Elephant race In Nepal

With the purpose stated above, an International Elephant Race was organized in the Tourist Village of Sauraha in December 26 and 27 of 2005. This race was organized for Charity purpose. Twenty-nine elephants had taken part under the banners of national and international teams and some 15,000 domestic and international tourists have participated and were delighted. This event was given coverage by BBC, Chinese and Indian TV channels and was given proper publicity by the entire national newspapers and T.V. channels of Nepal. This was only a small and humble beginning, but it has greatly encourages us to organize this event with better management and larger participation. We can safely target to get 30,000 tourists participation in this event in December 2006, which may last for 4-5 days.

 

As the great Asian Elephant, the most intelligent, friendly, beneficial and biggest mammal on earth is practically at the verge of extinction, we the people of Saurha at the main gateway of Chitwan National Park, want to draw the kind attention of the conscious animal lovers and ecologically conscious intellectuals of the world, about this unhappy situation. As some 10,000 people of this area are directly dependent on tourism industry and as the elephants are the backbone of this industry, it is also necessary for us to save elephants.

                          

• The distance of the elephant race will be 300 meters.
• The track of the elephant race should be straight.
• The width of the track will be 10 meters.
• The participant cannot select the elephant themselves. The elephants of the respective participants will be selected by lottery method.
• Not more than six elephants can participate in the race at a time.
• In the same- finale and finale rounds the participants has to take part with their respective elephants . The elephants cannot be exchanged.
• In case of injury, sickness or any other cases related to elephant behavior of the participating elephant, the elephant could be changed in accordance to the decision made by the selection committee.
• The elephant that has acquired first and second position in the first round will be eligible to participate in the semi-final and the elephants acquired first and second position in the semi-final can participate in the final round.
• After numbering the elephants through lottery method, the elephants will be grouped in a size of five from 1-5, 6-10, 11-15 and so on.
• The track of the participating elephant will be determined before the race begins though lottery method.
• Sticks cannot be used to beat and prick the elephant during the competition.
• "Ankush" cannot be used in normal conditions to control the elephant other than in emergency conditions. Whereby, if the "Ankush" will be used, the elephant will be disqualified form the race.
• From the beginning till the end of the race, the elephant should not go beyond the track line, if so the elephant will be disqualified from the race.
• The participant and the elephant driver are not allowed to use alcohol or any kind of stimulating agents, if found so, both of them will be disqualified along with the elephant.
• The same elephant and the participant taking part in the preliminary round should be in the semi-final and final rounds.
• The decision made by the evaluation committee will be final and cannot be influenced.

Visit Nepal

Country of Asia, lying along the southern slopes of the Himalayan mountain ranges. It is a landlocked country located between India to the east, south, and west and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the north. Its territory extends roughly 500 miles (800 kilometres) from east to west and 90 to 150 miles from north to south. The capital is Kāthmāndu.

Nepal, long under the rule of hereditary prime ministers favouring a policy of isolation, remained closed to the outside world until a palace revolt in 1950 restored the crown's authority in 1951; the country gained admission to the United Nations in 1955. In 1991 the kingdom established a multiparty parliamentary system  In 2006, however, a decade-long People's Revolution by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) along with several weeks of mass protests by all major political parties of Nepal culminated in a peace accord, and the ensuing elections for the constituent assembly voted overwhelmingly in favor of the abdication of the last Nepali monarch Gyanendra Shah and the establishment of a federal democratic republic in May 28, 2008. The first President of Nepal, Ram Baran Yadav, was sworn in on 23 July 2008.

Wedged between two giants, India and China, Nepal seeks to keep a balance between the two countries in its foreign policy—and thus to remain independent. A factor that contributes immensely to the geopolitical importance of the country is the fact that a strong Nepal can deny China access to the rich Gangetic Plain; Nepal thus marks the southern boundary of the Chinese sphere north of the Himalayas in Asia.

                         

                                

 Nepal though poor in economic condition is very rich in cultural diversity and natural resources. Nepal have overwhelming natural resources which makes Nepal natural paradise of the world and the most beautiful place of the nature.

