Ghyampe Danda-Booming tourist destination in Bhaktapur

Bhaktapur: The bustling of domestic tourists has increased in Ghyampe Danda.

Ghymape Danda is located at an altitude of 2000 meters above sea level. One can grasp the beauty of Kathmandu and Bhaktapur from here.

One can escape from urban culture and get drenched in the cool breeze and mesmerizing beauty of Ghyampe Danda in a short period. It takes about 20-30 minutes from Suryabinayak to reach Ghyampe Danda (depending on the speed of the vehicle).

The booming tourist destination lies in Suryabinayak Municipality Ward 7, Bhaktapur. It is at a distance be 4 k.m. from Suryabinayak Chowk. Gaurishankar and Annapurna mountain ranges can be seen from Ghymape Danda when the weather is clear.

At a distance of about 1 kilometer from Ghyampe Danda, there is Ranikot. According to mythology, it is said that there used to be a palace of a queen. The evidence regarding the palace is not clear yet. But there appears to be the remaining bricks of the palace. The place still needs to be explored from an archeological point of view. It is a great destination even for hikers.

About 200 meters west of Ranikot, one can reach Bagh Bhairav, There is a natural stone that is in the shape of a tiger, this gave the name Bagh Bhairav to the place. This increased the cultural significance of the place. There is also Ranikot Gadhi View Point, which makes one feel closer to nature.

On the east side of Ghyampe Danda lies Ashapuri Mahadev, Phulchowki Danda in the South, Suryabinayak Ganesh, and Ananta Lingeshwar in the West. On the way to Ghyampe Danda, there is also a meditation center i.e. Somnath Meditation Centre (Pilot Baba). People practice yoga and sadhana.

There are numerous hotels and picnic spots in the area. Many adventure sports projects are also in the pipeline in the area.

(Glimpses from Ghyampe Danda)

(Photo Courtesy: Saroj Basnet)