Five-day tourism festival begins in Taplejung

By Our Correspondents,Taplejung, May 17: A five-day Taplejung Tourism Festival kicked off in Phungling, the headquarters of Taplejung district, on Thursday. The festival was organised with the slogan 'Encouragement in the local organic fair festival, promotion and observation of tourist places of Taplejung'.

On the first day, a rally demonstrating cultural music and instruments was taken to Phungling Bazaar. 

The festival was officially inaugurated after the rally arrived at  Hulak Tole. Stalls featuring local products, authentic food and photographs of tourist destinations were displayed at the festival.

Additionally, the Mayor Volleyball Tournament also started on the occasion. Alongside, open marathons, women's half marathons and competitions for making traditional bamboo strip-made baskets and leaf plates are scheduled to take place during the festival. 

Festival main organising committee coordinator Chhiring Lama informed that local and national performances would be showcased every day. 

Meanwhile, the Pathibhara Area Development Committee informed that Rs. 6,932,400 was collected in Baisakh (the first month of the Nepali calendar) in the Pathibhara temple, the famous religious site. 

Prajin Hangbang, executive director of the committee, informed that the money collected at the Pathibhara temple would be deposited at the bank account of the committee. He said that 220,272 pilgrims had visited the temple in Baisakh.