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Nepal, Malaysia sign revised ASA

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Nepal, Malaysia sign revised ASA

Nepal and Malaysia on Friday signed a revised bilateral air service agreement (ASA) increasing frequency up to 28 flights a week from the present 21, on a reciprocal basis. The move is aimed at boosting the number of air seats as the existing allocations for Malaysian-based airlines have been overwhelmed by a jump in demand.

Nepal-Malaysia

The two countries had last amended the ASA on December 12, 2007, when they agreed to increase the number of direct flights to 21 from seven weekly.

Suresh Acharya, joint-secretary at the Tourism Ministry, and Periappan Chandrase-karan, under-secretary at the Aviation Division of Malays-ia’s Ministry of Transport, signed the agreement. Malaysia had asked Nepal to raise the frequency to 42 flights weekly. However, considering an increased frequency would affect the national flag carrier’s market share on the most lucrative sector, the Malaysian government’s request was not fulfilled, government official said.

The two sides also agreed to review the existing route schedule. As per the agreement, airlines of both countries can use any airports. Since new international airports are being developed in Nepal, Malaysian-based airlines will be allowed to pick the airport they want to link. The new accord has also permitted third-party code-sharing by domestic and international carriers of the two countries, said Pramod Nepal, under-secretary at the ministry. “Besides, the countries have agreed on mutual cooperation to promote tourism.” A number of issues such as joint tourism promotion, changes in route schedules and third party code-sharing will also be discussed during the negotiations.

Currently, Malaysia Airlines, Malindo Air and budget carrier Air Asia X link Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport. As the allocated frequency for Malaysian-based airlines had been consumed, the ministry had permitted them to operate seven additional flights under a temporary operating permit scheme. The scheme has ended with the agreement.

New entrant Malindo started daily scheduled flights between Kathmandu and Kuala Lumpur on February 6. Nepal’s national flag carrier Nepal Airlines currently serves the sector with a daily flight. Start-up Himalaya Airlines also plans to operate on the route.

According to Tribhuvan International Airport statistics, the growth of Malaysia Airlines and Air Asia has been exceptional. In the first six months of 2014, Malaysia Airlines flew 88,686 travellers, up 142.11 percent year-on-year, while Air Asia flew 105,888 passengers, up 86.46 percent.

Malaysia is the top recruiter of Nepali migrant workers. A rough estimate shows around 500,000 Nepalis are presently working in Malay-sia. According to the Depart-ment of Foreign Employment, 156,770 migrant workers left for Malaysia in 2012-13 against 98,367 in 2011-12.

Nepal has revised bilateral ASAs with four countries in the last two years. On April 2013, Nepal and the UAE signed an enhanced ASA permitting operation of 70 flights per week with any type of aircraft. The ASA with China was revised in February 2014 permitting the operation of 56 flights from 14 flights per week. The ASA with Bhutan was revised in May last year increasing the number of flights between the two countries three-fold to 21 per week with any type of aircraft.

The ministry plans to sign new ASAs with Australia, Iceland, Cambodia and Vietnam and revise the ASAs with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

Source: Ekantipur

New religious structures add to Lumbini’s appeal as pilgrimage site

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New religious structures add to Lumbini’s appeal as pilgrimage site

The proposed design of the lotus-shaped monastery being constructed in Lumbini. Such monastries are attracting more tourists and making Lumbini popular, according to Lumbini Development Trust, the government appointed agency to oversee the overall development of the birth-place of Lord Buddha.

lumbini

LUMBINI, Nepal – A dozer was clearing a plot of land in Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, on Saturday afternoon. The preparation was for the construction of a sanctuary in the shape of a lotus flower on the eastern part of the Monastic Zone in Lumbini.Shyalpa Tenzin Rinpoche, an American Buddhist leader, is building the structure with the hopes of creating a pilgrimage site.
When completed, it is likely to be a major tourist draw among other monasteries that have been constructed in Lumbini, said officials at the Lumbini Development Trust (LDT), an agency established by the government to oversee the implementation of the master plan to develop Lumbini as a pilgrimage site.

Various monasteries, constructed in the zone by organizations from different countries, are a major attraction for tourists. As many as 42 plots of land have been set aside for monastery construction inside the zone.

