Manjushri holding his sword Chandrahasa that cuts through all notions of duality and the scripture Prajnaparamita Sutra.
Legend has it that Kathmandu Valley was once a huge lake called Kalidaha inhabited by nagas (water serpents). On this lake, Adibuddha Vipaswi Tathagata threw a lotus seed which bloomed eighty thousand years later. Atop this flower with thousand petals was the eternal light of the self created, the Swayambhu Dharmadhatu. Hence, the lake became a great place of pilgrimage. One of the pilgrims to visit the lake during the time of the third Buddha, Viswabhu, was Bodisattva Manjushri. He came to the lake from his adobe the 5 Sacred Peaks (Wu-tai Shan) in northeastern China with his consorts Kesini and Upakesini and two bodisattva companions Jalinikumar and Chandraprabhakumar. Upon seeing that normal beings were unable to worship the dharmadhatu, he circumnavigated the lake to find a suitable site to cut a gorge. This he did at Chobhar with his sword (Chandrahasa), thus draining the water of the lake in 4 days. After the nagas were given places to rest in, a fertile valley fit for human habitation was created.
Following in the footsteps of the bodhisattva, circumnavigating the Kathmandu Valley along its rim offers unique insight into the aura of the valley. The trek takes one through religious power places, historical centers, beautiful forests, rural villages and offers breathtaking views of the mountains above and the valley below. To top it all off it is a trip that very few undertake, and is removed from the stench of package deals and crowded trails. Oh and some stretches has no trails at all.
That said, it is not a trek for people whose necessity includes hot breakfast and hot shower or for that matter regular shower. Your best friends on this trek will be lots of bottled water, a good tent, a compass, maps and a stoic mind.
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Checklist:
1. Rucksack- make it at least a 60 liter one
2. Sleeping bag and mattress
3. Tent- The above three can be rented at Mount Everest Summiter's shop near Thamel (977-1-4219404)
4. Maps- There is a Tourist map of Kathmandu Valley (1:50,000) from Sherpa maps (977-1-4244081) which is pretty good. It doesn't cover the Chitlang Pass to Indrasthan section though. There are detailed though outdated 1:25,000 topographical maps from the Survey Department available from S.M. Trading Center at New Baneshwor (977-1- 4780304) which could be used as a supplement.
5. Compass
6. Swiss knife- make sure it has a wood saw.
7. Flashlight- Carry a small and a large (multiple LEDs) one. Cheap Chinese ones are available in the market.
8. Canvas hat and rain gear in addition to whatever clothes you wish to wear and carry. Even if you don't carry a change of underwear do carry a change of socks. Sunglasses.
9. Toiletries- Do not forget toilet paper and paper towels. Toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash, scissors, sunscreen.
10. Rope
11. Matches and lighter
12. Medical kit: Analgesic, Antibiotic (carry for a full course), antihistamine, water sterilizer (Piyush), antipyretic, insect and leech repellent (Anti-leech Oil), intestinal sedative, bandaids, wire gauze, dressing tape, antiseptic solution, cotton, pain relief spray, crepe bandage, povidone-iodine ointment. Any other medications according to need. Make sure you pack them on the top of your rucksack.
13. Food: Carry whatever you want just make sure it gives you a balanced diet, is light to carry and easy to prepare. There is chewable soft dry cheese available at Bouddha which is a very good source of fat. Do carry vitamin supplement and Vitamin C capsules. Glucose and ORS should help a lot too.
14. Water: 3 liter per person per day.
15. Personal Stuffs: Diary, pen, camera, binocular, books........
NB: Each article from here on will start with an excerpt from Tao Te Ching. During the trip I asked my brother to give me a couple of numbers from 1 to 81 each evening at camp and recited that particular chapter from the book.
Here is a really small and really undetailed map of Kathmandu Valley for reference.
Here is the link to download placemarkers for Google Earth for this trip:
Download placemarkers
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