Candidates in the House of Representatives Constituency No. 2 are trying to attract voters by adopting a style different from traditional slogans and speeches.

In the upper reaches of Helambu and Panchpokhari Thangpal rural municipalities, the district's major tourist and Buddhist religious areas, candidates are canvassing for votes by participating in meditation, chanting, worship and cultural programs.

The Helambu region, spread in the lap of the enchanting Semisidang Himal, is home to centuries-old monasteries, caves and important Buddhist pilgrimage sites. According to the Buddhist Philosophy Promotion and Monastery Development Committee, 205 of the 252 monasteries in the district were damaged in the 2072 BS earthquake. Of these, seven monasteries have been reconstructed with the help of India, while some locals are rebuilding them by collecting loans and donations.

By participating in religious programs here, candidates are linking local culture and faith with their election campaigns.

Congress candidate Vanshlal Tamang, along with Helambu Rural Municipality Chairman Nimagyaljen Sherpa, spent a long time meditating and practicing in an ancient cave in Jechun, Helambu, and sought blessings. The Jechun Milarepa area, located about 65 kilometers from Kathmandu, is considered an important pilgrimage site for Buddhists.

According to Buddhist belief, Milarepa came to Helambu from Kyangfen in Tibet around 1100 BS on the orders of Guru Marpa and meditated for three years. ‘Milarepa is famous as the god of justice, so I meditated in a cave while meeting voters here,’ said Tamang.

Nepali Communist Party candidate Yubaraj Dulal has also participated in Buddhist pilgrimage sites and various pujas while meeting voters. After receiving blessings from the lama gurus at the monastery, he stayed at the Hyolmo Homestay and engaged in meditation and prayer. ‘I have sought blessings at the great pilgrimage sites here for the welfare and blessings of the people,’ he said.

Similarly, UML candidate and former minister Sher Bahadur Tamang is also seeking votes from the locals by visiting monasteries and religious places and seeking blessings. All three main contenders are familiar faces in Sindhupalchowk.

Tourism and reconstruction are the main agenda
The 2015 earthquake and subsequent aftershocks caused extensive damage to the trails and structures of the Helambu region, which is home to the ancient Hyolmo civilization and religious significance. About two dozen trails were destroyed, affecting tourism here for a long time.

Before the earthquake, about 36,000 tourists used to visit pilgrimage sites like Tarkeghyang, Guru Renpoche Cave, Melamchighyang, Mahadev Paila, Milarepa and Chiri Gumba annually.

Even after almost a decade since the earthquake, 75 percent of the monasteries are still relying on tarpaulins and tarpaulins. The trails have been further destroyed after the Melamchi floods, and reconstruction has not gained the expected pace. The ruined farms, collapsed structures on the river banks, and the rubble of the coastal area are still a source of pain for the locals. Displaced families are living in fear of floods again due to the risk of Bhemathang landslides.