Baikuntha's ‘Virus Swings’ becoming tourist spot

By Our Correspondent,Makawanpur, Jan. 31: Baikuntha, located in Kailash Rural Municipality-2, Makwanpur district, has become a popular tourist destination in recent times. 

With the arrival of elected local representatives, there has been a marked change in services, facilities as well as construction and beautification of physical structures over the last five years. 

Recently, with the construction of swings, colloquially called ‘Virus Pings’, in Baikuntha, the place has become a centre of attraction for tourists – from home and abroad. Baikunth is itself a place of religious and cultural importance. The rural municipality constructed the swings – 20 and 30 feet in lengths –  near Munal Park in Baikuntha at the cost of Rs. 1.5 million. 

Ward Chairman Rajendra Ghising said that two people can sit on the 20-foot-long swing and up to four people on the latter. 

The swings, which run on electricity, have been installed with safety features. To generate income from the resource, preparations are being made to charge a fee for playing on the swings.  

Ghising said that a procedure will be made to charge Rs. 100 per person. “In addition to the swings, we are preparing to operate the jeep to connect Baikuntha and Kailash and for that, the municipality has earmarked Rs. 2 million,” Ghising said.

Ghising, who was reelected as the ward chairman for the second term, a beautiful Danphe-Munal Park has been built along with the installation of a statue of Padmasambhav at Bishnukunda in Baikuntha, which is 36 km from Palung in Makwanpur, 27 km from Manhari and 29 km from Gajuri in Dhading. 

The tree in the park is decorated with a pair of birds, Damphe and Munal. People there believe that drying up of Bishnukunda brings bad luck. Ghising said that there is a plan to reconstruct the Bishnukunda as the water is drying up due to widespread construction of concrete structures. 

They also plan to protect three-year-old Sati Ghat along with the Ghatu dance organised on Janai Purnima. To develop Baikuntha as a religious, cultural and tourist area, more than Rs. 6 million has been invested by the federal and provincial governments as well as the municipality in the last five years.