By Rup Narayan Dhakal– Panchase (Kaski): At that time of 2007, I could hardly move my feet and all other travelers were also facing the same destiny; so, Ram dai could not bear that situation and stood up to shift himself from that seat. It was actually an overloaded four wheeled engine where we were en routing to Panchase, a junction of Kaski, Parvat and Syangja district in mid Nepal.
It was the day of Dec 8 and we took that jeep to reach Bhadaure, some 2 hours drive from Hari Prasad Chowk of Pokhara. We were tightly sat in the jeep and the rough terrain drive after leaving the Bhupi Serchan Highway was quite adventurous. It was about to evening as we arrived at Bhadaure where we stayed in the night. Taking some snacks including dried meat and local radishes, we strolled around the streets in this village and watched the dances performed by the local teenagers.
They were actually trying-out for the upcoming Bhadaure Festival in their village. We arrived there to visit the Bala Chatudarshi Fair of Panchase where Satbij, different 100 sorts of corns are dispersed around the temple of lord Shiva, which was going to be kicked off in the next morning. There were series of devotees who were in search of the lodges to pass their night at Bhadaure. But most of the rooms there had already been booked. So, some of the devotees happened to be stranded in the chill atmosphere but fortunately, we were lodged in a best standard hotel there in Bhadaure. FM radio journalists, Bhanu and Manoj made a live broadcast of that situation of the devotees but Sagar was reluctant to any news like I and Ram dai.
Next morning, we left Bhadaure at 5 am and it took more than five hours to get Panchase. On the way, we captured the picturesque sunrise in our cameras and had breakfast to forget the toughness of uphill in the green mountains. The number of flooding crowd in Panchase made us very happy. Devotees were dispersing the Satbij around the temple in the name of their past ones. Some of them made the replica of houses around the trails. They believe that such houses will be used in the heaven after their death. That 2509 m high hill sometimes gets snowing and remained cold in most of the seasons.
Some could feel high altitude problem there but it is no problem for me since I happen to be a highland walker and I have done many treks above the snowline. We passed about two hours in the hilltop of Panchase and donated some money for a local club but another club nearby Panchase Lake was extorting money from the devotees. They stopped doing that as we media persons were seen there but later the club members continued that job.
The long arrays of snow-capped crystal clear peaks were the main attraction of Panchase. From Panchase and newly built view tower there, we could see the great Himalayan peaks of Macchapuchare, Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, Lamjung and Manaslu. More than a hundred species of orchids, rhododendron, forest, wildlife, view of the sunset, caves, water pools and temples are the other magnetisms of the Panchase. We could understand Panchase as a virgin destination from the touristic point of view because very few tourists have been there in that place. Since it is the junction of three districts, we could get there from different ways.
Phewa lake of Pokhara- Lamakhet- Makawanpur- Bhanjyang is another way to arrive Panchase but we used it for our comeback. It could be followed this route from Chapakot of Kaski also. There are also routs from the Syangja and Parvat side to get Panchase. There are no villages in Panchase so tourists who arrive there should stay in Bhanjyang or Bhadaure so camping is the best way for the trekkers. Spring and autumn are the best seasons to trek to this place. It could take a whole day to the two-way trekking for Panchase but if one likes to take full enjoyment, it takes four days
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