Panauti is 32km from Kathmandu. The drive is estimated to be 2 hours from here. Panauti is a UNESCO town and a living museum with 40 ancient temples & 28 festivals.
One of the oldest towns in Nepal, Panauti offers a poignant look at the passage of time. To say that you would feel like you have literally travelled back decades would be an understatement. From the crowded bus stand in the sprawling concrete mess of the new town, you slip down a brick street into the Old Bazaar, the remains of an ordered and prosperous medieval city that would have been a wonder to behold in its heyday.
Very few people know that before Panauti, this historic town was actually called Palaati. In Newari language, ‘Pa’ mean bamboo, ‘La’ means a rock and ‘Ti’ means a place of pilgrimage. Hence, “Palati” which through the wear and tear of the ages eventually become Panauti. Before becoming part of Bhaktapur, Panauti was an independent town. It is said that Kind Bhupatindra Malla gave the town of Panauti to his sister in dowry during that time.
I’m not even kidding when I say there are so many temples to visit in Panauti. It’s uncanny how such a small town could be home to such rich culture. A small wonder indeed!
Breakfast comes first!
Grab a big breakfast at Café Lampati before you head
off temple hunting. Hidden under the roof of a former temple outbuilding, this
restaurant-bar shines like a lighthouse in the fog.
Indreshwor mahadev temple
It is the largest temple in Panauti, the most
popular, and of course an absolute gem to look at and observe! A three storied
pagoda style temple that flaunts the Nepali architecture in a magnificent way!
Unmatta Bhairava temple
While you’re in the Indreshwor Mahadev temple, in
the same courtyard, you’ll be greeted by the Unmatta Bhairava temple. This
temple dedicated to the Bhairava is another delight to look at.
Tula Narayan temple
To the east of the Indreshwor Mahadev is the Tula
Narayan temple. This temple is dedicated to the Narayan and the highlight is
the 9 feet tall Narayan statue covered in smooth black stone.
Panauti Museum
The Panauti Museaum stands next to the tourism
office. It has a gem of a collection including an antique walking-stick sword,
straw-brush comb and the gall bladder of an elephant. The museum was
established in 2011 by the local people to provide a roof for smaller
artifacts.
Bansha Gopal Temple
Dedicated to the prankster god Krishna, this temple
is located at the Triveni Ghat and is supposed to refer to the one mischief by
God Krishna: the Bastra Haran prank which he did when the Gopis were taking a
bath in the river.
Brahmayani Temple
The temple was built in honour of Brahmayani, the
chief goddess of the village. If you’re planning your visit at this time of the
year, you might just catch a glimpse of the annual chariot festival. The image
from the temple is hauled around town during the lively annual chariot festival,
marking the end of the monsoon.
Pashupati Temple
Another delight to look at amidst the historical
town is this peculiar piece!
Layaku Durbar
Layaku Palace, or rather, what remains of it, is a
playground for kids and is basically an archaeological remain. Legend has it
that this is a place where the royal palace of Panauti used to be but Panauti hasn’t had its own kingdom for a long long time.
A lot of temples, eh? There are more! I’m not sure
you’d be able to catch up with all in one day, but if you want to, go ahead, here
is the list: Jaleshwor Mahadev, Badri Narayan Temple, Dhaneshwor Mahadev
Temple, Ram Temple, Kedarnath Temple, Mukteshwor Mahadev Temple, Maneshsori
Temple, Gorakhnath Temple, Madhav Narayan Temple, Sankat Narayan Temple,
Shitala Mai Temple, Batsaladevi Temple, Matya Narayan Temple, Basuki Naag,
Panchamukhi Mahadev, Bhagwati Temple, Kaathganesh Temple, and Dharmadhaatu
Mahabihar.
Lunch time, it is!
After that hell of a cultural detour, grab some
lunch at Namaste café near to the entrance of the Indreshwor Mahadev Temple.
Namo Buddha circuit
If you’re up for it, take a route to Namo Buddha
monastery. You could prepare a small picnic to enjoy with your loved ones
because the view there is breathtaking and you could learn about the famous
story of there. The drive there would take you from anywhere around 35 – 40
mins, considering it is 10.3 km from Panauti. Usually people go hiking from
Panauti to Namo Buddha but hiking can take up to 3 hours and that depends on
your pace; not judging of course!
Makaitar orange garden
If you didn’t know it yet, Panauti is also home to
oranges and if you were on the hike mentioned prior to this from Namo Buddha,
you’d see a number or orange gardens on the way. However, if you want to, take
a ride to one of the famous orange gardens here: Makaitar Orange Garden. It is
a little ahead of Panauti.
Khopasi Bridge
Khopasi is about 3 km ahead of Panauti and is said
to be another quaint town frozen in time. The bridge heading to there is
another beautiful journey in itself.
Balthali Village Resort
If you have the time, please do visit Balthali, a
little ahead of Panauti. It is popular for its rustic rural surroundings and
offers some stunning mountain views. The name Balthali Villare Resort is gaining
fame. What you could do is, stay here for the night after a wonderful journey
around Panauti.
But don’t you dare think this is all there is to
Panauti! As the aforementioned chariot festival at the end of mansoon festival,
Panauti has a lot more to offer, perhaps more than your tray can handle. If you
align your visit with that time of the year, catch the 12 year makar mela,
Panauti jatra, Yomari Punhi jatra, devi naach or the Namo Buddha jatra You know
what, on second thought, one day just might not be enough for Panauti!
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