KHOTANG: The number of devotees to visit Halesi, a Hindu pilgrimage site, has gone down following the April 25 earthquake.

Damage caused to the road leading to Halesi is one of the reasons for the decline. The number of pilgrims coming to observe the Bolbom fair too has decreased, the Halesi Mahadev temple management committee chair Gajurman Rai said.

The Bolbom fair normally used to attract thousands of revelers from Nepal as well as neighbouring India, China, Bhutan and Bangladesh. The Halesi is regarded as an agglomeration point of the Kirant, Buddhists and Hindus.

Paying obeisance to the religious and culturally renowned Halesi Mahadev is believed to fulfill one’s desires. Though the April 25 earthquake and its subsequent aftershocks did not cause any damage to the temple, water sources around the temple premises is reported to have dried up.

Furthermore, daily business in and around the temple has also gone down due to the decline in the arrival of visitors.