Lumbini (Birth Place of Lord Buddha): On the plains south of the foothills of the Churia range, lies Lumbini, birthplace of Gautam, ( Lord Buddha). Lumbini is a sacred place for Buddhists from all over the world. It is on an equal footing with holy places sacred to other world religions. As millions of Christians look to Jerusalem for inspiration and millions of Muslims turn to Mecca, so do three hundred million Buddhists in the sacred Kingdom of Nepal look to Lumbini”.

Ashokan Pillar: In 1895 A.D.a German archaeologist whilst wandering the foothills of the Chuira range, discovered a huge stone pillar erected by Emperor Ashoka in 250 B.C. The pillar was erected by him on his 20th coronation to pay homage to the birth place of Buddha. It is said to mark the site where the Buddha was born .

The stone pillar bears the following inscription :
King Piyadasi, beloved of the gods, having been annointed twenty years, came himself and worshipped saying: "Here Buddha Sakyamuni was born. The village of Lumbini has been made one free of taxes and a recipient of wealth.” (Translated from Brahmi).

The Temple of Maya Devi:
The temple of Maya Devi contains a stone relief depicting the birth scene of Lord Buddha. The base of the relief shows Maya Devi (the mother of Lord Buddha) supporting herself by holding on to a branch of a Sal tree, the newborn infant is depicted standing upright on a lotus pedestal. Two celestial figures are engaged in the act of pouring both water and lotuses from the heaven. The Maya Devi shrine has been worshipped by Hindus and Buddhists since the beginning of the Christian era, it is believed to have been built over the foundation of at least one earlier temple or stupa.

To the south of the Maya Devi Temple is the famous sacred pool of ' Pushkarni ‘ thought to be the same sacred pool in which Queen Maya Devi bathed just before giving birth to Buddha. It is also believed to be the pool where the infant Buddha was given his first purification bath. The structure consists of three projecting terraces in descending order and fastened with fine brick masonry.

Muktinath :
The famous temple of Lord Muktinath lies at an altitude of 3,749m in the district of Mustang,18km northeast of Jomsom (20 minutes trans himalayan flight north of Pokhara). The temple is situated on a high plateau, it is a very holy pilgrimage site for both Hindus and Buddhists. Muktinath is reached the easy way by a flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara, followed by a flight to Jomsom and a few hours trek to the temple. The more scenic way, is to trek in from Pokhara for eight days, a trek that takes you through some fascinating old villages. You can either trek out or fly back to Pokhara from Jomsom.

Gorkha :
Gorkha is the birthplace of King Prithvi Narayan Shah, the great founder of modern Nepal who unified the country in 1768 A.D. Situated on a hill overlooking the Nepal Himalaya lies the Kings Palace known as Gorkha Durbar, there are two attractive temples of Gorakhnath and Kali inside the palace precinct. Gorkha is reached in five hours by road from Kathmandu or four hours from Pokhara. A side trip to Manakamana Temple is well worth while,Manakamana temple celebrates both mind and soul, it is a famous pilgrimage site. Best reached by cable car from Kurintar 80 kms on the main highway towards Pokhara from Kathmandu.

Helambu :
Helambu lies immediately northwest of Kathmandu , the area provides some fine scenary and village trekking,there are many Buddhist monasteries amidst the rich cultural heritage and attractive landscape. Sundarijal, the starting point to trek to Helambu is 11km from Kathmandu.

Daman :
For those seeking the ultimate pan-Himalayan view, Daman ( 4 hours by road from Kathmandu ) provides a fine example. Located 80km southwest of the Kathmandu valley, the small town is situated at an altitude of 2,400m.from here there are extreme views of the entire Himalayan range. It is located on the Tribhuvan Highway between Kathmandu and a town called Birgunj.

Janakpur :
Janakpur is one of the holiest towns in Nepal,the famous birthplace of Sita, the wife of Lord Ram. There is an extremely intricate and artistic marble temple dedicated to Sita (Janaki), popularly known as Naulakha Mandir.Religious festivals,trade fairs and other festivals are held here on Bivaha Panchami ,the marriage day of Ram and Sita and Ram Navami, the birthday of Ram. Janakpur is linked with Kathmandu by air (35 mins) and road ( 9 hours, 375km).

