Shaligrams, which are found only in the Kaligandaki River, have been collected and preserved here while they have been lost due to river exploitation. Many tourists come to see the Shaligrams, which are decorated inside a 150-meter-long tunnel.
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Recently, the number of Indian tourists and pilgrims in Baglung has increased. Tourists going to Muktinath have started visiting Baglung Kalika, Shaligram Museum and Panchakot.
After the construction of a road directly from Bhairahawa to Muktinath via the Kaligandaki Corridor, pilgrims have also started spending time in Baglung. They also visit other religious places within the Kaligandaki Corridor before reaching Muktinath. Local businessman Arjun Chokhal said that most of those who went to Muktinath visited the Shaligram Museum and Kalika Temple.
Asutosh Namad, who came on a pilgrimage, made a video of the Kalika Temple, Shaligram Museum, Panchakot and the long suspension bridge built over the Kaligandaki River and posted it on TikTok and social media. He has also discussed most of the places from Muktinath to Baglung as a religious circuit.
Balkrishna Acharya, who came from Ayodhya, India, also said that the Shaligram Museum attracted him. ‘I was amazed, we had kept one or two Shaligrams and worshipped them, and we were able to visit the museum here,’ he said, ‘We also promote this area and send pilgrims.’ He said that it is a place where Indian pilgrims can enjoy themselves. 115,000 Shaligrams have been collected inside the tunnel.
Shaligrams found only in the Kaligandaki River have been lost due to river exploitation, but they have been collected here. Many tourists come to see the Shaligrams decorated inside the 150-meter-long tunnel. Domestic and Indian tourists come here regularly. Rishi Prapannacharya, the custodian of the Shaligram Museum, said that he does not have exact figures, but about 150,000 tourists visit every year. Where there is a record of more than 30,000 Indians alone.
Most of the tourists who have returned from visiting Muktinath have entered here. This museum was established 7 years ago. Some pilgrims who want to eat pure vegetarian food stay in hotels, while some are kept in the ashram of Muktinath Ved Vidyashram Pathshala here. Those who go to Muktinath make a 7 to 10 day package and come to visit, and spend one to one and a half days in Baglung.
Madhav Haridas, who came from Mayapur, India, said that he found peace while visiting the Shaligram Museum. He said that he had not been able to see one lakh Shaligrams in one place even after traveling around the world, and he got this opportunity here. Prapannacharya says that more Indians come from places like Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and other places in India. Famous Indian film workers and businessmen have also visited Baglung. Those who came to Pokhara for promotional tours of Nepal and India have also started choosing Baglung as a destination. Pokhara Tourism Council General Secretary Jeevan Raj Sapkota also said that Indians are attracted to Baglung destinations. Baglung Kalika and Panchakot, which have a 500-year-old history, are also becoming the center of attraction for most people. Baglung Municipality Deputy Chief Raju Khadka says that many people also want to know about the civilization and religious importance of Kaligandaki.
Visitors from India have prioritized the Shaligram Museum on their trips to Janakpur, Lumbini, Pashupati and Muktinath. Barun Gopal Shrestha of Bhaktapur said that he was able to see the Shaligram collection for the first time and said that he would send his neighbors to visit it too. Tourists are also visiting places under construction here, including Panchakot, Sangbarot and Karikot. Baglung Municipality has even registered its own tourism slogan, logo and important destinations on QR codes. On the occasion of Tourism Day, slogans and logos have been made public, while the main destinations have been put on QR codes. Some tourists have started coming after studying from QR codes.
Apart from that, the city has also prepared a tourism master plan. The city has also started preparing a tourism brochure and a circular. After the QR codes of 11 major destinations have been created, tourists have been able to learn about those places from their mobile phones. Places such as Baglung Kalika, Shaligram Museum, Panchakot, Bhairavsthan, Lamo Zholungepul, Malika, Bhakunde, Kaligandaki, Bungee Jump and ISKCON have also been put on QR codes.
In the budget program of Gandaki Province, Economic Affairs Minister Jit Bahadur Sherchan had also announced a plan to develop the area from Muktinath to Baglung Kalika and Panchakot as a religious circuit. Rajan Kumar Shakya, president of the Baglung Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that this issue has increased interest and enthusiasm among locals. "We should seek prosperity through tourism," Shakya said, "As the number of tourists increases, local production also increases, and the source of income for farmers also increases." He said that initiatives have been taken to improve cleanliness and prepare dishes and destinations according to the preferences of tourists.
