Landruk to host honey hunting festival

By Phadindra Adhikari,Lekhnath, May 9: Honey Hunting Festival 2081 will be held at Landruk of Annapurna Rural Municipality-7, Kaski.

Organising a press conference on Tuesday, it was informed that the festival would be held in the tourist village of Landruk from May 21 to 23. 

Suresh Gurung, Chairman of the Main Festival Organising Committee, said that the festival has been planned to attract domestic and foreign tourists and to preserve and promote local art and culture. 

"There is a plan to hunt honey from 10 to 12 bee hives of the  Kotesang cliff located on the bank of the Modi River during the festival," he said. "We hope that the festival will attract domestic and foreign tourists to Landruk and help market the forest honey."

He also said that the festival would help generate awareness among the younger generation to maintain the tradition of honey hunting. 

Various social organisations have also contributed to the festival, which is promoted by Annapurna Rural Municipality. There is also a programme to honour the Bhirautes (honey hunters) in the festival.

Bharat Man Gurung, the ward chairperson of Annapurna-7, said that honey from the cliff is taken out twice a year in May/June and November/December. 

Bal Bahadur Chhetri, the Festival's publicity coordinator and secretary, said that the demand for cliff bee honey was high and they planned to sell it at Rs. 3,000 per litre.