1.
Bangladesh
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Bangladesh, officially the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It shares land borders with India and Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan and China are located near Bangladesh but do not share a border with it. The countrys maritime territory in the Bay of Bengal is roughly equal to the size of its land area, Bangladesh is the worlds eighth most populous country. Dhaka is its capital and largest city, followed by Chittagong which has the countrys largest port, Bangladesh forms the largest and eastern part of the Bengal region. Bangladeshis include people of different ethnic groups and religions, Bengalis, who speak the official Bengali, make up 98% of the population. The politically dominant Bengali Muslims make the nation the worlds third largest Muslim-majority country, most of Bangladesh is covered by the Bengal delta, the largest delta on Earth. The country has 700 rivers and 8,046 km of inland waterways, highlands with evergreen forests are found in the northeastern and southeastern regions of the country. Bangladesh has many islands and a coral reef and it is home to the Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world. The countrys biodiversity includes a vast array of plant and wildlife, including critically endangered Bengal tigers, the Greeks and Romans identified the region as Gangaridai, a powerful kingdom of the historical subcontinent, in the 3rd century BCE. Archaeological research has unearthed several ancient cities in Bangladesh, which had trade links for millennia. The Bengal Sultanate and Mughal Bengal transformed the region into a cosmopolitan Islamic imperial power between the 14th and 18th centuries, the region was home to many principalities which had inland naval prowess. It was also a center of the worldwide muslin and silk trade. As part of British India, the region was influenced by the Bengali renaissance, the Partition of British India made East Bengal a part of the Dominion of Pakistan, and was renamed as East Pakistan. The region witnessed the Bengali Language Movement in 1952 and the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, after independence, a parliamentary republic was established. A presidential government was in place between 1975 and 1990, followed by a return to parliamentary democracy, the country has also been affected by poverty, natural disasters, hunger, dominant party systems and military coups. Bangladesh is a power and a major developing nation. Listed as one of the Next Eleven, it has the 46th largest economy and it is one of the largest textile exporters in the world. Its major trading partners are the European Union, the United States, China, India, Japan, Malaysia, with its strategically vital location between Southern, Eastern and Southeast Asia, Bangladesh is an important promoter of regional connectivity and cooperation
2.
Mahendra of Nepal
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Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev was King of Nepal from 1955 to 1972. Mahendra was born 11 June 1920 to King Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah of Nepal, although Tribhuvan was nominally king since 1911. Mahendra was captive in Narayanhity Royal Palace, virtually a gilded cage, in 1940 he married Indra Rajya Laxmi Devi, daughter of General Hari Shamsher Rana. They had three sons, Birendra, Gyanendra, Dhirendra and three daughters Shanti, Sharada, and Shobha, Crown Princess Indra died in 1950. In 1952, Mahendra married Indras younger sister, Ratna Rajya Laxmi Devi, meanwhile, popular discontent and the British withdrawal from India in 1947 had made Rana rule increasingly untenable. In 1950 the political situation had deteriorated so far that the safety of the royals was in doubt. Tribhuvan and most of his family escaped to India, open revolt ensued and by the end of the year the Ranas agreed to a coalition government under Tribhuvan in which they shared power equally with the Nepali Congress Party. By the end of the year the Ranas were maneuvered out, tribhuvans health was poor and he died in 1955. Mahendra succeeded Tribhuvan as King of Nepal and he was crowned on 2 May 1956. Mahendra instituted a Panchayat hierarchical system of village, district and national councils and he pursued a foreign policy of neutrality between China and India. Political parties were outlawed and all prominent political figures, including the Prime Minister were put behind bars, civil liberties were curtailed and press freedom muzzled. King Mahendra, then, through an ‘exercise of the sovereign power, the political system was a party-less guided democracy in which the people could elect their representatives, while real power remained in the hands of the monarch. The Panchayat System was formulated by King Mahendra after overthrowing the first democratically elected government, on 26 December 1961, King Mahendra appointed a council of 5 ministers to help run the administration. Several weeks later, political parties were declared illegal, Mahendra implemented a land reform policy, which provided land to many landless people. The Mahendra Highway that runs along the entire Terai belt in southern Nepal was constructed during his reign and he launched the Back to the Village National Campaign in 1967 which was one of his largest rural development efforts. He also played a key role in making Nepal a member of the United Nations in 1955, King Mahendra was appointed as a British Field Marshal in 1960. King Mahendra and the Queen Ratna were greeted by the then President of USA, Lyndon B Johnson, the royal couple of Nepal was greeted with the guard of honor. His son Birendra assumed the throne on 24 February 1975 but perished in the Nepalese royal massacre on 1 June 2001, United Kingdom, Royal Victorian Chain,26 February 1961 Philippines, Collar of the Order of Sikatuna, Rank of Raja,1971
3.
