At the Foot of the Fish Tail Mountain

Standing not more than twenty miles to the north of the Pokhra valley, the Fishtail Mountain, known locally as Machha Puchhare, is a stunning sight to behold. The shining snows and majestic cathedral of rock are a testament to the power of the grand creation. In a quiet corner of the valley where pleasant lakes, picturesque farms and terraced hillsides are bursting with teaming life, a determined band of women arrived, devoted to improving the lot of a poor but vibrant folk. The year was 1952 and Nepal had just allowed in its first foreign visitors. This short book gives us a slimpse of the land in those infant, fledgling years. Primarily, though, it isn the story of missionaries whose devotion to their own god enabled them to open the first hospital in the Pokhra valley. This hospital, constructed from temporary materials including aluminium sheeting, became famous as the Shining Hospital, as it could be seen shining from distant hillsides around the valley. It remains a memorial to its founders who toiled below that mountain whose fame has spread to the world; the shining Fishtail Mountain of Pokhara.