SIMKOT, MARCH 12
For those travellers, including pilgrims who want to visit Kailash Manasarovar in Tibet, Limi-Lapcha in Humla could provide an alternative route.
Limi Lapcha lies in Namkha Rural Municipality-6 in the northern part of the district.
A team of Indian pilgrims recently explored this option and travelled to Kailash Manasarovar via Limi-Lapcha route.
Humla had not welcomed tourists for the past one-anda-half years due to the COV- ID-19 crisis. The team of Indian pilgrims was the first to this area since then.
The Hilsa border transit point remains closed for the visitors travelling from Nepal to Kailash Manasarovar due to the coronavirus pandemic and the Limi-Lapcha route could provide an alternative.
There is the possibility of promoting Humla's tourism by developing the Limi-Lapcha route, according to local tourism entrepreneurs.
With the decline in coronavirus cases, Indian tourists and pilgrims reached Humla and visited Kailash Manasarovar via Limi-Lapcha route.
The Indian pilgrims landed at Limi-Lapcha region in a helicopter from Simkot airport.
They had come to Simkot from Kathmandu and Nepalgunj.
They returned back after paying homage to Kailash Manasarovar from Limi-Lapcha region, said proprietor of Bijay Hotel, Bijay Lama.
Lama added that there was the possibility of increasing number of tourists to visit Kailash Manasarovar as well as to enjoy the panoramic scene of Limi-Lapcha valley.
Chief of Simkot airport, Mohan Giri, shared that a 13-member team comprising seven Indian and six domestic tourists reached Limi Lapcha on Thursday and returned back after visiting Kailash Manasarovar as well as other tourist areas.
It takes four days on foot to reach Lapcha of Limi valley from Simkot, the district headquarters of Humla. During the first two-day travel, unofficial homestay services are available while one has to manage tents, food and other required things on own for the final two days as such facility is not available along the second-half route.
One can find many ways along the route to make the trip funny and memorable by getting connected to the nature.
One can have an up-close and majestic view of the Kailash Manasarovar from Limi.
Similarly, some Indian pilgrims choose to take a helicopter ride from Simkot to land at Limi-Lapcha region and get back to Simkot while others prefer trekking. Limi-Lapcha is the sole site in the country from where one can have clear view of Manasarovar.
However, the area with religious and touristic importance awaits publicity.
Over 600 tourists, including a few from abroad visited Limi-Lapcha region to pay homage to the Manasarovar so far this year. The nationwide lockdown enforced from 24 March to 21 July, 2020 to stem the spread of the coronavirus had hampered the development of local tourism in Humla.
Humla folks believe that paying homage to the Manasarovar is akin to reaching heaven.
A version of this article appears in the print on March 13, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