Dashain
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It is the longest and most anticipated festival in Nepal, Bhutan, Burma and North Indian hills. People return from all parts of the world, as well as different parts of the country, among the fifteen days on which it is celebrated, the most important days are the first, seventh, eighth, ninth and the tenth. It is celebrated with only slight differences and interpretations, where each nine days Navaratri leading up to the 10th day called Dashami carry special importance, the goddess Durga and her various manifestations are especially worshiped by Hindu Newars throughout the Shaktipeeths of Kathmandu Valley. Dashain symbolizes the victory of good over evil, for followers of Shaktism, it represents the victory of the goddess Parvati. In Hindu mythology, the demon Mahishasura had created terror in the devaloka, the first nine days of Dashain symbolize the battle which took place between the different manifestations of Durga and Mahishasura. The tenth day is the day when Durga finally defeated him, for other Hindus, this festival symbolizes the victory of Ram over Ravan as recounted in the Ramayana. Ghaṭasthāpanā marks the beginning of Dashain, literally, it means placing a kalasha or a pot, which symbolizes Durga. Ghaṭasthāpanā falls on the first day of the festival, on this day the kalasha is filled with holy water which is then covered with cow dung and sewn with barley seeds. Then the kalasha is put in the center of a rectangular sand block, the remaining bed of sand is also seeded with grains. The priest then starts the puja by asking Durga to bless the vessel with her presence and this ritual is performed at a certain auspicious time which is determined by the astrologers. The goddess is believed to reside in the vessel during navratri, the room where all this is done is known as the Dasain Ghar. Traditionally, outsiders and women are not allowed to enter it, a male family member worships the kalasha twice every day, once in the morning and then in the evening. But the coming of time has brought about women empowerment and the woman now are equally responsible for doing these rituals. The kalasha is kept away from sunlight and holy water is offered to it every day. This sacred grass is known as jamara and these rituals continue until the seventh day. Fulpati is a major celebration occurring on the day of Dashain. Hundreds of government officials gather together in the Tundikhel grounds in conventional formal dress to witness the event, the Fulpati is taken to the Hanuman Dhoka Royal palace by the time the occasion ends in Tundikhel, where a parade is held. Since 2008, when the family was overthrown, the two-century old tradition is changed so that the holy offering of Fulpati goes to the residence of the president
4.
