Kupinde Lakeside set to host film tourism festival

By Pratikichchhuk Sharma,Salyan, Apr. 25: The ‘Kupinde Film Tourism Festival-2083’ is set to take place on 25 April at Kupinde Lake, a renowned tourist destination in Salyan.

 The event is being organised by Bangad Kupinde Municipality with managerial support from Red Cherry Media.

The municipality said that the festival intends to promote Kupinde Lake, listed among the government’s ‘Top 100 Must-Visit Tourist Destinations’ and attract both domestic and international visitors.

The festival will begin at 11:30 am on Saturday along the scenic lakeside. The programme is expected to be attended by representatives from federal, provincial and local governments, the Chairperson of the Film Development Board, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nepal Tourism Board, film producers, directors, and nationally recognised artists.

The festival aims to promote film tourism as well as local art and culture. It will feature local folk dances, traditional attire, and indigenous cultural performances.

Mayor Karna Bahadur Budhathoki said that the goal is to connect the naturally beautiful Kupinde Lake with film tourism and introduce it at the national and international levels. “We expect to add a new dimension to tourism development while preserving local art, culture and identity,” he said.

Film director Chakra Bahadur Chand said that the festival intends to highlight untold stories from Karnali through cinema and establish the region as a hub for film and tourism.

Kupinde Lake, located in Ward No. 8 of Bangad Kupinde Municipality in Salyan, is popularly known as the ‘Mini Rara’. Situated at an altitude of approximately 1,160 metres above sea level, the lake covers around 0.25 square kilometres and has a maximum depth of about 37 metres. It is estimated to hold around 6.1 million cubic metres of water.

A unique feature of the lake is that its water changes colour three times a year, which is considered mysterious. Surrounded by lush green hills and forests, the area is home to wildlife such as barking deer, ghoral and pheasants, as well as various aquatic birds.

Barahadev Temple, located on the lakeshore, hosts religious fairs during the full moon days of Baisakh and Mangsir. Boating, picnicking, photography, and sightseeing are among the main attractions.

However, challenges such as poorly managed roads, waste disposal issues, and deforestation have created difficulties in conserving the lake. In recent years, floods have carried soil and debris into the lake, causing it to shrink, according to locals.

Ward -8 Chairperson Kul Bahadur Puri emphasised the need to improve cleanliness and accelerate the construction of tourism infrastructure as visitor numbers increase.

Bangad Kupinde Municipality has already prepared a Detailed Project Report (DPR) and an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the conservation and management of the lake.

 Chief Administrative Officer Gokarna Panthi said that, based on the municipality’s master plan, infrastructure development can be carried out with support from federal, provincial, local and donor agencies, with some work expected to begin this year. 

The plan includes lake conservation, tourism promotion, and the construction of structures such as a ring road, a view tower and homestays.

The ‘Kupinde Film Tourism Festival-2083’ is expected to add new energy to tourism promotion in the region. Such initiatives that link tourism with cinema are believed to expand economic opportunities in Karnali and contribute significantly to cultural revitalisation.