Heaven in earth: Tansen, Palpa

Tansen is a small ancient hill town situated 4300 meters above sea level. It is located on the way from Pokhara to Lumbini. Major attractions here are the ancient culture, excellent mountain views, serene atmosphere and friendly people. The weather here makes it a pleasant place to visit in any season. On clear days Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, Manaslu, Gauri Shankar and other peaks can be seen. Dhaka - the most popular hand woven cloth of Nepal comes from this region. The Nepali topi (national cap) is made of Dhaka and You can see the weavers at work on their looms or see a bazaar of Dhakas in Tanseen. It is believed that the migrant from Kathmandu valley, specially the Newars played an important role in enriching the architecture and culture of Tansen, and this can be seen today in Tansen. About the word Palpa : Palpa is a district of Nepal. It is one of the district of the Lumbini Zone. Tansen is the head quarter of Palpa district and hence, many people commonly refer Tansen as Palpa. Butwal, Bhairahawa and Lumbini are other three important cities that are part of the Lumbini Zone. In the center of the town lies a 64 room Palace, a representation of arts and crafts of the ancient Palpa. On the saddest morning of 31st of January 2006, Nepal's Maoist Rebels launched attacks in Tansen with no apparent reasons. They fought with local authorities and bombarded many ancient buildings including the Palace which had housed government offices. Many historical buildings including the Tansen palace was destroyed. Tansen Palace has a good reputation and popularity. In fact, it's importance falls right after the Singha Durbar of Kathmandu (The place where, Nepal's most top ministers stay and work inside this secure compound, and also where the Nepal's Parliament office is located) The Tansen Palace is the heart of Palpa, attracting International as well as Domestic tourists to this beautiful hill. Many buildings which were destroyed by the Maoists are in the process of Historic re-construction, and without a doubt, Nepali Maoists will live forever with sorrows in their hearts for attempting to destroy a part of the beauty and history of Nepal.