Pokhara is Nepal's second-biggest city and the Kaski District, Gandaki Zone, and Western Development Region. It lies 200 kilometres (120 miles) west of Kathmandu, Nepal's capital. Despite being a smaller valley than Kathmandu, the topography changes significantly from north to south in only a few kilometres.
In the south, the elevation ranges from 827 meters (2,713 feet) to 1,740 meters (5,710 feet) in the north. The Annapurna Range, which includes three of the world's ten tallest mountains — Dhaulagiri, Annapurna I, and Manaslu — is within 15 to 35 miles of the valley. The city is also a base for hikers attempting the Annapurna Circuit via the ACAP area of the Annapurna ranges in the Himalayas due to its closeness to the Annapurna mountain range.
Many Gurkha troops live in Pokhara. With an expense rating of 150, it is the most expensive city in the country and, after Namche Bazaar, the most expensive city in Nepal.
Geography of Pokhara
Pokhara is located in the northwest corner of the Pokhara Valley, expanding the Seti Gandaki valley in the Himalayan midlands (Pahad). The mountains in this area climb fast; in about 30 kilometres (19 miles), the height rises from 1,000 to 7,500 meters (3,300 to 24,600 feet).
Thrilling view of Phewa Lake
Pokhara has the highest precipitation rates in the country due to this rapid change in altitude (3,350 mm/year or 131 inches/year in the valley to 5600 mm/year or 222 inches/year in Lumle).
Even inside the city, there is a notable variation in rainfall between the south and the north: the northern half, along the mountains' foothills, receives a proportionately more significant quantity of precipitation.
The Seti Gandaki (White River) and its branches have produced many gorges and canyons in and around Pokhara, giving the city and surrounding surroundings intriguingly lengthy stretches of terrace features.
Hundreds of meters-deep canyons break up these long stretches of terraces. The Seti gorge, which flows through Pokhara from north to south and then west to east, is barely a few meters wide at times. The canyons are broader in the north and south.
The city borders Phewa Tal (4.4 km2) in the south, which is at an elevation of around 827 meters (2,713 feet) above sea level, and Lumle in the north, which is at the height of 1,740 meters (5,710 feet) and touches the Annapurna mountain range's foot. Pokhara, best known as the "City of Lakes," is Nepal's second-largest city after Kathmandu.
Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, and Manaslu are three 8,000-meter (26,000-foot) peaks visible from the city. The Machhapuchhre (Fishtail) is the nearest mountain to the city, with an elevation of 6,993 meters (22,943 feet).
Cave development is favoured by the permeable subsurface of the Pokhara valley, and numerous caverns may be discovered within the city boundaries. A branch of the Seti coming out of the Phewa Lake vanishes into an underground valley near Patale Chhango in the city's south, only to resurface 500 meters (1,600 ft) farther south.
The municipality of Lekhnath, located southeast of Pokhara and home to Begnas Lake, is a newly built town in the Pokhara valley.
History of Pokhara
Pokhara is located on a major ancient trade route between China and India. It was a part of the Kingdom of Kaski in the 17th century, which was one of the Chaubise Rajya governed by a branch of the Shah Dynasty.
Many medieval remains may still be seen in the hills surrounding Pokhara. Pokhara was annexed to Prithvi Narayan Shah's empire in 1786. It had been a central trade hub on the roads from Kathmandu to Jumla and from India to Tibet.
Thrilling Paragliding Adventures Soar High
Pokhara was intended as a commercial hub by the Monarch of Kaski in the mid-eighteenth century A.D., when the king urged Newars from Bhaktapur to move to Pokhara and reside near essential business areas including Bindhyabasini temple, Nalakomukh, and Bhairab Tole.
Pokhara's major ethnic groups are the Khas, Gurung (Tamu), and Magar. In addition, the city has a sizable Newari community. On the eastern outskirts of Pokhara, there is a small Muslim community known as Miya Patan. The Gandharvas or Gaaineys live in Batulechaur, far north of Pokhara.