“Tourists from a particular country feel connected to the holy place when they see monastery of their country. It is a reason why Lumbini is increasingly seeing more tourists in recent years,” said Gyanin Rai, chief of Kathmandu-based office of LDT.

After the construction of various pilgrimage sites like monasteries, tourists visiting the Lumbini have increased drastically. The tourist footfall increased by 40.57 percent to 1.19 million in 2014.

According to data of LDT, a total of 849,273 tourists from 83 different countries visited Lumbini last year. In 2012, 758,269 visitors arrived.

Similarly, domestic tourists comprised the highest number visitors to Lumbini in 2014, followed by those from India. A total of 902,621 Nepalis visited Lumbini in 2014, up from 573,529 in 2013.

Many organizations and religious leaders from countries like China, Japan, Vietnam, Germany, France, South Korea, Singapore, Burma, Canada and Cambodia have either constructed or are in the process of building monasteries in the zone as part of the Master Plan of Lumbini by raising funds.

The lotus-shaped sanctuary, which has been named “The Mahasiddha Sanctuary for Universal Peace,” is one of such structures.

The sanctuary is designed by Germany’s famous architect Stephan Braunfels, who had designed the building of German Parliament in Berlin. The site is less than a mile away from Maya Devi Temple.

Shyalpa Tenzin Rinpoche, the spiritual leader behind the initiative, said that he wanted to construct the structure to draw attention of the people across the world to Nepal. “I believe that the construction of such beautiful structures will help the birthplace get wider popularity. Plus, it makes the holy site even more beautiful,” added he, who has already constructed Shyalpa Holistic Healing and Retreat Center adjacent to Shyalpa Monastery in Kathmandu.
The sanctuary, which will be three-story tall, will consist of a magnificent main hall honoring the birth of the Buddha, a museum, a print and digital library (containing a complete collection of Buddhist literature to date in all languages), a retreat center, conference facilities, and accommodation for monks and nuns. The hall, which can accommodate over 1500 people, will serve as a meditation center for pilgrims visiting the holy place.

“We want the structure to serve as a focal point for everyone to channel their energies towards the great purpose of universal harmony and happiness,” he said, adding, the building is be constructed by raising funds from Buddhist people across the world.

Source: Republica

Sporting in the hills

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  • ANNAPURNA BASE CAMP TREK - 15 DAYS
    ANNAPURNA BASE CAMP TREK - 15 DAYS
    This trek is the one of best views of annapurna range, nilgiri , Dhaulagiri , Tukuche peak , Dhampus peak , Hiunchuli ,Machhapuchhre , Gangapurna, Lamjung Himal other many more greatest views of mountains you never seen before.
  • KATHMANDU-POKHARA-CHITWAN TOUR (BY FLY/LAND)- 07 NIGHTS 08 DAYS
    KATHMANDU-POKHARA-CHITWAN TOUR (BY FLY/LAND)- 07 NIGHTS 08 DAYS
    Nepal, the land of splendid nature and rich culture is waiting for you exploration through its different facets.
  • DAMODAR KUND TOUR BY HELICOPTER - 05 NIGHTS 06 DAYS
    DAMODAR KUND TOUR BY HELICOPTER - 05 NIGHTS 06 DAYS
    Many Hindus from round the globe are dreaming to take a holy bath at least once in their life time in the sacred Damodar-Kund
  • 08 DAYS 07 NIGHTS NEPAL TRIP: KATHMANDU 3N, CHITWAN 2N, POKHARA 2N
    08 DAYS 07 NIGHTS NEPAL TRIP: KATHMANDU 3N, CHITWAN 2N, POKHARA 2N
    Nepal, the land of splendid nature and rich culture is waiting for you exploration through its different facets.
  • EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK - 17 DAYS
    EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK - 17 DAYS
    Sagamartha (Everest) Base Camp trek takes us into one of the most spectacular regions of Nepal where the Sherpa culture thrives amongst the highest peaks in the world.
  • KAILASH MANSAROVAR YATRA BY OVERLAND - 14 DAYS
    KAILASH MANSAROVAR YATRA BY OVERLAND - 14 DAYS
    Mt. Kailash (6714m) is the most sacred mountain in Asia.
  • KAILASH YATRA BY HELICOPTER VIA NEPALGUNJ/SIMIKOT/HILSA/TAKLAKOT - 11 DAYS
    KAILASH YATRA BY HELICOPTER VIA NEPALGUNJ/SIMIKOT/HILSA/TAKLAKOT - 11 DAYS
    Mt. Kailash, the sacred mountain and the abode of the Hindu god Shiva is one of the world's greatest pilgrimage destinations especially for Hindus, Buddhist, Jains and others.
  • MUKTINATH TOUR BY LAND/FLIGHT
    MUKTINATH TOUR BY LAND/FLIGHT
    Muktinath is one of the most ancient Hindu temples of God Vishnu.

