Sinja Valley
The capital of the medieval Khasa Malla empire and the cradle of the Nepali language, with ruins and ancient inscriptions.
From the 12th to the 14th century the Khasa Malla kings ruled an empire stretching from western Tibet to Kumaon from their capital at Sinja. The earliest inscriptions in the Khas language — ancestor of modern Nepali — come from this region, and the valley is often called the birthplace of Nepali.
Today Sinja is a peaceful farming valley with the ruins of the old palace at Kanakasundari, stone temples and a small museum. It is on UNESCO's tentative list and lies a day or two from Jumla and on the way to Rara.
