Simkot: The district of Humla witnessed a large influx of Indian pilgrims visiting Mount Kailash, a revered pilgrimage site for Hindu devotees.
Indian tourists typically travel to Kailash and Mansarovar in China’s Tibet through the Hilsa border point in Humla. With temperatures now dipping, this year’s pilgrimage season has come to an end.
Hotelier Mim Lama said that hotels in the Hilsa area recorded strong business this season due to the growing number of visitors. “Each hotel earned more than a million Nepali rupees,” Lama shared.
Since the reopening of the Hilsa border in May, nearly 6,500 foreign tourists have arrived in Humla district. According to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Shankar Pokharel, around 6,000 Indian pilgrims traveled through the district from Nepalgunj on their way to Kailash. “Tourists from other countries have also visited the area,” DSP Pokharel added.
This route is considered relatively shorter and more convenient for Indian and other international pilgrims traveling to Kailash Mansarovar.
Officials noted that the number of pilgrims using this route has risen sharply since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Simkot and Namkha rural municipalities levy entry fees on foreign visitors to the district. As per officials, Indian nationals are required to pay Rs 1,100, while visitors from other countries pay Rs 1,500.
(RSS)
