Nepal has many beautiful places. One of the most beautiful places to visit in Nepal is Godawari. Many visitors go to Godawari to enjoy its natural beauty. Situated at an altitude of 1,515 meters above sea level, it is located at the foot of Phulchowki Danda in Godawari Municipality-3, Lalitpur.
It is a heavenly place inside the Kathmandu Valley with thousands of varieties of rare and endangered species of plants.
Our school took students from Grade 1 to 8 on an educational tour to the National Botanical Garden, recently. That day I reached my school sharp at 9:30 am, fully equipped. We had been asked to bring enough food and wear proper uniforms. The destination was about an hour away by bus from our school. Prior to that, I had gone to Godawari when I was in Grade 2. But, I remember it vaguely. We all boarded the bus, feeling thrilled and excited. The bus departed exactly at 10 am. On the way to Godawari, we got to see many places, high-rise buildings and landmarks.
The view of Phulchowki Danda was absolutely breath-taking. As our bus drew closer to the garden, our spirits rose high. We talked excitedly about the expected pleasure. Away from the burden of books and far from the madding crowd of the city in the lap of nature, what could be a greater source of leasure than this? We got off the bus and formed a line in pairs then entered the land of paradise. The clock ticked 11 am as we entered the cool shady garden. We were filled with wonder to see a variety of rare flora. We could observe many kinds of flowers, orchids, butterflies, rare and unique birds, and several fast-flowing brooks in Godawari, which is considered as one of many sacred sites in Nepal.
Many of the trees displayed small placards nailed to their trunks, each bearing the tree's name. I found the silver oak, the rain tree, the birch and the gulmohar to be truly remarkable.
Away from the burden of books and far from the madding crowd of the city in the lap of nature, what could be a greater source of pleasure than this?
Walking through the trees and trying to remember as many names as we could, we came to a nursery where one could buy plants of different sorts. Close to the nursery was a rose garden with a large variety of cactuses and succulent plants.
Moving through these sections of the garden was a delightful and exciting adventure, filled with memorable moments. We entered several green houses, orchid houses, lily farms, cactus farms, and nurseries. After one and a half hours, we took rest and had our meals on an open meadow nearby the botanical garden. We again explored many sites.
Two and a half hours' time went by in a flash. The teachers called us for departure at 2:30 pm. As we made our way back to the bus park, we had to cross a wobbly bridge that startled many of us. However, we set fear aside and crossed the bridge, with the help of Shyam Hada sir, the principal of our school.
At last, we returned home safely, feeling refreshed and relaxed. I hadn’t had such an experience in quite a while. It felt as though a bird had been set free from a cage. Godawari is a unique place that combines natural beauty with cultural and spiritual significance. It's a community forest that features an orchid house, a greenhouse, a water garden, and a research center, making it a hub for both ecological exploration and scientific study. The trip to the National Botanical Gardern was a very pleasurable and enriching experience. Besides, it helped increase our knowledge of plants and trees. If you're looking for a relaxing and educational trip, I highly recommend visiting the National Botanical Garden.
(Panjum is an eighth grader studying in Medha Secondary School.)
(Nepalkhabar encourages students to send in their articles on any issues of their interest. The article should be around 500 to 700 words in English and sent via [email protected]. We will select, edit and duly publish them in our blog section.)
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