2022
Video Recap
It's always pleasure to conduct meetup either its being alone or with team. This time also the 2nd version of Worldwide Map Edit Walk completed successfully. Thanks to @HelloSamsonR and the team for endorsement of the worldwide meetup idea and embed all the guides over the world with the common motive
The time never misses its pace but sometimes we become late to synchronize us with it. While submitting this meetup there was an error on a site which prevented us to submit meetup. But though later be better, with coordination with Goglers we were able to submit the meetup. As the meetup venue was not concluded so I got an advice from my team to choose the entire Bhaktapur district and announce the destination later via announcement. Later @Surendra advised the ‘Jalpadevi Temple’ as the destination point.
There were some feeble signs from some local guides to attend the meetup but at the end Surendra was my companion. The merits of being only two were coverage of more than targeted area, quick decision, speedy climbing and walking, less/no arguments, non-ignorance etc. The place was very new to me and somehow to my fellow as well. Multiple times we asked locals and took the help of Google map to check the direction. Internet network was very dim so we couldn’t perform YouTube streaming. Though it was a meetup we felt it like an expedition.
My meetup partner Surendra and I planned to visit in Ratna Park, Kathmandu at 10 AM. He arrived a bit lately but he arrived to meet me from another district Lalitpur Then we took a ride to Bhaktapur district. In Sallaghari (pine forest) our bus overtook another bus which was heading to Narayantar. Then we called helper to stop the bus and shifted to that one. From Narayantar buspark we took a short hike to Changunarayan temple.
Changunarayan temple is the UNESCO world heritage site decorated with ancient architecture and carvings. The temple was affected by devastating earthquake in 2015 and still reconstruction is in progress. Any religion are welcomed there. Taking photos is allowed there except inside the main door of temple. Simply saying, taking photo of main idol is restricted. The Changu Museum over there features old coins, weapons, utensils, clothes and other devices. The amazing things inside museum are the world’s smallest coin, stone obtained from lightning, right rotated sankha, weighing balance etc.
From Changunarayan temple we headed to Jalpadevi Temple. It was very pleasant to pass through jungle and villages in a clean environment. The fields were filled with corns and the waterable fields were filled with paddy. In a way we gave a taste to our tongue in a local grocery tea shop. Yeah! it was grocery tea shop. Then we proceeded to Jalpadevi temple.
As we reached the temple I was eluded with panoramic beauty of nature seen from there. The temple is at the top of the hill and is beautifully designed. People were gathering there for worshipping. Worshipping was almost finished and fooding was going on. As we were busy in taking photos, videos and photospheres the priest invited us to take sacrament. This was obvious for us as our culture says ATITHI DEVO BHAWA i.e. GUESTS ARE LIKE TO GODS.
While returning back we went to Kamalpokhari ( Lotus Pond) and enjoyed the evening moment with mild light from horizon. Though the event was scheduled for 3 hours we spent whole day for it. This assures that the map edit walk was very enjoyable and memorable.
For exciting photos please visit the photo album 1 and photo album 2.
[ Feedback to Googlers: please add a feature on Google map such that we can add missing places offline too because web is not worldwide as it is said like www. ]
Thanks to Surendra, all the well wishers, Map edit walk teams & Google as well. A week is passed and guide were asking that when will recap come. Its been a bit late but its THOUGH LATER BUT PRESENT BETTER strategy. Hope to join with you in next meetup.
Namaste!
Bishowvijaya Pandey (event host)
Kathmandu, Nepal
