Eastern and Western architecture

The monastery itself is a remarkable mix of Eastern and Western architecture, and is embellished with exquisite thangka paintings on the walls. The ceilings are covered with a variety of colorful mandalas. The structure was designed by a Buddhist American, who by profession is an architect, and the thangka painters were brought from distant Helambu. The painting work alone took two years to complete. You can enjoy a grand panoramic view of the valley below. At a reasonable pace you can reach Phulhari Gumba in an hour from Gokarna. The alternate route to Phulhari is via the motor road that goes up before you reach Gokarna. There are spectacular views of Kathmandu Valley from this road.

Walk back down to the Krishna temple, turn left, and follow the road below the pine trees that climbs up at a slight gradient. From here on, there are great views of the northern half of Kathmandu, and the hike is pleasant, with no hard climbs. The Kopan and Vajrayana monasteries are seen on the left. You will then come across Chunikhel View Garden Resort that overlooks the valley below, and you are assured that you are on the right track. After hiking for half-an-hour, the Forest View Khaja Ghar is reached, where one can stop for a beer and snacks. Most of the hike is along this road. A pleasant surprise on the way is a resting place by the roadside that provides a socket for charging your devices. A red light bulb near the roof assures you that there is electricity. As for birds, magpies are quite often seen along this route, displaying their majestic tails behind them as they disappear among the trees above; a very shy bird. There are dirt roads from here that go all the way up to Taaray Bhir, a Tamang village on the hilltop, which can make for another hike for another day.