Gorkha गोरखा

Gorkha is the cradle of the unified Nepali state: from the fortress-palace of Gorkha Durbar, set on a ridge at around 1,400 metres and reached by some 1,500 stone steps, Prithvi Narayan Shah launched his 18th-century conquest of the Kathmandu Valley. The panorama from the Durbar platform takes in Manaslu, Himalchuli and Ganesh Himal. The district also contains the trailhead for the Manaslu Circuit — usually starting from Soti Khola or Arughat in the lower Budhi Gandaki valley — and the hidden Tsum Valley, a Tibetan-Buddhist enclave near the Tibetan border that remained closed to outsiders until 2008.

The Manakamana temple, perched on a ridge above the Trishuli River at the district's southern end and reached by Nepal's first cable car (opened 1998), is one of Nepal's most visited Hindu shrines, drawing pilgrims who believe the goddess grants wishes. The district's population is a mix of Gurung, Magar, Brahmin and Chhetri communities. Both the Manaslu Circuit and the Tsum Valley require restricted-area permits and a licensed guide; the Gorkha Durbar area needs no permit and is an easy day trip.