The Himalayan Outdoor Festival IV will take place from March 20-22 at the Hattiban Community Forest, Pharping.

The outdoor sports and lifestyle festival will see athletes from Nepal and around the world competing in various sporting events like trail running, horizontal bungy, mini zipline, slackline, bouldering dyno,  ice-axe pullup, rock climbing and all kinds of mountain biking.

The first day of the festival will see participants sweat themselves out in rock-climbing and up-hill cycling competitions. The day will end with a bonfire accompanied by music.

On the second day, the participants will show their skills in 50 and 12 kilometre races. There will also be cross-country and downhill cycling competitions on this day. The  festival will come to a close on May 22 with a cleaning campaign, where the participants will engage in cleaning the forest area.

Along with lung-bursting sports, the festival will host a number of concerts as well as food and outdoor sporting gear stalls.

Registration fees for the event is Rs 500. Proceeds from this event will go to the Women on Wheels organization

Source: ekantipur

Samrat Tours & Travels in MATTA Fair 2015

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Samrat Tours & Travels in MATTA Fair 2015

Samrt Group Subsidiaries

We are going to participate in Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents’ (MATTA) 2015 will be held at the Putra World Trade Centre from 13 – 15 March, 2015 in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia. Opening hours of the MATTA Fair is from 10 am – 9 pm. We will be exhibiting our tourism products, Hotel and services. We will be offering discount packages of various Nepal Tour and Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. We request you to all visitors please visit our stall.

Contact Email: pandeycn@gmail.com , sales@samratgroup.org

Lumbini excavations among worlds top 10 discoveries in 2014

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Lumbini excavations among worlds top 10 discoveries in 2014

  • ANNAPURNA BASE CAMP TREK - 15 DAYS
    ANNAPURNA BASE CAMP TREK - 15 DAYS
    This trek is the one of best views of annapurna range, nilgiri , Dhaulagiri , Tukuche peak , Dhampus peak , Hiunchuli ,Machhapuchhre , Gangapurna, Lamjung Himal other many more greatest views of mountains you never seen before.
  • KATHMANDU-POKHARA-CHITWAN TOUR (BY FLY/LAND)- 07 NIGHTS 08 DAYS
    KATHMANDU-POKHARA-CHITWAN TOUR (BY FLY/LAND)- 07 NIGHTS 08 DAYS
    Nepal, the land of splendid nature and rich culture is waiting for you exploration through its different facets.
  • DAMODAR KUND TOUR BY HELICOPTER - 05 NIGHTS 06 DAYS
    DAMODAR KUND TOUR BY HELICOPTER - 05 NIGHTS 06 DAYS
    Many Hindus from round the globe are dreaming to take a holy bath at least once in their life time in the sacred Damodar-Kund
  • 08 DAYS 07 NIGHTS NEPAL TRIP: KATHMANDU 3N, CHITWAN 2N, POKHARA 2N
    08 DAYS 07 NIGHTS NEPAL TRIP: KATHMANDU 3N, CHITWAN 2N, POKHARA 2N
    Nepal, the land of splendid nature and rich culture is waiting for you exploration through its different facets.
  • EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK - 17 DAYS
    EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK - 17 DAYS
    Sagamartha (Everest) Base Camp trek takes us into one of the most spectacular regions of Nepal where the Sherpa culture thrives amongst the highest peaks in the world.
  • KAILASH MANSAROVAR YATRA BY OVERLAND - 14 DAYS
    KAILASH MANSAROVAR YATRA BY OVERLAND - 14 DAYS
    Mt. Kailash (6714m) is the most sacred mountain in Asia.
  • KAILASH YATRA BY HELICOPTER VIA NEPALGUNJ/SIMIKOT/HILSA/TAKLAKOT - 11 DAYS
    KAILASH YATRA BY HELICOPTER VIA NEPALGUNJ/SIMIKOT/HILSA/TAKLAKOT - 11 DAYS
    Mt. Kailash, the sacred mountain and the abode of the Hindu god Shiva is one of the world's greatest pilgrimage destinations especially for Hindus, Buddhist, Jains and others.
  • MUKTINATH TOUR BY LAND/FLIGHT
    MUKTINATH TOUR BY LAND/FLIGHT
    Muktinath is one of the most ancient Hindu temples of God Vishnu.

