Lumbini, is also considered Nepal’s Nainital for its beautiful green Chure Range and the flowing, aquamarine Narayani River.[break]
However, due to lack of publicity, the place is still unknown to many. Many people know Triveni as a pilgrimage destination but few are aware of its natural landscapes and mesmerizing waters. So the locals are now hoping that the NC meeting would give exposure to Triveni across the country and beyond via national and international media.
The locals want to call their place the Nepali Naitinal. The name Naitinal comes from the famous tourist hill station in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. The vast area of Narayani, flanked by beautiful Chure hills, looks no less than a beautiful lake. Anyone can go boating on Narayani River for 120 Rupees. A beautiful garden and a couple of old temples wait across the Narayani River to welcome tourists. But the place is basically unknown as a tourist destination except for some native and Indian devotees.
Triveni lies on the far bank of the Narayani. The holy abode of the ancient sage Balmiki lies in the heart of the Jateshwor forest across the river. It is believed that the great sage had meditated there during the time of Lord Rama Chandra. As Chitwan National Park is on the other side of the river, the place is a real tourist hub. An old peepal tree still stands on to testify to the metamorphosis of Ratnakar, the nefarious robber, to the composer of the epic Ramayan – Sage Balmiki.
“I really like this old tree. The more I look at it, the more beautiful it gets,” Ashish Chauhan, an Indian tourist, commented. Somewhere within the depths of the jungle, Goddess Sita had given birth to her twin sons, Lava and Kusha, and brought them up. The goods and the utensils used by Goddess Sita during the Vedic time still make a spectacular show for visitors.
“This is a lovely place where visitors feel the bliss of solitude,” said Shekhar Subedi, the priest of the temple. Triveni is one hour ride away to the southward from Bardaghat on the East West Highway. One has to travel around 100 km to reach Triveni from Chitwan.
“This place is richer in natural beauty than the Fewa Lake in Pokhara. But we need publicity to bring national and international tourists to this place,” said Krishna Mohan Chaudhari, a boatman of the place. “Tourists can visit this hidden heaven besides watching the wild animals in Chitwan and the snowcapped mountains beyond Pokhara,” Chaudhari added.
According to Sita Upadhayaya, a local hotelier, the place witnesses an increase in domestic and Indian tourists during the time of festivals.
“We provide food for Rs 100 per person, and hotel rooms for tourists range from Rs 300 to Rs 500 per night,” she says.
Gam Bahadur Gurung, the game scout at Chitwan National Park, said that the government and tourism entrepreneurs should come up with a concrete plan to develop Triveni as a tourist destination. He believes that Triveni can be more popular among tourists than Pokhara and Sauraha if the place receives the publicity and the infrastructures it deserves.
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