Mulkot Mirror Wall

Near the village of Mulkot Bazar, along a winding stretch of the BP Koirala Highway, a retaining wall is covered with thousands of small mirrors.  The mirrors are offered up to the goddess Seti Devi Mata as prayers to avoid accidents. A nearby temple sells additional mirrors to any travelers who wish to add to the panoramic oblation.

Also known as the Banepa Sindhuli Bardibas Road, this 98 mile-long highway connects the Kathmandu Valley with the Eastern Terai. Although it is a relatively short highway, the design challenges of carving a road through the landslide and earthquake-prone Himalayan foothills account for the lengthy construction time—19 years in total.  The Japanese government designed and funded the highway’s construction with a grant assistance program. Today, the highway is regarded as one of the best-built roads in Nepal, as well as one of Asia’s most dangerous.

It takes four to five hours to drive the highway. The drive offers unparalleled views of Nepal’s landscape (assuming one does not become part of that landscape in the process). Stopping to appreciate the mirrors is tricky since the road has no shoulder. And anyone who does try to make the stop will inevitably be faced with the incessant honking of drivers warning you they’re speeding around the bend.

But no matter what, any drive along this road will leave you with the sense that you have traveled through the looking glass.