By Gyanu Pangeni, Kawaswoti, Dec. 1: Devchuli Danda located at Devchuli Municipality-6 in Nawalpur district has become a new destination for domestic tourists, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic that limited people from surrounding areas to go far away for travelling.

The highest hilltop in the district has attracted tourists from different places including the adjacent district such as Chitwan, Tanahu, Makawanpur, Nawalparasi west and Rupandehi.

Situated at 1934 meter high from seas level, the hilltop offers a magnificent view of the Himalaya range.

One can reach the hilltop in about three hours, one hour ride on a vehicle and three-hour trekking, from Daldale, a small town along the East-West Highway. One can choose the route from Bojhpokhari for this. There is another route as well. Daldale to Munde-Kutipur on a vehicle and then on foot to the hilltop. It takes only two hours from Kutipur to the hilltop.

Devchuli Danda is about 25 km away from Daldale.

Yam Maya Gaha, a local of Chulibojh who is running a Home Stay at her village, said that about a dozen groups of people numbering eight to ten in each group visit the hilltop on holidays and weekends. On other days, 15-20 people come to visit the hilltop.

She said people who climb to Devchuli hilltop prefer to stay at the home stay overnight and start climbing up the hill early in the morning.

Some people even spend their nights at the hilltop so that they can see the spellbinding silvery view of the snow covered mountains in the north such as Mt. Fishtail, Annapurna and Dhawalagiri early in the morning as the sunrays fall on the high Himalayas. The scene is equally breathtaking at the time of sun set in the evening.

In addition to the Himalayas, one can see different places and settlements of Tanahu, Palpa, Kaski districts. To the south from the hilltop, one can see forests of blooming rhododendron, settlements along East-West Highway, the Narayani River, Chitwan National Park area.

A 23 feet tall view tower is also made at the hilltop.

Tharu community people offer special puja on the full-moon day in March at the Tinkanya Mai temple located at the hilltop. Every five year, the Tharus of Nawalpur also offer special puja of Kantari Mai at the temple which is located inside a cave, located at the heel of Devchuli.

People also hold the ancient belief that mythological Panch Pandav (five Pandav brothers) has hid here during their stay in hiding.

Gandaki Province has enlisted Devchuli Danda as one of the 10 tourist destinations of Nawalpur, out of the total 110 in the whole of the province.

Parbata Tiwari, Deputy Mayor of Devchuli Municipality, said that Rs. 15 lakh was allocated for lifting drinking water to the hilltop last year and that provincial government and federal government have allocated a million rupees each for upgrading of the trekking route to the hilltop for this year.

She said the Municipality was serious for the development of physical infrastructure in the Devchuli hilltop so as to promote tourism in the area.