Kushma is a small village and the headquarter of Parbat District in Nepal . Kushma municipality was formed by merging thirteen village development committees Pang , Khurkot , Durlung , Shivalaya , Chuwa , Katuwa Chaupari , Pipaltari and Pakuwa on 18 May 2014.
137-397: This city lies in the western part of Nepal just about 57 km from Pokhara and 12 km from Baglung . Kushma falls under Western Development Region and Dhaulagiri Zone of Nepal . It is located at 28°13'06N 83°40'45E at an altitude of 1294 meters. Kusma Bazaar straddling a narrow and high strip of land between the banks of Kaligandaki and Modi is the main market centre of
274-508: A gompa (Buddhist monastery), chorten and its particular architecture, and Tibetans have become a visible minority in the city. Until the end of the 1960s, the town was only accessible by foot and it was considered even more a mystical place than Kathmandu. The first road was completed in 1968 ( Siddhartha Highway ) after which tourism set in and the city grew rapidly. The area along the Phewa lake, called Lakeside , has developed into one of
411-415: A humid subtropical climate ; however, the elevation keeps temperatures moderate. Temperatures in summer average between 25 and 35 °C; in winter around −2 to 15 °C. Pokhara and nearby areas receive a high amount of precipitation. Lumle , 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Pokhara city center, receives the highest amount of rainfall (> 5600 mm/year or 222 inches/year) in the country. Snowfall
548-460: A commercial center by the King of Kaski in the mid 18th century A.D. when Newars of Bhaktapur migrated to Pokhara, upon being invited by the king, and settled near main business locations such as Bindhyabasini temple , Nalakomukh and Bhairab Tole . Most of Pokhara, at the time, was largely inhabited by Khas ( Brahmin , Chhetri and Dalits ), Gurungs , Magars and Thakuri . At present,
685-444: A few international airlines. A new Pokhara International Airport is also present in the southeast of the city which has begun facilitating intercity and international travels. The Pokhara Regional International Airport (PRIA) opened January 1, 2023. Domestic airlines operate there. However, as of late October 2024, no international airlines serve the airport, despite incentives to do so. Flight duration from Kathmandu to Pokhara
822-516: A location is dependent on the season, orientation and bearing with respect to the Sun , and the mass of the mountain. As the Sun is the major contributor to the temperature, it is often directly proportional to the received radiation from the Sun with faces receiving more sunlight having a higher heat buildup. In narrow valleys between steep mountain faces, the weather conditions may differ significantly on both
959-495: A notable increase in the rate of glacier retreat across the region as a result of climate change. The rate of retreat varies across regions depending on the local conditions. Since 1975, a marked increase in the loss of glacial mass from 5–13 Gt/yr to 16–24 Gt/yr has been observed with an estimated 13% overall decrease in glacial coverage in the Himalayas. The resulting climate variations and changes in hydrology could affect
1096-516: A very strong military tradition with a significant number of its men being employed by the Nepali army. The Western Division HQ of the Nepalese Army is stationed at Bijayapur, Pokhara and its Area of Responsibility (AOR) consists of the entire Western Development Region of Nepal. The AOR of this division is 29,398 km and a total of 16 districts are under the division. The population of
1233-716: Is also the source of major streams of the Ganges river system. The Eastern Himalayas form the eastern most stretch of the range and consist of the states of parts of Tibet in China, Sikkim , Assam , Arunachal Pradesh , parts of other North East Indian states and north West Bengal in India, entirety of Bhutan, mountain regions of central and eastern Nepal, and most of the western lowlands in Nepal. The eastern Himalayas broadly consists of two regions–the western Nepal Himalayas and
1370-518: Is among the highest in the world, at typically around 5,500 m (18,000 ft) while several equatorial mountains such as in New Guinea , the Rwenzoris , and Colombia , have a snow line at 900 m (3,000 ft) lower. As the physical features of mountains are irregular, with broken jagged contours, there can be wide variations in temperature over short distances. The temperature at
1507-479: Is amongst the most affected regions due to climate change . Since the late 20th century, scientists have reported a notable increase in the rate of glacier retreat and changes occurring at a far rapid rate. As per a 2019 assessment, the Himalayan region, which had experienced a temperature rise of 0.1 °C (32.2 °F) per decade was warming at an increased rate of 0.1 °C (32.2 °F) per decade over
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#17327934145001644-480: Is approximately 30 minutes. Pokhara valley is rich in water sources. The major bodies of water in and around Pokhara are: The sporting activities are mainly centered in the multipurpose stadium Pokhara Rangasala (or Annapurna Stadium) in Rambazar . The popular sports are football, cricket , volleyball, basketball, martial arts, etc. The Sahara Club is one of the most active organizations promoting football in
1781-439: Is currently being encroached upon by invasive water hyacinth (जलकुम्भी झार). In 2017, Pokhara Lekhnath Metropolitan City became Nepal's largest metropolitan city by area, occupying 464.24 km (179.24 sq mi)—which means the city is nine times larger than Kathmandu, 18 times larger than Lalitpur and 2.5 times larger than Bharatpur . Pokhara is known to be a popular tourist destination for visitors from all over
1918-700: Is disputed among India, Pakistan, and China. It is bordered by the Karakoram and Hindu Kush ranges on the northwest, Tibetan Plateau in the north, and by the Indo-Gangetic Plain in the south. Its western anchor Nanga Parbat lies south of the northernmost bend of the Indus river and its eastern anchor Namcha Barwa lies to the west of the great bend of the Yarlung Tsangpo River . The Himalayas consists of four parallel mountain ranges:
2055-545: Is followed by monsoon rains from June to September. The post monsoon season is largely devoid of rain and snow before beginning of cold winters in December-January with intermediate spring before the summer. There are localised wind pressure systems at high altitudes resulting in heavy winds. Due to its high altitude, the range blocks the flow of cold winds from the north into the Indian subcontinent. This causes
2192-603: Is found in the mixed deciduous and conifer forests of the Eastern Himalayas and the Himalayan water shrew are found on the river banks. The forests of the foothills are inhabited by several different primates, including the endangered Gee's golden langur and the Kashmir gray langur , within highly restricted ranges in the east and west of the Himalayas, respectively. The yaks are large domesticated cattle found in
2329-560: Is home to more than a billion people. In 2011, the population in the Himalayan region was estimated to be about 52.8 million with the combined drainage basin of the Himalayan rivers home to nearly 600 million. Of this, 7.96 million (15.1% of the total Himalayan population) live in Eastern Himalayas, 19.22 million in Central Himalayas (36.4%), and 25.59 million reside in Western Himalayas (48.5%). The population of
2466-605: Is in the northwestern corner of the Pokhara Valley , which is a widening of the Seti Gandaki valley that lies in the region ( Pahad ) of the Himalayas . In this region, the mountains rise very quickly, and within 30 kilometres (19 miles), the elevation rises from 1,000 to 7,500 metres (3,300 to 24,600 feet). As a result of this sharp rise in altitude the area of Pokhara has one of the highest precipitation rates in
