You don’t have to be in Switzerland to ride cable cars.
The cable car in Nepal takes you up on a spiritual adventure
to the abode of Manakamana, the wish-fulfilling goddess. Even
if you have no wishes to make (assuming that you have got
it all or you not a believer), this place offers a unique
look into Nepali people’s faith in the Goddess Manakamana.
The Manakamana temple overlooks terraced fields, and the Trishuli
and Marsyangdi river valleys. The hilltop (1302m) also offers
a vantage point for taking in the breathing view of the Manashlu-Himanchuli
and Annapurna massifs to the north.
Venerated since the 17th century and commanding royal patronage,
Manakamana is located south of the Gorkha historic town of
Gorkha and 6 km north of Mugling. In the past, millions of
pilgrims used to do the long arduous trek up to the hilltop.
Many still do.
From the cable car station in Cheres, you ge to Manakamana
in 10 minutes flat or less. The ride over the distance of
2.8 kilometers. With 31 passengers and 3 cargo-cars, each
with a seating capacity of 6, the system has the overall capacity
of handling 600 persons per hour. The adventure is in getting
your wishes fulfilled.
The legend
The legend of Manakamana Goddess goes back to the time of the
Gorkha king Ram shah (1614-1636 AD). His queen, the story
goes, possessed divine powers known only to her devotee and
religious preceptor, Lakhan Thapa. On one occasion, the king
chanced upon the revelation of his queen as goddess and Lakhan
as a lion. But as soon as he told the Queen what he saw, death
took him. When the Queen approached the funeral pyre to commit
sati as was the custom back then, she consoled the lamenting
Lakhan by saying that she would reappear soon near his home.
Six months later, a certain farmer ploughing a field hit a
stone, cleaved it and saw blood and milk flow forth. When
the news got around to Lakhan, he knew that his wish had come
true. The flow ceased when Lakhan worshipped the stone using
his tantric knowledge. When the then ruling king of Gorkha
learnt of the incident, he donated land and a grant to perpetuate
the worship of Manakamana. This deed was invested with a Lal
Mohar, and the present Thapa-Mangar pujari is the 17th generation
descendant of Lakhan Thapa.
The shrine of Manakamana has been renovated many times over
the centuries. The present four-story temple on a square pedestal
has pagoda –style roofs, and the entrance is marked
by one stone which is the sacrificial pillar. The Thapa-Mangar
priest performs rituals behind closed doors by offering egg,
orange, rice, vermillion and strips of cloth to the Goddess,
only after the pujari is done with his puja, that the public’s
turn comes.
Skyline Treks & Expedition offer package programme for the Cable car and Manakamana pilgrimage similar as bellow.
- Early morning drive from Kathmandu to Kurintar (104 Kms) by tourist bus or Private Car.
- Kurintar to Manakamana Temple (2.8 Km) by cable car (10 minutes duration)
- Visit Manakamana temple and villages then return back to Kurintar by cable-car (10 minutes)
- Drive back to Kathmandu by Tourist bus or Car.
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