted, the postulant shaves his hair and beard and dons the yellow robes of the monk. He bows to the abbot or senior monk, to whom he makes his petition for admittance, and then seats himself with legs crossed and hands folded, pronouncing three times the formula of the Trilple Refuge

(“I take refuge in the Buddha, I take refuge in the dhamma, I take refuge in the sangha.”) He repeats after the officiating monk the Ten Precepts and vows to observe them. Thereafter, in the presence of at least 10 monks (fewer in some cases) the postulant is questioned in detail by the abbot—as to the name of the master under whom he studied, whether he is free of faults and defects that would prevent his admission, and whether he has committed any infamous sins, is diseased, mutilated, or in debt. The abbot, when satisfied, thrice proposes acceptance of the petition; the chapter's silence signifies consent. Nuns were once ordained in basically the same way.

Bodhisattva vows

In Mahayana Buddhism, new rituals were added onto the ceremony of ordination prescribed by the Pali Vinaya. The declaration of the Triple Refuge is as central an assertion as ever, but special emphasis is placed on the candidate's intention to achieve enlightenment and his undertaking of the vow to become a bodhisattva. Five monks are required for the ordination: the head monk, one who guards the ceremony, a master of secrets (the esoteric teachings, such as mantras), and two assisting officiates.

Abhiseka

The esoteric content of Vajrayana tradition requires a more complex ceremony of consecration. In addition to the other ordination rites, preparatory study, and training in yoga, the Tantrik neophyte receives abhi seka (literally, “sprinkling,” of water). This initiation takes several forms, each of which has its own corresponding “wisdom” (vidya), rituals, and esoteric formulas; each form of initiation is associated with one of the Five Buddhas of the supreme pentad. The initiate meditates on the vajra (“thunderbolt”) as a symbol of Vajrasattva Buddha (the Adamantine Being), on the bell as a symbol of the void, and on the mudra (ritual gesture) as “seal.” The intent of the initiation ceremony is to produce an experience that anticipates the moment of death. The candidate emerges reborn as a new being, a state marked by his receipt of a new name.

Funeral rites

The origin of the Buddhist funeral observances can be traced back to Indian customs. The

cremation of the body of the Buddha and the subsequent distribution of his ashes are told in the Mahaparinibbana Sutta (“Sutra on the Great Final Deliverance”). Early Chinese travelers such as Fa-hsien described cremations of venerable monks. After cremation, the ashes and bones of the monk were collected and a stupa built over them. That this custom was widely observed is evident from the large number of stupas found near monasteries.
With less pomp, cremation is also used for ordinary monks and laymen, though not universally. In Sri Lanka, for example, burial is also common. In Tibet also, because of the scarcity of wood, cremation is rare. The bodies of great lamas, such as the Dalai and Panchen lamas, are placed in rich stupas in attitudes of meditation, while lay corpses are exposed in remote places to be devoured by vultures and wild animals.
Buddhists generally agree that the thoughts held by a person at the moment of death are of essential significance. For this reason, sacred texts are sometimes read to the dying person to prepare the mind for the moment of death; similarly, sacred texts may be read to the newly dead, since the conscious principle is thought to remain in the body for about three days following death. In Tibetan, Mongolian, and Chinese lamaseries, a lama sometimes recites the famous Bardo Thodrol (commonly referred to in English as The Tibetan Book of the Dead).

Protective rites

From a very early period in its development, Buddhism has included within its repertoire of religious practices specific rituals that are intended to protect against various kinds of danger and to exorcise evil influences. In the Theravada tradition protective, exorcistic rituals are closely associated with texts called parittas, many of which are attributed directly to the Buddha. In Sri Lanka and the Theravada countries of Southeast Asia, parittas are traditionally chanted during large public rituals designed to avert collective, public danger. They are also very widely used in private rituals intended to protect the sponsor against illness and various other misfortunes.In the Mahayana and Esoteric traditions, the role taken by protective and exorcistic rituals was even greater. For example, dharanis (short statements of doctrine that supposedly encapsulate its power) and mantras (a further reduction of the dharani, often to a single word) were widely used for this purpose. Protective and exorcistic rituals that used such dharanis and mantras were extremely important in the process through which the populations of Tibet and East Asia were converted to Buddhism. They have remained an integral part of the Buddhist traditions in these areas, reaching what was perhaps their fullest development in Tibet.