2603-709: Is linked with the national road network by Pokhara Baglung Highway . Buses are the primary means of transportation in Kushma. Small size automobiles and jeeps are used for cab services within Kushma Bazar and surrounding settlements. Motorbikes are popular among the youth. Ownership of private cars in Kushma has increased in recent years. The Baglung Airport located across the Kaligandaki river in Balewa of Baglung provided air travel before its closing. Now re-opening of
2740-418: Is made by the tourism and hospitalities industry. Tourism is the primary source of income for local people and the city. There are two 5-star hotels and approximately 305 other hotels that includes one 4-star, five 3-star, fifteen 2-star and non-star hotels in the city. The city promotes two major hilltops as viewpoints to see the city and surrounding panorama: World Peace Pagoda , built-in 1996 A.D. across
2877-506: Is not observed in the valley, but surrounding hills experience occasional snowfall in the winter. Summers are humid and mild; most precipitation occurs during the monsoon season (June–September). Winter and spring skies are generally clear and sunny. The highest temperature ever recorded in Pokhara was 38.5 °C (101.3 °F) on 4 May 2013, while the lowest temperature ever recorded was 0.5 °C (32.9 °F) on 13 January 2012. At
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#17327934145003014-614: Is one of the youngest mountain ranges on the planet and consists of uplifted sedimentary and metamorphic rock . According to the modern theory of plate tectonics , it was formed as a result of a continental collision and orogeny along the convergent boundary between the India and Eurasian Plates . During the Jurassic period (201 to 145 mya ), the Tethys Ocean formed the southern border of then existent Eurasian landmass. When
3151-487: Is the Panché Baaja (पञ्चे बाजा), a traditional musical band performed generally during marriage ceremonies by the damaai musicians. The musical culture in Pokhara is quite dynamic and in recent years, Western rock and roll, pop, rap and hip-hop are becoming increasingly popular with frequently held musical concerts; however, the traditional lok and modern (semi-classical) Nepali music are predominantly favored by
3288-504: Is the second most populous city of the nation after Kathmandu , with 599,504 inhabitants living in 120,594 households as of 2021 . It is the country's largest metropolitan city in terms of area. The city also serves as the headquarters of Kaski District . Pokhara is located 200 kilometres (120 miles) west of the capital, Kathmandu . The city is on the shore of Phewa Lake , and sits at an average elevation of approximately 822 m above sea level. The Annapurna Range, with three out of
3425-580: Is the lower middle sub-section of the Himalayas. It extends almost along the entire length of the Himalayas and is about 75 km (47 mi) wide. It is mostly composed of rocky surfaces and has an average elevation of 3,700–4,500 m (12,100–14,800 ft). The Greater Himalayas (also known as Himadri ) form the highest section of the Himalayas and extend for about 2,300 km (1,400 mi) from northern Pakistan to northern Arunachal Pradesh in India. The sub-range has an average elevation of more than 6,100 m (20,000 ft) and contains many of
3562-755: The Andaman Sea . The Salween , Mekong , Yangtze , and Yellow Rivers all originate from parts of the Tibetan Plateau, north of the great water divide. These are considered distinct from the Himalayan watershed and are known as circum-Himalayan rivers. The Himalayan region has multiple lakes across various elevations including endorheic freshwater and saline lakes . The geology of the lakes vary across geographies depending on various factors such as altitude, climate, water source, and lithology . Tarns are high altitude mountain lakes situated above 5,500 m (18,000 ft) and are formed primarily by
3699-567: The Bay of Bengal were also formed as a result of the same tectonic processes that formed the Himalayas. The Indian plate continues to be driven horizontally at the Tibetan Plateau at about 67 mm (2.6 in) per year, forcing it to continue to move upwards. About 20 mm (0.79 in) per year is absorbed by thrusting along the Himalaya southern front , which leads to the Himalayas rising by about 5 mm (0.20 in) per year. This makes
3836-461: The Bindhyabasini temple and were given some land in that locality as Birta. Dhobi Gauda was the first market center developed in Pokhara valley before the last King of Kaski brought sixteen families of Newars from Kathmandu (Bhaktapur) to develop the present-day market (i.e., old market) in the 1770s. Prior to that people were settled in the peripheral hills. Pokhara was envisioned as
3973-663: The Dihang River to the India-Tibet border. The highest peak is the eastern anchor Namcha Barwa at 7,756 m (25,446 ft). The region is the source of many of the tributaries of the Brahmaputra River and consists of major mountain passes such as Nathu La , and Jelep La . Beyond the Dihang valley, the mountains extend as Purvanchal mountain range across the eastern boundary of India. The Himalayan range
4110-490: The Everest . At lower altitudes, the temperature is pleasantly warm during the summers. During winters, the low-pressure weather systems from the west cause heavy snowfall . There are two periods of precipitation with most of the rainfall occurring during the post summer season and moderate amount during the winter storms. The Himalayan range obstructs the path of the south west monsoon winds, causing heavy precipitation on
4247-813: The Indian epic Mahabharata , which is the personification of the Hindu deity Himavan . The mountain range is known as Himālaya in Hindi and Nepali (both written हिमालय ), Himalaya ( ཧི་མ་ལ་ཡ་ ) in Tibetan , Himāliya ( سلسلہ کوہ ہمالیہ ) in Urdu , Himaloy ( হিমালয় ) in Bengali , and Ximalaya ( simplified Chinese : 喜马拉雅 ; traditional Chinese : 喜馬拉雅 ; pinyin : Xǐmǎlāyǎ ) in Chinese . It
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4384-520: The Indian subcontinent and the regions north of the range. The mountains are spread across more than eight degrees of latitude and hence includes a wide range of climatic zones including sub-tropical , temperate , and semi-arid . The climate in a region is determined by factors such as altitude, latitude, and the impact on monsoon. There are generally five seasons: summer, monsoon, autumn or post-monsoon, winter, and spring. The summer in April-May
4521-524: The Indo-China war in 1962, the old trading route to India from Tibet through Pokhara became defunct. Today only a few caravans from Mustang arrive in Bagar. In recent decades, Pokhara has become a major tourist destination: it is considered the tourism capital of Nepal, mainly for adventure tourism and the base for the famous Annapurna Circuit trek. Thus, a major contribution to the local economy
4658-406: The Indus , Ganges , and Tsangpo – Brahmaputra . Their combined drainage basin is home to nearly 600 million people including 52.8 million living in the vicinity of the Himalayas. The region is also home to many endorheic lakes. The Himalayas have a major impact on the climate of the Indian subcontinent. It blocks the cold winds from Central Asia , and plays a significant roles in influencing
4795-602: The Kashmir valley . The higher elevations consist of rock fragements and lithosols with very low humus content. The Himalayas and the Central Asian mountain ranges consist of the third-largest deposit of ice and snow in the world, after the Antarctic and Arctic regions. It is often referred to as the "Third Pole" as it encompasses about 15,000 glaciers, which store about 12,000 km (2,900 cu mi) of fresh water. The South Col and Khumbu Glacier in