Tihar (festival)
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Tihar, also known as Deepawali and Yamapanchak, is a five-day-long Hindu festival celebrated in Nepal and in the Indian states of Assam and Sikkim including in Darjeeling district of West Bengal. It is the festival of lights, as diyas are lit inside and outside the houses to make it illuminate at night and it is popularly known as Swanti among the Newars and as Deepawali among Madhesis. Set in the Vikram Samvat calendar, the festival begins with Kaag Tihar in Trayodashi of Kartik Krishna Paksha, Tihar is the second biggest Nepalese festival after Dashain. The first day of the festival is called Kaag Tihar, crows and ravens are worshiped by offerings of sweets and dishes placed on the roofs of houses. The cawing of crows and ravens symbolizes sadness and grief in Hinduism, so devotees offer crows and ravens food to avert grief, Tihar among Gorkhas represents the divine attachment between humans and other animals. The second day is called Kukur Tihar and it is called the Khicha Puja by the Newars. People offer garlands, tika and delicious food to dogs and acknowledge the relationship between humans and dogs. Dogs occupy a place in Hindu mythology. As mentioned in the Mahabharata, Bhairava, a manifestation of Lord Shiva, had a dog as a vahana. Yama, the god of death, is believed to own two guard dogs – each with four eyes, the dogs are said to watch over the gates of Naraka, the Hindu concept of Hell. Owing to this belief, this day is observed as Naraka Chaturdashi. The morning of day is Gai Tihar. In Hinduism, cow signifies prosperity and wealth, in ancient times people benefited a lot from the cow. Its milk, dung, even urine was used for purposes like purification, thus, on this day people show their gratefulness to the cow by garlanding and feeding them with the best grass. Houses are cleaned and the doorways and windows are decorated with garlands made of sayapatri, from the third day onward tihar is celebrated with Deusi and Bhailo with light and fireworks. Deusi is mostly sung by the boys while the Bhailo is sung by the girls, Deusi is balladic and tells the story of the festival, with one person narrating and the rest as the chorus. In return the home owners give them money, fruit and selroti, nowadays social workers, politician, and young people visit local homes, sing these songs, and collect funds for welfare and social activities. Coincidentally, Laxmi Puja also marks the birthday of Laxmi Prasad Devkota, on the fourth day of Tihar, there are three different known pujas, depending on the peoples cultural background
5.
Singha Durbar
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Singha Durbar is a palace in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. The palace complex lies in the centre of Kathmandu, to the north of the Babar Mahal and Thapathali Durbar and this palace was built by Chandra Shumsher JBR in June 1908. It was built by Shumsher immediately after accession to the post of Prime Minister and it was initially a small private residence, but grew bigger during the construction. Immediately after construction Shumsher sold this property to the Government of Nepal for 20 million Nepali rupee as the residence of Prime minister. After his death in 1929, it was used as the residence of prime ministers of Rana dynasty except Padma Shumsher JBR. The last Rana Prime minister to occupy Singha Durbar was Mohan Shumsher JBR, even after the fall of Rana Dynasty in 1951, Mohan used this place, but in 1953 he was ordered by His Majestys Government to leave the palace which became a National Property. The structure was designed by Kumar Narsingh Rana, Kishor Narsingh Rana, the architecture of the palace is a unique example of merging building traditions, including Palladian, Corinthian, Neoclassical mansions along with Baroque architecture. Before the fire of 1973, Singha Durbar had 7 courtyards and 1700 rooms with marbled floor, painted ceilings, silver furniture, the State Hall is the largest and the most decorated room in this palace. Chandra Shumsher built a theater and named it Gallery Baithak. It is used as a parliament building, after the end of the hereditary Prime Minister system, the government of Nepal used this palace compound to house government offices. The palace compound is occupied by both chambers of the Parliament of Nepal and it holds 20 ministries and government offices. Singh Darbar is also the headquarters of Radio Nepal and Nepal Television, on Monday,9 July 1973, a huge fire broke out in Singha Durbar engulfing all three wings of the palace except the front facing wing. To prevent the front wing from catching fire, cannon destroyed three wings facing North, South and West, after the fire was put out, the whole area was rebuilt on the old foundation. Singha Durbar was seriously damaged during the April 2015 Nepal earthquake and it was designated unsafe and was condemned. Babar Mahal Thapathali Durbar Rana palaces of Nepal
6.
