pokhara

Pokhara
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Pokharā
पोखरा
—  City  —

Motto: Clean Pokhara and Green Pokhara!!!


Pokharā
Location in Nepal
Coordinates: 28°15′50″N 83°58′20″ECoordinates: 28°15′50″N 83°58′20″E
Country Nepal
Development Region Western
Zone Gandaki Zone
District Kaski District
Incorporated 1962
Government
 • Mayor
Area
 • Total 30 km2 (10 sq mi)
 • Water 4.4 km2 (1.7 sq mi)
Highest elevation 1,700 m (5,600 ft)
Lowest elevation 827 m (2,713 ft)
Population (2009)  
 • Total 350,000
 • Density 12,000/km2 (30,000/sq mi)
 • Ethnicities Khas (Brahmin, Chhetri, Thakuri & Dalits), Gurung, Magar, Newar, Thakali
 • Religions Hinduism, Buddhism
Time zone GMT +5:45
Website Official Website
Pokhara Sub-Metropolitan City (Nepali: पोखरा उपमहानगरपालिका Pokharā Upa-Mahānagarpālikā) is the second largest city of Nepal. Pokhara is city of close to 350,000 inhabitants in western Nepal located at 28.25°N, 83.99°E, and is situated 198 km west of the capital Kathmandu. It is the second largest city of Nepal and also serves as the headquarters of Kaski District, Gandaki Zone and the Western Developmental Region. Pokhara is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Nepal. Three out of the ten highest mountains in the world are situated within 50 miles (linear distance) of the city so that the northern skyline of the city offers a very close view of the Himalayas. Due to its proximity to the Annapurna mountain range the city is also a base for trekkers undertaking the Annapurna Circuit.
Contents  [hide]
1 Geography
2 Climate
3 History
4 Location
5 Tourism and economy
6 Military
7 Education
8 Transportation
8.1 Public transit
8.2 Inter-City connections
9 Rivers and lakes in and around Pokhara
10 Sports
11 Music
12 Media
13 References
14 External links
[edit]Geography

Pokhara is situated in the northwestern corner of the Pokhara Valley, which is a widening of the Seti Gandaki valley. The Seti River is the main river flowing through the city, Seti and its tributaries have dug several canyons into the valley floor.[1] To the east of Pokhara is the municipality of Lekhnath, a recently established town in the valley.
In this region the mountains rise very quickly and within 30 km, the elevation rises from 1,000 m to over 7,500 m. As a result of this sharp rise in altitude the area of Pokhara has one of the highest precipitation rates of the country (over 4,000 mm/year). Even within the city there is a noticeable difference in rainfall between the south and the north of the city, the northern part of the city situated at the foothills of the mountains experiences proportionally higher amount of precipitation.
In the south the city borders on Phewa Tal (lake) (4.4 km² at an elevation of about 800 m above sea level), and at 1,100 m the northern outskirts of the city touch the base of the Annapurna mountain range. 3 eight-thousand meter tall peaks (Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, Manaslu) can be seen from the city. The Machhapuchhre ('Fishtail') with an elevation of 6,993 m is the closest to the city. The porous underground of the Pokhara valley favours the formation of caves and several caves can be found within the city limits. In the south of the city, a tributary of the Seti flowing out of the Phewa Lake disappears at Patale Chhango (पाताले छाँगो, Nepali for Hell's Falls, also called Davi's Falls, after someone who supposedly fell into the falls) into an underground gorge, to reappear 500 metres further south.
[edit]Climate

The climate of the city is sub-tropical, however, the elevation keep the temperatures moderate: the summer temperatures average between 25 to 35 °C, in winter around - 2 to 15 °C.
[hide]Climate data for Pokhara
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 16
(61) 18
(64) 22
(72) 26
(79) 26
(79) 27
(81) 26
(79) 26
(79) 26
(79) 24
(75) 21
(70) 17
(63) 23.0
(73.4)
Average low °C (°F) 4
(39) 6
(43) 10
(50) 13
(55) 17
(63) 20
(68) 21
(70) 21
(70) 19
(66) 15
(59) 9
(48) 5
(41) 13.3
(56.0)
Precipitation mm (inches) 18
(0.71) 15
(0.59) 30
(1.18) 38
(1.5) 102
(4.02) 201
(7.91) 376
(14.8) 325
(12.8) 188
(7.4) 56
(2.2) 3
(0.12) 10
(0.39) 1,362
(53.62)
Source: zoover.co.uk/[2]
[edit]History

