Welcome to Pumdikot, Pokhara
The Pumdikot Shiva Statue lies 51 feet tall. It is about 1500 meters above sea level. The whole statue is a massive embodiment of lord Shiva. The damaru of Lord shiva is 31 feet tall. There is a total of 216 Shiva Lingas in the area. Pumdikot Shiva Statue is surrounded by Pokhara Valley in the east, Fewa Lake, green mountain lands in the south and in the west, places like Thaple Lek, and religious places like Panchase can be seen from the Pumdikot Hill. The Shiva Statue can be seen facing in the Southwest direction as it is believed lord shiva always faces towards the Kailash Parbat.
Not only the touristic value but Pumdikot has historic and cultural value as a place of worship. During ancient times, there was a temple of Bhumeshwor Mahadev on the hill. It was considered Shaktipeeth and it was believed that the wishes of farmers were granted in this place. Also, during the time of Baise and Chaubise Rajya, Pumdikot hill was used as a ‘fort’ by the Shah Kings as an important battlefront. Baise and Chaubise Rajya are small divided states within Nepal before Nepal was unified into a single country.
Also, it is believed that Shah Kings used to pray for power in the Hill before going to battle with the Nuwakot Kings. Shah kings considered the area as Shaktipeeth and considered praying before the battle for victory over their enemies.
Especially during the Bada Dashain or Nawadurga festival, puja and other religious ceremonies are organized throughout the festival. Farmers pray to gods and goddesses for protection against hailstones and other types of natural calamities. In the process, they worship gods and goddesses daily, light aromatic candles, and blow conch (shankha) while praying every day during Kartik Month. Both the Bhumeshwor mandir and Mai thaan are also worshipped during Chaite Dashain.
During the Haritalika teej, there are celebrations and crowds in the area. It is believed by the locals that fasting during the Haritalika Teej and visiting Bhumeshwor Mahadev on the same day can make their wishes true. From this location, you can see different peaks like Annapurna, Machhapuchre, Nilgiri, Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, etc. clearly.
To find more information on Pumdikot:
About Us (pumdikotmahadev.org)
Read More Stories from Pokhara …
Reference
Pumdikot Kot Bikas Samiti
