Sanga, the destination broadly popular as a sacred Hindu pilgrimage destination among the Nepalese, is located at the border of the Bhaktapur and Kavrepalanchowk districts. It is located about 20 kilometers away from Kathmandu. The Kailashnath Mahadev statue gazing towards the city of Kathmandu valley from the hilltop is the most mesmerizing attraction of Sanga. It is considered the tallest statue of Lord Shiva. The sanga mahadev height is 144ft. This statue is a pride of many Nepalese people because Lord Shiva is considered a very powerful and sacred god amongst the Hindus.
The height of Sanga is 1480m from the sea level. The total population of Sanga is 6,121 among the 1,305 individual households, according to Nepal Census 2011. The major population of Sanga is of Newari culture, where numbers of Brahmin, Chhetri, Tamang, and some other castes of people also stay in different communities.
Major Attractions of Sanga
The main attractions in and around Sanga Temple are the followings :
- Nasikasthan Temple
- Ashapureshwor Tempe
- Kailashnath Temple
- Latarameshowr Temple
- Swet (Seto) Bhairab Temple
Nasikasthan Temple
This temple is Sankata Temple where people go to worship for the better health of their family and friends. It is believed that praying in this temple wards off all the bad luck and sickness from the people. One of the most curious parts about the Sankata temple is that Buddhist people take it as God Kaal Bhairab and the Hindus take Sankata as a form of the goddess. People also sacrifice different animals as their offerings to Sankata.
Also Read: FESTIVALS IN NEPAL
Kailashnath Mahadev Statue
The construction of the Kailashnath Mahadev Statue was completed in 2011 after 7 years of its inauguration. Many Hindu pilgrims visit Kailashnath every year to worship Lord Shiva on several occasions. Mahashivaratri and Teej are the main festivals of Hindus when the Kailashnath temple gets its most visitors. It is also the second-tallest Hindu statue in the world.
The name “Kailashnath” means “Lord of Mount Kailash”, and Mahadev means the “Great God”. Mount Kailash, which is considered Lord Shiva’s home, is 21,800 foot tall Mountain in the Tibet region near the northwest corner of Nepal. Mount Kailash is located Gangside mountain range of Tibet and sits nearly 6,638 meters above sea level.
To help the visitors of Kailashnath to reach the Shiva statue, a new 738 feet suspension bridge was constructed over the Araniko Highway recently. The views of Kathmandu Valley and the Himalayas down the hill are alone worth the Visit to Sanga.
Ashapureshowr Temple
This temple is also a Mahadev temple located in Ashapuri, Sanga. The story behind the construction of the Ashapauri temple is believed that when the Pandavas were in exile during Mahabharat, God Mahadev commanded them to stay at that place. He promised to fulfill everyone’s desires and wishes and hopes if they could finish the task. It is still believed to date that when one comes to this temple to worship lord shiva, all their inner desires and wishes come true. There is a small pond near the temple where people light diyas and prays for their desires to be fulfilled.
Popular: TRAVELLING IN NEPAL
Latarameshowr Temple
It is also a Mahadev temple located on the northeast side of Sanga. Numbers of people visit this temple to pay their respect to lord shiva on the occasions of Teej and Mahashivaratri. Different types of Saptahas and Aartis are also done by pilgrims on different occasions.
Swet (Seto) Bhairab Temple
This is the Kaal Bhairab temple located at Gwashincha Village of Sanga. People sacrifice different domestic animals like goats, hens, pigeons, etc in this temple as their offering to make Kaal Bhairab happy. Every Sunday there are huge numbers of pilgrims, who go to worship in this temple. During the Bisket Jatra, the Newar community of Sanga also visits the temple to pay their offerings to Kaal Bhairab.
Surroundings
The atmosphere of Sanga is mostly warm and cool because it lies at the hilly corner of Kathmandu valley. Enjoy the coolness and greenery of the village from the different viewpoints around the Sanga. Sanga js is also the gateway to Dhulikhel and Namobuddha where we can reach through Araniko Highway. Dhulikhel is one of the major attractions of the Kavrepalanchowk district from where the B.P. highway, one of the best highways in Nepal starts. We can go to Namobuddha by taking different public vehicles from Dhulikhel as well.
Sanga can be the best outdoor destination for tourists visiting Nepal who want to get away from the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu Valley for a short time, which is only 1.5 hour’s drive away from Kathmandu.
Accommodations
You can find many hotels and resorts at an affordable range around Sanga and Kailashnath Mahadev Statue. Enjoy the local lifestyle of Nepal in the hilly resorts of Sanga.
Mountain Views
The different mountains that can be seen from Sanga viewpoints are Himal Chuli 7893m, Manaslu 8156m, Pabil GIV 7102m, Ganesh II 7150m, Ganesh V 6950 m, Langtang 7246m, Gang Chhenpo 6297m, Sisa Pangma 8013m, etc.
Best Seasons to Visit
If you want to visit Sanga as a pilgrim we recommend visiting Sanga during the month of Falgun on the occasion of Shivaratri. Thousands of people go to visit Kailashnath Temple during Mahashivaratri to worship Lord Shiva. The Teej festival during the Shrawan month also attracts lots of visitors to this marvelous destination.
But if you want to have a peaceful visit, you should avoid these festivals because of the crowd. During the rainy seasons, you might have to face the problems of floods and landslides as well.
Enjoy the spectacular mountain views by choosing the right season and time of the visit. Because of the pollution in Kathmandu, the valley is mostly cloudy in the rainy and winter seasons. So you might get unlucky if you visit Sanga during these seasons. So the best season to visit Sanga is sometime between September – May when you can observe a clear view of the city and the Himalayas.
You might also want to stay the night at different hilly resorts around Sanga from where you can enjoy the city lights of Kathmandu Valley.