Pokhara lies on an important old trading route between China and India. In the 17th century it was part of the influential Kingdom of Kaski which again was one of the Chaubise Rajya (24 Kingdoms of Nepal) ruled by a branch of the Shah Dynasty. Many of the hills around Pokhara still have medieval ruins from this time. In 1786 Prithvi Narayan Shah added Pokhara into his kingdom. It had by then become an important trading place on the routes from Kathmandu to Jumla and from India to Tibet.[3]
Originally Pokhara was largely inhabited by Khas (Brahmin, Chhetri, Thakuri and Dalits), the major communities were located in Parsyang, Malepatan, Pardi and Harichowk areas of modern Pokhara and the Majhi community near the Phewa Lake.[4] Later in the 18th century A.D the newars of Bhaktapur migrated to Pokhara and settled near main business locations such as Bindhyabasini temple, Nalakomukh and Bhairab Tole. The establishment of a British recruitment camp brought larger Magar and Gurung communities to Pokhara. At present the Khas, Gurung (Tamu) and Magar form the dominant community of Pokhara. There is also a sizeable population of Newars in Pokhara. A small Muslim community is located on eastern fringes of Pokhara generally called Miya Patan. Batulechaur in the far north of Pokhara is home to the Gaaineys (the tribe of the musicians).
The nearby hill villages around Pokhara are a mixed community of Khas and Gurung. Small Magar communities are also present mostly in the southern outlying hills. Newar community is almost non-existent in the villages of outlying hills outside the Pokhara city limits.
From 1959 to 1962 some 3,000,000 refugees entered Nepal from neighbouring Tibet after it was annexed by China. Four refugee camps were established in and around Pokhara: Tashipalkhel, Tashiling, Paljorling and Jambling. These camps have evolved into well built settlements, each with a gompa (Buddhist monastery), chorten and its particular architecture, and Tibetans have become a visible minority in the city.[5]
Until the end of the 1960s the town was only accessible by foot and it was considered even more a mystical place than Kathmandu. The first road was completed in 1968 (Siddhartha Highway) after which tourism set in and the city grew rapidly. The area along the Phewa lake has developed into one of the major tourism hubs of Nepal.[6]
[edit]Location



The Annapurna range from the World Peace Pagoda above Phewa lake


Machhapuchhre ("Fishtail")
Pokhara spans 8 km from north to south and 6 km from east to west but, unlike Kathmandu, it is quite loosely built up and still has much green space. The valley is approximately divided into four to five parts by the rivers Seti, Bijayapur, Bagadi and Fusre. The Seti Gandaki flowing through the city from north to south divides the city roughly in two halves with the down-town area of Chipledunga in the middle, the old town centre of Bagar in the north and the tourist district of Lakeside (Baidam) in the south all lying on the western side of the river. The floor of the valley is so plain which seems to be like Terai with little slanting towards east and south. The valley is surrounded by the hills from which almost all the valley can be seen. The gorge through which the river flows is crossed at five points, the major ones are (from north to south): K.I. Singh Pul, Mahendra Pul and Prithvi Highway Pul. The eastern side of town is mainly residential.
About half of all tourists visiting Pokhara are there for the start or end of a trek to the Annapurna Base Camp and Mustang.
Fewa Lake was slightly enlarged by damming which poses a risk of silting up due of the inflow during the monsoon. The outflowing water is partially used for hydro power. The dam collapsed in the late 1970s and has been rebuilt. The power plant is located about 100 m below at the bottom of the Phusre Khola gorge. Water is also diverted for irrigation into the southern Pokhara valley.
The eastern Pokhara Valley receives irrigation water through a canal running from a reservoir by the Seti in the north of the city. Phewa lake is also used for commercial fishing. The tourist area is along the north shore of the lake (Baidam, Lakeside and Damside). It is mainly made up of little shops, little hotels, restaurants and bars. The larger hotels can be found on the southern and south-eastern fringes of the city, from where the view of the mountains is best. To the east of the valley, in Lekhnath, are several smaller lakes, the largest being Begnas Tal and Rupa Tal. Begnas Tal is also known for its fishery projects. There are no beaches in the valley, but one can rent boats in Phewa and Begnas Tal.
[edit]Tourism and economy