4932-527: The Khas , Gurung (Tamu) and Magar form the dominant community of Pokhara. There is also a sizeable Newari population in the city. Batulechaur in the far north of Pokhara is home to the Gandharvas or Gaaineys (the tribe of the musicians). The nearby hills around Pokhara are covered by Gurung villages with few places belonging to the Khas community. Magar communities are also present mostly in
5069-516: The Kumaon region. The northern extremes of the Great Himalayas in Kashmir and Ladakh receive only 3–6 in (76–152 mm) of rainfall per year. During the winter season, a high pressure system develops over Central Asia, which results in winds flowing towards the Himalayas. However, due to the presence of less water bodies in the Central Asian region, the moisture content is low. As
5206-1272: The Main Frontal Thrust and the Main Boundary Thrust (MBT); the Lesser Himalayan Zone between the MBT and the Main Central Thrust (MCT); the Higher Himalayan Zone beyond the MCT; the Tethyan Zone, separated by the South Tibetan Detachment System; and the Indus-Tsangpo Suture Zone, where the Indian plate is subducted below the Asian plate. The Arakan Yoma highlands in Myanmar and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in
5343-481: The Mount Everest region are amongst the world's highest glaciers. The Gangotri which is 32 km (20 mi) long and is one of the largest glaciers, is one of the sources of the Ganges . The Himalayan glaciers show considerable variation in the rate of descent. The Khumbu moves about 1 ft (0.30 m) daily compared to certain other glaciers which move about 6 ft (1.8 m) per day. During
5480-454: The Paris agreement , aimed at climate change mitigation and adaptation . The actions are aimed at reducing emissions , increase the usage of renewable energy , and sustainable environmental practices. As the local population increasingly experience the impact of the changes in climate such as variations in temperature and precipitation, and change in vegetation, they are forced to adapt for
5617-738: The Sivalik Hills on the south; the Lower Himalayas ; the Great Himalayas , which is the highest and central range; and the Tibetan Himalayas on the north. The Sivalik Hills form the lowest sub-Himalayan range and extends for about 1,600 km (990 mi) from the Teesta River in the Indian state of Sikkim to northern Pakistan. The name derives from Sanskrit meaning "Belonging to Shiva ", which
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5754-424: The Sivalik Hills on the south; the Lower Himalayas ; the Great Himalayas , which is the highest and central range; and the Tibetan Himalayas on the north. The range varies in width from 350 km (220 mi) in the north-west to 150 km (93 mi) in the south-east. The Himalayan range is one of the youngest mountain ranges on Earth and is made up of uplifted sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. It
5891-542: The Western Himalayas has characteristics of species from Central Asia and Mediterranean region. Fossils of species such as giraffe , and hippopotamus have been found in the foothills, suggesting the presence of African species some time ago. Large mammals such as Indian elephant , and Indian rhinoceros are confined to the densely forested moist ecosystems in the Eastern and Central Himalayas. Many of
6028-517: The Zanskar , Pir Panjal Ranges , and parts of the Sivalik and Great Himalayas. The western anchor Nanga Parbat is the highest point in the region at 8,126 m (26,660 ft). It is also referred Punjab, Kashmir or Himachal Himalyas from west to east locally. The central Himalayas or Kumaon extend for about 320 km (200 mi) along the state of Uttarakhand in northern India from
6165-413: The highest mountain on Earth. The mountain range runs for 2,400 km (1,500 mi) as an arc from west-northwest to east-southeast at the northern end of the Indian subcontinent. The Himalayas occupy an area of 595,000 km (230,000 sq mi) across six countries – Afghanistan , Bhutan , China , India , Nepal , and Pakistan . The sovereignty of the range in the Kashmir region
6302-575: The last ice age , there was a connected ice stream of glaciers between Kangchenjunga in the east and Nanga Parbat in the west. The glaciers joined with the ice stream network in the Karakoram in the west, the Tibetan inland ice in the north, and came to an end below an elevation of 1,000–2,000 m (3,300–6,600 ft) in the south. While the current valley glaciers of the Himalaya reach at most 20–32 km (12–20 mi) in length, several of
6439-429: The monsoons . The vast size, varying altitude range, and complex topography of the Himalayas result in a wide range of climates, from humid and subtropical to cold and dry desert conditions. The mountains have profoundly shaped the cultures of South Asia and Tibet . Many Himalayan peaks are considered sacred across various Indian and Tibetan religions such as Hinduism , Buddhism , Jainism , and Bon . Hence,
6576-714: The 17th century, it was part of the Kingdom of Kaski which was one of the Chaubisi rajya (24 Kingdoms of Nepal, चौबिसे राज्य) ruled by a branch of the Shah dynasty . Many of the hills around Pokhara have medieval ruins from that time. In 1786, Prithvi Narayan Shah , the last ruler of the Gorkha Kingdom and first monarch of the Kingdom of Nepal , added Pokhara to his kingdom. It had by then become an important trading place on
6713-410: The 18th century till the independence of the constituent states in the mid 20th century. The long history along with various outside influences have resulted in the mixture of various traditions and existence of wide range of ethnicity in the region. People speak various languages belonging to four principal language families– Indo-European , Tibeto-Burman , Austroasiatic , and Dravidian , with
6850-548: The 1950s and artists such as Jhalakman Gandharva, Dharma Raj Thapa are considered pioneers in bringing the lok git into mass media. During early and late 1990s, bands from Pokhara like Nepathya started their very successful fusion of western rock and pop with traditional folk music. Since then several other musical groups in Nepal have adopted the lok -pop/rock style producing dozens of albums every year. Another important part of cultural music of western Nepal, and hence Pokhara,
6987-404: The 1990s, Pokhara has experienced rapid urbanization. As a result, service-sector industries have increasingly contributed to the local economy overtaking the traditional agriculture. An effect of urbanization is seen in high real estate prices, among the highest in the country. The major contributors to the economy of Pokhara are manufacturing and service sector including tourism; agriculture and
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#17327934145007124-820: The AOR of Western Division is 4,571,013. Both the British Army and the Indian Army have regional recruitment and pensioners facilitation camps in Pokhara. The British Gurkha Camp is located at Deep Heights in the northeast of the Pokhara city and the Indian Gorkha Pension Camp is on the south-western side of the city, Rambazar. Electricity in Pokhara is regulated and distributed by the NEA Nepal Electricity Authority . Water supply and sanitation facilities are provided by
7261-457: The Brahmaputra river system from the Tibetan rivers to the north. There are 19 major rivers in the Himalayas which form part of the two major river systems of Ganges - Brahmaputra , which follow an easterly course and Indus , which follows a north-westerly course. The northern slopes of Gyala Peri and the peaks beyond the Tsangpo drain into the Irrawaddy River , which originates in eastern Tibet and flows south through Myanmar to drain into
