Swami Krishna Prapannacharya said that the shrine, located at the confluence of Swarna Bhadra, Purnabhadra and Narayani rivers, has special religious significance. “Gajendra Moksha Dham is an important heritage not only of Gandaki but also of the entire nation,” he said. He informed that various structures including Shrigjendra Moksha Narayan Temple, Pathshala, Gajendra Moksha Kamadhenu Gaushala and Dharamshala have been constructed in the Gajendra Moksha Dham premises with the active participation of Ananta Shri Vibhushit Muktinath Peethadhishwar Swami Kamal Nayanacharya Shriji Maharaj (Muktinath Baba).

Gajendra Moksha Dham and its surroundings, including the abyssal land of Mother Sita, the place where Maharshi Valmiki wrote the poetic Valmiki Ramayana, the birthplace of Love and Kush, Keulani temple, self-revealed Nagasthan, Balpuri, Nagababa Kuti, Laxmi Venkatesh temple, Laxminarayan temple, Ramjanki temple, Kathwam cave, Gadimai etc. Interesting statements about Gajendra Moksha Dham are found in ancient scriptures like Shrimadbhagavata, Skanda Purana, Padya Purana, Vaman Purana, Baraha Purana etc.

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In ancient times, there was a beautiful forest at this place on the banks of Narayani river. In the forest lived deer, bundel, jarayo, rhinoceros, vangai, dumsi, lion, tiger, monkey etc. Gajendra (elephant) lived with his family as the king of the forest. All the animals in the forest, big and small, were afraid of Gajendra. One day, Madmat Gajendra reached Narayani shore with his group for a water ride. Reaching the river, the crocodile grabbed Gajendra’s leg while he was playing by throwing a fountain of water through a trunk. After the crocodile grabbed his leg, there was tension between Gajendra and the crocodile.

It was not possible for Gajendra to be rescued from the crocodile by other elephants and cubs. Eventually, Gajendra’s power weakened. After not having any skill, Gajendra praises Narayan by making sure that Lord Narayan will protect him through the memory of Bhagavad-gita devotion done in the previous birth. While the crocodile is pulling, only the trunk survives, but when Lord Narayan climbs on the eagle, the trunk picks a lotus flower. It is mentioned in the scriptures that Narayan, who was pleased with Gajendra’s praise and devotion, rescued Gajendra by cutting off the crocodile’s head by Sudarshan Chakra.

According to the scriptures, Gajendra was a king of the Pandya dynasty named ‘Indradyumna’ in his previous birth. He became an elephant due to the curse of Agastya sage. Similarly, there was a Gandharva named Graha (crocodile) Huhu. He became a crocodile due to the curse of Deval Rishi. Both the sages, even though they were elephants and crocodiles, were blessed by Lord Srihari to give up the bodies of elephants and crocodiles and attain salvation. There is a legend that this Dham is considered as Gajendra Moksha Dham as it is the place where both Graha and Gajendra got salvation due to the same blessing.

Tourists visiting Gajendra Moksha Dham are attracted by the various scenes in the temple premises built in a way that reflects Vedic art and civilization. The exterior of the Gajendra Moksha Narayan Temple is in pagoda style while the interior is in South Indian style. The large number of idols of gods and goddesses has fascinated everyone who comes here. Sheeshmahal in the Dham complex is another attraction here. It is worth seeing Radhakrishna as a couple of Lords inside Sheeshmahal. Visitors to Sheeshmahal are fascinated by their reflections wherever they go.

Religious Tourism in Nepal : The Most Beautiful Destinations

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Nepal is the center of the world for Hinduism and Buddhism. Hindus all over the world want to visit Pashupatinath once in their lifetime. Similarly, Buddhists around the world want to visit the birthplace of Gautama Buddha. According to the ‘Tourism Statistics of Nepal 2015’ published by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Lumbini is the birthplace of Lord Gautam Buddha, the pioneer of peace.

In 2015, one lakh 29 thousand 180 people visited Lumbini, while in 2014, one lakh 32 thousand 926 people visited Lumbini. Similarly, about 90,000 tourists have visited Pashupatinath temple in the fiscal year 2072/73 BS. According to the Pashupati Area Development Fund, the highest number of visits was one lakh 66 thousand in the last fiscal year 2071/72 BS.

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Due to the earthquake and blockade, the number of tourist visits has decreased by 53 percent in 2015. Member Secretary of Pashupati Area Development Fund Dr Govinda Tandon says that the number of religious tourists has been increasing recently. Two types of religious tourists (Indian and third country) come to Nepal. According to Tandal, Pashupatinath is believed to be incomplete without visiting Pashupatinath of Nepal even if Indian tourists visit Chardham in India.

Tourists from third countries come to see the living heritage sites, monasteries, temples, etc. of the Pashupati region. On the other hand, Pashupatinath is also seen as important for religious harmony. “Religious tourists come to see the living heritage, various religious activities, and the burning of corpses,” he said.

Tourists from India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, UK, USA, Australia, Canada and other countries come for religious tourism. Tourists from China, Thailand, Japan, Europe and other countries come to see the heritage. According to the Ministry of Tourism, one lakh 43 thousand 887 tourists visited Pashupatinath in 2011, one lakh 39 thousand 885 in 2012 and one lakh 56 thousand 858 in 2013.

Three lakh 84 thousand 321 people have visited the National Parks and Conservation Area. In 2015, five lakh 38 thousand 970 tourists and in 2014, seven lakh 90 thousand 118 tourists came to visit. Tourist traffic has decreased by 32 percent compared to the previous year due to the earthquake and blockade.

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The post Religious Tourism in Nepal : The Most Beautiful Destinations appeared first on notes Nepal ,kantipur to unicode , kantipur unicode, translate kantipur to unicode, , kantipur to unicode converter, Unicode Preeti to Unicode Convertor,www.preeti to unicode, preeti to nepali unicode, preeti.