DARJEELLING - AN INTRODUCTION TO THE PARADISE IN EARTH

Darjeeling, town, extreme northern West Bengal state, northeastern India. Darjeeling lies 305 miles (491 km) north of Calcutta. The town is situated on a long, narrow mountain ridge of the Sikkim Himalayas that descends abruptly to the bed of the Great Rangit River. The town lies at an elevation of about 7,000 feet (2,100 m). On a clear day Darjeeling affords a magnificent view of Kanchenjunga (28,169 feet [8,586 m]), and Mount Everest can just be seen. The name of the town means “place of the thunderbolt.” Darjeeling is a noted hill resort that has major road, rail, and air connections with Calcutta.

The town was purchased in 1835 from the raja of Sikkim and was developed as a sanatorium for British troops. It was constituted a municipality in 1850. Chaurastha, with the Mall, is the town's main shopping centre and the most attractive promenade. Observatory Hill, the town's highest point (7,137 feet), is crowned by Mahakal Temple, which is sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists. Birch Hill contains a natural park and the Institute of Mountaineering. The Lloyd Botanic Gardens were laid out in 1865. Besides these attractions, Darjeeling has a zoo, a natural history museum, a racecourse, and several hospitals. It is also the seat of the University of North Bengal, founded in 1962, with a number of affiliated colleges, including a medical school, in the town.

BURMA – ISOLATED STATE

Bhuri Gandak

Burma is located in the western portion of mainland Southeast Asia. It has an area of 261,228 square miles (676,577 square kilometers). It is bordered by China to the north and northeast, Laos to the east, Thailand to the southeast, the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal to the south and southwest, Bangladesh to the west, and India to the northwest.

In 1989 the country's official English name was changed from the Union of Burma to the Union of Myanmar; in the Burmese language the country has been known as Myanmar (or, more precisely, Mranma Pran) since the 13th century. Also in 1989, the English name of the capital, Rangoon, was dropped in favor of the common Burmese name, Yangon. In this article, the name Burma is used for the country during the period of British rule (1885–1948) and during the subsequent period of independence until 1989; the name Myanmar is used in all other contexts.

Myanmar stretches from latitude 10° N to about 28° 30′ N. It is thus the northernmost of the Southeast Asian countries, with considerable territory situated outside the tropics. The country is shaped like a kite with a long tail that runs south along the Malay Peninsula. Its total length from north to south is about 1,275 miles (2,050 kilometers), and its width at the widest part, across the centre of the country at about the latitude of Mandalay, is approximately 580 miles from east to west.

DARJEELING - THE LLOYD BOTANICAL GARDEN

The original botanical garden was laid out in 1876 at Rangiroon (5,700 m) some 10 km east of Darjeeling during Sir Ashely Eden’s tenure as Lt. Governor of Bengal. It was eventually abandoned in favor of the present one below the Eden Hospital in Darjeeling town owing to the frequent hailstorms which denuded Rangiroon of all foliage. In 1878, the greater part of th present site was presented by Mr W Lloyed, the proprietor of a bank, and has no connection with Lt General Lloyd, the discoverer of Darjeeling, as many people still misconstrue.

The garden is divided into two main parts – the upper and indigenous section, and the lower or exotic section. Most of the paths intersecting it are lined with tea plants, the flowers of which are white with a pale yellow center, remaining one of orange blossoms. The whole plot, measuring 14 acres of land, is neatly laid out, and contains specimens of nearly all Himalayan flora as well as many exotic plants, including the Australian Blue Gum tree (eucalyptus).

There is a greenhouse, which stands in the center of the grounds and houses many varieties of camellia, a native of China, which, when in full bloom, are a revelation of color.

The numbers of exhibits are added annually, thereby, making it correspondingly interesting to such visitors who are capable of appreciating its contents form either an arboricultural or a botanical point of view. In 1916, over 11,500 plants, over 5,173 dozens of annual seedlings, over 908 bulbs and tubers and over 417 packets of seeds were either exchanged with or distributed to other gardens, while in addition, special collections of seeds of Himalayan species from both high and low altitudes were made. Over 52,000 visitors to the Lloyd Botanical Garden were counted during that year, nearly 16, 000 of whom were Europeans.

FEWATAL ATTRACTION (NEAPL) – POKHARA LURES WITH LAKES AND PEAKS.

Unless you go on a mountaineering expedition, there are few places like Pokhara where you can be closed to the Himalaya. And that too in the comfort of a luxury hotel room. A valley covered in luxuriant vegetation and dotted with ice-clear lakes. Pokhara offers one of the most stunning vistas in the world. Its skyline stretches into a 140-km panorama of Himalayan peaks that seem so close as if you could reach out touch them.

