Royal Mountain Travel Magazine Royal Mountain Travel Magazine Issue 2 | Page 18

Glimpse into Nepali life: Panauti Homestay Project

Glimpse into
Nepali life:

Panauti Homestay Project

Indreswor temple is one of the biggest
and tallest pagoda style temples in
Nepal and was built over a lingam in
1294, making it the oldest surviving
temple of Nepal.

One of the oldest towns in Nepal, there are many
temples that go back to the 15th century and even
earlier. It is suggested that Panauti might have been
founded by Ananda Malla (1274-1310 BC), though
others believe that a golden scripture dated 1385
that is in the Indreswor temple states that King
Harisingh Dev founded the town.

Located just 32 kilometers from the noisy and chaos
of Nepal’s capital, time seems to have stood still in
Panauti. This small town in the Kathmandu Valley
retains much of its charm and it reflects a much
more relaxed pace of life that is typical across Nepal.

Indreswor temple is one of the biggest and tallest
pagoda style temples in Nepal and was built over
a lingam in 1294, making it the oldest surviving
temple of Nepal. The 1998 earthquake caused
considerable damage and the building is awaiting
restoration.

Originally a small state, it was given as a dowry by
King Bhupatindra Malla to his sister. By the end of
the 13th century, Panauti was integrated into the
unified kingdom of Nepal with Kathmandu, Patan,
and Bhaktapur, which had all been former capital
cities of the Kathmandu valley. In Panauti, it is still
possible to see a variety of Buddhist and Hindu
religious monuments.

Artifacts and remnants including stone taps, statues
and coins have been found in some of the excavated
parts of the royal palace. There is a good little
museum where some of these treasures can be
seem.
Panauti holds a number of festivals reflecting the
ancient tradition and ancient mythology. One of the

most important is the three day long Panauti Jatra.
This is the chariot festival that occurs annually just
before the monsoon (May–June). During the festival,
images of the gods are brought from the town’s
temples and displayed around the city on chariots
that start from the town’s Durbar Square. A team
comprising of a priest, a woman, and a port \