Pilgrimage to Dudhe Daha starts

By Our Correspondent,Humla, June 15: For the locals of Kharpunath Rural Municipality in Humla district, Dudhe Daha, a lake, has a religious significance. Since the lake is situated in the Himalayan region at an altitude of 4,681 metres, it has its own touristic significance as well.

However, the path to the Dudhe Daha has been obstructed since October 2022 due to heavy snowfall, and remains snowy to this day. But that has not stopped people from visiting the lake, which they do by walking through the snow.

“The path to Dudhe Daha is still covered with five to six feet of snow. However, we walked through it and reached the lake safely to show that the lake is now reachable once again,” said Bishnu Bahadur Shahi.

Shahi, who is also the chief administrative officer of Kharpunath Rural Municipality, led a 15-member team to the lake, becoming the first to do so in nearly seven months.

“We could not take a bath in the lake as it is still frozen. However, we performed puja and returned,” said Shahi.

According to Shahi, despite the lake being frozen, a trip to the destination now would be a new and unique experience as the region cannot be seen covered in snow once it unfreezes.

It took two days for the team to reach the lake.

“Shamans and youths from different parts of the country alongside locals of more than 16 villages in Kharpunath visit the lake annually to take a dip and perform puja,” said Karna Bahadur Rawal, chairman of Kharpunath.

Rawal informed that the path to the lake was currently treacherous, but said that the local level was planning to make it safer.