7398-420: The Himalayan lakes present the danger of a glacial lake outburst flood as they have grown considerably over the last 50 years due to glacial melting. While these lakes support a range of ecosystems and local communities, many of them remain poorly studied in terms of their hydrology and biodiversity. Due to its location and size, the Himalayas acts as a climatic barrier which affects the weather conditions of
7535-413: The Himalayan region geologically active and the movement of the Indian plate into the Asian plate makes the region seismically active, leading to earthquakes from time to time. The northern slopes of the Himalayas have a thicker soil cover than the southern slopes due to presence of lesser number of rivers and streams. These soils are loamy and are dark brown in colour, and are covered with forests in
7672-531: The Himalayan region including Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan are amongst the most vulnerable countries in the Global South due to climate change. The temperature rise increases the incidence of tropical diseases such as malaria , and dengue further north. The extreme weather events might cause physical harm directly and indirectly due to lack of access and contamination of drinking water , pollution , exposure to chemicals, and destruction of crops, and drought . The climate change also impact
7809-420: The Himalayan region occurred in 2000 BCE when Aryans came from Central Asia and progressively settled along the plains to the south. Information on the Aryan culture in the region is found in Hindu literature such as the Vedas , and Puranas . Since the second century BCE, the Silk Road in China was connected to the Indian subcontinent by various routes running along the Himalayan region. The northern side of
7946-433: The Himalayan waters. The extremes of high altitude favor the presence of extremophile organisms, which include various species of insects such as spiders , and mites . The Himalayan fauna include endemic plants and animals and critically endangered or endangered species such as Indian elephant, Indian rhinoceros, musk deer and hangul . There are more than 7,000 endemic plants and 1.9% of global endemic vertebrates in
8083-426: The Himalayas has grown considerably over the last five decades from 19.9 million in 1961 with the annual growth rate (3.31%) more than three times higher than the world average (1.1%) during the same period. The earliest tribes in the Himalayas might have originated from Dravidian people from the south of the Indian subcontinent as evidenced by the presence of Dravidian languages . The major human migration towards
8220-447: The Himalayas reduce by 2 °C (36 °F) for every 300 m (980 ft) increase of altitude. Higher altitudes invariably experience low temperatures. In the Eastern Himalayas, Darjeeling at an altitude of 1,945 m (6,381 ft) has an average minimum temperature of 11 °C (52 °F) during the month of May, while the same has been recorded as −22 °C (−8 °F) at an altitude of 5,000 m (16,000 ft) on
8357-425: The Himalayas was under the influence of various Tibetan kingdoms across history. In the middle ages , the southern side came under the influence of various Rajput kings and later under the Mughal rule . Nepal was ruled by various kingdoms from both the Indian and Tibetan regions, until it was conquered by the Gurkha kingdom in the early 18th century. Most of the southern region came under the British influence in
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#17327934145008494-617: The Indian Himalayas. Pangong Lake spread across India and China is the highest saline lake in the world at an altitude of 4,350 m (14,270 ft) and amongst the largest in the region with a surface area of 700 km (270 sq mi). Spread across 189 km (73 sq mi), Wular Lake is amongst the largest fresh water lakes in Asia. Other large lakes include Tso Moriri , and Tso Kar in Ladakh , Nilnag , and Tarsar Lake , in Jammu and Kashmir , Gurudongmar , Chholhamu , and Tsomgo Lakes in Sikkim , Tilicho , Rara , Phoksundo , and Gokyo Lakes in Nepal. Some of
8631-644: The Nepal Water Supply Corporation (NWSC). Pokhara has more than eight hundred private and public high educational institutions. There are several institutions of higher learning up to the doctorate level in social sciences, business, and science and technology. Pokhara has extensive privately operated public transportation system running throughout the city, adjoining townships and nearby villages. Pokhara Mahanagar Bus Bebasaya Samiti (green, brown and blue buses), Mama Bhanja Transport (blue buses), Bindabashini Samiti(blue buses), Phewa Bus Bebasaya Samiti(mini micros) and Lekhnath Bus Bebasaya Samiti (green and white buses) are
8768-457: The Pokhara valley favors the formation of caves and several caves can be found within city limits and neighboring cities as well. In the south of the city, a tributary of the Seti Gandaki River flowing out of the Phewa Lake disappears at Patale Chhango (पाताले छाँगो, Nepali for Hell's Falls, also called Davis Falls, after someone who supposedly fell in) into an underground gorge, to reappear 500 metres (1,600 feet) further south. The city has
8905-487: The Sutlej River in the east to the Kali River in the west. The region comprises parts of Sivalik and Great Himalayas. At lower elevations below 2,400 m (7,900 ft), the region has a temperate climate and consists of permanent settlements. At elevations higher than 4,300 m (14,100 ft), permanent snow caps cover the Great Himalayas with the highest peaks being Nanda Devi at 7,817 m (25,646 ft) and Kamet at 7,756 m (25,446 ft). The region
9042-411: The Tethys ocean. The upliftment of the Himalayas occurred gradually and as the Great Himalayas became higher, they became a climatic barrier and blocked the winds, which resulted in lesser precipitation on the upper slopes. The lower slopes continued to be eroded by the rivers, which flowed in the gaps between the mountains and the folded lower Shivalik Hills and the Lesser Himalayas were formed due to
9179-419: The Tibetan Himalayas and the plateau beyond. It also played a role in the formation of Central Asian deserts such as the Taklamakan and Gobi . The monsoon is triggered by the different rates of heating and cooling between the Indian Ocean and Central Asia, which create large differences in the atmospheric pressure prevailing above each. As the Central Asian landmass heats up during the summer compared to
9316-534: The Western Himalayas. The high altitude mountainous areas are mostly barren or, at the most, sparsely sprinkled with stunted bushes. The Himalayas are home to various medicinal plants such as Abies pindrow used to treat bronchitis , Andrachne cordifolia used for snake bites , and Callicarpa arborea used for skin diseases . Nearly a fifth of the plant species in the Himalayas are used for medicinal purposes. Climate change , illegal deforestation , and introduction of non native species have had an effect on
9453-414: The airport is under consideration. Recently a cable car bridge has come into operation connecting Kushma Bazar and Balewa reducing two long hours of walking to a five-minute ride. Pokhara Pokhara ( Nepali : पोखरा [ˈpokʰʌɾa] ) is a metropolitan city located in central Nepal , which serves as the capital of Gandaki Province and is declared as the tourism capital of Nepal . It
9590-455: The animal species found in the region are unique and endemic or nearly endemic to the region. Other large animal species found in the Himalayas include Asiatic black bear , clouded leopard , and herbivores such as bharal , Himalayan tahr , takin , Himalayan serow , Himalayan musk deer , and Himalayan goral . Animals found at higher altitudes include brown bear , and the elusive snow leopard , which mainly feed on bharal. The red panda
