History
Pokhara has been a trade nexus for over a thousand years, sitting at the crossroads of routes linking the Tibetan plateau to the Indian plains. Salt, wool, and grain moved through here long before it became a trekking hub. In 1959 and through the 1960s, waves of Tibetan refugees fleeing the Chinese annexation of Tibet settled in Pokhara, establishing camps that grew into permanent communities — Tashi Palkhel and Tashiling — each centered on a monastery that keeps Tibetan Buddhist ritual, carpet weaving, and language alive in exile.
The World Peace Pagoda, one of over 80 such stupas built worldwide by the Japanese monk Nichidatsu Fujii's Nipponzan-Myōhōji order, was completed in 1999 on a ridge above Phewa Lake. It marks the spiritual "trailhead" for the entire route north: most pilgrims and trekkers pay respects here, or at the Tibetan gompas, before starting the multi-day journey toward Mustang.
Stories & Legends
Local Gurung and Tibetan-origin residents describe the pagoda hill as a place where, on clear mornings, the entire Annapurna range seems to "step forward" out of the clouds — considered an auspicious sign for a safe journey. At Tashi Palkhel, elders still tell of the original 1960s settlers who carried nothing but a handful of soil from their home monasteries in Tibet, mixed into the foundations of the new gompas so that "the old land would hold up the new."
Practical Tips
This is where you sort permits (ACAP for Annapurna Conservation Area, TIMS trekking card, and the Restricted Area Permit for Upper Mustang if you're continuing past Kagbeni), rent gear, and acclimatize for a day or two. Direct flights to Jomsom operate from here — most pilgrims fly one way and trek the other to fit the trip into 10–14 days.