Religious places of Nepal

With more than thousand years of history, Nepal is a sovereign nation that has a population of 28 million individual Nepalese citizen who belong to diverse range of ethnic communities and follow several religions. However, Nepal is mostly known all over the world for its magnificent, towering Himalayan mountain peaks. After all, a large portion of Nepal’s tourism is diverted to the glory of northern Himalayas which have been capturing the attention of foreign travelers and explorers since several centuries.

From the world’s highest mountain- Mt. Everest (8,848m) to the breathtaking trekking trails of Nepal, tourists love visiting Nepal mainly for trekking purposes as they dream of exploring serene/rustic natural travel destinations which can only be found in countries like Nepal. Having said that, there are some individual travelers who prefer traveling to places that have some form of religious significance and tolerance. Keeping that in mind, we have curated this blog to showcase the popular religious places of Nepal where foreign travelers can visit and relinquish their inner wishes of exploring consecrated sites.

Below is the list of top 5 religious places of Nepal. Have a look!

Lumbini

Located within the southern belt of Nepal, Lumbini falls in the Terai region where the land is largely covered by lush green fertile plains and farmlands. Lumbini is popularly known as the ‘birth place of Lord Buddha’ and you should at least know that Lord Buddha is the founder of Buddhism- the second largest religion in the world. Even if you are not Buddhist, you should not miss out on the opportunity to visit Lumbini as it is considered as one of the most sacred and quintessentially religious place of Nepal. Furthermore, you can explore sites like Maya Devi Temple, World Peace Pagoda and Myanmar Golden Temple while staying in Lumbini.

Pashupatinath

If you have landed in Kathmandu- the capital city of Nepal then you will have no problem visiting Pashupatinath Temple area. Enlisted as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Pashupatinath Temple is the most sacred Hindu shrine in the world where thousands of Hindu devotees and pilgrims pay their homage each year, especially during the auspicious festivity of Shiva Ratri. In its simplicity, Pashupatinath Temple is situated beside the holy Bagmati river and is normally visited by foreign travelers for sightseeing purposes in day time.

Muktinath

Situated at a high elevation of 3,710 meters above sea level, Muktinath is a widely known religious shrine as it is worshipped by both Hindu and Buddhist followers. Also, because of its location, it falls within the Annapurna Circuit Trek route so large groups of foreign trekkers usually can be seen flocking around the shrine areas. Initially, to reach Muktinath Temple, you will have to head to Pokhara city and then take a short flight to Jomsom (if you don’t have much time). Otherwise you could just go on ‘Jomsom Muktinath Trek’ and visit other spectacular places near Muktinath temple during your trip in Nepal. In addition to that, Muktinath serves as a place of salvation where prominent sages and divine beings have gained nirvana according to various myths and folk lore. However, it is up to you to believe in them or not.

Manakamana Temple

Undoubtedly, Manakamana Temple is a place which must be on your travel bucket list if you are searching for a religious place to go for a memorable pilgrimage journey. Located 105 kilometers to the west of Kathmandu city, you can take a short drive to Manakamana Temple from the capital city. Manakamana Temple is geographically positioned at the top of 1300 meter hill in Gorkha district and is normally visited via a cable car ride that lasts around 15 minutes. Therefore, travelers don’t need to hike all the way up to the top of Muktinath Temple. Once at the top, you can hear chants and prayers all day long around Manakamana Temple.

Dakshinkali

Dedicated to Goddess Kali, Dakshinkali is a popular religious/holy temple located just 22 kilometers away from Kathmandu city. Dakshinkali Temple is also a popular tourist picnic spot where foreign and local travelers make a one-day trip. Upon visiting the central shrine of Dakshinkali Temple, you can get a first-hand sight of animal sacrifices as locals popularly believe that doing so pleases Goddess Kali- the consort of Lord Shiva. Besides that, the entire area of Dakshinkali Temple provides a peaceful environment where you won’t have to face the alarming pollution and traffic jams.

All in all, these are our Top 5 popular religious places of Nepal where you can take your family and loved ones for an enriching cultural and spiritual experience. So, if you want to come to Nepal and visit the above-mentioned places, you can contact us to help you organize your trip to these locations in a professional manner.