A memorable trip to Kalinchowk - Paradise of Nepal

The mid- March of 2016 is a day that I mark on my calendar for not only a memorable trip to Kalinchowk but also the day of my re-birth. My life was in a slack since the day I planned this trip with group of 2-3 friends to come together and share our living space besides the mundane chores which we usually stick to. I called them a week ago and when they came to visit me I put my offer and they agreed impromptu. The only thing was giving time to materialize after adjusting our schedules. So, on Friday we started our journey as we left our home early in the morning with Tata jeep. We had all the necessities of this trip in a small luggage at the boot. Our drive was long we reached at Dulikhel and passed by Kathmandu University.

Enjoying beautiful sceneries, village settlements we reached Dolalghat. I was familiar to this area because during school days we had picnics in Dolalghat. We stopped here in a motel and had quick snacks and tea which we carried with us. The next trail was from Khadichaur to Charikot. This 15 miles journey was fulfilling experience for us. The terrains were lush green with mist of fog. I was left spell bound by the Mother Nature’s beauty.

Coming at Mudhey, we took a break, had our lunch and navigated the misty countryside from our eyesight. One can immediately feel the difference, even though we live in different parts of same country. How beautiful and poignant is our natural resources. I feel proud to be a part of the Himalayas. We drove towards Kharidhunga and when we reached there we found limestone surfaced fields. The ride was bumpy but due to excellent traction from our four-wheeler we felt less of it. It was soon after sunset we reached Charikot. We spend a night at a hotel in Charikot. The people at Charikot were cordial and some of them acclimatized us about reaching the Kalinchowk temple. We knew that their suggestion would be valuable to us because they had more knowledge and experience than us. Next day, we woke up at 5 a.m. in the morning and got ready. After hearty breakfast we left for Kalinchowk. When we were close to Kuri bazzar, I felt now I will get a glimpse of breath taking view of Mountains and the scenery.

When we got there I felt I was not in Nepal but in another land of foreign country. O how beautiful is my country! It is no less than Switzerland. As seen in the movies, the place was surrounded by snow covered mountains.

The hotels in Kuri were filled with droplets of snow at the roof. I felt I was part of some English movie like Cold Mountain. At first I was concerned about whether I will be able to ascent the steep trail but while climbing our determination was strong and it gave us the courage to trek all the way up.

On the road, I found out that even soft chhurpis exist and it was here right in front of us. I took a Chhurpi in the size of banana and climbed up the trail to Kalinchowk bhagwati temple.The most exhilarating event was climbing upstairs. It tested our physical condition but we managed to reach the temple. The morning view with a glimpse of snow-capped mountains of Ganesh himal, Langtang Ri, Jugal himal, Gauri Shankar, Himalayan panorama was breath taking. Kalinchowk temple belongs to goddess bhagwati or Kali famous for fulfilling desires of pilgrims. The tridents and bells made the holy temple beckoning and I felt that we must offer our prayers to the goddess. After few hours of this memorable experience at Kalinchowk we returned back to our hotel through Kuri where we stopped for a meal. We checked out from hotel at Charikot and drove back to Kathmandu revisiting the trails that led us to our homes. We reached Koteshwor late in the evening and came back to our home. I spend some time chatting with my family about this trip had supper and slept peacefully. Next day, recalling about Kalinchowk trek, I realized we humans are no machine, we have spirits that want our freedom. So, a trip like this is highly recommended to recharge our batteries!