Indra Daha

The traditions attached to this pond come in more than one version, and all of them should be read as legend rather than as documented history.

The version tied to Indra Jatra holds that Indra, king of the gods, came down from heaven and was accompanied on his return by his mother and by the souls of those who had died in the preceding year. At this pond the souls immersed themselves in the water before continuing their journey. Some families in the valley still mark the first day of Indra Jatra with a ceremonial bath here on the strength of that account.

A second version holds that Indra struck the ground on this ridge and drew water from it, and that the pond has been unusually pure ever since. A third describes Indra bathing here himself, having left his elephant tethered on a golden chain nearby. The place name Indrasthan, the place of Indra, carries the same association.

What the different accounts share is the idea that this water cleanses. That is what brings people up the hill on the festival day, and it is why the pond is kept and maintained by the community rather than left to the forest.

Indra Daha sits above Dahachowk, which is off the highway a short distance past Thankot. The ridge is often quoted as roughly 6 km from Kalanki as the road runs, though the last stretch is steep and rough.

The usual hike

From the Dahachowk road head, a trail climbs through farmland and then forest to the ridge in one to two hours for a reasonably fit walker. It is a moderate walk rather than a hard one, on dirt paths and farm tracks, with the steepest ground in the middle section. Descending takes around an hour.

Longer versions

Walkers who want a full day link Indra Daha with the Kalu Pande memorial park and the view tower along the same ridge, and some continue towards Sitapaila or down to Thankot, which makes for a five to seven hour day in total.

By vehicle

A jeep or a motorbike can get most of the way up in dry conditions. The surface deteriorates in the monsoon, and a low-clearance car is a poor choice at any time of year.

• The Indra shrine at the pond, small and whitewashed, with the pond itself stone-edged.
• A Manakamana Mai temple nearby, the wish-granting mother goddess whose main shrine is in Gorkha.
• The Dahachowk view tower, a short walk along the ridge, giving an unobstructed circle of view over the hills. It is generally open through the day, with 8am to 5pm quoted for the tower at the neighbouring park.
• The Kalu Pande memorial park, sometimes called Switzerland Park, with the samadhi and statue of the Gorkhali commander.
• Tea shops and simple food at the road head and, in season, at the top.

There is no entry fee for the pond. The neighbouring park may charge a small amount at the gate.

October to March is the season, with the clearest air in the weeks after the monsoon breaks and again in midwinter. Spring is hazy. The monsoon turns the trail to mud and the leeches come out in the forest sections, which is a real deterrent from June to September.

• Shoes with grip. The trail is dirt and loose stone, not paving.
• Water and something to eat. Supply on the ridge is thin and seasonal.
• A windproof layer. The ridge is exposed and noticeably colder than Thankot.
• Cash in small notes for tea and for the shrine.
• Sun protection. There is little shade above the tree line on the last section.

Go in the morning. Cloud builds over these ridges from midday for much of the year, and the view is the point.

If you want a monument, no. The pond is small, the shrines are modest and there is nothing to read on a signboard.

If you want a half day walking on a quiet ridge within an hour of Kathmandu, with a story attached to the water at the top and a genuine view west over country most visitors never see, it is one of the better options on this side of the valley. It also sits alongside real history: the commander buried on the next rise, Kalu Pande, led the Gorkhali army that took the valley, and the ground you are walking on is what he asked to be able to see from his grave.

The starting point is Dahachowk, off the Tribhuvan Highway a short distance beyond Thankot on the north side.

1. Get to Dahachowk. Local buses and micros run from Kalanki towards Thankot and Naubise; ask for the Dahachowk turning. Shared jeeps run the branch road up to the village.
2. Walk from the road head. The trail climbs through farmland and forest to the ridge in one to two hours. Ask at the tea shops for the Indrasthan path; the route is used daily and locals will point you at it.
3. On the ridge. The pond, the view tower and the Kalu Pande park are all within a short walk of one another.

By private vehicle, a jeep or motorbike can get close to the top in dry weather. Route and fare detail for reaching this side of the valley is on the getting there page.