Bindhyabasini Temple in the evening
After the annexation of Tibet by China that led to the Indo-China war the trading route to India became defunct. Today only few caravans from Mustang still arrive in Bagar. In recent decades, Pokhara has become a major tourist destination of Nepal and the base for starting the famous trekking route to the Annapurna Circuit.


Pokhara stupas
Pokhara is quite a modern city, however, many temples (Barahi temple, Bindhyabasini, Bhadrakali, Sitaldevi, Gita mandir temple, Bhimsen temple) and old newari houses are still a part of the city (Bagar, Bindhyabasini, Bhairab Tole, etc.). The modern commercial city centres are at Chiple Dhunga (slippery stone, which is still there) and Mahendrapul (recently renamed as Bhimsen Chowk).


Phewa lake in 1982


Phewa lake and lakeside view from Sarangkot
The city promotes two major hilltops as its viewpoints to view the city and surrounding panaroma, World Peace Stupa built in 1996 across the southern shore of Fewa lake and Sarangkot which is located northwest of the city. A mountain museum has also been established to boost city's tourism attractions.
The Seti Gandaki (White River) and its tributaries have created several gorges and canyons in and around the whole city. The Seti gorge runs through the whole city from north to south and then west to east and at places these gorges are only a few metres wide. In the north and south, the canyons are wider.


Davis Falls at Pokhara
[edit]Military

The Pokhara region has a very strong military traditions with significant number of its men being employed by Nepali military, Indian army and the British army. The Western Division HQ of the Nepalese Army is stationed at Bijayapur, Pokhara and its Area of Responsibility (AOR) consists of the entire Western Development Region of Nepal. The AOR of this Division is 29,398 km2. and a total of 16 districts are under this Division. The population of the AOR of Western Division is 4,571,013. Both British Army and the Indian Army have regional recruitment and pensioners facilitation camps in Pokhara. The British Gurkha Camp is located at Deep in the north of the Pokhara city and the Indian Gurkha Pension Camp is in the south-western side of town called Pension camp, Rambazar.
[edit]Education

The post higher secondary level educational institutions in Pokhara include Prithivi Narayan Campus, Pokhara University, Pokhara Engineering College, IOE Western Region Campus providing engineering education, Foresty Campus, Gandaki Boarding School, SOS, Nursing Campus under Tribhuvan University and Manipal College of Medical Science affiliated to Kathmandu University, Amarsingh Higher Secondary School (one of the oldest high schools in this region), Kalika Campus, JMC (Janapriya Multiple Campus), Gandaki College of Medical Sciences, Gandaki College of Engineering & Sciences, etc.
[edit]Transportation

[edit]Public transit
Pokhara has several bus routes, mainly running the length of the city from north to south as well as east to west as well to the nearby villages and towns. The public transport mainly consists of buses, vans (locally known as micro-bus) and metered-taxis (frequently meter rule is ignored and meter tampering is common, so one may have to bargain with the taxi driver beforehand).
[edit]Inter-City connections
Pokhara is well connected to rest of the country through permanent road links. The main mode of transportation are public buses and the Purano Bus Park is the main hub for buses plying country wide. The all-season airport with regular flights to Kathmandu, Mustang and Lucknow in India are operated by various domestic and a few international airlines. Pokhara Airport is set to be upgraded into an international airport.[7]
[edit]Rivers and lakes in and around Pokhara

