NEPALGUNJ: The ‘Tour de Thakurdwara’ cycling event, aimed at boosting tourism in the Banke and Bardiya districts, officially begins today.

The event will start in Nepalgunj with 196 cyclists participating, including competitors from Jhapa, Dharan, Butwal, Bhairahawa, Dang, Chitwan, Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Palpa, Biratnagar, as well as from several Indian cities, Japan, and Korea.

As part of the Nepalgunj Cycling Festival, the ‘Tour de Thakurdwara’ aims to showcase the region’s tourism potential.

Pradip Sapkota, President of the Nepalgunj Cycling Club and the event’s organizer, assured that all arrangements for food and accommodation for the participants have been taken care of.

He emphasized that the event would help bring attention to various tourism spots in both Banke and Bardiya districts.

This marks the seventh edition of the Nepalgunj Cycling Festival, running from February 6 to 8.

Sapkota also mentioned plans for the ‘Tour de Banke National Park’ to further promote regional tourism, though the idea had to be put on hold due to limited accommodation for the 300 expected participants within the park area.

He also urged for the development of initiatives linking Nepalgunj’s religious circuit, which includes landmarks like Baba Bararfani, Santaneshwar Temple, Govardhan Dham, Sikta Barrage, Banke National Park, and the Gabhar Valley.