Biratnagar :
The town is the second largest in Nepal.It acts as a tourist transit point for visits to Ilam a district famous for its tea gardens along with the Indian destinations of Darjeeling, Sikkim and Kalimpong in Northern India. These regions are very popular study venues with many private and missionary schools situated there. 117 kms from Biratnagar lies Karkabitta, the small border town between Nepal and India. Darjeeling can be reached in five hours by jeep from here.

Bandipur :
Is located on a 1000m ridge in Tanahu district,140km west from Kathmandu towards Pokhara . Bandipur is a charming hill town surrounded by some splendid scenary.

At the eastern edge of the town is the pagoda-roof Bindabasini temple which houses Goddess Durga (godess of destruction), she is the guardian deity of the town. The rich wooden carvings and detailed brass work that decorate the temple are replicas of those found in the many old pagoda structures of the Kathmandu valley. The other important temples and shrines in the surrounding area include the Mahalaxmi temple with its beautiful woodwork and the Khadga Devi temple. There are also some pleasant day hikes from the town.

Manakamana :
The temple of Manakamana lies at the top of 1,302m hill. Manakamana is one of the manifestations of the Hindu Goddess Bhagwati, believed to have the power to fulfil all wishes. It is one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in Nepal, situated 135 kms to the west of Kathmandu.

It is a steep three-hour hike to the temple, the easiest way is to take the cable car at Kurintar on the main road. Day package tours are available that allow you to be back in Kathmandu the same day, alternatively there are a range of hotels if you want to extend your stay.

Tansen :
Tansen is a small hill town of approximately twenty thousand people on the way from Pokhara to Lumbini and Chitwan National Park. The town is located 1659 metres above sea level on the south flank of Srinagar hill. Tansen has a very tranquil atmosphere with a moderate tempreture throughout the year. The town has a very ancient culture and inhabited with very friendly people, there are also some excellent mountain views.

Inhabitants are mostly Newar and Magar, they have long been known as staunch warriors. The Kings of Tansen exercised great power over western Nepal in the fifteenth century . Palpa, their Kingdom was the last to be defeated by the conquering Gurkhas.

The inhabitants of the region became even more famous in the Anglo Nepal war of the early 1800”s. Col.Ujir Singh Thapa who commanded the army in the region was in an extremely weak situation at the time. His men were outnumbered four to one by the British forces, he was desperate and asked for divine help before going into battle. He promised to build a temple to Goddess Bhagwati (who is ferocious and loves blood sacrifices), if she would help him. He repelled the British In 1815. He kept his word and built a temple to the Goddess.

Amar Singh Thapa, another great champion of the Anglo-Nepal war had a special feeling for Tansen. When he was governor of the town he brought highly skilled artisans from the Kathmandu valley to build the Amar Narayan temple . The temple's woodcarvings were remarkable, puja was offered here everyday to Lord Vishnu.

Tansen is unspoilt by tourism and far away from any urban activity . On clear days mountain views can be clearly seen from Srinagar, a hill standing at 1659mtrs. 20 mins trek up from the town. Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, Manaslu, Gauri Shankar and other peaks are all visiable. The hill also provides some good walks with dense pine and rhododendron forest.
Ilam :
Ilam is a hill station situated in far eastern Nepal. The region is famous for its tea gardens. Ilam tea and the lesser known Kanyam teas are said to rival the best teas of Darjeeling nowadays.The town is reached from Kathmandu by bus (16 hours). The best alternative is to fly to Biratnagar or to Bhadrapur , followed by a drive to Ilam. Simple accomodation, tele-communication, e-mail, internet, restaurants and local transportation are available in the town.

Sights :-
Antu Danda : (1677mtrs) is an ideal location for views of Mt Everest and Kanchanjunga, particularly at sunrise and sunset.
Mai Pokhari : lies approximately 13 kms north of Ilam Bazaar, situated at an altitude of 2438 metres, it is a famous place or pilgrimage.