Kukri
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The kukri or khukuri is a Nepalese knife with an inwardly curved blade, similar to a machete, used as both a tool and as a weapon in Nepal. Traditionally it was, and in many cases still is, the utility knife of the Nepalese people. The khukuri often appears in Nepalese heraldry and is used in traditional rituals such as wedding ceremonies. In India, it has also hypothesized that the kukri was the origin of the kopis. Similar instruments have existed in several forms throughout South Asia and were used both as weapons and as tools, such as for sacrificial rituals, burton writes that the British Museum housed a large kukri-like ancient Nepal falchion inscribed with writing in Pali. Among the oldest existing kukri are those belonging to Drabya Shah, the kukri came to be known to the Western world when the East India Company came into conflict with the growing Gorkha Kingdom, culminating in the Gurkha War of 1814–1816. It gained literary attention in the 1897 novel Dracula by Irish author Bram Stoker, all Gurkha troops are issued with two kukri, a Service No.1 and a Service No.2, in modern times members of the Brigade of Gurkhas receive training in its use. The weapon gained fame in the Gurkha War and its use through both World War I and World War II enhanced its reputation among both Allied troops and enemy forces. Its acclaim was demonstrated in North Africa by one units situation report and it reads, Enemy losses, ten killed, ours nil. Elsewhere during the Second World War, the kukri was purchased and used by other British, Commonwealth and US troops training in India, including the Chindits, the notion of the Gurkha with his kukri carried on through to the Falklands War. On 2 September 2010, Bishnu Shrestha, a retired Indian Army Gurkha soldier, alone and armed only with a kukri and he was reported to have killed three of the bandits, wounded eight more and forced the rest of the band to flee. A contemporaneous report in the Times of India, that includes an interview with Shrestha, the kukri is designed primarily for chopping. The shape varies a great deal from being quite straight to highly curved with angled or smooth spines, there are substantial variations in dimensions and blade thickness depending on intended tasks as well as the region of origin and the smith that produced it. As a general guide the spines vary from 5–10 mm at the handle, a kukri designed for general purpose is commonly 40–45 cm in overall length and weighs approximately 450–900 grams. Larger examples are impractical for use and are rarely found except in collections or as ceremonial weapons. Smaller ones are of limited utility, but very easy to carry. Another factor that affects its weight and balance is the construction of the blade, to reduce weight while keeping strength the blade might be hollow forged, or a fuller is created. Kukris are made several different types of fuller including, tin chira, dui chira, angkhola
7.
Kathmandu
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Kathmandu is the capital city of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, the largest Himalayan state in Asia. Kathmandu is also the largest metropolis in the Himalayan hill region, the city stands at an elevation of approximately 1,400 metres above sea level in the bowl-shaped Kathmandu Valley of central Nepal. The valley is termed as Nepal Proper and has been the home of Newar culture. The city was the capital of the Kingdom of Nepal and hosts palaces. It has been home to the headquarters of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation since 1985, today, it is the seat of government of the Nepalese republic established in 2008, and is part of the Bagmati Zone in Nepalese administrative geography. Kathmandu has been the center of Nepals history, art, culture and it has a multiethnic population within a Hindu and Buddhist majority. Religious and cultural festivities form a part of the lives of people residing in Kathmandu. Tourism is an important part of the economy as the city is the gateway to the Nepalese Himalayas, there are also seven casinos in the city. In 2013, Kathmandu was ranked third among the top ten upcoming travel destinations in the world by TripAdvisor, historic areas of Kathmandu were devastated by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake on 25 April 2015. Nepali is the most spoken language in the city, while English is understood by the citys educated residents, the city of Kathmandu is named after Kasthamandap temple, that stood in Durbar Square. In Sanskrit, Kāṣṭha means wood and Maṇḍap means covered shelter and this temple, also known as Maru Satal in the Newar language, was built in 1596 by Biseth in the period of King Laxmi Narsingh Malla. The two-story structure was entirely of wood, and used no iron nails nor supports. According to legend, all the used to build the pagoda was obtained from a single tree. The structure collapsed during the earthquake on 25 April 2015. The colophons of ancient manuscripts, dated as late as the 20th century, the city is called Kāṣṭhamaṇḍap in a vow that Buddhist priests still recite to this day. Thus, Kathmandu is also known as Kāṣṭhamaṇḍap, during medieval times, the city was sometimes called Kāntipur. This name is derived from two Sanskrit words – Kānti and pur, Kānti is a word that stands for beauty and is mostly associated with light and pur means place. Thus, giving it a meaning as City of light, among the indigenous Newar people, Kathmandu is known as Yeṃ Deśa, and Patan and Bhaktapur are known as Yala Deśa and Khwopa Deśa
8.
