1) Describe the location of any visited area with its environmental situation.

Roll no: - Three “III”

Yesterday, I visited Dakshinkali temple. I went there with my family member i.e., me, my mother and brother.It was a favorable place. It is one of the most famous and popular Hindu shrine dedicated to Goddess Kali, "The Black One". Scowling and emaciated, with protruding tongue and red eyes, decked with a necklace of skulls, Kali is just another form of great goddess Durga. Kali is believed to be extremely powerful and accomplished.

Location:-

Dakshinkali Temple is located 22 kilometers (14 mi) outside Kathmandu and about 1 kilometer (0.6 mi) outside the village of Pharping.It located along a river in a forested valley in the mountains south of the Valley.

Getting to DakshinKali:

 The road to DakshinKali is in a good condition but it is uphill all the way. If you plan to go on the Mountain Bike, it is really a interesting place to go and coming back fast is the fun park. Dakshinkali is about a 45-minute taxi ride from Kathmandu. You can hire a taxi and pay a little bit more to the taxi driver to wait while you explore other sites.

Public transportation to the Dakshinkali is available but it is little bit crowded. The public buses run from the Old Bus park, Ratnapark and the minibuses leave from Near Martyr's Gate.

Scenario around the Temple:

When you get to the Parking lot of the Dakshinkali temple, it is little bit crowded. The route then leads you down a shaded stone pathway lined by local people selling flower and offerings for the Goddess, buffalo milk youghurt and Khuwa (a condensed milk sweet).

Devotees in the queue to worship to the Goddess Kali at DakshinKali Temple.

Saturdays in Dakshinkali are like cheerful temple fair, with crowds of worshippers dressed in their best clothes, tea stalls doing good business and people dragging goats and chickens for the sacrifice to the Goddess.

Temple is loacted down the flight of steps open to the sky and is decorated with the canopy of gilded snakes. The black stone image of Kali shows her squatting on a corpse, symbolizing victory over time. She holds other terrifying emblems such as skull cup, a severed head, and a sword. Along the sides are enshrined images of Ganesh, the Ashta Matrika, and a plain stone Bhairav.

WHAT IS THE HISTORY BEHIND ITS EXISTENCE?
It is said that DAKSINKALIcame to an existence after goddess KALI herself appeared in the dream of a Malla king, the ruler of 14th century. Goddess kali then commanded the king to build a temple dedicating her in a much unknown strange place. As the command was about to be followed immediately, a person said that he had already sort out a stone image of the goddess kali in the same place where goddess kali commanded the king to build the temple. The image was then left open with the elements as she commanded over her head a gilded canopy was kept erect with four golden serpents. Also images of lord Ganesh, seven Asthamatrikas and a stone Bhairav near by her images.

Why is it important for Hindus?

Dakshinkali temple is of great importance among those who need her blessing and also among the blessed ones. There is a strong believe in the ability of goddess to make wishes come true. Among thousands of visitors we can see lovers, businessman, children, students, job seekers, sick, etc. Here wishes are made in front of the goddess with sacrifice of animals particularly of cockerels and uncast rated male goats. On Tuesday and Saturday and particularly during the festival of Dashain, the court yard of temple is covered with blood of sacrifice and goddess Kali is bathed with the blood.

A local woman is selling flower and the offerings for the Goddess.

What else can you do in Dakshinkali?

Dakshinkali is popular as the picnic spot. A hiking and a short trekking experience in Dakshinkali is treasured by the many tourists coming to this place.

Environment:

Environment of Dakshinkali is very fresh and neat. It gives relaxation and refreshment. It is a forested valley in the mountains south of the Valley. Its environment is clean and green. It has no problem of pollution and deforestation. It is a great place where we can find the natural refreshment with religious relaxation.

But also it has got few problems because of crowd. It has got few air pollution, land pollution, water pollution, etc. People throws wrapper of chocolate, noodles, etc. People cut hens, goats and burn them which creates air pollution and the blood of the sacrificed animal are mixed in river which is very harmful to water.

Although there are some problems, there is a club named “Dakshinkali

Yuba Paropakar Sanstha” which tries to control all he problems. It fixes the crowd, control the pollution, etc. I hope Dakshinkali temple would be a perfect place where no pollutions would resist.