Palpa is one of the 75 districts of Nepal located in the western region of Nepal. Lying on the lap of the Shreenagar Hills at an altitude of around 1300 m, Tansen is an ancient hill town and the administrative headquarter of Papla district. ‘Palpa’ and ‘Tansen’ are synonymously referred as ‘Tansen ‘, only. The name ‘Tansen’ has its origin in the Magar language, understanding “northern settlement.” Despite its scenic beauties, historical monuments, artistic houses made of old red brick Newari, round the year pleasant weather and moderate climate,Tansen is less featured in the tourists map of Nepal than the neighboring tourists destinations of Nepal: Pokhara and Lumbini. There are several reasons to visit Tansen. The list may be many but 10 are provided below.
A tourist was asked,” Why do you visit Tansen ?” The answer was simple and short,” because it is there.” This is absolutely true. Tansen exposes to those who travel. Tansen is essentially a beautiful hill station and picturesque town with round the year pleasant climate. Simply reach there; see and experience by yourself.
Tansen boasts one of the best climates in Nepal on account of its location in the hill. The climate is moderate to warm with temperatures between 28 degree Celsius maximum during summer and 8 degree Celsius to the minimum in winter. When the people in Bhairahawa and Butwal, two cities located at 39 km and 61 km, respectively to the south of Tansen are sweltering under the scorching sun of summer, the people in Tansen enjoy cool and gentle breeze. Tansen can be visited at any time of the year. So, if you have arrived Bhairahawa via India or from Chitwan National Park; completed the tour of Lumbini the same day and have 3 hour left for evening you may plan to travel to Tansen and spend days in the mild climate to avoid hot weather of the plain.
Tansen is the nearest hill station from India boarder to come and have the closet and clearest view of Himalaya from Kanjirowa in Dolpa to Ganesh Himal near Kathmandu in a good weather day. If you have arrived Bhairahawa over land from India or by air and have enough time to visit Lumbini on the same day in the hot rainy season, Tansen would be your best choice to stay a couple of days — over night and experience the moderate climate of a finest hill town in Nepal.
The scenic town, Tansen is conveniently located mid way between the most popular tourist destination Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha and Pokhara, the famous tourist destination. Tansen provides travelers respite from the scorching heat in Lumbini and have firsthand experience of coolness of Nepal’s mountain before making onward journey to other tourist destination of Nepal.
If you are in the last leg of the tour of Nepal and have a plan to visit Lumbini on the way to India, Tansen is the right place to pass some days and experience the cool climate and its serenity. You would certainly enjoy sleeping in the cool air of Tansen and prepare to plunge into the hot weather of Nepal and India in the plain. Accommodations are available in Tansen, from simple home stay to hotel at the standard for better tourism, serving both local and continental meal at reasonable price.
If you are in the last leg of the tour of Nepal and have a plan to visit Lumbini on the way to India, Tansen is the right place to pass some days and experience the cool climate and its serenity. You would certainly enjoy sleeping in the cool air of Tansen and prepare to plunge into the hot weather of Nepal and India in the plain. Accommodations are available in Tansen, from simple home stay to hotel at the standard for better tourism, serving both local and continental meal at reasonable price.
On account of its location on the crest of Mahabharat range, Tansen is often compared with Darjeeling, the popular hill station of India for its round the year pleasant weather and the panoramic view of Mt. Kanchajunga (8,586m), world’s third highest peak. Tansen offers the enchanting view of Dhaulagiri (8,163m) and Mt. Annapurna (8,091m), two among the world’s 14 peak over 8000m. From the Shreenagar Hill. Visitors who have not yet visited Darjeeling for some reason may wish to experience the similar charm in Tansen.
As Tansen is beautiful from inside, it looks equally scenic from the surrounding hills of different height. Tansen appears to be nestling solitarily on the lap of Shreenagar under the blue sky and against the mighty Himalaya range like Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, Lumjung, Manaslu, etc., in the back ground. The view of Tansen is magnificent from Telgha hill, Mahsyam, Kaode ko Lake in the south during the crispy winter. The Madan Pokhara village in the same direction provides good view of Tansen. From here, Tansen shapes like a fish in the evening.
Solitude seekers shall love rolling hill with the billowing clouds drifting to Tansen and engulfing it on and off several times a day provides complete respite from the hustle bustle of an urban life. Tansen lie above the cloud in the cold-winter morning when thick layer of the white mist hangs over the Madi valley to the south-east of the town; thus earning its name as the ‘White Lake’ of Tansen.
Visit and experience the unmatched hospitality of Palpali people. Tansen is one of the cultured towns of Nepal and renowned for its hospitality. The culture is nurtured by age long affinity of its inhabitant with the great scholars and noble rulers. Palpali are chatty and would volunteer to show the tourists the direction to the Tansen’s major attractions. The tourism service providers place high value on satisfying the guest with their smile while offering traditional and unmatched hospitality.
Once the most powerful Kingdom, Palpa is the last State to unify into the Greater Nepal in the 17th Century. After unification, Commanders from the Rana rulers were deputed from Kathmandu to Palpa. The close aids and executives with commerce minds came along with the Commanders from Kathmandu valley. These people settled in Tansen and named some streets after their counterpart in Kathmandu. They built houses and buildings with red bricks designed in the traditional Newari style of Kathmandu Valley. You can see these houses in Tansen still intact and in their original form. The Newars of Palpa still celebrate festivals and observe many traditional rituals with more colorful as much as by their relatives back in the Kathmandu valley. Thus, Tansen earned nicknamed as ‘the Brother of Kathmandu.’