At an elevation of 8963 ft on the Northern side of Kathmandu, Shivapuri is the second largest hill surrounding the valley. Only an hour away from Kathmandu, it is a popular destination for hikers, mountain bikers, researchers, bird watchers and pilgrims.
Shivapuri National Park serves as the ideal destination for nature lovers, without having to go very far from the city. On your way to the top, you can observe luxurious bamboo and rhododendron forests along with snow capped mountains. You can enjoy the view of Ganesh Himal, Langtang Himal and Jugal himals in the north and Manaslu Himal in the south. One can observe several forest types on the way to the top such as pine, Utis, oak etc. Similarly, the hill hosts rare orchids and exotic bird species. Small waterfalls and rivulets add to the beauty of the hill.
Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park is a true paradise for flora and fauna. The park has recorded 1250 species of vascular plants and 129 species of mushrooms. Chinkapin, Pine, and Oak-Rhododendron are the dominant vegetation. One can observe four major forest types viz
Clouded leopard, pangolin, Assamese monkey and leopard cat are the protected mammals
found in SNNP. Common mammals include common leopard, Himalayan black bear, Himalayan goral,
Naemorhedus goral, jungle cat, Himalayan wild boar, baking deer, sambar deer, rhesus monkey, civets
porcupine and yellow throated marten.
The park has 311 species of birds including 177 migratory birds. Common species of bird species
are white backed vulture, Himalayan griffon, black vulture, beard vulture (Nepali & Suwal, 2007), dark kite, hen
harrier, goshawk, sparrow hawk, sikhra, common buzzerd, Asain black eagle, steppe eagle (BPP, 1995), magpies,
kalij pheasant, leafbirds, flycatcher, bushchat, babblers, cuckoos, bullbul, swift, warblers. Importantly, the spiny
babler and the wren babler are the endemic birds found in Shivapuri Nagarjun national park.
King cobra, green pit viper, rat snake, skink, lizards, geckos are common reptiles found in SNNP.Frogs and toads are
common amphibians. The peak has 102 species of moths and butterfiles.
Shivapuri is the prime source of drinking water for Kathmandu valley. Small rivers and streams discharge about 30 million liters of water per day. The major sources include Nagmati, Bagmati, Syalmati, Bishnumati and their tributaries. Drinking water, irrigation, holy bathing are the major uses of the rivers.
Adventure seekers can go for mountain biking, hiking and jeep safari along the area. After receiving the permit from the park, one can hike up to Nagi Gumba through a rugged trail alongside cherry and pine forests. This monastery is about an hour and a half away from the gateway. From there, you can hike upto the peak in about three hours along a steep route uphill.
Shivapuri National Park has been the destination for researchers and nature enthusiasts. Several studies regarding flora and fauna, climate and topography are conducted here. Clouded leopard, pangolin, Assamese monkey and leopard cat are the protected mammals found in SNNP. Common mammals include common leopard, Himalayan black bear, Himalayan goral, Naemorhedus goral, jungle cat, Himalayan, wild boar, barking deer, sambar deer, rhesus monkey, civets, porcupine and yellow throated marten. The park has 311 species of birds including 117 migratory birds. Common species of bird species are white backed vulture, Himalayan griffon, black vulture, beard vulture (Nepali &Suwal, 2007), dark kite, hen harrier, goshawk, sparrow hawk, sikhra, common buzzard, Asian black eagle, steppe eagle (BPP, 1995), magpies, kalij pheasant, leafbirds, flycatcher, bushchat, babblers, cuckoos, bulbul, swift, warblers. Importantly, the spiny babler, and the wren babler are the endemic birds found in Shivapuri Nagarjun national park.
Shivapuri is home to several religious and pilgrimage sites for the Hindus and Buddhists. Buddhanilkantha, the prestigious Hindu temple with the magnificent statue of the sleeping god Vishnu lies on the foot of the Shivapuri hill. Similarly, at an altitude of 1650 m above the Budhanilkantha temple lies the famous Buddhist monastery ‘Naagi Gumba’, the only monastery for Nuns where about 200 of them practice Buddhism. Shivapuri also houses Baagdwar and Bishnudwar, the origin points of sacred rivers Bagmati and Bishnumati respectively. Every year on Baisakh 1, the Nepalese New year’s day, a religious fair is held at Baagdwar and hindu devotees flock to the site to take a holy bath early in the morning, with the belief that doing so will wash away their sins. Both Baagdwar and Bishnudwar hold great religious significance.