Tharu people
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The Tharu people are an ethnic group indigenous to the southern foothills of the Himalayas, most of the Tharu people live in the Nepal Terai. Some Tharu groups also live in the Indian Terai, foremost in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, the Tharus are recognized as an official nationality by the Government of Nepal. The Government of India recognizes the Tharu people as a scheduled tribe, as of 2011, the Tharu population of Nepal was censused at 1,737,470 people, or 6. 6% of the total population. In 2009, the majority of Tharu people were estimated to live in Nepal, in 2001, Tharu people were the largest of five scheduled tribes in Uttarakhand, with a population of 256,129 accounting for 33. 4% of all scheduled tribes. In the same year, they constituted 77. 4% of the tribal population of Uttar Pradesh with a population of 83,544. The Tharu people themselves say that they are a people of the forest, in Chitwan, they have lived in the forests for hundreds of years practicing a short fallow shifting cultivation. The Tharus never went abroad for employment – a life that kept them isolated in their own localities, in this isolation they developed a unique culture free from the influence of adjacent India, or from the mountain groups of Nepal. Much of the design is rooted in devotional activities and passed on from one generation to the next. The Deukheri Tharu are known for their colorful, shell and/or feather decorated basketry, in the western Terai, most Rana Tharu prefer living in Badaghar called longhouses with big families of many generations, sometimes 40-50 people. All household members pool their labor force, contribute their income, share the expenditure, Tharus from the mid west and far west of Nepal have been practicing the Badghar system, where a Badghar is elected chief of a village or a small group of villages for a year. The election generally takes place in the month of Magh, after celebrating the Maghi Festival, in most cases, each household in the village which engages in farming has one voting right for electing a Badghar. Thus the election is based on a count of households count rather than a headcount, the role of the Badghar is to work for the welfare of the village. The Badghar direct the villagers to repair canals or streets when needed and they also oversee and manages the cultural traditions of the villages. They have an authority of punishing those who do not follow their orders or who go against the welfare of the village, generally the Badghar has a Chaukidar to help him. With the consent of the villagers the Badghar may appoint aGuruwa who is the medic, as Tharus society is mainly involved in farming, irrigation is one of the most important aspects of the community. Tharus in western Nepal built canals that irrigate thousands of hectares of land, hundreds of years ago, without using any sophisticated tools, they built hundreds of kilometers of irrigation canals in the Kailali and Bardiya districts of Nepal. An irrigation canal could be used by several villages and its water and diversion works need to be managed fairly. For this purpose, the Badghars of different villages elect a person for the position of Chaudhary to manage a canal system, when needed, the Chaudhary orders the Badghars to send people to repair or build the canals
9.
Dhoti
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The dhoti, also known as vesti, dhuti, mardani, dhoteé, chaadra, dhotra, and pancha, is a traditional mens garment, worn in the Indian subcontinent mainly by Indian, Nepalese and Bangladeshi people. It is worn predominantly in the countries of India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and it is the national dress of the Madhesh region of southern Nepal, worn mainly by Nepalis of Madhesi, Tharu and Maithali ethnicity. It is a piece of unstitched cloth, usually around 4.5 metres long, wrapped around the waist. The word dhoti is derived from dhauti, meaning to cleanse or wash, in the context of clothing, it simply refers to the cleansed garment which was worn during shrauta sacrifices or religious sessions in general. They also wear a loose, unstitched cloth, shorter than the pancha, hare Krishna, known for its distinctive dress code, prompts Western adherents to wear pancha, usually of saffron or white cloth folded in a traditional style. Mahatma Gandhi invariably wore a pancha on public occasions but, as he was aware that it was considered indecent to do so in countries, was shocked when a friend wore one in London. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was known for wearing a silk dhoti
10.
