PAWANA SHRESTHA
Province No. 4, also known as the Gandaki Province, is one of the seven federal provinces of Nepal having very prominent tourist attractions. Pokhara - the headquarter, as well as the largest city, offers a wide range of ecstatic natural resources and as well as cultural sites. The 11 districts: Manang, Gorkha, Lamjung, Tanahun, Nawalparasi, Kaski, Syangja, Parvat, Baglung, Myagdi, and Mustang, each has its unique essence that makes the entire province full of beautiful rendezvous. The major cities are Pokhara, Waling, Damauli, Kawasoti, Baglungbazaar, Kusma, Besisahar, and Jomsom.
Gandaki Province has Tibet on its North, Province No. 3 (Bagmati province) on its East, Province No. 5 (Karnali Province) on its West, and Province No. 2 (Lumbini Province) along with Uttar Pradesh of India on its South. With a total area of 21,733 sq km (14.66% of the country’s total area), the province is 26.8% Mountain region, 67.2% Hilly region, and 6% Terai region. According to the 2011 census, it had a population of 2,403,757. There is one metropolitan city, 26 Municipalities, and 58 rural municipalities - a total of 85 local governments. The province has an abundance of Hinduism (82.89%) in terms of religion, followed by Buddhism (13.68%) and then the others. In terms of castes, the Brahmin (21.5%), Magar (20.9%), and Chhetri (13.4%) cover the majority of the population. Most of the people here (72.4%) are involved in the agricultural occupation.
Province No. 4 got its name after the river Gandaki that has significant connections with the Hindu civilization. Not only that river is mentioned in the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata, but there is also a saying that the Valmiki Rishi wrote the other epic Ramayana here.
The major rivers and streams that flow through this province are Kaligandaki, Budhigandaki, Marsyandi, Modi, Madi, Daraudi, Seti, Aandhikhola, Badigad, and Uttarganga. The water bodies that flow here are widely known for the best recreational outdoor activity – rafting. The deepest gorge of the world - Kali Gandaki and the Seti river are two of the most enthralling rivers to gather rafting experience.
The headquarter Pokhara is itself famous for the existence of the glistening Fewa lake, Begnas Lake, Rupa lake. Moreover, the province has other major lakes like Tilicho lake, Damodarkunda, etc.
Some of the world-famous Himalayan ranges fall in this province that uplifts the already existing list of the natural resources found here. The place provides a lifetime experience of spectating the significant and elegant peaks of Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Machapuchhre, Nilgiri, Manaslu, Ganesh Himal. The heart-rendering views of these mountain ranges and the sunrises through these peaks are something that no one should miss while visiting the Gandaki province.
Province No. 4 is very renowned for the tourist destinations along with the various religious and cultural sites it owns. Some of them are Annapurna and Manaslu Conservation Areas, Mustang, Kagbeni/Muktinath Chhetra, Dewaghat Chhetra, Dhorpatan, Manakamana/Bindabasini Temples, Gorkha Darwar, Ghalegaun, etc. All the sites have their original and unique prominence of its own and prove to have a notable contribution to the tourism industry.
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