Around Tansen and its History
The picturesque hill town of Tansen lies on the lap of the
well-known Shrinagar Hills. Headquarters of the Palpa district, Tansen is also
the hub of cultural renaissance. It falls on the way to Pokhara in Siddhartha
Highway. The charming natural setting combines with its rich cultural heritage
to give visitors a wholesome holiday.
Tansen also offers
enchanting walks leading to interesting sites, whether it is a day of traverse
around Shrinagar Hills or few-days backpacking along River Kaligandaki. In
addition Tansen qualifies as a pilgrim’s choice, given its several Hindu
temples.
Palpa was the seat of the Sen kingdom that ruled over this
region from 16th century for almost 300 years, which gives it a historical
touch. A specialty of the region is the much popular Palpali Dhaka, weaved
here.
Places to Visit
There are many places around Tansen which are quite
interesting for visitors in terms of scenary and historical importance.
Shrinagar Hill provides excellent views of the Himalayas
Annapurna, Dhaulagiri range and the surrounding valley. Tansen Bazaar to the
summit of Shrinagar Hill is a short, pleasant hike across forest and passing
through several Hindu sites.
Ranighat is adorned by a marvellous building on the bank of
River Kaligandaki, built by the-then Rana governor of Palpa, Khadga Shumsher,
in memory of his wife Tej Kumari. The 7-kilometer trail from Tansen to Ranighat
is a steady slope passing through a narrow gorge. There are bird-watching and
fishing opportunities on the trekking trail from Tansen to Ranighat.
River Kaligandaki, one of the main tributaries of Gandaki,
is regarded sacred by Hindus. The fountainhead of Kaligandaki is at Muktinath
in Jomsom. From Muktinath it flows southwards creating the deepest gorge in the
world between the two-world famous mountain peaks Dhaulagiri and Annapurna.
Tourists can boat, raft in the river or trek along the shore enjoying beautiful
landscapes.
There are several holy and historical sites on the banks of
Kaligandaki, including the well-known Ranighat. Other popular sites to visit
are: Ridi, Ramdighat and Achammeshor – where a deep gorge cut by River Kali
Gandaki separates Gulmi and Syangja districts.
Madan Pokhara is a highly prosperous village near Tansen.
This beautiful valley is also culturally rich and has many temples that
pilgrims can visit. The popular temples are Kalanki Devi, Devisthan and
Mandabya. Madan Pokhara is linked to Siddhartha Highway.
Tanhu is another attractive village with mixed culture and
beautiful natural surroundings of mountains, forests and farmlands. One can
also see beautiful views of mountains from here. There are also temples of
Rambha Devi and Jalpa Devi in Tanahu. It is 32 kilometers from Tansen and can
be entered from Siddhartha Highway.
Arghali is considered the Banares of Nepal and it is where
Rana Prime Minister Juddha Shumsher spent the last days of his life. The
remains of the palace can still be seen in Arghali. Other nearby places to
visit are Rishikesh, Gayatri and Devisthan, the popular temples of
Arghali. A village of Mountains, forests
and farmlands, Arghali is situated close to the river Kaligandaki and Ridi. It
is 38 kilometers from Tansen.
Bhairabsthan is famous temple dedicated to Bhairab. The
Bhairab statue of the temple is hidden away for special reasons. Hundreds of
Pilgrims visit this temple every year. Beautiful views of mountains can also be
seen from this area. Bhairabsthan is only 10 kilometers from the district
headquarters Tansen.
Satyawati Lake, at 1,400 meters takes its name from Goddess
Satyawati from the Hindu mythology and is a popular pilgrimage site in the
area. It is equally attractive for other tourists considering that the trek is enjoyable
and the destination worth visit. One can enjoy beautiful views of Himalayas on
the way to the lake. The trek starts at Siddhartha Highway, about 19 kilometers
from Tansen, from where it takes about 2-hour trek uphill to reach Lake
Satyawati.
Chilangdi, a typical Magar village offers cultural taste of
the area. The people of Chilangdi are simple and have a charming lifestyle.
Singing and dancing are the main part their lives. They speak Tibeto-Burman
language. Chilangdi is situated at the southern lap of Shreenagar Hills.
Access
Tansen is in Palpa district, Lumbini Zone. Tansen is
approximately 296 kilometers and about approximately 10-hour drive from
Kathmandu via Butwal. It is approximately 324 kilometers from Kathmandu via
Pokhara. Buses to Tansen ply from the Central Bus Station, Gongabu in
Kathmandu. It is also possible to take a flight to either Pokhara or Bhairawa
from where Tansen is approximately 3 to 4-hour drive.
Accommodation
Good to moderate accommodation facilities are available in
Tansen. There are also modern restaurants here that serve excellent Nepali and
some even continental cuisines. Other tourist facilities are also available in
Tansen.
When to Visit
Tansen can be visited at any time of the year. While the
climate of Palpa varies from tropical to moderate, Tansen is moderate and warm
which lies between 28-degree Celsius as the maximum during summer and 8-degree
Celsius minimum in the winter. The months of June and July have maximum rain.
Predominant Culture
Palpa has diverse culture and religion. It falls in the
twelve Magar regions of West Nepal. Therefore, there are still predominant
Magar settlements in some parts of Palpa district. Other inhabitants of Palpa
are Brahmin, Chhetri, Newars, Bhojpuri, Tharu, Gurung, Maithili, Tamang, Limbu
and Abadhi.
History
Magar are one of the ethnic groups of Nepal with their own
language, culture and history, and are assumed to be the first settlers in this
area. Around 600 years ago Nepal was divided in several small kingdoms and hill
states. In this region they were known as "Bhara Magarat", meaning
the twelve regions of Magar. Today still the percentage of Magar population in
the district is very high.
During the invasions of Muslims into India numerous kings
and clans escaped from there to the northern hill areas. In the late 15th
century they entered the Himalayan region. Some of them conquered the local
kings and established their own states. The former Sen-Dynasty of Palpa,
founded by Rudra Sen, has its roots in those days. Under the reign of his son,
Mukunda Sen (1518 - 1553), the kingdom of Palpa reached its largest expansion
and Tansen became its capital. The kingdom of Palpa spread as far as the Koshi
River in the east, Gorakpur in the south and today's Gulmi and Kaski districts
in the west and north. Even the Kathmandu valley, though unsuccessfully, was
attacked by Mukunda Sen. After ruling for thirty five years he resigned and
spent the rest of his life as a saint.
In 1806 after a lot of political unrest, the kingdom of
Palpa, which up to then had been independent, was annexed into the kingdom of
Nepal and was then administered by a governor, appointed from Kathmandu.
Political changes in Nepal brought up changes in
administration too. Today the head of Palpa district is the Chief District
Officer (CDO) and Tansen is one of the 58 municipalities in Nepal.
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