As Nepal’s Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal Friday kicks off a campaign to draw 1 million tourists to the country next year, the campaign will receive a boost from the launch of a forgotten epic on the life and teachings of the Buddha, that has been resurrected by a prestigious western publisher. The Oxford University Press, US has brought out an English translation of “Sugata Saurabha” - literally meaning the fragrance of the Buddha, an epic written in Newari, the language used by the indigenous Newar community of Kathmandu valley who claim to have descended from the same Shakya dynasty in which the Buddha was born nearly 2,500 years ago. It is the work of Newar poet Chittadhar Hridaya, regarded as one of the greatest literary figures in Nepal in the 20th century. The epic was said to have been written by Hridaya while he was imprisoned by Nepal’s dictatorial Rana rulers for having written a poem that displeased them. It has been translated ...

An unprecedented cycling venture, on an unmarked route Muktinath to Lo-manthang - David Yonjan Mustang is located in the north-east of Nepal, bordering China (Tibet) on the Central Asian plateau between the Nepalese provinces of Dolpo and Manang. It is roughly 80 km long (north-south) and 45 km at its widest, and is at an elevation of over 2500 m. Lo Manthang! I had never heard the name before and my imagination was running wild trying to put a picture to the place. So I did what any normal person would do in such a situation. I googled ‘Lo Manthang’ and was instantly flooded with information! Lo Manthang – a walled city, is the capital of Mustang, an ancient Himalayan kingdom at an elevation of nearly 3800 ...

Unfolding the mysteries of Tibet - Ngawang Tenpa Ratutsang Devotees and culture enthusiasts travel from all over the world to catch a glimpse of the Jokhng Temple , Potala the Winter palace, and Norbulingka the summer palace of Tibet. The Rooftop of the World, the true abode of the Dalai Lama, Tibet is famous all over the world as the destination for people in search of spirituality and true peace of mind. Even after Tibet was invaded by China and the Dalai Lama was forced into exile in Dharamsala forcing thousands of Tibetans to flee as refugees to Nepal and other neighboring countries, Tibetans have managed to cling to their rich culture. Nestled in the Himalayas, Tibet has many topographical wonders to boast of. It is composed largely of mountains, southern and northern Tibet plateau lake areas, and eastern Tibet high mountain valley areas. The region boasts of more than 50 peaks each with a height of over 7000 meters and five over 8000 meters. Tibet is also home to three world class nature reserves, namely Qomolangma (Mount Everest), Northern Tibet Changtang and Eastern Tibet Yarlung Zangbo (Tsangpo in Tibetan) Grand Canyon Nature Reserve. Devotees and culture enthusiasts travel from all over the world to catch a glimpse of the Jokhng Temple established in the 7th Century, Potala-the Winter palace, and Norbulingka, the summer palace of Tibet.