Manakamana Temple

Manakamana means wish-fulfilling, and the goddess enshrined on this ridge is believed to grant what is asked of her, which makes the temple one of the busiest pilgrimage sites in Nepal; those whose wishes are granted return to make an offering, and animals are sacrificed at the shrine. Until 1998 reaching it meant a walk of three hours or more up from the highway. The cable car built that year climbs 2.8 kilometres from Kurintar in about ten minutes, carrying pilgrims, goods and, in separate cars, the goats brought for sacrifice. The ridge at the top has the temple, a bazaar of stalls and lodgings, and views over the Trishuli and Marsyangdi valleys with the Himalaya beyond on clear days.

History

The name means "the temple that grants wishes". The temple is said to have been founded in 1678; in 1764-65 Prithvi Narayan Shah set up a trust for its worship and for feeding the pigeons every day, and in 1802-3 four brothers, Sur Bir, Kar Bir, Fauda Singh and Khagda Singh, built the gilded main gate (Wikipedia, Manakamana Temple).

Highlights

• The hilltop temple - the shrine of the wish-granting goddess.
• The cable car - a ten-minute climb from the highway, goats in their own cars.
• The pilgrim bazaar - stalls and lodgings crowding the ridge.
• The valley views - Trishuli and Marsyangdi below, Himalaya beyond.

When to go

October to April for clear weather; the temple is busiest at Dashain and on Saturdays and Tuesdays. Cable car queues at festivals can be very long. Early morning is quietest.

Good to know

Animal sacrifice is carried out at the shrine in numbers and is visible; visitors uncomfortable with it should be aware. The cable car queues heavily on holy days. The ridge top is crowded and commercial. The temple itself is small.

Nearby

Gorkha lies north; the Pokhara highway runs below.

Key facts