 Nepal is celebrating Nepal tourism year in 2011 and hence I as a nepali love to welcome all to Nepal and support the tourism and enjoy natural beauty of Nepal.

Paragliding In Nepal

Paragliding is a simplest form of human flight. The pilot sits in a harness for maximum comfort. With a paraglider, you can fly like a bird, soaring upwards on currents of air. Paragliders routinely stay aloft for 3 hours or more, climb to elevations of 15, 000, and go cross-country for vast distances.

This latest adventure sports of Nepal draws huge tourists every year. Come to Nepal to look up into the sky and see the mighty towers of The Himalayas for an unforgettable excitement and memories to last and same goes if you look down where your eyes will capture greeneries, magnificent valleys unmatched like anywhere on this planet. Nepal is often called "Shangrilla". Flying in the sky you can   view both Himalayas as well as fly up above the Shangrilla to feel it, literally! 

Gliding is a weather dependent sports and the flying season in Nepal commences from November through February, the best months being November and December. The takes off point for these flights is Sarankot (1592m.), which also offers prime views of Fewa lake and mountains at sunrise and sunset (provided the skies are clear) and the landing is by the Fewa lake. No previous experience is required as qualified pilots provide a short briefing before launching.

Paragliding Programs:
In the morning, after breakfast drive to Sarankot (1592m) Paragliding spot.

After arrival on the spot, briefing about flying by expert& professional pilot and fly.

About an hour of exiting flight, during the flight you have breathe taking panorama views of Annapurna Range, beautiful Mt. Fish Tail, Annapurna South, Himchuli, Annapurna II, III, IV, Lamjung Himal, Mt. Manashlu and great Mt. Dhaulagiri togethere with landscape panorama and Fewa Lake.

After landing transfer to hotel and rest or join the further program according to your itinerary.

This exiting short flight trip can be done after or before the trekking when you have rest day in Pokhara.

Elephant Polo

Elephant polo is a variant of polo played whilst riding elephants. It is played in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Rajasthan (India), and Thailand. Equipment consists of a standard polo ball and six to nine foot cane (similar to bamboo) sticks with a polo mallet head on the end. The pitch is three-quarters of the length of a standard polo pitch, due to the slower speed of the elephants. Two people ride each elephant; the elephants are steered by mahouts, while the player tells the mahout which way to go and hits the ball.
Although elephant polo was first played in India at the beginning of the twentieth century, the modern game originated in Meghauli, Nepal, reportedly after a drinking bout.[citation needed] Tiger Tops in Nepal remains the headquarters of elephant polo and the site of the World Elephant Polo Championships. As of December 2008, the world elephant polo champions were in England.[1]
Elephant Polo in Nepal and Thailand is played under the auspices of the World Elephant Polo Association. WEPA enforces strict rules regarding elephant welfare and game play. As of March 2010, Audemars Pigeut, France is the reigning champion of the World Elephant Polo Association.[2] Other tournaments, such as those played in India and Sri Lanka, are managed independently of each other and the World Elephant Polo Association. Sri Lanka held an annual tournament in Galle under the auspices of the Ceylon Elephant Polo Association. No matches have been played since February 2007, however, when an elephant went on a rampage during a game, injuring two players and destroying the Spanish team's minibus.

Most of the rules of the games are based on horse polo, but the pitch is 3/4 length (because of the slower speed of the elephants) and there are some necessary additions - for instance, it is a penalty for an elephant to lie down in front of the goal line. Players are secured in rope harnesses, with a rope across their thighs and rope stirrups. The game will stop if a player's harness becomes too loose and there is a danger of the player falling off. Players have fallen off elephants only a few times in WEPA's 20-year history.

The primary difference between horse and elephant polo, besides the substitution of an elephant for a horse, is that the elephants are "driven" by their trainers, called "mahouts." The mahouts have generally worked with the elephant for many years and the elephants respond quickly to the mahout’s signals and commands. The mahout communicates with the elephant with verbal commands and by applying pressure to the back of the elephant's ears with their feet. The player's responsibility is to let the mahout know where to go, how fast, when to stop, etc. Most of the mahouts and all of the elephants only understand Nepali, so the communication is difficult at times. The professional players tend to learn some basics Nepali to help with the communication on the pitch.

