Travel to Harisiddhi in Nepal

There lies a city in Nepal, small in stature, in some ways gloomy in nature, but stop a while, look around you and you will see much more, this is Harisiddhi. From the paved Godavari roads to the little village within, there is much to fascinate the eye as the local women stand busily occupied by their work of spinning wool for an industry that produces rich and beautiful carpets sold within the ancient city of Patan. It is here that you will also find a prosperous tradition, that of making bricks. The bricks of Harisiddhi have built many of the traditional Newar towns around Nepal for centuries.

It was in 1997 that this rural community in Harisiddhi, unbeknown to the outside world, became the center of ill repute brought upon it by unwanted press. An article published by the ‘Sunday Telegraph’ in London implied that this little village was the center of a cult which performed child sacrifices. Although there was no hard evidence to support this claim and was purely a result of ‘hack journalism’, it was enough to affect the people and the Government of Nepal to a great degree. You may wonder, with this reaction, if there is some truth behind the little village of Harididdhi and the formal accusations that were made? There have been suggestions made that these practices were performed deep in the Kathmandu Valley not so long ago, but again much has been based on ‘claims’ made by 19th century European visitors as well as some authorities. To date, nothing more than hearsay can be acknowledged.

Nevertheless, the town of Harisiddhi has over time been recognized for something far more positive in contrast to 1997 report. This is owed to the beautiful Temple at Ujjain. It is here that a sense of serenity seems to settle, a sacredness long since known and intimately associated with this holy temple. The Harisiddhi Temple is regarded as the most visited site in all of India. The wording ‘Hari’ at the beginning of Harisiddhi means Lord Vishnu in Hindi and belongs to the belief of the Trinity in the Hindu religion. Lord Vishnu symbolizes the restorer and preserver of the Trinity, Lord Brahma is the creator and Lord Shiva makes up the destroyer from among the three.

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