MUSTANG: The trekking route to Muktinath — a major tourist destination — is on its verge of losing its attraction due to unplanned development.

Ranipouwa Visitors’ Information Centre incharge Tek Bahadur Gurung of the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) said, “The number of trekkers has gone down this year.”

“Tourists mainly trek here from Besi Sahar and Lamjung — a distance of 22-23 km,” he said adding that as transportation facility has started from Besi Sahar tourists are not willing to trek on that route and have switched to alternative routes so that they can avoid vehicular traffic.

A common route for trekkers and vehicles is distracting the tourists and affecting their arrival to Muktinath area, Gurung said. “Tourists like to trek on quiet trails as vehicles disturb them. They avoid vehicles as their main aim of their visit is trekking,” he said. Sound pollution, dust and other disturbances have forced trekkers to divert to other trekking routes.

Muktinath is located at an altitude of 3,800 metres at the foot of Thorong La Mountain pass in Mustang district. Local transportation to Muktinath started two years ago and around 22 jeeps and 18 motorbikes ply on the route from Ranipauwa to Muktinath.

“More than 50 per cent of the tourists coming to Muktinath temple are Indians who are charged IRs 300 for a ride on a bike while Nepalis pay NRs 300. A jeep ride to Muktinath costs Rs 150 for Nepalis and Rs 500 for the Indian tourist,” informed Gurung.

“Due to transportation facility, the number of tourists from India has increased but the number of trekkers from western nations has gone down,” he said. Indian tourists are more prone to to travelling by jeep to Muktinath rather than trekking.

Apart from the tourists, locals have also been hit by the motorway. They are jobless as instead of riding mules and horses, tourist prefer jeeps. “The stay period of tourists has also decreased, affecting hotels,” locals said.

“The government is not concerned,” complained Gurung adding that the concerned bodies should be serious and plan seprate routes for vehicles and trekkers.

According to the information centre at Jomsom airport in Puthang, in 2007 the number of visitors arriving at ACAP from France was 3,185, from India 2,500, from Germany 2,416 while from the UK a total of 1,920 tourist arrived and from Israel 1,858 came.

According to Gurung, September, October and May, June and July are peak tourist months. The shrine of Muktinath is considered one of the eight most sacred shrines for Hindu Vashanavites. Though the temple is very small, Muktinath is one of the most ancient Hindu temples of Vishnu. Some also claim it to be a Buddhist shrine.