Jamdani
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Jamdani is one of the finest muslin textiles of Bengal, produced in Dhaka District, Bangladesh for centuries. The historic production of jamdani was patronized by imperial warrants of the Mughal emperors, under British colonialism, the Bengali jamdani and muslin industries rapidly declined due to colonial import policies favoring industrially manufactured textiles. In more recent years, the production of jamdani has witnessed a revival in Bangladesh, the traditional art of weaving jamdani has been declared by UNESCO as a Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Jamdani was originally known as Dhakai named after the city of Dhaka, under the Mughal Empire the Persian term Jamdani came to be in popular use, since it was the court language of the Mughals. The term Jamdani is Persian deriving from Jam, meaning flower, and Dani, jamdanis are popularly known as Dhakai Jamdani or simply Dhakai. The earliest mention of jamdani and its development as an industry is found into Dhaka, the origin of the Jamdani is shrouded in mystery. The word Jamdani is of Persian origin, Jam meaning flower, the earliest mention of origin of Jamdani and its development as an industry is found in Kautilyas Arthashastra, where it is stated that this fine cloth was used in Bangla and Pundra. Its mention is found in the book of Periplus of the Eritean Sea and in the accounts of Arab, Chinese. Jamdani is a hand woven fabric made of cotton, which historically was referred to as muslin. Jamdani weaving tradition is of Bengali origin and it is one of the most time and labor-intensive forms of hand loom weaving. It is undoubtedly one of the varieties of finest muslin and it has been spoken of as the most artistic textile of the Bangladeshi weaver. Traditionally woven around Dhaka and created on the loom brocade, jamdani is fabulously rich in motifs, the Jamdani weaving tradition is of Bengali origin. It is one of the most time and labor-intensive forms of hand loom weaving, in the first half of the nineteenth century, James Taylor described the figured or flowered jamdani, in the late nineteenth century, T. N. Mukharji referred to this fabric as jamdani muslin. Whether figured or flowered, jamdani is a fabric in cotton. It has been spoken of as the most artistic textile of the Bangladeshi weaver and they are traditionally woven around Dhaka, Bangladesh, and on the brocade loom. This is a supplementary weft technique of weaving, where the motifs are produced by a non-structural weft. The standard weft creates a fine, sheer fabric while the weft with thicker threads adds the intricate patterns to it. Each supplementary weft motif is added separately by hand by interlacing the weft threads into the warp with fine bamboo sticks using individual spools of thread, the result is a myriad of vibrant patterns that appear to float on a shimmering surface
11.