The Khas and Gurung live side by side in the neighbouring hill villages around Pokhara. Small Magar settlements can also be found in the southern outer hills. Outside of Pokhara's municipal boundaries, the Newar population is virtually non-existent in the villages in the outer ridges.
The Khas and Gurung live side by side in the neighbouring hill villages around Pokhara. Small Magar settlements can also be found in the southern outer hills. Outside of Pokhara's municipal boundaries, the Newar population is virtually non-existent in the villages in the outer ridges.
Following China's takeover of Tibet, around 300,000 refugees entered Nepal between 1959 and 1962. The majority of Tibetan refugees sought refuge in India's Dharamshala and other Tibetan exile settlements.
According to the UNHCR, around 2500 Tibetans have crossed the border into Nepal each year since 1989. Many of them use Pokhara as a transit point to Tibetan exile groups in India. Around 50,000 to 60,000 Tibetan exiles exist in Nepal, with 20,000 living in one of the 12 consolidated camps, eight in Kathmandu and four in and around Pokhara.
Jampaling, Paljorling, Tashi Ling, and Tashi Palkhel are the four Tibetan villages in Pokhara. These camps have grown into well-constructed communities, each with its gompa (Buddhist monastery), chorten, and architectural style, and Tibetans have become a noticeable minority in the city.
The village was only reachable by foot until the end of the 1960s, and it was regarded even more mysterious than Kathmandu. The first road (Siddhartha Highway) was constructed in 1968, after which tourism took hold, and the city expanded fast. Lake Side, the region around Phewa Lake, has evolved into Nepal's key tourism centre.
Tourism in Pokhara
Beautiful Devil's Fall
The ancient commercial route from Tibet to India via Pokhara became obsolete after China annexed Tibet in 1950 and the Indo-China conflict in 1962. Only a few caravans from Mustang are arriving in Bagar today.
Pokhara has grown in popularity as a tourist destination in recent decades. It is now known as Nepal's tourism hub in South Asia, primarily for adventure tourism and as the starting point for the famed Annapurna Circuit trek. As a result, the tourist and hospitality industries provide a significant contribution to the local economy.
Pokhara is a popular tourist destination. Tourism is amongst the major source of income for both locals and the city. There are two 5-star hotels and about 305 other hotels in the city, including five 3-star, fifteen 2-star, and non-star hotels.
The city contains many medieval age temples (Barahi temple, Bindhyabasini, Talbarahi, Bhadrakali, Sitaldevi, Bhimsen temple Guheshwori, Gita mandir temple) as well as historic Newari homes (Bagar, Bindhyabasini, Bhairab Tol, Bhadrakali, etc.). Chipledhunga, New Road, Prithvi Chowk, and Mahendrapul are contemporary commercial city centres (recently renamed Bhimsen Chowk).
The city advertises World Peace Pagoda, which was erected in 1996 across the southern side of Phewa Lake, and Sarangkot, which is northwest of the city, as views to observe the city and surrounding scenery. The International Mountain Museum (IMM) in Ratopahiro opened to the public in February 2004 to improve the city's tourism attractions.
Other museums include the Pokhara Regional Museum, which is an ethnographic museum; the Annapurna Natural History Museum, which houses preserved specimens of flora and fauna, with a pervasive collection of butterflies from Nepal's Western and ACAP regions; and the Gurkha Museum, which tells the story of the Gurkha soldiers.
Water Touch Bunjee Jumping, Nepal's second bungee jumping facility, has just opened in the city. Nepal's government has begun work on a cable car service connecting Fewa Lake and the World Peace Stupa, which is anticipated to enhance tourism tremendously.
Pokhara has been rapidly urbanizing since the 1990s. As a result, service-sector businesses have rapidly surpassed traditional agriculture to contribute to the local economy. High real estate prices, which are among the highest in the country, resulting from urbanization.
Manufacturing and service sectors, including tourism, agriculture, and international and domestic remittances, are essential contributions to Pokhara's economy. Tourism, service sector, and manufacturing account for around 58 per cent of the GDP, remittances for about 20%, and agriculture for about 16%.