Pilgrims Tours
Situated in the lap of Himalayas, Nepal has been renowned for centuries as a pristine place for religion, peace and salvation. Nepal has been enjoying the honor of being the place of penance and spiritual gratification for sages, saints and rishis for the time immemorial. It is the place where centuries old temples of several Hindu gods and goddesses, sitting on the banks of holy rivers: Bagmati, Koshi and Gandaki, continue to attract devotees from far and wide; where many tributaries of holy Ganga originate from snow-capped Himalayas flowing down to Indian plains; where bountiful Nature shelters sages meditating at the foot hills of Luminous mountains or by side of tranquil holy waters; where the apostle of peace Lord Buddha, was born 2,500 years ago; where puranas (Hindu Holy Scriptures) praise each of the hundreds of temples and monasteries spread across the country; and where diversity thrives in harmony.
As religion is a source of civilization and culture in every society and country, its importance is always on the rise. It is well known that Nepal harbors four major Hindu religious sites: Mukti Kshetra, Pashupat Kshetra, Barah Kshetra and Baidyanath Kshetra and the holiest Buddhist site: Lumbini. In addition to that, Nepal is a place where various ethnic groups with different religious practices live in perfect harmony. The aura and glory of Nepal have been enhanced especially because of the temple of Lord Pashupatinath and the birthplace of the Lord Buddha (“The Light of Asia”), Lumbini. A large number of tourists from different parts of the world especially South Asia and South East Asia visit Nepal every year as pilgrims .Thus, pilgrimage tourism has been growing as a prominent tourism sector in recent times.
Thus, Nepal has a unique and unrivaled glory because of the wide spectrum of values and experiences ranging from religious, ethnic, linguistic, cultural diversity to soft and hard adventures. All flavors and have an experience of a life time in the Himalayan land.
Janakpur:
Goddess Laxmi (Sita) was born as a daughter of King Janak in Dhanusha district of modern Nepal. A great religious place, Janakpur is famous as the birthplace of Sita, the consort of Lord Rama. There is an artistic marble temple of Sita (Janaki), popularly known as Naulakha Mandir. Religous festivals, pilgrimages, trade fairs and other festivities are held here on Bivaha Panchami and Ram Navami days. Janakpur is also linked with Kathmandu by air and road.
As there is no perfection of moon without Purnima (full moon), one can not complete religious pilgrimage without visiting Mithila, Janakpur, remains unobstructed. As a result, one gets the companionship of Lord Rama after death, say Shruti and Smriti Puranas.
Lumbini :
Lumbini is the birth of place of Lord Buddha and has been declared as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO. It is small town in the southern Terai plains of Nepal, where the ruins of the old city can still be seen. At the age of 84, he left this world with thousands of followers to keep Buddhism alive. Lumbini has since been a holy ground for Buddhists all over the world. The restored garden and surroundings of Lumbini have the remains of many of the ancient stupas and monasteries. A large stone pillar erected by the Indian Emperor Ashoka in 250 BC bears an inscription about the birth of the Buddha. An important part of Lumbini is the temple of Maya Devi. It has stone image of Maya Devi giving birth to Lord Buddha as she holds onto a branch.
An important archaeological site near Lumbini, Kapilvastu evokes the ancient palace where Lord Buddha spent his formative years. Scattered foundations of the palace are abundant and archeologists have by now discovered 13 successive layers of human habitation dating back to the eighth century BC.
Lumbini is the birthplace of Lord Buddha, the apostle of peace, and nonviolence. It is situated 250 kilometers southwest of Kathmandu. It is accessible by air from Kathmandu to Bhairahawa. Also one can reach Lumbini in about 3 hours by bus or car from Tansen via Bhairahawa. From Kathmandu it takes about eight hours by bus or car.
