Dakshinkali Pharping Tour

A Quick Glimpse

• Trip Duration: 4-5 Hours
• Starting Point: Kathmandu
• Ending Point: Kathmandu
• Maximum Elevation: 1,550 meters (5,085 feet)
• Difficulty Level: Easy
• Best Seasons: January to December
• Key Highlights: Sacred religious sites of Hindu and Buddhist religions, Taudaha Lake, view of Kathmandu and Pharping valleys, Chovar Gorge, and more

The Dakshinkali Pharping Day Tour is a historical and religious tour. Dakshinkali is a Hindu site, and Pharping is a Buddhist site. The tour starts at 9:00 am from the hotel. We will take you to Dakshinkali, Pharping, and the Shesh Narayan Temple, then drop you back at your hotel.

Dakshin Kali: The meaning of Dakshin is "south" in Nepali, and Kali is one of the Hindu goddesses to whom Hindus offer animal blood. Dakshinkali is about 18 km south of Kathmandu. On the way to Dakshinkali, you will pass the historic Bagmati River gorge (Chovar), a legendary lake (Taudaha), and a lovely farming landscape. Dakshinkali is inside the forest between the meeting points of three rivers. Every day, vast numbers of Hindu devotees visit this place to worship. According to Hindu mythology, Goddess Kali used to kill demons to protect people and other gods. There is a most potent cremation place (ghat). Some birds and the offering shops make the site more attractive. People locally grow things here.

Pharping: Pharping comes from two words, Fana and Pinga, which together mean "hanging snake". The village of Pharping has a long Buddhist history. The water covered the Kathmandu valley, and Manjushree chopped the Chovar hill with his magical sword. Then, after Padmasambhava (sitting on a lotus), Chovar came. After meditating for a few years in the different caves in Chovar, I went to Tibet and then developed Tibetan Buddhism. So, Pharping is a historical Buddhist site. There are several beautiful monasteries, the Bajrayogini temple, the footprints of Gorakhnath, and colorful Tibetan prayer flags. Pear is the favorite fruit of Pharping.On the way to Pharping, you will see a nice view of Kathmandu Valley and some snowcaps.

Shesh Narayan Temple: Returning from Dakshinkali and Pharping, you will head to Kathmandu. Shesh is a naga (snake god), and Narayan is the name of the Hindu god Bishnu ( god of preserver). It is a Hindu site where you can see the Vishnu temple and other places. Every year on Naga Panchami (Hindu snake day), people throw a long piece of wood into the lake as a holy snake. In that small lake, there are many colorful fish. According to the legend, killing the fish in this lake is bad.