Chobhar Gorge

The pictures from the other day, by the way, are of Chobhar Gorge, which we visited a couple of months ago.

Strands of prayer flags strung across Chobhar Gorge

Chobhar Gorge is in the southern part of the Kathmandu Valley.  It is where the holy Bagmati River flows out of the valley.

The Bagmati River as it flows through Chobhar Gorge, prayer flags fluttering above

Legend says–and geology agrees–that the entire Kathmandu Valley used to be a giant lake.
Legend also says that Chohar Gorge marks the place where a holy saint rent the rocks at the edge of the lake with a giant sword to drain the waters.
(Geology waffles a bit on the latter.)

Hmm, wonder where they got the idea that the rock was sliced with a sword?

For a very long time, it was a difficult area to cross.
Then, in 1903, a bridge was constructed in Scotland, shipped partway around the world,
then carried piece by painstaking piece over rugged paths into Nepal.  And reassembled to span the gorge.

A view of Bagmati Bridge spanning Chobhar Gorge

The inscription on a pillar of Bagmati Bridge, reading "Chundra Bridge" June 1903; another inscription on the other side says Aberdeen, Scotland

Another view of the bridge, from the opposite direction

Of course, there’s now a larger, more modern bridge for cars, too.  But, from either one, Chobhar Gorge is breathtaking.

Nepali of the Day:

nadi:  river

paani:  water

saphaa:  clean

phohar:  dirty

sarakchyan:  conservation

upuhteka:  valley

mandir:  temple

purano:  old

naya:  new

phul:  bridge

tol:  lake