Gorkha is a picturesque, historically rich district of Nepal known for being the birthplace of great Gurkha warriors and Late King Prithvi Narayan Shah, who united Nepal's opposing kingdoms in 1769.
Gorkha Durbar, the previous Shah's palace, has an antique, exquisite architectural design that is the district's main attraction. Before embarking on the Manaslu trek circuit, many trekkers enjoy touring Gorkha.
Gorkha, located 22 kilometres from Abu Khaireni, is a pleasant and attractive tourist resort with enough to see and do. Historic surroundings, culturally and naturally broken traditions and scenarios, adventurous and enchanting trekking paths, as well as some wild creatures, are all things to be found while visiting the Gorkha district.
Gorkha Palace: A Royal Heritage Credit: Nepalsanctuarytreks
Only because of these heroic troops who fought to preserve the country from invaders is Nepal well-known around the world. They also demonstrate their bravery for the benefit of other countries, who continue to hail Nepal as a country of brave soldiers.
Gorkha Is Famous For:
- Gorkha is famed for producing strong Gurkha battalions that fought in both World Wars I and II.
- It is the region that gave birth to the famous King Prithvi Narayan Shah(11th January 1723). In 1769, he united Nepal's opposing kingdoms.
- The former Shah's palace, Gorkha Durbar, is located on the top of the hill.
- The famed Nepalese celebration Dashain is officially started from Gorkha.
- The majority of Newars in Nepal view Shahs as the living manifestation of Lord Vishnu. Gorkha is thus one of the Newar pilgrimage locations.
- It is from here that the trip to Manaslu Circuit Trek starts.
- Gorkha is amongst those districts that were hit hard by the 2015 earthquake, which destroyed scores of homes as well as significant historical buildings and temples.
Top Tourist Sites In Gorkha
Gorkha Durbar
This renowned palace which once served as the residence for the Shah monarchs was built by then ruler, King Prithvi Narayan Shah, in the 16th century. Its also regarded as sacred for Newars, who believed Shahs to be the living incarnation of Lord Vishnu himself.
Gorkha Museum
It is an old historic structure that was erected in 1935 and is still standing today, where visitors may view historical arts and crafts as well as historic photographs.
Bhimsen Temple
This temple is dedicated to the god Bhimsen, built with pagoda-style construction. It is said that if a pilgrim tosses a penny inside, the Lord will be grateful.
Mahadev Temple
Inside the temple, there is a statue of a Bull, who is believed to be Kailashgiri's defender and Lord Shiva's ride. In Hindu texts, it is referred to as Nandi.
Ganesh Temple
A Shikhara-style temple dedicated to Ganesh can be found next to the ceremonial tank.
Vishnu Temple
The two-tiered temple dedicated to Vishnu may be found a few minutes walk north of the bus stop.
Manaslu Circuit Trek
Gorkha is the starting point for the famed Manaslu trekking circuit. Trekkers frequently visit Gorkha before embarking on their journey.
Manakamana Temple
Another historical sight on the route to Gorkha is this one. Many people travel to Gorkha only to worship goddess Bhagwati, who is worshipped at Manakamana Temple. There is a direct cable car service available to get to the temple, or you can hike.
How Can You Reach Gorkha?
Gorkha is four hours from Kathmandu, 10 hours from Birgunj, 10 hours from Bhairawa/Sunauli, and 3 hours from Pokhara, and is connected by many routes. There are numerous daily buses that run via Abu Khaireni from various districts in Nepal. You may need to disembark in Abu Khaireni and transfer to another local bus to Gorkha.