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Touristry hits Ilam,Sunrise‚ high hills‚ tea gardens magnetize tourists

Ilam: Traveling for sightseeing and the business of providing services to tourists have begun in various tourism sites of Ilam district.

At a time when domestic and foreign tourists have started to throng Ilam for viewing the sunrise and sunset from the tea-producing tow, people of Sriantu, Sandakpur, Siddithumka, Gufathumki and Thumkedanda in Ilam are seen busy informing the tourists about the tourist destinations.

Sunrise could be nicely seen from hills here, locals said. This year the season has just started a bit later than past years. 

Sunrise can be seen nicely from Thumkedanda hill in the border between Jogmai and Pyang from mid-December to mid-January. Antu Danda Tourism Development Centre’s Chairman Dhankumar Ale said, people from Jhapa, Biratnagar, Dharan and Kathmandu of Nepal and from bordering Indian towns have started to come to daily event of the sun rising above the horizon.

Houses here are now packed. Five to seven tourists are staying in each house every day. People have started to come to Siddi Thumka as well, even if the weather is not wholly cleared up, said a local Yubaraj Ghorsai.As Antu is near India in Samalbung VDC, people from India come here, but in Sandakpur, tourists also come from other countries. Sandakpur is the highest peak in Ilam at an altitude of 3,636 metres. Siddithumka in the middle of the district is at 1,693 metres and is mostly visited by people inside the district and Jhapa. 

Hotels are also being packed on the way from Manebhanjyang to Sandakpur, said a Sandakpur hotelier Norbu Sherpa. The tourists are also staying by putting up tents.

People are also thronging to Kanyam to see the tea gardens and to avoid the Terai heat. 

Sidhhi Thumka

Sidhhi Thumka

Siddhi Thumka is in Ilam district of the Eastern Development Region. It lies at an elevation of 1800 meters, west of Ilam Bazaar. Sidhi Thumka is ideal for a short trek and for panoramic views of the mountains and plains wrought in the colors of sunset and sunrise. It is a 4-hour trek to reach Sidhi Thumka from Ilam Bazaar. It can also be reached by road from Ilam Bazaar.

The available facilities are earthen road, trails and camping grounds. The possible tourism products and services that entrepreneurs can add or develop are standard lodging facility, rock climbing, paragliding, skiing, local guide services, souvenir shops, hygienic/standard tea stalls and mountain biking (NTB, 2001).

Gajur Mukhi

 Gajur Mukhi
Gajur Mukhi is another tourist destination in Ilam district. The major attraction of the area is a cave with carved images of gods and goddesses. The cave is about 20 feet long and 10 feet high (Bhandari, 1997). On the full moon day of Kartik, special worship is performed.

The place can be reached by road up to Ghuseni from Ilam Bazaar via Gagre Bhanjyang. A seasonal bus service operates along this road. Gajur Mukhi lies on the banks of Deunmai Khola, west of Ilam Bazaar. Its importance is mostly from a religious perspective. The site is a four-hour trek from Ilam Bazaar and enhancing the trekking route from Ilam Bazaar to Gajur Mukhi could add to the attraction of the area.


Recently some tourism facilities have been developed in the area, including seasonal bus service, trails for trekking and comfortable accommodation. Cultural and religious attractions, standard tea stalls, local guide services and regular bus services are potential tourism products of the area (NTB, 2001).

Mai Pokhari

Mai Pokhari 

Mai Pokhari is a pristine lake amid natural forest. The pond surrounded by the thick forest of fir, juniper, birch and pine is home to a variety of flora and fauna. Various species of orchids, rhododendron, herbs; rare animals like musk deer, leopard, porcupine, jackal; numerous migratory birds and rare insects, are found in the region. 

The lake is also considered holy as the abode of Goddess Bhagabati. An annual fair is held here every autumn around the month of October or November. Mai Pokhari is about 18 kilometers from Ilam Bazaar which is about 30-minute drive.

Antu Danda-Ilam

Antu Danda is located in the Eastern part of Nepal and is one of the highly potential places for tourism. It is delimited by captivating views with greenery tea plantation. Antu Danda is also the best destination to view the scenic sunrise and sunset.

It is situated at an altitude of 1,677m in Ilam district and is famous for the splendid views of Mt. Everest and Mt. Kanchenjunga that it commands. Another must to be viewed place is the Lepcha museum at Aantu. Illam reflects affluent cultural and social heritages of people living in concord.

Georgian Bhutanese Artist Rocked in Atlanta

Bhutanese Artists of Georgia, an organization established in 2009 by the Bhutanese refugee artists and community volunteers had organized a Bhutanese Artists Live Concert 2011’ on the auspicious occasion of Dashain and Tihar at Clarkston Community Center on October 16, 2011. The chief guest for the event was McKenzie Wren, director of Clarkston Community Center. The event started with the welcome tune comprised of Malshree and Duesi and Bhailo. Then, after the guests were welcomed the show started with paying homage by dedicating the song ‘Sambodhan Timilai’ to the known and unknown Bhutanese people whose lives are gone away from us on the time of struggle and to the people whose lives are taken away by the van accident in Georgia on March, 2011. The song was sung by Sudesh Rai and back vocal by Shiva Mapchan.