9727-425: The bend of the Indus River along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region in the north-west to the Satlej river basin in India in the south-east. Most of the region lies in the Kashmir territory disputed between India and Pakistan with certain portions of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh . The Indus forms the division between the Western Himalayas and the Karakoram range to the north. The Western Himalayas include
9864-538: The border into Nepal each year, many of whom arrive in Pokhara typically as a transit to Tibetan exile communities in India. About 50,000–60,000 Tibetan exiles reside in Nepal, and approximately 20,000 of the exiled Tibetans live in one of the 12 consolidated camps, eight in Kathmandu and four in and around Pokhara. The four Tibetan settlements in Pokhara are Jampaling, Paljorling, Tashi Ling, and Tashi Palkhel. These camps have evolved into well-built settlements, each with
10001-527: The butterflies, found in the Western and Annapurna Conservation Area region of Nepal; and Gurkha Museum featuring the history of the Gurkha soldiers. There are around 375 tourist standard hotels, and many more are in the pipeline. Annapurna Cable Car takes tourists from Lakeside to Sarangkot and back. Another one being built will connect Phewa Lake with World Peace Stupa. The Pokhara region has
10138-686: The city and organizes a South Asian club-level annual tournament: the Aaha Gold Cup . Additionally, the Kaski District Football Association (KDFA) organizes Safal Pokhara Gold Cup , which is also a South Asian club-level tournament and ANFA organizes local Kaski district club-level Balram KC memorial football tournament. B-13, Sangam & LG are the powerhouse Football club in Pokhara. There are several tennis courts. Himalayan Golf Course has attracted international press for its unique design. At 1100 meters, on
10275-471: The city and surrounding areas. These long sections of terraces are interrupted by gorges that are hundreds of metres deep. The Seti gorge runs through Pokhara from north to south and then west to east; at places, these gorges are only a few metres wide. In the north and south, the canyons are wider. In the south, the city borders Phewa Tal (or Phewa Lake) (4.4 km ) at an elevation of about 800 metres (2,600 feet) above sea level , while north of Pokhara,
10412-597: The city has numerous ponds. By radiocarbon dating and investigating the alluvial deposits of Pokhara Valley, researchers have found that there were at least three large medieval earthquakes in 1000, 1255, and 1344 AD . Up to 9 cubic kilometres of conglomerates, massive mud and silt show indications of one or several megafloods that emanated from the Sabche Cirque in the Annapurna range. Pokhara lies on an important old trading route between China and India . In
10549-731: The city in Everest Premier League . The universal instruments used in Nepalese music include the madal (small leather drum), bansuri (bamboo flute), and saarangi . These instruments are prominent features of the traditional folk music ( lok gít or lok geet) in Pokhara, which is actually the western (Gandaki, Dhaulagiri and Lumbini) branch of Nepali lok geet . Some examples of music of this region are Resham Firiri (रेशम फिरिरी) and Khyalee Tune (ख्याली धुन). The lok geet started airing in Radio Nepal during
10686-500: The city where there are more open lands and unhindered view of the surrounding mountains. Most of the tourists visiting Pokhara trek to the Annapurna Base Camp and Mustang . To the east of the Pokhara valley, there are seven smaller lakes such as Begnas Lake , Rupa Lake, Khaste lake, Maidi lake, Neureni lake, Dipang lake. Begnas Lake is known for its fishery projects. After the occupation of Tibet by China in 1950 and
10823-516: The city. The floor of the valley is plain, resembles Terai due to its gravel-like surface, and has slanted orientation from northwest to southeast. The city is surrounded by the hills overlooking the entire valley. Phewa Lake was slightly enlarged by damming which poses a risk of silting up due to the inflow during the monsoon . The outflowing water is partially used for hydropower generation at Fewa Hydropower Station . The dam collapsed in 1974 which resulted in draining of its water and exposing
10960-453: The condensation occurs at higher altitudes in the north, there is more precipitation in the Great Himalayas in the west during the winter rains and the precipitation reduces towards the east. In January, the Kumaon region receives about 3 in (76 mm) of rainfall compared to about 1 in (25 mm) in the Eastern Himalayas. The Himalayan region has a highly sensitive ecosystem and
11097-629: The country (3,350 mm/year or 131 inches/year in the valley to 5600 mm/year or 222 inches/year in Lumle ). Even within the city, there is a noticeable difference in rainfall between the south and the north: The northern part at the foothills of the mountains experiences a proportionally higher amount of precipitation. The Seti Gandaki is the main river flowing through the city. The Seti Gandaki (White Gandaki) and its tributaries have created several gorges and canyons in and around Pokhara that give intriguingly long sections of terrace features to
11234-475: The downwarping of the intermediate lands. Minor streams ran between the faults within the mountains until they joined the major river systems in the plains. Intermediate valleys such as Kashmir and Kathmandu were formed from temporary lakes that were formed during pleistocene , which dried up later. The Himalayan region is made up of five geological zones– the Sub-Himalayan Zone bound by
11371-508: The eastern Assam Himalayas. The Nepal Himalayas forms the centre of the Himalayan curve and extend for 800 km (500 mi) between the Kali and Teesta Rivers . The Great Himalayas in the region form the highest part of the entire Himalayas and consist of many of the eight-thousanders including Everest, Kanchenjunga at 8,586 m (28,169 ft), and Makalu at 8,463 m (27,766 ft). These mountains host large glaciers that form
11508-495: The ecosystem. At higher altitudes, Eastern and Western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests consisting of various conifers occur. Chir pine is the dominant species which occurs at elevations from 800–900 m (2,600–3,000 ft). Other species include Deodar cedar , which grows at altitudes of 1,900–2,700 m (6,200–8,900 ft), blue pine and morinda spruce between 2,200–3,000 m (7,200–9,800 ft). At higher altitudes, alpine shrubs and meadows occur above
11645-475: The elite Gurkha soldiers, soldiers native to South Asia of Nepalese nationality recruited for the British Army , Nepalese Army , Indian Army , Gurkha Contingent Singapore , Gurkha Reserve Unit Brunei , UN peacekeeping forces and in war zones around the world. The Nepali word " Pokhari " ( Nepali : पोखरी , pronounced [ˈpokʰʌɾi] ) means "pond". pokhara is a variant of Pokhari as
11782-417: The flora and fauna of the region. Changes might decrease the territory available for local wildlife and reduction in prey for the predators . This puts the animals in conflict with humans as humans might encroach animal territories and the animals might venture into human habitats for search of food, which might exacerbate the economic loss of the local population. The Himalayan nations are signatories of
11919-521: The flora of the range. The increase in temperature has resulted in shifting of various species to higher elevations, and early flowering and fruiting. Many of the animal species are from the tropics, which have adapted to the various conditions across the Himalayan range. Some of the species of the Eastern Himalayas are similar to those found in East and South East Asia , while the animals of
12056-422: The foreign and domestic remittances. Tourism, service sector and manufacturing contributes approximately 58% to the economy, remittances about 20% and agriculture nearly 16%. Pokhara has a number of hydroelectric power plants. There are numerous temples, gumbas (Buddhist monasteries) and churches in and around Pokhara valley. Many temples serve as combined places of worship for Hindus and Buddhists. Some of
