The narrow curving road winds across the hills. Trees obscure the gorgeous views of the valley on the right. However, whenever there is a slight gap in the dense tree cover, the view is sure to elicit gasps of awe. Stretched out tantalisingly in the valley below is a colourful town that looks like one of those surreal pictures you see of exotic Italian towns on Instagram. But this is no Italy, the country is Nepal and the place that stretches below in a colourful tapestry is a small town named Tansen in the Palpa region of Nepal.
Very soon you descend into the valley straight into the heart of this fairyland. Tansen turns out to be as bewitching and intriguing as it looks from a distance. As you walk through the small cobbled alleys that either slope sharply upwards or dramatically drop downwards, you feel as if you are lost in a time warp. The streets are lined with houses, shops, bakeries, and other buildings, many of which look more than 200 years old. The town evokes an old world charm that endears itself to the visitor.
TANSEN - A BRIEF HISTORY
Tansen was the capital of the powerful Palpa kingdom of Nepal which in those days consisted of over 50 small kingdoms. The kingdom of Palpa was a regional power centre under the reign of the Sen kings of Nepal and was reportedly as powerful as the kingdom of Kathmandu. However, with time, its power eroded. About 200 years ago, the region was annexed into unified Nepal and the rulers from Kathmandu visited Tansen. It is said they brought skilled artists and architects of Kathmandu with them and then the exquisite temples and buildings came up.
SHITAL PATI, THE COOL RESTING PLACE
In the midst of a sea of red and brown buildings, a sparkling white octagonal structure which looks like a regal gazebo grabs your attention. People relax in the benches inside this structure. It is a public place and is bang in the centre of the intersection of streets. Its design seems familiar and then you realise that it is somewhat shaped like the chess piece, rook. The white structure is Shital Pati which literally means, “cool resting place”. It was built by a General named Khadga Shamsher Jung Bahadur Rana between 1891 to 1902 AD. The place was used for maing proclamations during the rule of the Ranas. It was also used as a resting place by porters. It is very interesting to note that in the year 1974, a semi-circular construction was added around the Shital Pati which completely enclosed it from the southern side. This structure was christened Gol Ghar which means “round house” and had shops that were rented out. However, two decades later, the additional structure was demolished and the beautiful visage of the sparkling white Shital Pati once again shone in all its glory in the heart of Tansen.
TANSEN DURBAR
A massive gate near the Shital Pati is sure to have your attention riveted. It is a huge structure with a grand wooden frame and door. The top of the doorway has a pagoda style roof with three spires. On either side of the door frame are Roman-styled columns that are embedded into the wall. These columns have seated lions on the top that seem to be keeping an eye on the town. This gate was one of the entry gates to the erstwhile Tansen Durbar, the seat of power and a palace built by Pratap Shamsher Jung Bahadur Rana.
The Tansen Durbar was a palace that was used by the provincial Governor of the region. Today the building houses a museum which documents the history of Tansen and the Palpa kingdom through pictures, sketches, and other artifacts. The building is a beautiful example of the finesse of the art and architecture of the region. The structure consists of 64 rooms and meeting halls with a large open courtyard in the centre. Two flat minarets at both ends of the building provide a symmetric beauty to the elevation of Tansen Durbar.
Tansen is an enchanting town where nature, culture, and history weave a spell and leave you hypnotised. Apart from the town and its treasures, there are many other attractions in the vicinity and one of the most intriguing of these is known as the Taj Mahal of Nepal. This is Rani Mahal which was built by the same General Khadga Shamsher Jung Bahadur Rana who had the Shital Pati built. Rani Mahal was built in the memory of his beloved wife Tej Kumari whose last wish was to have a Durbar built in her memory.
Bidding farewell to a place like Tansen, you are sure to feel a tug at the heartstrings. But the promise and hope of getting back to explore more of the picturesque town enables you to walk away from its magnetic pull.
A LIVING MUSEUM
As you saunter down the cobbled streets of Tansen, you feel as if you are walking through the annals of history. The sights that assail you on either side are so fascinating that you feel as if you have stepped into a museum. On first glance what you see is reminiscent of any small town anywhere. Children on their way to school in their neat uniforms and laden with bulk bags, mothers carrying toddlers picking up fresh vegetables, teenagers huddled together in street corners over smartphones. But what differentiates Tansen is the backdrop of all these normal and contemporary activities -- the delightful and heritage structures that still tell silent stories of the past, stories of kings and queens, love and chivalry, war and treachery.
Temples built in Pagoda style similar to the ones in the Kathmandu valley are found in Tansen. Buildings with exquisite wooden balconies grab your attention.
(The writers are professional travel/lifestyle writer, blogger, social media influencer duo who blog at http://imvoyager.com/)
