History of Tansen

The picturesque hill town of Tansen lies on the lap of the well-known Shrinagar Hills. Headquarters of the Palpa district, Tansen is also the hub of cultural renaissance. It falls on the way to Pokhara in Siddhartha Highway. The charming natural setting combines with its rich cultural heritage to give visitors a wholesome holiday.
Tansen also offers enchanting walks leading to interesting sites, whether it is a day of traverse around Shrinagar Hills or few-days backpacking along River Kaligandaki. In addition Tansen qualifies as a pilgrim’s choice, given its several Hindu temples.
Palpa was the seat of the Sen kingdom that ruled over this region from 16th century for almost 300 years, which gives it a historical touch. A specialty of the region is the much popular Palpali Dhaka, weaved here.

Places to Visit

There are many places around Tansen which are quite interesting for visitors in terms of scenary and historical importance.

Shrinagar Hill provides excellent views of the Himalayas Annapurna, Dhaulagiri range and the surrounding valley. Tansen Bazaar to the summit of Shrinagar Hill is a short, pleasant hike across forest and passing through several Hindu sites.
Ranighat is adorned by a marvellous building on the bank of River Kaligandaki, built by the-then Rana governor of Palpa, Khadga Shumsher, in memory of his wife Tej Kumari. The 7-kilometer trail from Tansen to Ranighat is a steady slope passing through a narrow gorge. There are bird-watching and fishing opportunities on the trekking trail from Tansen to Ranighat.
River Kaligandaki, one of the main tributaries of Gandaki, is regarded sacred by Hindus. The fountainhead of Kaligandaki is at Muktinath in Jomsom. From Muktinath it flows southwards creating the deepest gorge in the world between the two-world famous mountain peaks Dhaulagiri and Annapurna. Tourists can boat, raft in the river or trek along the shore enjoying beautiful landscapes.
There are several holy and historical sites on the banks of Kaligandaki, including the well-known Ranighat. Other popular sites to visit are: Ridi, Ramdighat and Achammeshor – where a deep gorge cut by River Kali Gandaki separates Gulmi and Syangja districts.
Madan Pokhara is a highly prosperous village near Tansen. This beautiful valley is also culturally rich and has many temples that pilgrims can visit. The popular temples are Kalanki Devi, Devisthan and Mandabya. Madan Pokhara is linked to Siddhartha Highway.
Tanhu is another attractive village with mixed culture and beautiful natural surroundings of mountains, forests and farmlands. One can also see beautiful views of mountains from here. There are also temples of Rambha Devi and Jalpa Devi in Tanahu. It is 32 kilometers from Tansen and can be entered from


Siddhartha Highway.
Arghali is considered the Banares of Nepal and it is where Rana Prime Minister Juddha Shumsher spent the last days of his life. The remains of the palace can still be seen in Arghali. Other nearby places to visit are Rishikesh, Gayatri and Devisthan, the popular temples of Arghali. A village of Mountains, forests and farmlands, Arghali is situated close to the river Kaligandaki and Ridi. It is 38 kilometers from Tansen.
Bhairabsthan is famous temple dedicated to Bhairab. The Bhairab statue of the temple is hidden away for special reasons. Hundreds of Pilgrims visit this temple every year. Beautiful views of mountains can also be seen from this area. Bhairabsthan is only 10 kilometers from the district headquarters Tansen.
Satyawati Lake, at 1,400 meters takes its name from Goddess Satyawati from the Hindu mythology and is a popular pilgrimage site in the area. It is equally attractive for other tourists considering that the trek is enjoyable and the destination worth visit. One can enjoy beautiful views of Himalayas on the way to the lake. The trek starts at Siddhartha Highway, about 19 kilometers from Tansen, from where it takes about 2-hour trek uphill to reach Lake Satyawati.
Chilangdi, a typical Magar village offers cultural taste of the area. The people of Chilangdi are simple and have a charming lifestyle. Singing and dancing are the main part their lives. They speak Tibeto-Burman language. Chilangdi is situated at the southern lap of Shreenagar Hills.
Access
Tansen is in Palpa district, Lumbini Zone. Tansen is approximately 296 kilometers and about approximately 10-hour drive from Kathmandu via Butwal. It is approximately 324 kilometers from Kathmandu via Pokhara. Buses to Tansen ply from the Central Bus Station, Gongabu in Kathmandu. It is also possible to take a flight to either Pokhara or Bhairawa from where Tansen is approximately 3 to 4-hour drive.
Accommodation
Good to moderate accommodation facilities are available in Tansen. There are also modern restaurants here that serve excellent Nepali and some even continental cuisines. Other tourist facilities are also available in Tansen.
When to Visit
Tansen can be visited at any time of the year. While the climate of Palpa varies from tropical to moderate, Tansen is moderate and warm which lies between 28-degree Celsius as the maximum during summer and 8-degree Celsius minimum in the winter. The months of June and July have maximum rain.
Predominant Culture
Palpa has diverse culture and religion. It falls in the twelve Magar regions of West Nepal. Therefore, there are still predominant Magar settlements in some parts of Palpa district. Other inhabitants of Palpa are Brahmin, Chhetri, Newars, Bhojpuri, Tharu, Gurung, Maithili, Tamang, Limbu and Abadhi.
History
Magar are one of the ethnic groups of Nepal with their own language, culture and history, and are assumed to be the first settlers in this area. Around 600 years ago Nepal was divided in several small kingdoms and hill states. In this region they were known as "Bhara Magarat", meaning the twelve regions of Magar. Today still the percentage of Magar population in the district is very high.


During the invasions of Muslims into India numerous kings and clans escaped from there to the northern hill areas. In the late 15th century they entered the Himalayan region. Some of them conquered the local kings and established their own states. The former Sen-Dynasty of Palpa, founded by Rudra Sen, has its roots in those days. Under the reign of his son, Mukunda Sen (1518 - 1553), the kingdom of Palpa reached its largest expansion and Tansen became its capital. The kingdom of Palpa spread as far as the Koshi River in the east, Gorakpur in the south and today's Gulmi and Kaski districts in the west and north. Even the Kathmandu valley, though unsuccessfully, was attacked by Mukunda Sen. After ruling for thirty five years he resigned and spent the rest of his life as a saint.


In 1806 after a lot of political unrest, the kingdom of Palpa, which up to then had been independent, was annexed into the kingdom of Nepal and was then administered by a governor, appointed from Kathmandu.


Political changes in Nepal brought up changes in administration too. Today the head of Palpa district is the Chief District Officer (CDO) and Tansen is one of the 58 municipalities in Nepal.