12193-405: The formation of the Tibetan plateau . During miocene (20 mya), the increasing collision between the plates resulted in the top layer of metamorphic rocks getting peeled, which moved southwards to form nappes with trenches in between. As the mountains received rainfall, the waters flowing down the mountains eroded and steepened the southern slopes. The silt deposited by these rivers and streams in
12330-611: The general population. More musical concerts are held in Pokhara than in any other city in the country. Himalaya The Himalayas , or Himalaya ( / ˌ h ɪ m ə ˈ l eɪ . ə , h ɪ ˈ m ɑː l ə j ə / HIM -ə- LAY -ə, hih- MAH -lə-yə ) is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau . The range has several peaks exceeding an elevation of 8,000 m (26,000 ft) including Mount Everest ,
12467-573: The land leading to illegal land encroachment; since then the dam has been rebuilt. The power plant is about 100 metres (330 feet) below at the bottom of the Phusre Khola gorge. Water from Phewa is diverted for irrigation into the southern Pokhara valley. The eastern Pokhara Valley receives irrigation water through a canal running from a reservoir by the Seti in the north of the city. Some parts of Phewa lake are used as commercial cage fisheries. The lake
12604-458: The livelihoods of the people in the Himalayas and the plains below. Despite its greater size, the Himalayas does not form a water divide across its span because of the multiple river systems that cut across the range. While the mountains were formed gradually, the rivers concurrently cut across deeper gorges ranging from 1,500–5,000 m (4,900–16,400 ft) in depth and 10–50 km (6.2–31.1 mi) in width. The actual water divide lies to
12741-590: The lower ranges on the southern slopes speak Indo-European languages. The inhabitants of the Western Himalayas include the Kashmiri people , who speak Kashmiri in the Vale of Kashmir and the Gujjar and Gaddi people , who speak Gujari and Gaddi respectively in the lower altitudes of Jammu and Himachal Pradesh in India. The last two are pastoral and nomadic people, who own flocks of cattle and migrate across
12878-468: The lowlands and grassland meadows in the mid altitudes. The composition and texture of the soils in the Himalayas also vary across regions. In the Eastern Himalayas , the wet soils has a high humus content conducive for growing tea . Podzolic soils occur in the eastern range of the Indus basin between the Indus and Shyok Rivers . The Ladakh region is generally dry with saline soil while fertile alluvial soils occur in select river valleys such as
13015-419: The main valley glaciers were 60–112 km (37–70 mi) long during the ice age. The glacier snowline (the altitude where accumulation and ablation of a glacier are balanced) was about 1,400–1,660 m (4,590–5,450 ft) lower than it is today. Thus, the climate would have been at least 7.0–8.3 °C (12.6–14.9 °F) colder than it is today. Since the late 20th century, scientists have reported
13152-486: The major tourism hubs of Nepal. Due to the high population density and the frequency of natural disasters, western Nepal is considered one of the most disaster-prone regions in the world. Pokhara is considered particularly vulnerable to earthquakes and floods because the Seti Gandaki River flows through the city. For example, the strongest earthquakes in the region include those of 2015 in Nepal . Pokhara
13289-477: The majority of the languages belonging to the first two categories. The Tibetan Himalayas are inhabited by Tibetan people , who speak Tibeto-Burman languages. The Great Himalayas are mostly inhabited by nomadic groups and tribes, with most of the population in Lesser Himalayas , and Shivalik Hills . People towards the Great Himalayas in the north parts mostly speak Tibeto-Burman, while populations in
13426-404: The margins. The mountains act as heat islands and heavier mountains absorb and retain more heat than the surroundings, and therefore influences the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature from the winter minimum to the summer maximum. However, soil temperatures mostly remain the same on both the sides of a mountain at altitudes higher than 4,500 m (14,800 ft). Temperatures in
13563-431: The municipality. A bridge joins Kushma with Gyadichour located on the other side of the deep Modi river canyon. From early times Kusma has been an important stop for travellers from Baglung on their way to Pokhara, Palpa and Butwal. Businesses catering to these travelers started to spring up leading to the establishment of a small market. As more settlers arrived Kusma was declared the headquarters of Parbat district. At
13700-530: The north of the Himalayas with rivers flowing down both the sides of the mountains. Some of the major river systems and their drainage system outdate the formation of the mountains itself. The water divide is formed by the Karakoram and Hindu Kush ranges on the west and the Ladakh Range on the east, separating the Indus system from Central Asia. On the east, Kailas and Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains separate
13837-678: The northwest, which extend into Central Asia . Its western anchor Nanga Parbat lies south of the northernmost bend of the Indus river in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and its eastern anchor Namcha Barwa lies to the west of the great eastern bend of the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet Autonomous Region of China . The Himalayas occupies an area of 595,000 km (230,000 sq mi) across six countries – Afghanistan , Bhutan , China, India , Nepal , and Pakistan . The sovereignty of
13974-436: The number of glacial lakes , some of which may be prone to dangerous floods. The region is expected to encounter continued increase in average annual temperature and 81% of the region's permafrost is projected to be lost by the end of the century. The increased warming and melting of snow is projected to accelerate the regional river flows until 2060 after which it would decline due to reduction in ice caps and glacier mass. As
14111-403: The ocean below, the difference in pressure creates a thermal low . The moist air from the ocean is pushed inwards towards the low pressure system causing the monsoon winds. It results in precipitation along the slopes due to the orographic effect as the air rises along the mountains and condenses. The monsoon begins at the end of May in the eastern fringes of the range and moves upwards towards
14248-477: The past half a century. The average warm days and nights had also increased by 1.2 days and 1.7 nights per decade while the average cold days and nights had declined by 0.5 and 1 respectively. This has also prolonged the length of the growing season by 4.25 days per decade. The climate change might results in erratic rainfall, varying temperatures, and natural disasters like landslides , and floods . The increasing glacier melt had been followed by an increase in
14385-424: The popular temples, gumbas and churches are: The municipality of Pokhara spans 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) from north to south and 6 kilometres (3.7 miles) from east to west but, unlike the capital Kathmandu, it is quite loosely built up and still has much green space. Nepal The gorge through which the river flows is crossed at five places: K.I. Singh Pool, Mahendrapul and Prithvi Highway Pool from north to south of
14522-603: The precipitation is projected to increase concurrently, the annual river flows would be largely unaffected for the Eastern Himalayan rivers fed by monsoons, but would reduce the flows in the Western Himalayan rivers. Almost a billion people live on either side of the mountain and are prone to impact of the climate change. This includes the people who live in the mountains, who are more vulnerable due to temperature variations and other biota. Countries in
