Ghanpokhara Homestay in Lamjung will be made more manageable

Ghanpokhara village in Marsyangdi Rural Municipality-1 is located at an altitude of 2,150 meters above sea level. Locals have said that with the recent increase in the number of tourists in Ghanpokhara, where the homestay has been operating for a decade, discussions have started on making it more organized.

Ghanpokhara, also known as the primitive land of the Gurung tribe, is believed to be about 1,000 years old. Locals have directly and indirectly started discussions with public representatives to organize the homestay of Ghanpokhara, which is considered important from the historical and tourist point of view.

According to the ward chairman Rudraman Gurung, the local residents have discussed the issue of organizing the homestays with village chairman Arjun Gurung, vice chairman Junamaya Thapa, chief administrative officer Arjun Chapai and others. Recently, the number of tourists visiting the homestay has increased. In order to prolong the stay of tourists, to attract tourists as well as to provide more facilities for tourists, there has been a discussion between the rural municipality and the villagers, he said. Ghanpokhara village is located near the touristic Ghalegaon. Ward chairman Gurung said that the number of tourists has started to increase in Ghanpokhara, which is about 2 kilometers from Ghalegaon to Bhujung.

Village chairman Gurung has suggested that agriculture should be emphasized along with homestay. "Necessary structures for homestays, road improvement, capacity building of local people, homestay management, training etc. are necessary. The attention of the rural municipality has gone to this,' he said. He said that along with Ghanpokhara, tourism promotion programs will be conducted in Siurung Homestay, Chapa-Mipra Homestay, Bhushme Homestay and other homestays.

There are more than 60 houses in Ghanpokhara village. Although 13 homestays are registered, currently only 9 are operational. They have also formed the Nayu Ghanpokhara Homestay Committee by connecting the lower village Nayu. Jit Bahadur Gurung, a local, said that since tourists have started coming in recently, there is a need for more support in the homestay. According to him, it is necessary to improve the homestay and infrastructure along with the road.

According to Hemjang Gurung, Ghanpokhara Tourism Management Sub-Committee, tourists are happy to see the mountains in front of their eyes, to hear the sighs of midim and marsyangdi, and the sound of birds. He said that even though there is no human settlement in the upper area from Ghanpokhara village, tourists are coming. When tourists come to the village, they ask about the village. They are surprised when there is no human settlement above here," he said.

From Ghanpokhara, one can see dozens of mountain ranges including Lamjung Himal, Annapurna, Machhapuchhre, Manaslu, Buddh, Ganesh. Villagers say that even researchers come to the village to see the Ghantu, Krishna character, Serga dance of the Gurung caste and to research it. Nayu Ghanpokhara Homestay Chairman Cham Bahadur Gurung said that locals feed the tourists who come to the village with food produced in the village.