The Everest Marathon

The Everest Marathon, the world's highest marathon, was started in 1985 by Jan Turner and Tony Hunt on a trek to and from Everest Base Camp. Jan Turner pioneered the course in 12 hours without aid stations and a full back pack. On their return to Namche Bazaar they set up an impromptu half marathon. On return to the UK, Jan Turner advertised for competitors and got a trekking agent (Bufo Ventures) to organise logistics. After The Daily Telegraph condemned the idea and warned people would die, the race took off and was held in full in November 1987. Since then there have been various versions of the event but the Hilary Tenzing Everest Marathon is the highest and closest to the original concept.
There are two versions of the Everest Marathon. The Everest Marathon (1987-present) and The Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon (2003-present). The Everest Marathon starts at Gorak Shep, whereas the Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon starts at Everest Base Camp. Both finish in Namche Bazaar.

                                               

 Winners of everest Marathon :

1985    The idea of the Everest Marathon was born in 1985 when two Britons organised an impromptu race from Namche Bazaar to Tengboche monastery and back.

1987    It took two years to organise the first race in 1987 when the course was measured in the worst snow conditions for over 50 years. Despite dire predictions from medical and sports experts about running at high altitude, the event was a huge success and marked a first in athletic history. 45 runners from 5 countries.

1989    73 runners from 9 countries. Winner Jack Maitland (Scotland) set a record of 3.59.04 which was not broken until 1999.

1991    69 runners from 11 countries.

1993    72 runners from 13 countries. Ray Brown (New Zealand) set the veterans' record of 4.28.38. Pierre André Gobet (Switzerland) won the race for a second time but failed to beat Jack's record. Hari Roka (Nepal) came second.

1995    71 runners from 12 countries. Freak snows and avalanches in early November prevented us from reaching the start and only a half marathon could be run. Hari Roka (Nepal) came second again.

1997    88 runners from 14 countries. Anne Stentiford (UK) set the ladies' record of 5.16.03 which was not broken until 2007. Hari Roka became the first Nepali winner.

1999    74 runners from 9 countries. The first spring race. Hari Roka won again and finally broke Jack Maitland's record in 3.56.10. Dawn Kenwright became the first person to win the ladies' race twice.

2000    67 runners from 13 countries. Hari Roka won the race for a third time and smashed his own 1999 record in 3.50.23.

2002    50 runners from 12 countries. Local boy Pasang Temba Sherpa won the race in 3.59 37, one second ahead of Nah Bahadur Shah: the closest finish yet!

2003    60 runners from 6 countries. First was Uttar Kumar Rai in 4.01.44, having been 7th in both 2000 and 2003. Hari Roka was first veteran but still holds the race record.

2005    80 runners from 9 countries. This was very encouraging in view of falling numbers in the previous three races. Tshering Lama Yolma (21) won the race in 3.52.25: a very talented performance. He actually broke Hari Roka's record but was penalised for breaking the minimum kit rule. as did most of the Nepalese runners. There is a kit rule for safety reasons and this will be applied more strictly in future. Obviously a runner can gain time if he drops his 'sac halfway through the race.

2007    87 runners from 10 countries including an entertaining contingent of 12 runners from New Zealand. Although the men did not break any records, three ladies are now in the top 5 ladies’ results and Angela Mudge smashed Anne Stentiford’s record by 14 minutes.

2009    78 runners from 14 countries. Deepak Raj Rai was the winner (3.59.31) and enters the All Time List with Sudeep Kulung Rai. Anna Frost from New Zealand now holds the Ladies’ Record in an unbelievable time of 4.35.04 (6th place overall) with 4 ladies entering the All Time List. Our champion and record holder, Hari Roka, did a sterling job in the sweep team.

Runners have come from the following countries: UK, Nepal, Eire, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Spain, Italy, Denmark, Belgium, Bulgaria, Russia, USA, Canada, Brazil, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, Malaysia, Argentina, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and the Seychelles.