Things to do in Papa
THINGS TO DO IN PALPA
1. Visit to Ranighat Palace (Ranimahal)
Palpa is famous for Rani Mahal (which means queen’s palace), which honors the General and governor of Palpa; Khadga Shamsher’s love for his young wife Tej Kumari Devi, who died a year before its construction began. The palace was built by General of Palpa Khadga Samsher Rana in the 19th century as the memory of his queen Tej Kumari Devi. Right Palace is the most visited place and is equated with the Tajmahal of India. So it is considered as ‘Tajmahal of Nepal’. The green forest named Rani Ban and the Rani Ghat River surrounds Ranimahal. It is a small beautiful and magical palace with a temple, pond, and garden. Rani Mahal offers a quiet environment for visitors. Visitors can easily reach here from Tansen bazaar after a few hours on the trek. No one should miss visiting this historical place.
2. Trek to Shrinagar Hill
Shrinagar Hill is the nearest high peak to Tansen. It takes about 30 minutes to reach at the top of the hill on foot from Tansen Bazaar. The hill offers a stunning view of high mountains, green forests, and an entire view of Tansen. Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Nilgiri, and Himchuli mountains can be seen from the top of Shrinagar Hill. It can be the best destination for those who want to get relief from stress.
3. Sightseeing the old town of Tansen City
Tansen is one of the best places to visit in Palpa. It offers a great opportunity to know about the Magar Kingdom, a powerful Kingdom of Nepal, and the current Magar culture, tradition, and lifestyle. Tansen Palpa is a heaven for history and culture lovers with its many temples and old buildings to discover and explore. It is growing as the best tourism destination. The most important highlights are the Durbar Square with its massive entrance gate, and which houses a museum. The white Sittalpati, a curious octagonal pavilion in the middle of the town's main square, was built by the General who constructed the beautiful Rani palace.
4. Visit Vhairabsthan Temple
Vhairabsthan Temple is one of the largest temples in Asia. This is a Hindu temple, related to Lord Shiva. The temple is located 5 km away from the Tansen bazaar. Every year, a large number of locals and devotees visit Vhairabsthan Temple.
5. Watch Mahamritunjaya Statue
In Palpa, there is a famous Statue of Lord Shiva named as Mahamritunjaya. It is supposed to be the biggest metallic Statue of Lord Shiva in all over the Asia. Mahamritunjaya Statue is one of the must-visited statues in Nepal.
6. Observe Rishikesh Temple
Rishikesh Temple is a historical Temple constructed in pagoda style architect in Palpa. It was constructed by the first king of Palpa - Manimukunda Sen. A numbers of devotees visit here to celebrate one of the famous festivals of Nepal called Maghe Sankranti which is held on Magh 1st of every year. Devotees take bath in the Kali Gandaki River which is near to the temple. In this temple, people worship the statue of god Rishikesh.
7. Hiking and trekking in Palpa
Palpa is a great destination to visit if someone likes to hike. There are plenty of hiking possibilities such as - hike to Rani Mahal, hike to Aryabhanjyang, hike to the Bhairav Temple, and trek to Srinagar Hill. Trekking and Hiking offer stunning natural beauty, views of mountain ranges, a tranquil waterfall, and breathtaking scenery. They enjoy while passing through cornfields, rustic hamlets, lush forests, and tiny streams.
8. Visit a Coffee Farm
The first coffee farms of Nepal were established in Palpa Tansen district and have become important economic drivers. Farming coffee has been in practice for more than four decades. Palpa is genuinely being called as Nepal’s coffee home. During a farm visit, the process of farming can be observed.
9. Watch from Tansen View Tower
Tansen View Tower is located at Shreenagar from where you can view all the scenic beauty round Tansen, Palpa. If the time is short, visitors like to watch Tansen from the Tansen View Tower.
10. Shop for traditional Dhaka fabric
Tansen is the best place in Nepal to buy the famous Dhaka fabrics. Dhaka is a cotton fabric made in hand-woven with different complex patterns. Dhaka fabric is a traditional art form of the indigenous Limbu & Rai People. Dhaka Topi (Nepali cap) are made from Dhaka. Other famous Dhaka products are blankets, purses, and bags.
Festivals and Food
Palpa is famous for various traditional and cultural festivals. Gai Jatra, Ropai Jatra, Ganesh Jatra, Amarnayaran Jatra, Shreenagar Jatra, Bagh Jatra, Taksar Ganesh and Bhagwati Jatra are major festivals celebrated with fanfare.
Tansen is very famous for Hansko chhyola (roasted or grilled spiced duck meat), and Batuk (a lentil flour patty). Selroti, Dalbhat, achar, fish curry,etc are tastes of Palpa.