Pokhara is a city in Nepal, which serves as the capital of Gandaki Province. Located in the northernmost corner of Pokhara valley it is the country’s largest metropolitan city in terms of area and second-largest in terms of population. The city also serves as the headquarters of the Kaski District. Pokhara is located 200 kilometers west of the capital, Kathmandu. The city is on the shore of Phewa Lake and sits at an elevation of approximately 822m The Annapurna Range, with three out of the ten highest peaks in the world Dhaulagiri, Annapurna I, and #Manaslu is within 15–35 miles of the city.
Pokhara is considered the tourism capital of Nepal, it is a base for trekkers undertaking the Annapurna Circuit through the Annapurna Conservation Area region[ of the Annapurna ranges in the Himalayas. The city is also home to many of the elite Gurkha soldiers, soldiers native to South Asia of Nepalese nationality recruited for the BritishArmy, NepaleseArmy, IndianArmy, Singapore, and Brunie Pokhara lies on an important old trading route between China and India.
In the 17th century, it was part of the Kingdom of Kaski which was one of the Chaubisi Rajya ruled by a branch of the Shah Dynasty. Many of the hills around Pokhara still have medieval ruins from that time. In 1786 Prithvi Narayan Shah added Pokhara into his kingdom. It had by then become an important trading place on the routes from Kathmandu to Jumla and from India to Tibet. The nearby hills around Pokhara are covered by Gurung villages with few places belonging to the Khas community. Small Magar communities are also present mostly in the southern outlying hills. Newar community is almost non-existent in the villages of outlying hills outside the Pokhara city limits.
The city has a humid subtropical climate; however, the elevation keeps temperatures moderate. Since the 1990s, Pokhara has experienced rapid urbanization. As a result, service-sector industries have contributed to the local economy overtaking traditional agriculture. The major contributors to the economy of Pokhara are the manufacturing and service sector including tourism; #agriculture and foreign and domestic remittances. Tourism, service sector, and manufacturing contribute approximately 58% to the economy, remittances about 20%, and agriculture nearly 16%. Some of the popular temples, gumphas, and churches are Tal Barahi Temple, Bindhyabasini Temple, World peace pagoda, Bhadrakali Temple, Matepani Gumpha, Akala Devi Temple, Bhimsen Temple, and Nepal Christiya Ramghat Church. Considered the tourism capital of Nepal, mainly for adventure tourism and the base for the famous Annapurna Circuit trek.
The city promotes two major hilltops as viewpoints to see the city and surrounding panorama: World Peace Pagoda, built-in 1996 A.D. across the southern shore of Phewa lake and Sarangkot, which is northwest of the city. In February 2004, International Mountain Museum was opened for the public in Ratopahiro to boost the city’s tourism. Other museums include Pokhara Regional Museum, Annapurna Natural History Museum. The Natural History #museum contains an extensive collection of butterflies, found in the Western and Annapurna Conservation Area region of Nepal. Gurkha Museum features the history of the Gurkha soldiers. there are numerous hotels, resort, lodges, and homestay that provide luxurious, mid-range, and budget accommodation.
Well connected y road, there are numerous lakes, waterfalls and gorges, and rivers in and around the city. there are numerous restaurants in and around the city that serve \variety of cusine including Indian, Bhutanese, Nepali and well as continental. A bird watching paradise, in Pokhara adventure seekers can enjoy everything from boating, hiking, horse rides, skydiving, paragliding, bungee jumping, ziplining, or simply relaxing at one of the several lakes in the valley.
A treat for nature overs Pokhara has numerous places worth visiting such as David’s Fall where the stream disappears underground, and the Mahendra Gufa, a series of caves full of stalagmites and stalactites besides the numerous bats that live within. Pokhara is the complete holiday package for thrill-seekers and the adrenaline junky. But it’s also ideal for spending a quiet few days recovering from a three-week, exhausting trek at a high altitude. There are quite a lot of things to shop including the Pashmina shawls, Singing Bowls, Khukuri (The Gurkha knife), Rice Paper Products, Beads and jewelry, Handicrafts, Thangka Paintings. There are numerous shops in and around the city.
