CABLE
CAR
Introduction
You
don’t have to be in Switzerland to ride on cable cars. Unlike
in the West, the cable car in Nepal takes you up to the abode
of Manakamana, the Wish-Fulfilling Goddess, on what you could
call a spiritual ride. Legend has it that Manakamana fulfills
all wishes. This belief is so ingrained in the collective conciousness
of the Nepalis that many make a trip to Manakamana every year
without fail. Stories abound of people’s wishes coming true lost
sons returning home, lovers finding romance against all odds,
people finding success in their business ventures, students excelling
in their exams, separated husband and wife getting back together,
and on and on. Even if you have no wishes to make (assuming that
you have got it all, which means you have no need of Manakamana’s
blessings) or even if you are an atheist or agnostic, this place
offers you a unique look into Nepali people’s faith in Goddess
Manakamana. Also you could look at the river valleys and the Himalayas
from here. Or just explore the hamlets downhill.
Venerated
since the 17th Century, Manakamana commands royal patronage, and
the devotion of millions of Nepalis and spirituality-seeking tourists.
In the past, millions of pilgrims made a long arduous trek up
to the hilltop temple of Manakamana. Many still do.
Now
that the Manakamana Darshan Pvt. Ltd. has started Nepal’s first
cable car service with the technical assistance of Doppelmayr,
an Austrian Cable Car Company, would-be visitors to Manakamana
have an option of getting there from the Cable Car Station in
Cheres in 10 minutes flat or less! The ride covers the distance
of 2.8 kilometers. With 31 passenger and 3 cargo cars, each with
a seating capacity of 6, the system has the overall capacity of
handling 600 persons per hour!
Situated
atop a hill (1302 m) 12 km south of the historic town of Gorkha
and 6 km north of Mugling, the Manakama temple overlooks terraced
fields, and the Trisuli and Marsyangdi river valleys. The hilltop
also offers a vantage point for taking in the breath-taking view
of the Manaslu-Himanchuli and Annapurna massifs to the north.
The
Legend
The legend of Manakamana goddes goes back to the time
of Gorkha King Rama Shah (1614-1636 A.D.). His Queen possesed
divine powers known only to her devotee Lakhan Thapa, her religious
preceptor. On one occasion, the King found the Queen as Goddess
and Lakhan as a lion. Following the revelation, the King mentioned
it to the Queen and suddenly died. He was cremated, and when the
Queen approached the funeral pyre to commit sati as was the custom
back then, she consoled her lamenting devotee Lakhan by saying
that she would reappear soon near his home. Six months later a
certain farmer ploughing a field hit a stone, cleaved it and saw
blood and milk flow forth. When the news got around to Lakhan,
he knew that his wish had come true. The flow ceased when Lakhan
worshipped the stone using his tantric knowledge. When the then
ruling king of Gorkha learnt of this incident, he donated land
and a grant to perpetuate the worship of Manakamana. This deed
was invested with a Lal Mohar and the present Thapa-Magar pujari
is the 17th generation descendant of Lakhan Thapa.
The
shrine of Manakamana was renovated many times over the centuries.
The present four-storey temple on a square pedestal has pagoda-style
roofs. The entrance is to be entered from the southwest, and it
is marked by stone pillars, one of which is the sacrificial pillar.
The principal pujari is a Thapa-Magar and he performs daily prayers
in the temple. The Magar priest performs rituals behind closed
doors by offering egg, orange, rice, red powder (also called vermillion),
and strips of cloth to the goddess. Only after the pujari is done
with his puja that the public’s turn comes.
