Tansen Tour
If visitors are wondering which place in this
kingdom would give them a taste of everything,
we suggest that they give Tansen a try.
Tansen is a small town of approximately twenty
thousand people. It is on the way from Pokhara
to Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha,
and it is not too far from the Royal Chitwan
National Park. Located 4,300 meters above
sea level, on the south flank of Srinagar
Hill, the greatest attractions of this town
are its ancient culture, friendly people,
excellent mountain views, and, above
all, its serene atmosphere. The weather remains
moderate throughout the year, and it is a pleasant
place to visit in any season.
The town's mostly Newar and Magar inhabitants
have long been known as staunch warriors. The
kings of Tansen wielded great power over
western Nepal in the fifteenth century.
Palpa, their kingdom was the last to be defeated
by the conquering Gurkhas who unified today's
Nepal. These people became even more famous
in the Anglo-Nepal war of the early 1800s. Col.
Ujir Singh Thapa who commanded the army in the
region was in an extremely trying situation
at the time. His men were outnumbered four to
one by the English forces. He desperately asked
for divine help before going into battle, promising
a temple in the name of Goddess Bhagwati
(who is ferocious and loves blood sacrifices)
if she would help him. He won. In 1815, he kept
his word and built a temple to the goddess.
However, fighting is not the only forte of Tansen
residents.
The jhyure folk song performance of
the Magars are colorful. Dancing and feasting
are accompanied by drumbeats of the madal during
festivals. Amar Singh Thapa, another great champion
of the Anglo-Nepal war, had great affinity for
Tansen as well. He brought highly skilled artisans
from Kathmandu Valley to build the Amar
Narayan temple when he was the governor
of the town. The temple's woodcarvings are
remarkable and puja is offered here everyday
to Lord Bishnu.
During the time of the Rana prime Ministers,
from 1846 to 1951, Tansen became an important
outpost. Those who offended the administration
or were political prisoners were sent away from
the Kathmandu Valley beyond Tansen. It
was thought that they would not be able to cause
problems to the rulers from their faraway exiles.
Later the Ranas tried to develop Tansen into
a hill-station and built palaces and mansions
for personal use. One such palace in
the heart of the town has a huge door called
the Baggi Dhoka. Some say that it was built
so that Khadga Shumsher Rana would not need
to get off' his elephant while entering the
palace. Others claim that it was built so that
horse drawn chariots could easily enter the
palace grounds. The town's intricately patterned
dhaka is the most popular handwoven cloth
of Nepal. Newar women of the Kathmandu
Valley have preferred its shawls for many
decades. Nepal's national cap, the topi, is
also made of dhaka. Dhaka is available to buyers
at the town's bazaars. Those interested may
also see weavers at work on their looms.
There are potters and metal workers in Tansen
too. Earthen pottery is still used in many houses
of Tansen. Jugs, basins, and even filters
are made from clay for local use. Chang, the
local liquor, is wonderfully cool if it has
been stored in earthen-ware. Metal workers make
deep plates, karuwa water jugs, utensils for
worship and hookahs for smoking.
Tansen is charming because it is unspoiled
by modernity, pollution and urban bustle. On
clear days, mountain views from the town
reveal Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, Manaslu, Gauri
Shankar and other peaks and a walk up to
Srinagar Hill provides an even more thrilling
Himalayan panorama.
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