TANSEN TOUR
If visitors are wondering which place
in this kingdom would give them a
taste of everything, we suggest that
they give Tansen a try. Tansen
is a small town of approximately twenty
thousand people. It is on the way
from Pokhara to Lumbini, the
birthplace of Lord Buddha,
and it is not too far from the Royal
Chitwan National Park. Located
4,300 meters above sea level, on the
south flank of Srinagar Hill,
the greatest attractions of this town
are its ancient culture, friendly
people, excellent mountain views,
and, above all, its serene atmosphere.
The weather remains moderate throughout
the year, and it is a pleasant place
to visit in any season.
The town's mostly Newar and Magar
inhabitants have long been known as
staunch warriors. The kings of Tansen
wielded great power over western
Nepal in the fifteenth century.
Palpa, their kingdom was the last
to be defeated by the conquering Gurkhas
who unified today's Nepal. These people
became even more famous in the Anglo-Nepal
war of the early 1800s. Col. Ujir
Singh Thapa who commanded the army
in the region was in an extremely
trying situation at the time. His
men were outnumbered four to one by
the English forces. He desperately
asked for divine help before going
into battle, promising a temple in
the name of Goddess Bhagwati (who
is ferocious and loves blood sacrifices)
if she would help him. He won. In
1815, he kept his word and built a
temple to the goddess. However, fighting
is not the only forte of Tansen residents.
The jhyure folk song performance
of the Magars are colorful. Dancing
and feasting are accompanied by
drumbeats of the madal during festivals.
Amar Singh Thapa, another great champion
of the Anglo-Nepal war, had great
affinity for Tansen as well. He brought
highly skilled artisans from Kathmandu
Valley to build the Amar Narayan
temple when he was the governor
of the town. The temple's woodcarvings
are remarkable and puja is offered
here everyday to Lord Bishnu.
During the time of the Rana prime
Ministers, from 1846 to 1951,
Tansen became an important
outpost. Those who offended the administration
or were political prisoners were sent
away from the Kathmandu Valley
beyond Tansen. It was thought that
they would not be able to cause problems
to the rulers from their faraway exiles.
Later the Ranas tried to develop Tansen
into a hill-station and built
palaces and mansions for personal
use. One such palace in the
heart of the town has a huge door
called the Baggi Dhoka. Some say that
it was built so that Khadga Shumsher
Rana would not need to get off' his
elephant while entering the palace.
Others claim that it was built so
that horse drawn chariots could easily
enter the palace grounds. The town's
intricately patterned dhaka is the
most popular handwoven cloth of
Nepal. Newar women of the Kathmandu
Valley have preferred its shawls
for many decades. Nepal's national
cap, the topi, is also made of dhaka.
Dhaka is available to buyers at the
town's bazaars. Those interested may
also see weavers at work on their
looms.
There are potters and metal workers
in Tansen too. Earthen pottery
is still used in many houses of
Tansen. Jugs, basins, and even
filters are made from clay for local
use. Chang, the local liquor, is wonderfully
cool if it has been stored in earthen-ware.
Metal workers make deep plates, karuwa
water jugs, utensils for worship and
hookahs for smoking.
Tansen is charming because
it is unspoiled by modernity, pollution
and urban bustle. On clear days, mountain
views from the town reveal Dhaulagiri,
Annapurna, Manaslu, Gauri Shankar
and other peaks and a walk up to Srinagar
Hill provides an even more thrilling
Himalayan panorama.
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