Manakamana Temple, Gorkha

Manakamana means “having one’s wishes fulfilled”. Hence, Manakamana in Gorkha is one of the most visited temples in Nepal where devotees from all over Nepal and abroad throng the temple daily to offer prayers to the goddess in the belief that this will fulfill their wishes. Accessibility to this temple, which is perched on the top of a steep hill, has been enhanced by the addition of a modern cable car system which ferries the traveler from the base station on the major highway to the temple premises in just over 10 minutes. The temple is a two-tiered pagoda built in a large courtyard. Goddess Manakamana is enshrined in the form of a shila, or a large boulder, inside the temple. There are four other boulders adjacent to it representing the deities Bhairab, Ganesh, Kumari and Betaal.  

The temple lies in Gorkha from where the unification of Nepal started under King Prithvi Narayan Shah. Especially Saturdays and Tuesdays see maximum rush when it takes hours just to get a glimpse of the goddess in the temple. One can have panoramic views of the Manaslu and Annapurna peaks from the temple complex.

There is the Bakreshwar Shiva Temple and Siddha Gufa (cave) at about an hour’s walk from the temple.   

Access: The temple is a pleasant three-hour trek uphill from certain points along the Kathmandu-Pokhara-Narayanghat highway. But the easiest and most popular route is by cable car from Kurintar on the main highway. From this base station, it is an enjoyable 10-minute ride on the state-of-the-art cable car system. Practically, Manakamana is the most accessible of pilgrimage sites situated in a difficult terrain.