By Our Correspondent

Salyan, Oct. 15: Kojagrat Purnima Mela (Fullmoon day fair) held at Kumakh. a natural and religious tourism destination of the district, on the final day of Dashain on Sunday.
Located at a distance of around eight hours’ walk from Salyan’s headquarters Khalanga, Kumakh is considered an important place from religious and natural tourism perspective.
It is located at an altitude of around 2,520 metre from sea level.
Situated at the junction of Kumakh Rural Municipality and Siddhakumakh Rural Municipality, the Kumakh Hill top has a Siddha temple.
Dozens caves located at different spots on this the hill could become points of attraction for tourists.
The Siddha cave (Siddha gufa) located in Kumakh is very beautiful and worships are performed here. Devotees perform special puja during chaturdashi and kojagrat purnima days at the Siddha Temple in Kumakh, according to priest Lal Bahadur Dangi (Juju).
The tradition is such that a person who reaches Kumakh for the first time, goes around the temple for seven times asking for the fulfillment of his wishes, and once the wishes are fulfilled, a lamb is sacrificed. Puja is done here as a means to express thanks for accomplishing the desired work (siddhi karya).
Kumakh is naturally beautiful. The parts/geography of 15 districts can be viewed from the top of Kumakh hill.
From the Kumakh hill, on its northern side, snow-capped mountains such as Sisne, Dhaulagiri, Chakukhure Himal, Digre Bhagwati temple,Janti basne Lake can be seen; while other villages and different parts of Terai can also be viewed from the Hill top, according to Hem Raj K.C, a teacher from Marmaparikanda. In the Kumakh hill, herbs and plants are found.
Rare birds and several other wild animals are also sighted in the nearby hills of Kumakh. It is thus important to put joint efforts for the protection, development and maintenance of Kumakh hill with such natural and religious importance.
Kumakh, if developed well, could become an important destination for domestic tourists as well as for international tourists Various road sections are constructed via Kumakh. An hour of walk from either side of the is required to reach the top of the hill. Kumakh hill could become an important destination as religious and natural tourism for studies, research and sightseeing.
A festival/jatra is held every year on the day on full moon (kojagrat purnima) a kilometre below the Siddha Temple.
Various local cultures are put on display from the neighbouring villages including several types of local dances that display local folk culture: bangadi, tappa, sorathi, paiseri, dohori, serenga among other dances.
People from Rukum, Jajarkot, Rolpa and Dang districts also participate in the festival.

Siddha cave
Various structures located inside the various caves in the Kumakh hill are beautiful. The siddha cave is one of such attractive sights. The cave is around 150 metres long, various structures are carved inside the cave. A special puja is held annually on the occasion of Shiva Ratri festival in the cave, shared Bhim Bhandari, a local. The number of visitors to the cave is now increasing.