14659-625: The private companies that provide public bus transportation facility in and around Pokhara Valley . The public transport mainly consists of local and city buses, micros, micro-buses and metered-taxis. Pokhara is well connected to the rest of the country through permanent road and air links. The main mode of transportation are Cars, Motorbikes, Public Buses, Taxis and the Purano Bus Park is the main hub for buses plying countrywide. The all-season Pokhara Airport with regular flights to Kathmandu and Mustang are operated by various domestic and
14796-517: The range in the Kashmir region is disputed amongst India, Pakistan, and China. The range varies in width from 350 km (220 mi) in the north-west to 150 km (93 mi) in the south-east. The range has several peaks exceeding an elevation of 8,000 m (26,000 ft) including Mount Everest , the highest mountain on Earth at 8,848 m (29,029 ft). The Himalayas consist of four parallel mountain ranges from south to north:
14933-1034: The region tropical and subtropical , temperate , coniferous , and grasslands . Tropical and subtropical broadleaf forests are mostly constricted to the high temperature and humid regions in Eastern and Central Himalayas , and pockets of Kashmir in the west. There are about 4,000 species of Angiosperms with major vegetation include Dipterocarpus , and Ceylon ironwood on porous soils at elevations below 2,400 m (7,900 ft) and oak , and Indian horse chestnut on lithosol between 1,100–1,700 m (3,600–5,600 ft). Himalayan subtropical pine forests with Himalayan screw pine trees occur above 4,000 m (13,000 ft) and Alder , and bamboo are found on terrains with higher gradient. Temperate forest occur at altitudes between 1,400–3,400 m (4,600–11,200 ft) while moving from south-east to north-west towards higher latitude. Eastern and Western Himalayan broadleaf forests consisting of sal trees dominate
15070-777: The region. More than 800 species of birds have been recorded with a large number of species restricted to the Eastern Himalayas. Amongst the bird species found include magpies such as black-rumped magpie and blue magpie , titmice , choughs , whistling thrushes , and redstarts . Raptors include bearded vulture , black-eared kite , and Himalayan griffon . Snow partridge and Cornish chough are found at altitudes above 5,700 m (18,700 ft). The Himalayan lakes also serve as breeding grounds for species such as black-necked crane and bar-headed goose . There are multiple species of reptiles including Japalura lizards, blind snakes , and insects such as butterflies . Several fresh water fish such as Glyptothorax are found in
15207-500: The region. As of 2022 , there are 575 protected areas established by the nations in the Himalayan-Hindu Kush region, which account for 40% of the land area and 8.5% of the global protected area. There are also four biodiversity hotspots , 12 ecoregions , 348 key biodiversity areas, and six UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the region. The Himalayan region with the associated Indo-Gangetic Plain and Tibetan plateau
15344-417: The routes from Kathmandu to Jumla and from India to Tibet. The first settlement of the valley is theorized to have taken place when the first King of Kaski , Kulamandan Shah Khad (also called Bichitra Khan and Jagati Khan), made Batulechaur in the northern side of the valley his winter capital during the mid 14th century. The people settled here included Parajuli Brahmins, who were asked to look after
15481-494: The same. The Himalayan region belongs to the Indomalayan realm . The flora and fauna of the Himalayas vary broadly across regions depending on the climate and geology. The Himalayas are home to multiple biodiversity hotspots, and is home to an estimated 35,000+ species of plants and 200+ species of animals. An average of 35 new species have been found every year since 1998. There are four types of vegetation found in
15618-593: The same. This has led to increased awareness on the impact of climate change, and adaptations such as change in crop cycles , introduction of drought resistant crops, and plantation of new trees. This has also led to the construction of more dams , canals , and other water structures, to prevent flooding and aid in agriculture. New plantations on barren lands to prevent landslides, and construction of fire lines made of litter and mud to prevent forest fires have been undertaken. However, lack of funding, awareness, access to technology, and government policy are barriers for
15755-413: The slopes and the plains below. The effect of Himalayas on the hydroclimate impacts millions in the plains as the variability in monsoon rainfall is the main factor behind wet and dry years. As the Himalayas force the monsoon winds to give up most of the moisture before ascending up, the winds became dry once its reaches the north of the mountains. This results in the dry and windy cold desert climate in
15892-451: The slopes based on seasons. Various ethnic people such as Ladakhi , Balti , and Dard live on the north of the Great Himalayas along the Indus basin in the Kashmir and Ladakh regions spread across India, Pakistan, and China. The Dard speak Dard , which is part of Indo-European languages, while the Balti and Lakadkhi people speak Balti , and Ladakhi , which are part of Tibeto-Burman. In
16029-417: The snow-melt of the glaciers. The lower altitude lakes are replenished by a combination of rains, underground springs, and streams. Large lakes in the Himalayan basin were formed in the holocene period, when water pooled in the faults and the water supply was subsequently cut off. There are more than 4500 high altitude lakes of which about 12 large lakes contribute to more than 75% of the total lake area in
16166-409: The source of various rivers of the Ganges - Brahmaputra river system. The high altitude regions are uninhabitable with few mountain passes inbetween that serve as crossovers with the human settlements in the lower valleys. The Assam Himalaya forms the eastern most sub-section that extends eastward for 720 km (450 mi) from the Indian state of Sikkim through Bhutan and north-east India past
16303-498: The southern outlying hills. A Newar community is almost non-existent in the villages of outlying hills outside the Pokhara city limits. From 1959 to 1962, approximately 300,000 exiles entered Nepal from neighboring Tibet following its annexation by China. Most of the Tibetan exiles then sought asylum in Dharamshala and other Tibetan exile communities in India. According to UNHCR , since 1989, approximately 2500 Tibetans cross
16440-521: The southern shore of Phewa Lake and Sarangkot , which is northwest of the city. In February 2004, International Mountain Museum (IMM) was opened for public in Ratopahiro to boost the city's tourism. Other museums are Pokhara Regional Museum; an ethnographic museum; Annapurna Natural History Museum which houses preserved specimens of flora and fauna, and contains a particularly extensive collection of
16577-525: The summits of several peaks in the region such as Gangkhar Puensum , Machapuchare , and Kailash have been off-limits to climbers. The name of the range is derived from the Sanskrit word Himālay ( हिमालय ) meaning 'abode of snow'. It is a combination of the words him ( हिम ) meaning 'frost/cold' and ālay ( आलय ) meaning 'dwelling/house'. The name of the range is mentioned as Himavat ( Sanskrit : हिमवत्) in older literature such as
16714-584: The super-continent Gondwana broke up nearly 180 mya, the Indo-Australian plate slowly drifted northwards towards Eurasia for 130-140 million years. The Indian Plate broke up with the Australian Plate about 100 mya. The Tethys ocean constricted as the Indian plate moved gradually upward. As both the plates were made of continental crusts , which were less denser than oceanic crusts , the increased compressive forces resulted in folding of