Muslin
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Muslin is a cotton fabric of plain weave. It is made in a range of weights from delicate sheers to coarse sheeting. It gets its name from the city of Mosul, Iraq, early muslin was handwoven of uncommonly delicate handspun yarn, especially in the region around Dhaka, Bengal. It was imported into Europe for much of the 17th and early 18th centuries, fine linen muslin was formerly known as sindon. In 2013, the art of weaving Jamdani muslin in Bangladesh was included in the list of Masterpieces of the Oral. Muslin from French mousseline, from Italian mussolina, from Mussolo ‘Mosul’, although this view has the fabric named after the city where Europeans first encountered it, the fabric is believed to have originated in Dhakeshwari, now Dhaka the capital of Bangladesh. In the 9th century, an Arab merchant named Sulaiman made note of the origin in Bengal. Bengali muslin was traded throughout the Muslim world, from the Middle East to Southeast Asia, in many Islamic regions, such as in Central Asia, the cloth was named Daka, after the city of Dhaka. Some believe Crusaders of the First Crusade found the cloth in the Middle East, subsequently, the word Muslin found its place in various European languages as French mousseline, Italian mussolina etc. In 1298, Marco Polo described the cloth in his book The Travels and he said it was made in Mosul, Iraq. During the 17th and 18th centuries, Mughal Bengal emerged as the foremost muslin exporter in the world, during the Roman period Khadi muslin was introduced in Europe and a vast amounts of fabrics were traded to Europe for many centuries. It became highly popular in 18th-century France and eventually spread across much of the Western world, brutality to muslin weavers was intense, William Bolts noting in 1772 that instances have been known of their cutting off their thumbs to prevent their being forced to wind silk. As a result, the quality of muslin suffered greatly and its finesse was nearly lost for two centuries, there have been various attempts at reviving the muslin industry in modern Bangladesh. At the end of the 16th century the English traveler Ralph Fitch greatly admired the muslin of Sonargaon, the Portuguese traveler Duarte Barbosa described the muslin of Bengal in the early 16th century. He mentioned a few types of fabrics, such as estrabante, mamona, fugoza, choutara, in present day, many different types of muslins are produced in many different places, including Dhaka. The word muslin is used colloquially. Under British rule, the British East India company could not compete with the local Muslin with their own export of cloth to India, Muslin production was repressed and the knowledge eradicated. Local weavers were systematically rounded up and their hands mutilated with removal of their thumbs, when sewing clothing, a dressmaker may test the fit of a garment, using an inexpensive muslin fabric before cutting pieces from expensive fabric, thereby avoiding potential costly mistakes
12.
Pokhara
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Pokhara is a metropolitan and the largest city of Nepal in terms of Area, which was announced after merging it with Lekhnath municipality and other neighbouring VDCs. It is the headquarter of Gandaki Zone and Kaski District and it is located 200 kilometres west of the capital Kathmandu. Despite being a smaller valley than Kathmandu, its geography varies dramatically within just few kilometres from north to south. The altitude varies from 827 metres in the part to 1,740 metres in the north. Additionally, the Annapurna Range with three out of the ten highest mountains in the world — Dhaulagiri, Annapurna I and Manaslu — are within approximately 15 –35 miles of the valley. Due to its proximity to the Annapurna mountain range, the city is also a base for trekkers undertaking the Annapurna Circuit through the ACAP region of the Annapurna ranges in the Himalayas, Pokhara is home to many Gurkha soldiers. It is the most expensive city in the country, with an index of 150. Pokhara is in the corner of the Pokhara Valley, which is a widening of the Seti Gandaki valley that lies in the midland region of the Himalayas. In this region the mountains rise very quickly, and within 30 kilometres, as a result of this sharp rise in altitude the area of Pokhara has one of the highest precipitation rates in the country. The Seti Gandaki is the river flowing through the city. The Seti Gandaki and its tributaries have created several gorges and canyons in and around Pokhara that gives intriguingly long sections of terrace features to the city and these long sections of terraces are interrupted by gorges that are hundreds of metres deep. The Seti gorge runs through Pokhara from north to south and then west to east, in the north and south, the canyons are wider. In the south, the city borders Phewa Tal at an elevation of about 827 metres above sea level, Pokhara, the city of lakes, is the second largest city of Nepal after Kathmandu. Three 8, 000-metre peaks can be seen from the city, the Machhapuchhre with an elevation of 6,993 metres is the closest to the city. The porous underground of the Pokhara valley favours the formation of caves, in the south of the city, a tributary of the Seti flowing out of the Phewa Lake disappears at Patale Chhango into an underground gorge, to reappear 500 metres further south. To the southeast of Pokhara is the municipality of Lekhnath, an established town in the Pokhara valley. The city has a subtropical climate, however, the elevation keeps temperatures moderate. Summer temperatures average between 25 and 33 °C, in winter around -2 to 15 °C, Pokhara and nearby areas receive a high amount of precipitation
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