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Location[edit]
The Manakamana temple lies 12 km south of the town Gorkha.[2] The temple is located on a distinguished ridge 1,302 metres (4,272 ft) above sea level and overlooks the river valleys of Trisuli in the south and Marsyangdi in the west. The spectacular views of the Manaslu- Himachali and Annapurna ranges can be seen to the north of the temple. The temple is approximately a 104 kilometres (65 mi) drive from Kathmandu and can also be reached via bus east from Pokhara in around three to four hours.[3]
Mythical foundation[edit]
The legend of Manakamana Goddess dates back to the reign of the Gorkha king Ram Shah during the 17th century. It is said that his queen possessed divine powers, which only her devotee Lakhan Thapa knew about. One day, the king witnessed his queen in Goddess incarnation, and Lakhan Thapa in the form of a lion.[4] Upon mentioning the revelation to his queen, a mysterious death befell the king. As per the custom of that time, the queen committed Sati (ritual immolation) on her husband’s funeral pyre. Before, her sati the queen had assured Lakhan Thapa that she would reappear in the near future. Six months later, a farmer while ploughing his fields cleaved a stone. From the stone he saw a stream of blood and milk flow. When Lakhan heard an account of this event, he immediately started performing Hindu tantric rituals at the site where the stone had been discovered thus ceasing the flow of blood and milk. The site became the foundation of the present shrine. According to tradition, the priest at the temple must be a descendent of Lakhan Thapa.[5]
Manakamana Darshan[edit]
Darshan comes from the Sanskrit word meaning sight. The pilgrimage to Manakamana is made by a great many people every year. This religious expedition to see the Goddess Bhagwati at Manakamana is hence referred to as Manakamana Darshan. According to Hindu mythology the universe is said to consist of five cosmic elements- earth, fire, water, air and ether. The offerings to the Goddess are made on this basis. At least one of the following should be amongst the worship materials:
- Abir (vermillion)
- Kesar (pure saffron extract)
- Flowers and leaves
- Dhup (incense)
- Diya (oil lamp)
- Bastra (Cloth, usually in red as it is considered auspicious)
- Fruit and foods such as coconuts and sweet desserts
- Bell
- Betel nut and jannai (sacred thread)
- Anna, grain (rice)
- saubhagya (red cloth,Chura,pota,etc)
There is a tradition of sacrificing animals at the temple. Some pilgrims sacrifice a goat or pigeon in a pavilion behind the temple.[7] However, recently the District Livestock Service Office, Gorkha has banned the sacrifice of birds such as pigeons, roosters, and ducks to name a few. Senior livestock service officer Chhetra Bahadur K.C. said poultry sacrifice would not be permitted until further notice.[8]
Manakamana darshan is most popular during Dashain (Sept –Oct) and Nag Panchami (July –August) during which time devotees stand for as long as five to ten hours to pray to Goddess Bhagwati.[1]
Temple architecture[edit]
The Manakamana temple is set in a square and looks across a massive sacred magnolia tree.[3] The temple is four storied with tiered pagoda style roofs and lies on a square pedestal. In 1996, brass plates were installed on the roof.[9] The entrance to the temple is in the southwest direction and is marked by one stone, which is the sacrificial pillar.[3]
Cable car[edit]
Main article: Manakamana Cable Car
In earlier times the only way to reach the Manakamana temple was by walking uphill for about three hours. Now, there is a cable car that runs from the cable station of Cheres, just 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) east of Mugling to Manakamana. The cable car rides over the distance of 2.8 kilometres (1.7 mi) in 10 minutes more or less.[3] The cable car usually operates during the daytime from 9am to 5pm stopping during lunch break from noon to half past one.[6] His Royal Highness Crown Prince Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev inaugurated Manakamana cable car on November 24, 1998. The cable car system was imported from Austria and guarantees a hundred percent safety. It has features such as automatically operated generators in case of power failure and hydraulic emergency drive. The employees working at the cable car service are qualified and well trained for emergencies.
The bottom station of the cable car is placed at Kurintar (258 metres (846 ft)) and the top station is at Mankamana (1,302 metres (4,272 ft)).[5] With 31 passenger cars and 3 cargo cars, the cable car can handle up to 600 persons per hour. The number of passengers per carrier is 6. The cable car requires a starting power of about 523 Kilowatt and continues further at a power of 420 Kilowatt. All passengers are insured up to Rs. 1,00,000. The tickets for the cable car are valid for seven days from the date of issue.
The rates for the cable car ride inclusive of all taxes are as follows:
| Category | One-way | Two-way |
|---|---|---|
| Normal (Nepali/Indian) | NPR. 345.00 | NPR. 575.00 |
| Child (Nepali/Indian) | NPR. 210.00 | NPR. 350.00 |
| Student | NPR. 260.00 | NPR. 430.00 |
| Elderly | NPR. 260.00 | NPR. 430.00 |
| Disabled | NPR. 175.00 | NPR. 290.00 |
| Foreigner (Other than Indians) | USD 11.00 | USD 20.00 |
| Foreigner child (Other than Indians) | USD 8.00 | USD 15.00 |
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