Sworgadwārī (स्वर्गद्वारी ) is a hilltop temple and
pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...
site in
Pyuthan District
Pyuthan District ( , is a "hill" district some west of Kathmandu in Lumbini Province in midwestern Nepal. Pyuthan covers an area of with population of 212,484 in 2001 and 226,796 in 2011. Pyuthan Khalanga is the district's administrative c ...
, Nepal, commemorating the special
role of cows in
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...
. It is said to have been founded by
Guru
Guru ( ; International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''guru'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian religions, Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: tr ...
Mahārāj Nārāyaṇa Gautama Khāṭrī, also known as Svāmī Hamsānanda, who spent most of his life in the area, herding and milking thousands of cows.
Swargadwārī is considered one of Nepal's top pilgrimage sites and is listed in the national inventory of cultural and historic heritage sites.
As of 2009, a cable car to the temple complex was under construction. In the aftermath of the 1996-2006
Nepalese Civil War
The Nepalese Civil War was a protracted armed conflict that took place in the then Kingdom of Nepal from 1996 to 2006. It saw countrywide fighting between the Kingdom rulers and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), with the latter making ...
, donations of straw and hay had diminished to the point where resident cattle at Swargadwārī were in danger of starving.
References
External links
Maps and Imagery
Satellite Imageof Temple Complex
Terrain''Swargadwari'' (temple icon), ''Dang Valley'' (D), ''Mahabharat Range'' (green line), ''Arun Khola'' (A), ''Madi Kh.'' (M), ''Jhimruk Kh.'' (J)
Hindu temples in Lumbini Province
1941 establishments in Nepal
Buildings and structures in Pyuthan District