Pokhara valley is rich in water sources with many places for swimming, boating, rafting, etc.
List of lakes and rivers in and around Pokhara:
Phewa Lake
Begnas Lake
Rupa Lake
Seti River
Gandaki River
Gude Lake
Neurani Lake
Deepang Lake
Maidy Lake
Khastey Lake
Bijayapur River
Yamdi River
Fedi River
Kau Khola
Fusre Khola
Bagadi&Gaduwa(flows to Seti river)
Harpan Khola (main source of Fewa laka)
Pani Khola
Kali Khola
Bhalam khola
Bhurjung Khola
[edit]Sports

The sporting activities are mainly centered in the multi purpose stadium Pokhara Rangasala in Rambazaar. The women's volleyball team of Nepal is mostly dominated by players from Pokhara region.[8][9] The most prolific sport institution is Sahara Club. Besides the Kaski district ANFA also a conducts Balram KC Memorial Football[10] and other competitions. Some of the prestigious south asian club level football tournaments, such as Aaha Gold Cup and Safal Cup are are held in Pokhara. There are various tennis courts and golf course[11] in and around the city. The nearby Sarangkot hill has developed as a good attraction for adventure activities such as Paragliding and Sky diving. The pokhara city marathon, high altitude marathon are some activities that attracts mass participation. Adventure sports such as base jumping, paragliding, canyoning, rock climbing, etc. are targeted towards tourists.
[edit]Music

The western (Gandaki, Dhaulagiri and Lumbini) folk music (lok music) has been dominant in the whole music scenario of Pokhara. The famous song "Resham firiri" is an example of western regional folk music. The notable figures in Nepalese music scene from Pokhara are Nepathaya, The Edge Band(Pokhara), etc. More musical concerts are held in Pokhara than any other city in the country.
[edit]Media

There are 15 fm staions in Pokhara valley with additional 4 fm stations from Kathmandu have their relay broadcast stations in Pokhara making a total of 19 fm stations. There are two local television stations: GoldenEye Televison and Gandaki Television. Approximately 10 national daily newspapers, in nepali are published in nepal along with several other weekly and monthly news magazines. Numerous electronic news and entertainment based websites are based in Pokhara.
[edit]References

^ Joe Bindloss, Trent Holden, Bradley Mayhew, Nepal, Lonely Planet Publications Pvt. Ltd. 2009, Victoria, Australia
^ "Weather for Pokhara". weather.com. Retrieved 9 June 2009.
^ Stephen Bezruchka, Trekking in Nepal: A Traveller's Guide 7th Ed., The Mountaineers 1997, Seattle, WA, USA
^ John Whelpton, A History of Nepal, Cambridge University Press 2005, UK.
^ http://www.globalcitizens.org/where-we-go/jampaling-pokhara-valley-nepal
^ http://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1_____enUS400US400&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=History+of+pokhara#q=History+of+pokhara&hl=en&rlz=1C1_____enUS400US400&prmd=ivns&tbs=tl:1&tbo=u&ei=a86HTfLfKpD4sAOb16CHDA&sa=X&oi=timeline_result&ct=title&resnum=11&ved=0CGUQ5wIwCg&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=2be109a906644546
^ Xinhuanet "Construction of international airport in Nepal's Pokhara inaugurated", Xinhuanet, 9th December 2009, accessed 4th March 2011.
^ http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=30715
^ http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=30595
^ http://soccer.hwbnepal.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1222&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=101
^ http://www.fullswinggolf.com.au/index_general.asp?menuid=070.030.020
[edit]External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Pokhara
http://pokharacity.org.np The Sub-Metropolitan Office Site
Photos from and around Pokhara
Pokhara and Phewa lake, photostory
Pokhara travel guide from Wikitravel
Video guide to Pokhara
Pokhara Destination Guide from whl.travel
Sights & Scenes from Pokhara
http://www.globalcollegiate.edu.np Global Collegiate Higher Secondary School
http://www.gces.edu.np Gandaki College of Engineering and Sciences
http://www.pokharaphotogallery.com Pokhara Photo Gallery
http://www.pncampus.edu.np
http://www.pokharalakeside.com
http://www.basecamptrekking.com
http://www.pokhara.name Pokhara information
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