Swargadwari Temple Nepal , Find your way to Heaven

Swargadwari is one of the many holy places in Nepal. Swargadwari temple is situated at an elevation of 2121 meters from sea level. This temple is located in the famous district “Of Pyuthan.” Visitors and trekkers believe the Pyuthan district is the gateway to heaven. The name Swargadwari is a Nepali word in which “Swarga” means “Heaven” and “Dwar” means “Gate or Door”. Swargadwari falls on the western side of Nepal, so the number of people visiting Swargadwari is comparatively lower than other sites in Nepal.

Most Hindu Devotees of Nepal and India visit Swargadwari. Swargadwari trek will give you the experience of worshipping the god and observing the beauty of Pyuthan.  Swargadwari is a fantastic temple surrounded by beautiful Himalayan peaks like Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, and Manaslu. You will be thrilled to watch the high Himalayan peaks from the temple.

People mostly visit the Swargadwari temple on Baishakh Purnima and during Laxmi puja in Tihar. This grand festival has different cultural programs. It would help if you visited Swargadwari during these festivals.

History of Swargadwari Temple

Swargadwari holds many beliefs among Hindu devotees, which have the unique honor of the role of cows in Hinduism. People of Pyuthan district believe Guru Maharaj Narayan Khatri, often called Swami Hamsananda, found the Swargadwari temple. In the earlier days, cow grazing was the main occupation of the people in the Pyuthan district.

According to the traditional stories and locals, guru Maharaj dug the land and found curd mixed with rice and fire. Then he explained to the locals that the Pandavs buried these things. Then, people decided to build a temple in that place. The fire from the ground has been burning until now. The holy fire also cures disorders and aches in the body.

Locals believe that although the guru’s physical body has left his discipline, his excellent work will be carried forward. The place where the guru’s dead body was buried is now a meditation spot.

Another history of Swargadwari arises from the Rolpa. Narayan Gautama was a leprosy patient. He arrived at the Swargadwari temple and started living there. He also practiced yoga and meditation. After that, his leprosy was slowly cured. Therefore, he started the sacrificial fire on the full moon day in the month of Bishak, which is burning until today. People referred to Narayan Gautama as a yogi, and he also established an ashram to graze cows. The ashram has been home to more than 300 cows until today.

People also believe that a person named Swargadwari Mahapravu was god-sent to restore and protect the Dharma in today’s world. He followed Guru Maharaj’s footsteps and spent his entire life doing yoga and caring for the cows. He even took his last breath on the very spot where Guru Maharaj was buried.

Access/Transportation/Road condition

Bhalubang (Daang) –Bhingri-Swargadwari

This is the most visited route to Swargadwari. You will start your tour from Bhalubang, located on the western side of Butwal, 360km from Kathmandu. You will quickly get vehicles from the Mahendra Highway. After getting off at Bhalubang, you will find a public bus directly taking you to Swargadwari. Typically, the vehicle cost from Bhalubang to Swargadwari is NRs 250 to NRs 300.

There is another alternative route: take the public bus from Rolpa to Bhingri, which takes two hours and costs around NRs 240. A considerable board says, ‘Welcome to Swargadwari. ‘ The road until Bhingri is blacktopped, but the route has many twists and turns. If you do not feel uncomfortable traveling in public vehicles, you should not take this route.

This route involves hiking from Bhingri to the main temple. You must walk for about 4 to 5 hours until you reach Swargadwari temple. You can enjoy the magnificent views of Jhimruk and Madi Valley on the way. In addition, if you cannot hike, you can take a bus or other vehicles, as hiking is challenging. The road from Bhingri is tough.

Ghorahi (Dang) – Swargadwari:

Another road to Swargadwari temple is from Ghorahi to Swargadwari. This is a more challenging road, which takes about 7 to 8 hours. The trek begins from Kathmandu to Dang, which goes through a cement factory. The road is almost packed every day because of the trippers. Because of that, the road seems dusty and bumpy, so you should prepare yourself for this.

The bus will stop at the bus park in Dharmapani on the left side of the ashram. From here, you can explore the ashram, which requires some walking.

Locals believe it will take 300 standard steps from the ashram to reach the great Swargadwari temple. No vehicles are allowed from the ashram to the temple, as people believe that cars decrease the importance of visiting the temple. For this, horses are available and will take charge of NRs 200.

What to eat during the tour?

There are many options for food and accommodation during the travel. The Swargadwari ashram manages the food and accommodation faculty facilities for the devotees. Visitors can cook their food, and the ashram will provide the utensils and fire. However, if you do not feel comfortable, you can stay in a hotel or lodge. Dhal Bhat and Takari are the most common foods you can find all over Nepal. However, you can get the desirable dishes in the hotels.

Why visit Swargadwari temple?

According to the Historic Puran, the Swargadwari temple is believed to be 110 years old. This beautiful temple is decorated with the idols and statues of God Ganesh, Shiva, and Vishnu on its premises. Hindus of Nepal and India consider Swargadwari to be the center of faith.

