Bandipur

Bandipur midway between kathmandu and Pokhara is one of the popular  tourist destination. The ancient newari settlement and picturesque town nesteled in the himalayan foothills are the major attraction . Bandipur, a land as famous for richness of its natural beauty is a municipality in Tanahun District. Situated on a hilltop above the highway town of Dumre, Bandipur captivates the visitors with its cultural appeal and prestine scenery. Behind this its pagoda roofs, latticework windows and stone paved streets are the most eye capturing attraction in local town. Similarly the dwelling are in the form of compact town houses, built of brick often with ornate windows and doorways.Also, the roofs are of tins and slate.

Background

Regarding the history, Bandipur used to be the trade route from India via Tibet. It was established as a funneling point of trade by Newar traders from Bhaktapur in the Kathmandu valley after it was conquered in 1768 by Prithvi Narayan Shah.As Bandipur is considered as the malaria free location so they took advantage to develop it into an important stop along the India via Tibet trade route. With this trade they brought their cultural heritage and architecture which basically ha sremained unchanged to this day. Similarly, many years back Tundikhel one of the main attraction was the setting for the trade fairs as well as parade ground for archery contests and celebration.

Significance from Tourism Prospective

Bandipur amazes visitors with its geology as much as with its scenic and cultural attractions. The breathtaking views of Himalayas ( Dhaulagiri, Langtang, Annapurna Manaslu and Ganesh Himal) from Tundikhel captivates the nature lovers. From the nearby hilltops, one cqan see far as Manakamana and Gorkha and Marsyangdi valley right infront. Likewise,in the afernoon and before sunset until dusk one can see the panaromic views of Himalayas. The morning fog from the nearby valley blurs the views over Himalayas, but makes the scenery fairy- tail like.

Sights around bazar, Shiva is the hindu god that we see around bazar.Other attractions include the Bindyabashini temple and the library in the village centre, Thani Mai, Tindhara (“Three Taps” washing place at the southeastern outskirts), Raniban (Queen’s Forest), the downhill trek to the Siddha Cave and a hike to Ramkot village. On Mukundeswari, the elevation at the western end of the saddle is a little shrine and one has a view of Bandipur itself.

Originally a simple Magar village in thr early 19th century Bandipur  developed into prosperous trading center and a community with town-like features : substantial buildings with their neoclassical facades and shuttered windows and streets paved with slabs of silverish slate. Moreover, old Newari town flairs also make Bandipur interesting tourist site from which a few guesthouses and a hotel at the northern end of the Tundikhel try to benefit. It may well be that the seculsion of Bandipur saved the Newari architecture of its building which otherwise would have been replaced by faceless modern types found in many other towns of Nepal.