No wonder this spectacular ensemble of lakes and mountains ha made Pokhara the second most popular destination in the Kingdom after Kathmandu. About one-third of all visitors to Nepal make it a point to do an R & R stop in Pokhara. Mountain scenery cultural life, traditional hills, and boating on Himalayan lakes are some of Pokhara’s major lures.

This resort city, some 200 km to the west of Kathmandu, straddles the spectacular Fewatal (Lake Fewa) and sprawls over a valley beneath the Annapurna massif. The mighty cluster includes five summits. The highest point of the range, Annapurna I (8,091 m), was the first “eight-thousander” peak in the world to be climbed by humans. A French expedition made the feat in 1950.

In the old days, Pokhara used to be an important stopover on the trade routes to the north and beyond to Tibet. Mule caravans still file through the streets of the town, hauling loads of salt and yak wool. The sky over Pokhara is blocked out by the splendid forked pinnacle of Mt Machhapuchhre, or the fish-tail peak. The rock and ice top (altitude 6,977 m) is only 45 km away, and it looms overhead wherever you go in Pokhara. Its white reflection can even be seen on the lake’s surface.

Pokhara is also the base for expeditions into the central Himalaya, and the starting or ending point on the enormously popular Annapurna circuit trek. A galaxy of star-hotels and tourist-standard accommodation is available in Pokhara. Tour operators usually combine the resort town as an excursion with a Kathmandu sojourn. It also comes as part of a package comprising the Kathmandu-Pokhara-Chitwan (jungle safari) circuit.

Pokhara’s geology is another extraordinary aspect that embodies its pristine beauty and inspires awe in all visitors. Imagine a town with a Grand Canyon running through Main Street, that’s Pokhara. Its fashionable central business district is split in half by a bottomless fissure in the rock substratum, called the Seti Gorge. The northern end of Pokhara is marked by a series of large limestone caves, known as the Mahendra Gufa. Another mysterious hole in the ground is Devin’s fall, towards the southern end of town, where the water of Lake Phewa disappears in an awesome whirlpool. The eerie cavern formation was carved in the rock by water flowing out of the lake.

Pokhara’s attraction above, under and on the ground offer the advantages of access to wild natural beauty without strenuous expeditionary efforts in the high Himalaya. For those who do not have the stamina or the time to puff up mountain tails, Pokhara is the epitome of the Himalayan scenery – snow peaks, crystal lakes and idyllic charm.

Pokhara is connected by two highways – one from Kathmandu and the other from Bhairahawa near the Indian border – as well as daily flights from Kathmandu. The most favored way to Pokhara is by bus from Kathmandu, and most visitors make it in this fashion. Flying to Pokhara from Kathmandu is the second choice, with 40% of sightseers making the 35-minute air hop. Many Indian visitors enter Nepal by land through the border-town of Bhairahawa, and take a jaunt around Pokhara before proceeding to Kathmandu. Travelers arriving by bus form Bhairahawa make up 5% of arrivals. But however, they come to Pokhara, all visitors are sure to return completely rejuvenated in body and mind.

NEPAL – LAND OF MOUNTAINS AND TEMPLES

NEPAL is a landlocked country located between India to the east, south, and west and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the north. Its territory, which has an area of 56,827 square miles (147,181 square kilometers), extends roughly 500 miles (800 kilometers) from east to west and 90 to 150 miles from north to south. The capital is Kathmandu.

Nepal, long under the rule of hereditary prime ministers favoring a policy of isolation, remained closed to the outside world until a palace revolt in 1950 restored the crown's authority in 1951; the country gained admission to the United Nations in 1955. In 1991 the kingdom established a multiparty parliamentary system.
Wedged between two giants, India and China, Nepal seeks to keep a balance between the two countries in its foreign policy—and thus to remain independent. A factor that contributes immensely to the geopolitical importance of the country is the fact that a strong Nepal can deny China access to the rich Gangatic Plain; Nepal thus marks the southern boundary of the Chinese sphere north of the Himalayas in Asia.As a result of its years of geographic and self-imposed isolation, Nepal is one of the least developed nations of the world. In recent years many countries, including India, China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Denmark, Germany, Canada, and Switzerland, have provided economic assistance to Nepal. The extent of foreign aid to Nepal has been influenced to a considerable degree by the strategic position of the country between India and China.