They come here yearly on Maghe Sankranti, Gai Tihar, and full moon day of Baishakh, Vijayadashami, and other festivals. Along with the cultural beauty, Swargadwari also achieves natural beauty. The plethora of beauty has made Swargadwari one of the top tourist destinations in Nepal. The forest and the giant peaks around the temple add beauty to the temple.

What are the things to see and do in Swargadwari?

Scenic beauty

Swargadwari tour provides the spectacular scenery of the Jhimruk and Madi from the top of the hill. In addition to this, you will also get the most stunning view of various high snow-capped mountains, including Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, and May more. His route to Swargadwari goes through the dense coniferous forest full of beautiful Rhododendron and flowers during spring. There are many small and big temples, ponds, and caves on the route that you can visit.

Batukas

The students live in the ashram and learn spiritual training from the gurus. Batukas and gurus worship the temple every day following the holy rituals. The morning prayers and art are essential, so you must see them. Hundreds of pandits perform the Hawan and carry out the art in the temple. The ritual flame inside the temple has been burning for ages, so Pujari put butter on it and got into the fire with Vedic mantras. Local people and visitors do bhajans and kirtan at the temple daily.

The ashram gives permission and arranges Lakh Batti, Rudri, and other requested rituals. For these rituals, the ashram takes certain charges and rates for each ritual.

Gufa Mandir

The main temple where daily rituals and puja are carried out is the Gufa Mandir—the burning flame inside this temple. If you move uphill from the ashram, there is a cave from where the Maha Guru is; travel to Madi Valley. Inside the Rhododendron, the coniferous forest is a temple of Siddha Baba that you can visit. You can witness how the ashram has managed hundreds of cows inside it. In addition, the milk, ghee, and butter for the Hawan and art are bought from the ashram itself.

The Pujari of the temple believe that only pure ghee and butter do the arati. There is a considerable trace of land on the ashram where the cows often graze. You can get a magnificent sunrise view from the terraced land with high Mount Annapurna and Dhaulagiri.

Itinerary

Here is the detailed itinerary of the Swargadwari temple visit.

Day 1: Arrival at Kathmandu

The Swargadwari tour starts when you arrive in Kathmandu. Our team above the Himalayas will pick you up at the airport and transfer you to the hotel. You can freshen up and rest for a bit. After that, if you have time left, you can roam around the road of Kathmandu. You can also try the street food of Kathmandu, where you will discover the local taste.

Day 2: Sightseeing around Kathmandu

The second day of your travel is spent sightseeing around Kathmandu Valley. You can visit various places in Kathmandu, but trekkers prefer to see the cultural and religious sites. You can see famous sites like Pashupatinath temple, Swayambunath stupa, BasantaPur temple, Boudhanath stupa, Patan Durbar Square, and many more. You can also explore Nepali products around Thamel Bazar.

Day 3: Kathmandu to Nepalgunj

You can take either the airway or the roadway to reach Nepalgunj. The airway takes about 30 to 40 minutes of flight; taking the roadway will probably take 4 to 5 hours. On the road to Nepalgunj, you can explore the beautiful villages and the local people’s lifestyle. You will stay overnight at the hotel in Nepalgunj.

Day 4: Drive from Swargadwari

This is the most important day of our travel. From Nepalgunj, your first destination will be Dang, which is 178km away. Swargadwari travel is mostly the drive in the western part of Nepal. The drive will give you an excellent view of nature and refresh your body. After reaching Dand (Gorahi), have some food there and head toward Swargadwari. After visiting the temple, you must return to Dang and stay overnight there.

Day 5: Dang to Kathmandu via Nepalgunj

It is now time to travel back to Kathmandu. You can take the same route from Dang to Kathmandu. We must drive from Darn and reach Nepalgunj, enjoying his exhilarating view of the hills. You will get a break in Nepalgunj for lunch. After that, you can take a flight from Nepalgunj to Kathmandu. If your flight is late, you can explore Nepalgunj’s roads.

Day 6: Final departure

As you land in Kathmandu, you must prepare for your departure. We hope you enjoyed trekking with us. Happy trekking!

Here are some trip facts that you should know before traveling to Swargadwari.

• Among many religious and pilgrimage sites in Nepal, Swargadwari is at the top and even on the national inventory of culture and heritage sites list.
• Guru Maharaj found the Swargadwari temple and spent his life herding and caring for the cows. He believed cows were the scariest animals and form of the goddess.
• During the spring season, the entire trail and the hills around the Swargadwari temple are full of Rhododendrons. The route also passes through oak and pine forests.
• Swargadwari temple, the Toposthal, means a place for mediation. Every morning, you will see many people doing yoga and meditation.
• Meditation here will refresh you as the Himalayas and mountains surround this place.
• The king of God, Indra Bhagwan, once performed Yagyan during the Satya Yuga in Swargadwari.
• The best time to visit the Swargadwari temple is in June or July.