The main attraction of the concert was Karna Das, a very prominent singer, composer and songwriter of Nepali Music. He presented his very popular numbers: Thula Thula Mahal Hoina, Purano Dunga, Tyo Premko Balidan, Bhetiyera Chutnu Bhanda in the first half and Anoutho Betha, Sunaiko Sirbandi, Man Manai Man Parai Sake, and Jindagi Ko K Bharosa. Mahesh Thulung, a popular singer from Bhutanese Community sang his famous numbers; Akashaima and Priyasi. Singer Sagar Rai sang Timile Sath Chodi Dida, Pratap Magar sang Halla Chalecha, Shiva Mapchan sang Rituharuma, Kamal Rai sang Himali Nepali, Bhim Magar and Tika Rasaily sang a duet song Luku Luko Lagyo, and Pabitra Gurung sang Laure Daile. The other two guest artists Dhan Gurung , singer of the then Euphoria band back in the refugee camp in Nepal and now from North Carolina presented Wari Jamuna in the track and Ram Dhimal, a new potential singer from Florida sang Premika in track.

There were number of group dances: “ Dashain Dikpaal” by Sanita Thapa Magar, Jiten Rai, Prem Kala Gurung, Diwas Tamang, Rajani Mapchhan, Pratap Magar, Manisha Gurung , Damber Chhetri, Dechhen Gurung , Rajen Rai, Ranjeeta Chhetri , Kiran Subba, Ganga Neopaney, Kishan Thapa, Dibya Rai, Tula Mapchhan, Rajni Mapchhan, Milan Thapa, Poonam Tamang, Kishan Thapa, Bhima Thapa Magar, Roshan Gazmer. Another group dance was “ Humla Jumla gadi maa” by Shristi Mapchhan, Deepika Neopaney, Nisha Gurung, Amisha Chhetri, Nisha Chhetri, Ingsama Subba, Tamanna Gurung, Ashmita Tamang, Rejina Adhikari. There was a dual dance “Haraye maa timro” by Bhima Thapa Magar and Jiten Rai.

Virginity: A virtue or a curse?

Mansi, a 24-year-old girl on the verge of matrimony is facing a commotion of mixed thoughts. Her nupital excitement is climaxing at two levels. On one hand, while she's awaiting stepping into a realm of new relations, on the other, her 'virginity-status' is adding to her pre wedding jitters.

Mansi is getting sleepless nights wondering what if her better half comes to know that she's not a virgin? Will he accept her if she dares to bare the truth? Can she hide it, if she tries? These questions popping into her mind prior to D-Night is adding to her nervous anxiety. However, she's not alone as there are many women on the verge of tying the knot who face the same dilemmas.

 So, is losing one's virginity before marriage still a big deal? Let's explore...

Kalpana Sharma, a Delhi based journalist, heralds the importance of open ended communication, adding that her conjugal relationship only improved after she and her partner chose to candidly share sagas of their steamy pasts with one other. "My guy wasn't a virgin and he revealed this in our first few days of courtship. This gave me the courage to share my own experiences with him and he was equally cool with it. I think as long as the past doesn't affect your present, it's cool."

For Rahul Rastogi, a 26- year-old, chartered accountant, revealing one's sexual past is an individual's personal prerogative, which should be respected. "If I were to discover on my first night that my partner is not a virgin, I would take it well, as at least one of us is more experienced," he reveals. Ujjwal Sharma, finds the answer in the changing social trends, when he says, "In today's age, I don't expect my partner to be a virgin as it has become a trend to lose one's virginity even without love."

Discarding one's past and cooking up a yummy future is the new relationship mantra amongst newly weds. New age lovers are matured enough to let the bygones be bygones and not allow their past baggage to ruin their future. "When one embarks upon a new journey with their partner, all that should matter is the present and the future," says Arshi Uppal, a PR executive, based in Delhi. "It matters only if you are one. I won't leave my wife for her past, but will definitely make sure she stays loyal with me for the rest of her life," believes Lokesh Verma, a Delhi based tattoo artist.

The temptation to take the plunge becomes tough to resist, in a day and age when sex comes naturally in relationships of the heart. And modern day go-getters have no qualms in accepting that their partners may have gone the whole way in their past affairs. But, despite some broad minded couples, there are still those who relate virginity to morality. For them the bond of the unbroken hymen still scores over the bond of love and commitment. But what if you marry one of these?

 Don't fret! Now, while we're are not talking about a technical 'hymen reconstruction' or innovative ways of faking virginity, rather we are doling out some fun formulas.