16851-610: The ten highest peaks in the world— Dhaulagiri , Annapurna I and Manaslu —is within 15–35 mi (24–56 km) aerial range from the valley. In 2024, Pokhara was declared as the tourism capital of Nepal, being a base for trekkers undertaking the Annapurna Circuit through the Annapurna Conservation Area region of the Annapurna ranges in the Himalayas . The city is also home to many of
16988-600: The time of the 2011 Nepal census , Kushma Municipality had a population of 40,374. Of these, 94.9% spoke Nepali , 2.8% Gurung , 1.1% Newar , 0.3% Magar , 0.2% Maithili , 0.2% Bhojpuri , 0.1% Hindi , 0.1% Tamang and 0.3% other languages as their first language. In terms of ethnicity/caste, 42.0% were Hill Brahmin , 13.9% Chhetri , 9.1% Sarki , 8.6% Kami , 7.6% Damai /Dholi, 4.2% Magar , 3.7% Gurung , 3.6% Newar , 2.9% Sanyasi/Dasnami and 4.4% others. In terms of religion, 93.9% were Hindu , 4.8% Buddhist , 0.7% Muslim , 0.4% Christian and 0.2% others. Kushma Bazaar
17125-1477: The time of the 2021 Nepal census , Pokhara Metropolitan City had a population of 599,504. Of these, 78.8% spoke Nepali , 11% Gurung , 2.4% Magar , 2.4% Newar , 1.4% Tamang , 0.8% Bhojpuri , 0.6% Hindi , 0.6% Maithili , 0.3% Tharu , 0.3% Urdu , 0.2% Magar Kham , 0.2% Rai , 0.2% Thakali , 0.1% Bengali , 0.1% Bhujel , 0.1% Chantyal , 0.1% Limbu and 0.1% other languages as their first language. In terms of ethnicity/caste, 28.0% were Hill Brahmin , 16.1% Gurung , 15.4% Chhetri , 9.1% Magar , 6.8% Kami , 5.4% Newar , 3.3% Damai /Dholi, 2.8% Tamang , 2.0% Sarki , 1.4% Gharti/ Bhujel , 1.4% Thakuri , 0.9% Badi , 0.9% Musalman , 0.9% Sanyasi/Dasnami, 0.8% Rai , 0.6% Tharu , 0.5% Kumal , 0.5% Thakali , 0.2% Chhantyal , 0.2% other Dalit , 0.2% Kalwar , 0.2% Kathabaniyan, 0.2% Sonar , 0.2% Teli , 0.1% Bengali , 0.1% Dura, 0.1% foreigners, 0.1% Gaine , 0.1% Ghale , 0.1% Hajjam /Thakur, 0.1% Halwai , 0.1% Koiri / Kushwaha , 0.1% Limbu , 0.1% Majhi, 0.1% Sherpa , 0.1% Sunuwar , 0.1% other Terai and 0.1% Yadav . In terms of religion, 82.4% were Hindu , 13.2% Buddhist , 2.4% Christian , 0.9% Muslim , 0.6% Bon , 0.2% Prakriti , 0.1% Kirati and 0.2% others. In terms of literacy, 84.3% could read and write, 1.4% could only read and 14.3% could neither read nor write. Caste and Ethnic groups in Pokhara language in Pokhara Since
17262-612: The trees. The Eastern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows extend between 3,200–4,200 m (10,500–13,800 ft) and the Western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows occur at altitudes of 3,600–4,500 m (11,800–14,800 ft). Major vegetation include Juniperus , Rhododendron on rocky terrain facing the Sun, various flowering plants at high elevations, and mosses , and lichens in humid, shaded areas. Interspersed Grasslands occur at certain regions, with thorns and semi-desert vegetation at low precipitation areas in
17399-592: The tropical zone to extend farther north in South Asia than anywhere else in the world. The temperatures are more pronounced in the Brahmaputra valley in the eastern section as it lies at a lower latitude and due to the latent heat of the forced air from the Bay of Bengal which condenses before moving past the Namcha Barwa , the eastern anchor of the Himalayas. Due to this, the permanent snow line
17536-543: The trough between the Himalayas and the Deccan plateau formed the Indo-Gangetic Plain . About 0.6 mya in the pleistocene period, the Himalayas rose higher and became the highest mountains on Earth. In the northern Great Himalayas , new gneiss and granite formations emerged on crystalline rocks that gave rise to the higher peaks. The summit of Mount Everest is made of unmetamorphosed marine ordovician limestone with fossil trilobites , crinoids , and ostracods from
17673-593: The underlying rock bed. The thrust faults created between the folds resulted in granite and basalt rocks from the Earth's mantle protruding through the crust . During the paleogene period (about 50 mya), the Indian plate collided with the Eurasian plate after it completely closed the Tethys ocean gap. The Indian plate continued to subduct under the Eurasian plate over the next 30 million years that resulted in
17810-433: The village of Lumle at 1,740 metres (5,710 feet) touches the base of the Annapurna mountain range . Pokhara, the city of lakes, is the second-largest city of Nepal after Kathmandu . Three 8,000-metre (26,000-foot) peaks ( Dhaulagiri , Annapurna , Manaslu ) can be seen from the city. The Machhapuchchhre ( Fishtail ) with an elevation of 6,993 metres (22,943 feet) is the closest to the city. The porous underground of
17947-550: The way, near Sarangkot hill, high mountain sports activity, paragliding is a good attraction for tourists as well as domestic tourists for adventure activities Nearby Sarangkot hill has developed as a good attraction for adventure activities such as paragliding and skydiving . The Pokhara city marathon, high altitude marathon are some activities attracting mass participation. Adventure sports such as base jumping, paragliding, canyoning, rock climbing, bungee jumping, etc. are targeted towards tourists. Pokhara Rhinos represents
18084-460: The west in June and July. There is heavy precipitation in the east which reduces progressively towards the west as the air becomes drier. Cherrapunji in Eastern Himalayas is one of the wettest places on Earth with an annual precipitation of 428 in (10,900 mm). The average annual rainfall varies from 120 in (3,000 mm) in the Eastern Himalayas to about 120 in (3,000 mm) in
18221-481: The world's tallest peaks, including Everest. It is mainly composed of granite rocks. The Tibetan Himalayas (also known as Tethys ) form the northern most sub-range of the Himalayas in Tibet . Longitudinally, the range is broadly divided into three regions– western , central , and eastern . The Western Himalayas form the westernmost section of the range and extend for about 560 km (350 mi) from
18358-484: The world. Every year, many people visit the location in order to travel to the Annapurna range and famous religious place muktinath. The tourist district is along the north shore of the Phewa lake ( Baidam , Lakeside, and Damside). It is mainly made up of small shops, non-star tourist hotels, restaurants, and bars . Most upscale and starred hotels are on the southern shore of the Phewa Lake and southeastern fringes of
18495-495: Was formed more than 10 mya due to the subduction of the Indian tectonic plate with the Eurasian Plate along the convergent boundary . Due to the continuous movement of the Indian plate, the Himalayas keep rising every year, making them geologically and seismically active. The mountains consist of large glaciers , which are remnants of the last ice age , and give rise to some of the world's major rivers such as
18632-475: Was mentioned as Himmaleh in western literature such as Emily Dickinson 's poetry and Henry David Thoreau 's essays. The Himalayas run as an arc for 2,400 km (1,500 mi) from west-northwest to east-southeast at the northern end of the Indian subcontinent , separating the Indo-Gangetic Plains from the Tibetan Plateau . It is bordered by the Karakoram and Hindu Kush ranges on
18769-534: Was originally used to denote the 320 km (200 mi) stretch from Haridwar to the Beas River . The range is about 16 km (9.9 mi) wide on average and the elevation ranges from 900–1,200 m (3,000–3,900 ft). It rises along the Indo-Gangetic Plain and is often separated from the higher northern sub-ranges by valleys. The eastern portion of the range is called Churia Range in Nepal. The Lower or Lesser Himalaya (also known as Himachal )
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