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Day 8 CONTINUED Pokhara • Phewa Lake - Nov 25, 2018
On an island in Phewa Lake, is the 2 story pagoda of Barahi Temple. Many people find Barahi Temple a peaceful place. However, the Holy-day we visited it was teeming with crowds. Barahi Temple is dedicated to Ajima in the boar manifestation of the force of Shakti. Shakti is the Hindu mother goddess who is the origin of universal creativity and power. Shakti, In the form of Durga, a boar called Barahi, protects the gods from demons. Durga pierces evil enemies with her pointed tusks. ► 02 Pokhara Lake Temple
Day 22 Seti River Rafting • Chitwan National Park • Visit Tharu village Nov 28
Today is our ► Final Rafting as we travel to Chitwan on the clear rushing waters of Seti River with lush jungle foliage and villagers waving from the banks. For two hours we observe villages and colorful birds. Our crew navigate the Class II rapids and Class III rapids. After ►Saying Good-bye to our rafting guides, we set off to ► Kasara Chitwan Resort, our 5-star resort outside Chitwan National Park.
The indigenous Tharu people have spent generations living off this fertile land. We board ox carts and take in the lush surroundings as we make our way to a ►Tharu village. In the village we are greeted by the villagers and given glimpses into their lives and homes.
Day 23 Jeep safari in Chitwan National Park - Nov 29
Chitwan NP is the oldest national park in Nepal and lies in subtropical lowlands. Designated a World Heritage Site in 1984, the park covers a unique ecosystem of significant value to the world. The Chitwan Valley was well known for big-game hunting and until 1950 and was managed exclusively as a hunting reserve for the Rana Prime Ministers. In 1970, His late Majesty King Mahendra approved the creation of Royal Chitwan National Park.
In 1963, the area south of the Rapti River was demarcated as a ►Rhinoceros Sanctuary. Our first stop will be to the Chitwan NP Rhino Jungle Camp. The GHARIAL also known as the fish-eating crocodile, is among the longest of all living crocodilians. They have a distinct boss at the end of the snout, which resembles an earthenware pot known as a ghara. National Trust Nature Conservation's Biodiversity Conservation Center supports the government in the management of the ►Gharial Breeding Center which includes taking care and monitoring growth of hatchlings, releasing them in the rivers and post-release monitoring.
We then began our Jeep safari through the park where more than 43 species of mammals, more than 450 species of birds, and more than 45 species of amphibians and reptiles live. explore the diverse ecosystems of the park, traversing its jungles, marshlands, and grasslands in search of animals such as one-horned rhinos, spotted deer, monkeys, leopards, wild elephants, sloth bears, and the elusive Bengal tiger. ► Chitwan NP - 1 ► Chitwan NP - 2
We return to the Kasara Chitwan Resort for a traditional ►Tharu dance performance with local ►Tharu dancers and dinner.