Located high above the Kali Gandaki River on the road between Butwal and Pokhara, staying in this charming ancient hill town of Tansen, Palpa, is a worthwhile detour for a few days. Few foreign tourists visit the beautiful Palpa district, which is famous in Nepal, and for many good reasons. Full of history, this old Newar town's steep cobbled streets are virtually traffic-free. While at this beautiful hill station, you can admire the traditional wooden Newari houses with their intricately carved windows lined amidst narrow alleys. Hear the looms clacking as families weave the famous Dhaka fabric that Tansen, Palpa is known all over Nepal for.
Read how you can visit Tansen, using the health and safety measures of Community Homestay.
Travellers come to Tansen, Palpa district, planning to spend one or two nights and stay four or five during their trip. There is plenty to see and to do here. Take in the beautiful mountain views from Srinagar Hill, explore the fascinating history of Tansen, visit temples, visit the Rani Mahal, go hiking, drink good coffee, shop for local handicrafts made only here, and live with locals in one of the Community Homestays.
1. Explore Palpa Tansen’s fascinating history
Likened to Darjeeling for its steep roads that climb the hillside, Tansen-Palpa has its own charm and a rich history. Once the capital of the Magar kingdom of Tanahun under the reign of King Mukunda Sen, the kingdom of Palpa had expanded as far as the Koshi River in east Nepal, Gorakhpur in south Nepal and Gulmi and Kaski districts in west and north Nepal, respectively. Until the rise of the Shahs, it was one of the most powerful kingdoms in Nepal. It even came close to conquering Kathmandu in the 16th century under the leadership of King Mukunda Sen (1518-1553 AD). Although the power of the Magars waned in the 18th century, Tansen recovered as a Newari trading post on the busy trading route between India and Tibet. In 1806, Prithivipal Sen, the last king of Palpa, was invited to Kathmandu but was trapped, and he was beheaded there. Palpa then became part of the Kathmandu kingdom, with Tansen as the area's administrative city.
2. Sightseeing: Palaces and Temples
There is plenty to see in Tansen during your trip. You enter the Durbar Square through a massive gate, Baggi Dhoka, where the chariots of religious festivals have to pass through. There are delicate wood carvings on the buildings on both sides of the gate, which are examples of the fine Newari craftsmanship. Tansen Durbar was built in 1927 by Pratap Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana and formed the grand palace. In January 2006, during the Maoist insurgency, it was destroyed, but after the king's abdication a few months later, the palace was one of the first government buildings to be restored. It now houses a small museum.
Sittalpati, a curious octagonal pavilion, can be found in the main square. It was built under the order of Khadga Shamsher, governor of Palpa from 1891- 1902. (Shamsher, an ambitious politician, was exiled from Kathmandu after plotting against the Prime Minister.) In the past, it was used by the governors of Tansen when they had public announcements to make, but now it is a popular spot for locals to hang out and chat. Close by is the oldest temple in town, the two-tiered pagoda-style temple of Bhimsen.
Places To Visit
At the bottom of Asan Tole is Amar Narayan Mandir, the large classic three-tiered pagoda-style temple sacred to Lord Vishnu. It was built in 1807 by the first governor of Tansen, Amar Singh Thapa and is very beautiful with its carved wood deities. The erotic carvings on the wooden structures are remarkable. The temple is surrounded by a one-meter-wide stone wall locally known as the Great Wall of Palpa. There are two other temples in the vicinity of the temple. Mahadev Mandir is found just below, sacred to Shiva and the other is to Vishnu Paduka.
Bhagawati Temple was rebuilt by Colonel Ujir Singh Thapa, the governor of Palpa, in 1815 to commemorate the victory over colonial British Indian Forces in the battle fought at Butwal. The devastating earthquake damaged the large temple in 1935, after which it was renovated to its smaller present size. Close to Bhagawati Temple are three small temples of Shiva, Ganesh and Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom. Every August, a chariot procession of deities is paraded through the town with military honour to observe the historic battle.
On the side of Srinagar Hill, you can find Siddhi Binayak Temple, the temple of the God Ganesh. It is said that the sculptors who came to Tansen from Kathmandu to build Amar Narayan Temple also carved the figure of an elephant on a big stone, giving it the shape of God Ganesh.
3. Unique textiles : The Dhaka Topi & Fabric
Tansen is home to the traditional colourful woven Dhaka fabric. Sewn to make the topi, the typical Nepali cap, the Palpali Dhaka topi is the most famous and popular among Nepalese people. Shawls and ‘Thaili’ (a typical Nepali woman’s purse) made in Dhaka also make perfect souvenirs. There are lots of Dhaka shops, and you can visit the small factory where the fabric is woven, though many homes also have looms where the fabric is made.
4. Traditional metal crafts
Taksar is an exciting part of the town where, for centuries, the famous bronze and brass works of Tansen were produced. Here you can see how the famous bronze ‘karuwa’ (water jug), ‘hukka’ (water pipe), and ‘auntee’ (Newar jug for storing ‘raksi’ a distilled homemade alcohol) are produced.
5. First grown coffee in Nepal
The first coffee plantation in Nepal can be found here. Coffee has been grown here for the last 36 years and is still regarded as the best. With over 2000 farmers growing coffee beans, this is one of Tansen’s important products. You can visit Bista’s coffee plantation, where the farmer has grown coffee beans for nearly four decades.
