Helicopter tourism increasing in Pathivara

Several airlines have been carrying pilgrims to Phungling Bazaar, the district headquarters of Taplejung, for the past three months. Helicopters carrying pilgrims are coming from Dharan, Ilam and Kathmandu to worship the goddess in the Pathivara temple.

There have been 70 flights from Bhedetar of Dharan in the last 10 days. Over 450 devotees visited thePathivara temple during the 10 days. Manmani Kafle, executive director of the Pathivara Area Development Committee, informed that the pilgrims have come from the district headquarters Phungling, Panchthar, Dharan and Bhedetar of Dhankuta to worship at the Pathivara temple.

Chiten Limbu, a local of Taplejung, said that the people of Phungling Bazaar are developing the habit of getting up at the sound of helicopters in the morning.

According to the marketing manager of a Travel and Tour company, a passenger flies from Dharan for Rs 32,000. Although the number of passengers going to Pathivara by helicopter is significant this year, the number of flights has been reduced due to unfavorable weather conditions. According to the passengers, a helicopter carrying five people at a time earns Rs 160,000 per flight from Dharan.

According to another travel manager, they charge Rs 10,000 from Phungling, Rs 22,000 from Phidim of Panchthar and Rs 35,000 from Kanyam of Ilam. The number of passengers coming directly from Kathmandu is also significant, said Dilli Acharya, a priest from Pathivara. The committee has stated that it has not kept statistics on the number of pilgrims arriving by helicopter. "We have kept track of the number of people walking," the committee offcial said.

According to the committee, more than 55,000 people have visited Pathivara from the 7th of October to the 30th of November. The Pathivara Area Development Committee has statistics that 17,000 people visited the temple on a single day in the month of April, two years ago.