RG Excursion to Eastern Nepal 2023

Mukesh Dangal 
Program Coordinator/ HOD

On the first day, we embarked on our destination en route to Janakpur. It took us around 7 hours overall to reach. The journey was worth treading because what we saw reaching Janakpur was mind-boggling. After refreshments, we visited the Naulakha Mandir or Ram Janaki Temple which carries historical importance about the Hindu religion. It’s a place where Lord Rama and Mata Sita got married. It’s the land of blessings because the positive vibes that we felt after visiting the temple through a VIP entrance cannot be explained in words. Apart from the temple, we also visited Ram Mandir, Gangasagar and the Vivaha Mandap. We were very lucky to be welcomed there by the main priest in all the temples enjoying the evening “Aarti”.

On the second day of our trip, we had to reach “Kanyam”- “The Jewel of Eastern Nepal ” which was an overall 8-hour drive. So, we started early and visited “Dhanusha Dham” quickly in the morning. We were shocked to see and listen to that fascinating story of Dhanusha Dham. The place is really magical and it’s more than 2000 years old. The holy Dhanush of Lord Ram broke into three different parts and one part fell in that area. After that, it started growing. If you go there you will be shocked to see how an entire tree has grown from a small wood and how holy the place is. Our students learned a lot about the various facts we were able to see and feel practically and it was really a brainstorming mark. I heard my students chit-chatting about Janakpur and other various places we visited the day before on how magical it was and how important it was through various aspects. 

On the third day after reaching “Kanyam,” we were a bit tired of our long journey, so we thought of relaxing a bit in the morning. However, the excitement in students didn’t let us do that. No sooner than we had our breakfast, we started exploring Kanyam. In the beginning, we went to “Kanyam Tea Estate” which was no less than heaven. The lush greenery field with tea gardens all over the hilltop and the mesmerizing panorama of Mt Kanchenjunga made us speechless and put us in deep thought about how beautiful our country Nepal is. We spent hours in the tea garden running from top to bottom and felt like never leaving the place which eventually we had to. After visiting the tea garden, we headed for “Buddha Park” situated just below Pashupati Bazar (Indo-Nepal Border) and enjoyed the park with its surroundings. While returning from there, we stopped in Fikkal Bazar to purchase some locally made Churpi, Tea, Lollipop and the famous Ilam Ghee… Hmm… the lollipop was really tasty. We enjoyed our local organic lunch and continued our journey to Shree Antu Viewpoint and Lake. I went drum-stuck visiting there and it was very chilly and dark inside the coniferous forest where we tried to play hide and seek in vain because no one dared to hide inside the forest! It was really scary but still enjoyable. Some of our students went boating in “Antu Pokhari” and it gave them the vibes of Pokhara. The whole day was filled with adventure, joy, food and happiness so we were a bit tired and had a very good sleep at night just like a small baby. 

On the fourth day, we planned to visit “Barahakshetra” – the bank of the Koshi river and reach Singhulimadi for our overnight stay which was the longest trip of our entire trip so we started our journey as quickly as possible after breakfast. The journey was hectic somewhere but more enjoyable as we had our friends along with us. We stopped at Itahari for lunch and continued our journey to “Barahakshetra”. After reaching it, we visited the “Pancha Tattva Mandir ” – the temple of five elements. Similarly, we also went to the bank of the Koshi River and heard really interesting stories about the spiritual practices people perform at night time there. It was new and fascinating to listen to such stories for us because we don’t get to visit such places regularly. After our visit to “Barahakshetra,” we continued our journey to Sindhulimadi and reached the hotel around 9.30 pm. The bonfire at night was so relaxing and warm in the cold night of winter that we nearly forgot that we travelled for 9 hours today! Ha Ha!

We completed our last day of the excursion by visiting “Singhuligadi ” a historical place where you can see the ruins of a fort and a tourist attraction. Our great Gorkha soldiers fought very bravely against the East India Company in November 1767 AD defeated the Britishers and stopped them from entering Kathmandu Valley. Thanks to our great warriors who saved our country from getting colonized. Apart from the fort, we visited the War Museum, Rani Mahal, Kala Ghar and Tudikhel. The place was full of historical importance and our students got a chance to see and learn many things.  

Overall the trip was a great practical learning experience by visiting various places. The learning was unlimited and full of excitement filled with a bundle of joy and thrill. We live with the reminiscences! 

Rajarshians exploring the eastern part of Nepal was not just an educational tour. Moreover, it was a tour filled with happiness, bonding, exploration, learning, excitement and thrill. On 22nd Dec 2023, a team of 26 students and 3 teachers went for an educational domestic tour for 04 nights and 05 days.