Archaeology, a magazine of the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA), has featured the discovery of a structure dating back to the sixth century B.C. at Lumbini and linked with the life of Gautam Buddha, as among the world´s top 10 discoveries of 2014.

AIA is a reputed nonprofit organizaiton established in 1879 for the preservation and promotion of archaelogical sites in the world.

Archaeologists working on excavations within the sacred Maya Devi Temple at Lumbini, a UNESCO World Heritage site, on November 25, 2014 uncovered a timber structure dating back to the sixth century B.C., under a series of brick temples.

Issuing a press release on Friday, Christian Manhart, UNESCO Representative to Nepal, stated that “UNESCO is proud to be associated with the important discovery in Lumbini which has been featured among the top ten discoveries of 2014”.

An international team of archaeologists, led by Professor Robin Coningham of Durham University, UK and Kosh Prasad Acharya, senior archaeologist at the Department of Archaeology, had carried out the excavations.

Manhart further said that the discovery of the timber structure not only provides some of the earliest evidence for Buddhist monuments but also helps inform the debate as to when Buddha lived and the social and economic context in which he lived.
lumbini-Nepal

An archeological dig under way in Lumbini in this picture taken last year. 9Photo Courtesy: Ira Block/National Geographic)

According to the archaeologists, the uncovered timber structure contains an open space in the center that can be linked to the nativity story of the Buddha. They presume that the open space in the center of the timber shrine may have accommodated a tree. And the brick temples built later above the timber structure were also arranged around the central space, which was open to the sky.

Various Buddhist scriptures have it that Queen Maya Devi, mother of the Buddha, gave birth to him while holding on to the branch of a tree at the Lumbini gardens, midway between the kingdoms of her husband and her parents.

This is the first archaeological material discovered at the temple, that is linked to the life period of the Buddha. Many archeologists believe it helps clear the misconception that Buddha was born in India.

The excavation project was funded by the Government of Japan and UNESCO and implemented with the help of the Department of Archaeology and the Lumbini Development Trust.

The Mayadevi Temple at Lumbini remains a living shrine and is visited by Buddhist from all over the world.

The team is now currently working together with the Government of Nepal at Tilaurakot, one of the sites identified as ancient Kapilavastu, where the Buddha lived until the age of 29.

Source: MYREPUBLICA

Private sector to support Tourism Vision 2020

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A meeting of private sector organisations involved in tourism business formed a task force today to support the government’s Tourism Vision 2020.

They will organize a national-level symposium after a month to brainstorm on how to achieve targets set by Tourism Vision 2020, said the statement issued by Hotel Association Nepal (HAN). ntbThe Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) has envisioned bringing two million tourists by 2020. The statement further says, “Private sector organizations of the tourism sector will work together to achieve the target.”

Representatives from Hotel Association Nepal (HAN), Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN), Nepal Association of Travel and Tour Agents (NATTA), Pacific Asia Travel Agents (PATA), Nepal Association of Tour Operators (NATO), and Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) were in the meeting, according to the statement.

“Private sector organizations have also called on government to settle the dispute at Nepal Tourism Board at earliest for successful implementation of Tourism Vision 2020.”

Source: The Himalayantimes