Haleshi Mahadev
Do you want to visit some place in eastern Nepal? If yes, Haleshi Mahadev is one destination which no one wants to miss. One of the oldest and holiest pilgrimage of the country, it is believed to as sacred as Pashupatinath. This place is about 6,000 years old and lies at the top of a small hill inside a cave. The Temple of Haleshi Mahadev is situated inside the cave. There are numerous small caves in and around the main cave. This holy place is not only sacred to Hindus but Buddhists too accept it as sacred place to visit. Situated in between Sunkoshi and Dudhkoshi, the beauty of the place easily lures the heart of any visitor.
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| Entrance of Haleshi Mahdev |
The temple is situated in Khotang District, Nepal. There is a believe in this area that the three mysterious caves found in this region are the three eyes of Lord Shiva(The Destroyer). In one of the caves, the Statue of Lord Shiva is there and in another there is an idol of Nandi( The vehicle of Lord Shiva). The place is not only known for its holiness but also for its natural beauty, landscapes and scenery.
Homage And Special Occasions
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| Praying Monks in Haleshi |
It is believed that Lord Bishnu was the first to pay homage to Haleshi Mahadev and also Balaram. After that hundreds of saints, hermits, kings, philosophers and others came here to meditate and pay homage. There are special visitors in this temple during Shiva Ratri, Bala Chaturdashi, Ram Navami, Teej and many other festivals. Not only Hindus come here to pay homage but also many Buddhists come over here to pray. Many religious performances as recital of holy books such as Chandi, Vedas and Rudri, fire sacrifice goes on here during these occasions, As this place is believed to be holy and place where wishes are fulfilled, the devotees pay homage from deep within and offer prasads(donations).
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| Crowd of People in Bala Chaturdashi |
How to Get There?
The flight to Lamidanda from Kathmandu and then trekking for about 5 to 6 hours can take you to Haeshi Mahadev. However, the flights to Lamidanda is not regular. Similary, one can opt for helicopter travel to Haleshi. For ease, there is a helipad nearby Haleshi. It might take 2 to 3 hours to travel to Haleshi and back to Kathmandu by Helicopter. There is also an alternative route to Haleshi. This route is by road. First a bus to Kotari from Kathmandu, then unpaved road to Ghurmi and then trekking to Haleshi is also a reasonable option available to reach Haleshi.
