Festival Durbar Square 2013

In front of my window i was witness of these interesting festival of the Newari Community in Kathmandu to praise Lord Shiva.

Bodnath Stupa Kathmandu 2013

Die Stupa ist seit vielen hunderten Jahren ein buddhistischer Ort für Pilger.
Die Stupa ist eine der größten im Kathmandutal (38 m Höhe).

Die allsehenden Augen des Buddha.Mit tibetischen Gebetsfahnen.   

    

Sollen doch die Bilder für sich sprechen.                                    

Varanasi-Mumbai-Arambol The Beach is calling

The main reason to go from Nepal to India was the unbelievable cold in Kathmandu. So Varanasi was not much warmer and after one week we left to go SOUTH.
We got a train from Varanasi to Mumbai over night and arrive in Mumbai to spend there more than 5 hours to get our night bus to Goa. We meet this wonderful women and many other nice people in Mumbai!

The picture I took in a music/instrument store. She was working there! Isn't she beautiful?

 Waiting some hours and finally getting our night bus to Goa. The ride was more or less wild and took the hole night in a bus with a too small seat. Anyhow, it was cheap, but the next morning u will be very tired and looking forward to a bed! There are some Trop Off points in Goa, if u wanna go to the northern beaches u leave the bus in Mapusa, otherwise u go to Margao.

We decided to go to Arambol. Here some images from the Beach!

Arambol is a beach for party people and so is the flair. Many Russians, English and Germans are drinking bear for breakfast and renting scooters! Is not much of a relaxed beach life. So we stay only 4 days.

Though I got some nice pics while playing with the waves.

The sunsets are beautiful and on our last evening it was also somehow sad to leave, but we where heading to a more quite place. See the next Post in Blog about GOKARNA! Comming soon!

 

From Kathmandu to Varanasi January 2013 VARANASI

In the beginning of the new year I went to India. Though it was not easy to get a Visa from the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu. Waitingtime very LONG. But I got it. And on the 9th of January we leaving Kathmandu in a Micro Bus to go to Sunauli, the boardercity to India.
Also crossing the boarder with two nepali friends was not so easy. And they wanted money to make them cross. Anyhow me manage and everything went well.
We took a car and went to Gorakhpur from there we took a train to Varanasi, where we arrive next day in the morning!

 To our supprise, the sky was full with kites for the next 3 days. "Makar Sankranti" the kite festival has just started. The kite runner festival is about flying the kites and cut off the others to win! So many kites in the sky, it was really very amazing. It is not only fun for children, many adults also play! The festival is celebrated all over India and is a harvest festival for the sun god "Surya". In Varanasi it is also the first bathing day in the Ganga, the holy river.

Varanasi has many names but is mostly called Benares or Banares. It is located on the holy Ganga river. Hindus believ that the death in Varanasi brings salvation.

Varanasi is a place of learning and the classical hindu music comes from there. Music is very famous and you can find all kind of instruments specially Sitar and Flute as well as Tabla! But also many philosophers, poets and writers live or have lived in Varanasi.
You can find a good teacher there for what ever you wanna learn.

Varanasi is also a city where money is playing a big role and for me it was a little bit difficult to understand that. Many cheaters and people you can not trust, even if they want to help you, still you should be careful. But once you are used to all the people who wanna take you in Riksha or boat or guest house, you will have a great time.








The view from the many guesthouses arround Varanasis Ghats are beautiful and give you an idea of how is life in that city!

VARANASIS GHATS

Ghats are places along the holy river Ganges. They are holy places and many rituals taking place there. Varanasi has at least 84 Ghats.

This picture shows the "burning Ghat or Manikarnika Ghat". Many old people come to Varanasi to die there because it is believed that you will not be reborn after beeing burned in Varansi!

But the Ganges in Varanasi is not only a burning place for dead people. It is a washing place, bathing, and a most spiritual place. The best to see all the things going on there, is to take a boat and go along the river.

This will not be my last visit to Varanasi! I will be there again while going back to Nepal. So more fotos and details about the most holy city in India will follow. Keep up watching my BLOG!

Love and Light

BANDIPUR Part 2

 Entering Siddha Guf with only a torch light and Sandals made me a strange feeling, which dissapeard after some time when i saw how our little guid was equipped with much older sandals than me. The cave is also a very holy place to the people with lots of places to pray to the gods.

This looks like God Ganesh!

On the left side that one looks like an eagle.

 This one is for Shiva. Can u find the snake?

After visiting the Siddha Guf, we walked down for another hour these are pictures while walking down. We also pass a garden with Mandarinen, where we finally could eat some of them.

 

 On the next day in the morning we left Bandipur on the top of the Bus going to Pokhara. Very exciting!

BANDIPUR NEPAL

Bandipur is a hilltop settlement about 150 km from Kathmandu on the way to Pokhara. The place has an elevation of 1030m.
Since 1998 it is connected by a 8 km access road from Dumre (Kathmandu-Pokhara highway). Until then there was only an unreliable road, in monsoon usually not accessible or only by tractors. The mountain saddle, just 200m long, is barely wide enough to accommodate the main street lined by 2 –3 storey buildings on either side. At the backsides of these houses the mountainsides steeply descend and the gardens are only accessible by stairs.

But before you can enjoy the stunning view of Bandipur, you have to make the journey on the Prithivi (name of nepals first Shah King) Highway.

 Luckily we had a car. Along the Highway you see many stunning things and people.

It looks like the main thing to do is washing. Which is understandable when your house is along the dusty highway!











When we arrive Bandipur, after the car was overheated from the 8 km up hill ride to the village, it was allready dark.
The next day in the morning, the view was wonderful and we start exploring our new environment.

The Khadga Devi Tempel  opens the doors only once a year at the hindu Festival Dashain.. A Legend is saying that the Sword, which is covered into clothes, at this tempel was given from Lord Shiva to the King of Palpa. It is covered with clothes because to stair at it will lead to your immediate death.

Michael, a friend from Kathmandu. He drove to Bandipur

While walking arround in the village I could capture these beautiful pictures!

A very typical scene in Bandipur. You can find it arround any corner!
Waiting for the tailor to come back! :-)

Don't mess with that mantis. Fhatyanra it is called in Nepal.

After Newari Style breakfast we decide to hike to the nearby cave called Siddha Gufa. First you hike like 10 minutes uphill, there u reach the point of a stunning view.

From this point the hike goes down down and down, sometimes stairs, sometimes stones and the path is slippery from time to time. But the jungle is beautiful and I enjoy a lot to walk.

When u reach the entrance of the cave, you have a nice view into the valley:

Entrance to Siddha Guf ! it is nepals biggest cave and was discovered in the 1980s. The width is about 10m and the lenght about half kilometer!