The coffee from here is all organic, and no chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or fungicides are used. It is grown between 800 and 1500 meters above sea level, so the quality is very high. The Arabica beans grown are generally medium in size, aromatic, and tasty. Recently, the coffee from Tansen and its surrounding areas has started to be exported overseas. It is available in many shops around Tansen Bazaar.
6. Festivals and fairs
There is usually at least one fair or festival every month based on Hindu or Buddhist mythology, and it is celebrated according to the lunar calendar in Nepal. The most important fair is the three-day Ridi Mela or Maghe Sankranti (Jan-Feb) at Ridi Bazaar, where Hindu pilgrims from all over Nepal and India come to take a holy bath in the Kaligandaki River and worship at the temple. At this fair, handicrafts and products like woollen blankets, wooden pots, bamboo products, sugarcane cakes, walnuts and more are sold.
Other fairs include Satyawati Mela, a one-night festival held during the full moon in October-November at Satyawati Lake, south of Tansen. According to legend, on this night, the Goddess Satyawati will fulfil the wishes of the pilgrims who circle the lake three times and shout their hopes out to her. People take a holy bath in the lake and sacrifice animals and birds.
The Parvas Mela (Feb-Mar) on Shiva Ratri, the birthday of Lord Shiva, is when people come to worship the gods Krishna and Shiva, bringing animals and agricultural produce to the fair where the best farmers are rewarded. Lalpati Mela is held during the Holi Festival around the same time in Lalpati in the centre of the Madi Valley, and Rambha Pani Mela is held in August-September in Rambha Pani, 30 km east of Tansen city when people come to worship Goddess Rambha Pani and sacrifice animals and birds
7. Hikes around Tansen
Srinagar Hill is just a short walk up from Tansen Bazaar (1524m), where you can climb a view tower and admire the spectacular panorama of the high Himalayas and the plains of Terai. You can see Kanjiroba, Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and Langtang Himal.
The area has several other hikes, such as a visit to Ranighat Durbar and a day hike away from Tansen. On the east bank of Kali Gandaki River at the confluence of the Ridi is the Rani Mahal, also known as Nepal’s Taj Mahal. This crumbling baroque place was built in 1896 by Khadga Shamsher Rana. Ranighat temple is found beside the Ridi River. It is an important Hindu pilgrimage centre, especially during January when pilgrims bathe in the river to celebrate the Magar festival of Maghe Sankranti.
8. Community Homestays
To make your stay here all the more memorable, why not spend a few days in one of the friendly and hospitable local family homestays during your trip to Palpa, Nepal? Clustered at the top of the top Tansen in Bhagawati Tole, there are several Community Homestays where guests can live with a family and gain an insight into the way of life in this fascinating little town.
9. Local cuisine
While staying in here, try out the local cuisine. Tansen is very famous for Hansko chhyola (roasted or grilled spiced duck meat ), Chukauni (boiled potato and curd) and Batuk (a lentil flour patty ). Try out Jhiniya roti (bread made from fermented rice) and Sel roti. Sel Roti is made of rice flour, and the semi-liquid dough is prepared from milk, water, sugar, butter, cardamom, cloves and other secret ingredients, which are poured into oil in a circular shape and cooked gently until golden.
10. Great location and climate
Historically, Tansen was ideally situated on a main trading route between Tibet and India. Up in the hills, at 1372 meters above sea level, it has a perfect climate – not too hot in summer and not too cold in winter. Many people like to come here in the summer when it is too hot in the sweltering plains below.
How to Get To Tansen – Palpa:
Located as it is on the highway between Pokhara and Lumbini and the Indian border, Tansen is a good place to stop for a few days on your way north or south. Though there are no flights to Tansen, you can fly from Kathmandu to Bhairahawa near Lumbini and then take a bus via Butwal to Tansen (64 km/3hrs drive) or fly to Pokhara, from where Tansen can be reached in about 5 hours drive.
By Road
Kathmandu (306 km/7-10 hours): Buses leave early in the morning and in the evening from Gongabu Bus Park, and microbuses go from Sundhara, near the Central Post Office. Hiring a vehicle requires about 7 hours of driving.
Pokhara (122 km/ 5-6 hrs): There is one direct daily bus service leaving at 6 a.m. (You should confirm the departure time.) The Tourist bus to Sunauli on the Indian border passes the Bartung junction, where you can catch a local bus or jeep for the remaining 4 kilometres to Tansen.
Chitwan (175 km/4-5 hrs): From Narayanghat, you can catch a bus or microbus coming from Kathmandu on their way to Tansen or take any bus to Butwal (2 – 3 hrs) and change there for a bus to Tansen (90 minutes).
Lumbini (85 km/ 4-5 hrs): There is no direct bus service from Lumbini to Tansen, so you need to change to Bhairawa and then Butwal.
Bardia National Park (362 km/12 hrs): There is no direct bus service from Bardiya National Park to Tansen, so you should change to Butwal.
Butwal (38 km): Buses leave every 40 minutes for Tansen, as do buses from Tansen to Butwal. (60-90 minutes)
Sunauli (65 km/6 hrs), Indian Border: There is a daily tourist coach service from Sunauli to Pokhara. Get off at Bartung junction and take a bus or jeep along the 4 km link road to Tansen. Otherwise, take a local bus from Sunauli to Butwal and change for Tansen.
If you would like to stay in a Palpa Community Homestay, book at CommunityHomestay.com.
Inspired? Here are some of our travel packages to Tansen, Nepal:
Patan to Tansen: Live with Locals
Hills of Palpa to the Jungles of Chitwan
