Bishalya Gautam

Nepal is really a wonderful place to visit, especially during autumn. Whenever you visit a new place you get enthralled by the beauty of the place. This was what I realised after my trip to Kalinchowk, a sacred temple for the followers of Hinduism and Buddhism. It is located on the high hills of Dolakha district at an altitude of 3750 meter above sea level.
According to the locals of Kuri, a small town located at the base of Kalinchowk hills, the best time to visit the place was during autumn and winter. Most people visit the place from religious point of view and the temple is considered a sacred monumental place for Hindus. During autumn the place has the most tourist enrollment because of the clear view of landscape and also it is easier to visit the temple during autumn. Winter in Kalinchowk is very extreme due to its location on the base of Himalayas. In spite of the extreme weather in winter, tourists come visiting the place after being attracted by the beauty presented in this place after heavy snowfall.
The best way to visit this place is to take a bus or sumo from Kathmandu. There are already some places of attraction before you reach the mountainous village of Kuri. Most vehicles travel through the Araniko Highway up to Khadichaur and cross the Sunkoshi River to be on the highway to Dolakha. On the Araniko Highway, you may encounter beautiful places like the Temple of Sanga which is known for the tallest statue of Shiva. Dolalghat also falls on the Araniko highway which is famous for the Indrawati river and its beach.
After crossing the Araniko highway, one can still find many beautiful sights with breathtaking scenarios. Once you’ve reached Mude, you can find the chilling Himalayan breeze caressing your face and cold reaching up to you. The food at Mude is very good and the hospitality there is fascinating. After encountering more parts of Sindhupalchowk and Dolakha you can finally reach Charikot, the district headquarter for Dolakha. Bhimeshwor temple in Charikot is also one of the famous attractions for internal tourists. After reaching Charikot, an hour-and-a-half drive through some rough and bad roads brings you to Kuri. The hotels over there are cheap yet intriguing with good food and good hospitality. The temple is either one hour walk for anyone interested or one can simply take two minutes ride of cable car.
The other easier but longer way to Kuri is using the BP highway to get up to Khurkot and travelling through Manthali, headquarter of Ramechhap, along the Tamakoshi river to get to Charikot. Kalinchowk is a very interesting place from both tourism and religious point of view and I recommend this place for everyone to visit at least once in their life time.
The mesmerising views of the snow covered mountains and the pine forest of the hills are unforgettable. And spiritual epiphany gives inner peace and satisfaction to the visitors.