Panauti

Panauti sits on a triangle of land where the Roshi and Punyamata rivers meet, a confluence held sacred and, by local reckoning, joined by an invisible third river, which makes it a pilgrimage site. The town is compact and unusually intact: the Indreshwar Mahadev temple in the central compound is a tall tiered pagoda whose core is thought to date to the thirteenth century, making it among the oldest surviving temples in Nepal, with carved struts of considerable quality. Around it are courtyards, rest houses, ghats at the confluence and streets of brick houses. It sees a fraction of the visitors that Bhaktapur does. A community homestay programme puts guests in family houses, which is the better way to see it.

History

The recorded history of Panauti goes back to the first century AD. It was a trading hub on the old salt route between Tibet and India and was joined to the kingdom of Nepal at the end of the 13th century; the salt trade ended in the 1950s and the Arniko Highway bypassed the town in the 1960s, and its medieval monuments were placed on UNESCO's tentative list in 1996 (Wikipedia, Panauti).

Highlights

• Indreshwar Mahadev - the tiered pagoda with its carved roof struts.
• The river confluence - the sacred meeting point and its ghats.
• Brick courtyards - the intact Newar townscape around the temple.
• Community homestays - accommodation in family houses in the town.

When to go

October to April for clear weather; the Makar Mela pilgrimage fills the confluence in January every twelve years. Festivals through autumn and spring bring processions to the streets.

Before you go

Earthquake damage in 2015 was significant and restoration is ongoing, with some structures propped. The town is small and half a day covers it. Facilities are limited and the homestays are simple. There is little interpretation in English.

Nearby

Namobuddha lies east; Dhulikhel is northeast.

Key facts