Dr S Barathan

Thanks for arranging the Nepal Pilgrimage Tour. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole itinerary starting from Kathmandu Valley to Pokhara, a town with many lakes and lying at the lap of the beautiful Annapurna mountains. Janakpur is memorable being the city where Lord Rama married Seetha, daughter of King Janaka. King Janaka stimulated my memory to start realising the facts that here at Janakpur, great sages like Yagnavalkia, Ashtavakra and many more of the vedic period sages, rishis, munis lived and gave the wonderful knowledge of Brahman, the supreme consciousness. Strangely i saw a person in a wheel chair in Lumbini who resembled Ashtavakra, the great rishi with 8 bends in his body and gave King Janaka the discourse of Ashtavakra Gita which gave King Janaka Instant Moksha. King Janaka was considered a jeevanmukta, a self realised soul in the Vidheha `kingdom.

Mankamana, a hill top place with Bhagavati Temple is approachable with the longest and highest cable car journey, I will always remember for the experience. Standing close to the place where Lord buddha was born almost 2600 years ago, I became very emotional and tears started flowing without me realising. Lumbini, the place where Lord buddha was born and his bone is kept in a Japanese Stupa is one of the highlights of this trip.

Even though you did not include this as part of the tour itinerary an early morning visit to a nearby hill station Sarangkot to view the Annapurna mountain ranges and the Sun rise must not be missed. I did it and I was lucky. That particular morning was so beautiful without clouds, rain, the scenic view was so breath-taking, i felt that the money I paid for the entire trip was worth just for that one occasion.

Overall the trip was successful and enjoyable; the food at the hotels where we stayed was OK; the tour guides in Kathmandu and Citwan National Park were very good, jovial, informed us well of all the facts of the place. Thanks again for making me go for this alternative tour even though I was originally booked to go for Kailash – Manasarover Yatra.