Lumbini & the Buddha's Country · Feasts, markets and the lunar calendar
Food and festivals in Lumbini & the Buddha's Country
Newar samay baji and yomari, Thakali dal bhat, Sherpa shyakpa, Tharu ghonghi, Mithila sweets, Ilam's tea and tongba in the eastern hills. And the festivals that bring them out: Dashain, Tihar, Indra Jatra, Bisket, Tiji and Chhath.
Places
Lumbini & the Buddha's Country2,347 mResunga
The horned sage's forested hill above Tamghas, Gulmi
Lumbini & the Buddha's Country500 mRidi
A temple town where the Ridi Khola meets the sacred Kali Gandaki
Lumbini & the Buddha's Country1,350 mTansen
Newar lanes, dhaka looms and brass karuwa on a Mahabharat ridge
Experiences
TrekkingHike to the summit of Resunga
A day hike from Tamghas through sacred oak and rhododendron forest to the summit of Resunga at about 2,347 m, …
FoodNepal's first coffee, on a Gulmi farm
Visit a smallholder coffee farm in Gulmi, the district where Nepal's first coffee was planted in 1938, to see arabica …
NatureSpring rhododendrons in the sacred forest
A shorter forest walk on Resunga's upper slopes in March and April, when red rhododendron, Nepal's national flower, blooms among …
SpiritualClimb with pilgrims on a festival day
Join local families climbing Resunga on a major festival day, when the forest trails fill with pilgrims carrying offerings to …
SpiritualMorning darshan at the Rishikesh temple
Join the morning worship at Ridi's Rishikesh temple, from the bath at the confluence to the queue for darshan of …
Rivers and lakesShaligram stones on the Kali Gandaki shingle
Walk the shingle banks of the Kali Gandaki at Ridi with a local who can tell a true shaligram from …
HeritageRidi's old pilgrim bazaar
A slow walk through the old bazaar along the river, with its brick and timber houses, carved windows, small shrines …
SpiritualDawn bath at the Maghe Sankranti mela
Be at the Kali Gandaki ghats before sunrise during Ridi's three-day Maghe Sankranti fair, when thousands bathe in the cold …
