Landruk honey hunting festival yields 130 litres of honey

Phadindra Adhikari,Lekhnath, May 26: During the Landruk Honey Hunting Festival which started on Tuesday and ended on Friday, honey hunters extracted 130 litres of honey from 17 hives.

The residents of Landruk in Annapurna Rural Municipality, Ward No. 7 in Kaski, who were disappointed with only three liters of honey collected during last year’s festival, are delighted this year. 

The coordinator of the festival, Bishnu Prasad Chapai, is even more excited because the honey collected in this way was sold immediately. Despite the rain and scorching sun, the honey was extracted from the cliffs of Kotesang above Modi Khola.

Khadga Bahadur Garbuja Magar, 61, who has been a honey hunter for four decades, also climbed the cliff this year using a rope made from bamboo. Despite being old he risked his life to extract honey from the cliffs and has no regrets about his profession. He said, "It is a risky job, but this challenging task gives me a sense of accomplishment."

Previously, the residents used to climb the cliffs to gather honey for their own needs, but now this activity has become an attraction for tourists as well. Technology has made it easier for the honey hunters. 

Earlier, they used to cover their faces while extracting honey, but now with the available tools and resources, they are not at risk of bee stings and do not have to cover their faces.

The Annapurna Rural Municipality has supported the festival. Bharat Man Gurung, the spokesperson for the rural municipality, said that this festival has promoted tourism and made Landruk famous. Honey is extracted from cliff bees three times a year, in November, March, and May, said Gurung.