Humla residents coming home from Taklakot for Dashain

By Rajan Rawat,Humla, Sept. 30: The number of Humla residents returning home from Taklakot in Purang County, China, has surged with the start of the Dashain festival.

Many locals who had been engaged in trade and employment in Taklakot have begun their journey back to Nepal to celebrate the country’s biggest festival.

According to Ramraj Jainsi, Chief of the Yari Customs Office, the flow of people returning through Hilsa has sharply increased since the beginning of Ghatasthapana, the first day of the Bada Dasahain festival. 

“While most residents usually head towards Taklakot through Hilsa during normal times, this season has seen more people returning from Taklakot to Nepal,” he said, adding that around 40 to 50 people are returning back daily.

Young men and women from Humla often go to Taklakot for jobs and business. Many who had left for work in April have now started returning. Currently, more than 1,000 Humla residents are living and working in Taklakot. As the Lama community does not observe Dashain, most of those returning belong to other ethnic groups.

Local resident Bakta Bohara, who recently returned via Hilsa, said that the majority of Humla residents prefer to return home during major festivals like Dashain. Many bring back clothes, household goods, and other necessities purchased with their earnings in Taklakot. This has also increased income for transportation operators, as people rely on Chinese vehicles up to Hilsa and switch to Nepali vehicles onward to their destinations.

More than 300 people have already returned to Humla since Ghatasthapana, and the trend is expected to continue until October 1. Taklakot remains a key destination for trade and employment among Humla residents, and while many are returning for Dashain, some youths plan to head back to Taklakot by December for work.