Off the beaten trail lower manaslu: A perfect blend of nature and culture

 Lower Manaslu is one of the off-the-beaten trekking trails located in Gorkha. Gorkha is the ancient capital of Nepal. It is the place where Nepal started the unification of Nepal by King Prithvi Narayan Shah began. Blessed with natural splendor and landmarked by a plethora of historical, religious, ecological, and cultural importance.

Of the few trekking routes in the area, Lower Manaslu trekking Trail offers an experience of moderate trek, historical tour, pilgrimage tour, agro-tourism, and community-based homestay. The nine days trek starts from Manakamana temple, a major religious tourist destination, and concludes at Gorkha Bazaar, the district headquarter of Gorkha. lower Manaslu trek is one of the soft and easy treks in this region, if a trekker wants more adventure in Manaslu they can choose tusm valley trek for more adventure.

The first day of the trek begins from Kathmandu after reaching Manakamana cable car station at Kurintar of Chitwan along the Prithvi Highway after 3 hours. It takes 10 minutes on the cable to reach the famous Manakamana Devi temple at the hilltop, which is at an altitude of 1315m. The temple dates back to the 17th century and is believed to be the wish-fulfilling Goddess. Each year, millions of devotees visit this temple from Nepal and abroad.

The day trek begins with a short walk to Bakyaswori Mahadeva temple (1515 m). Situated 2 km north of Manakamana temple, the temple is believed to be the site where goddess Sati's tongue fell and has the spiritual power to provide speech to speechless

Further uphill lies the sacred cave of Siddha Lakhan Thapa, founder of the Manakamana temple. This hill offers a magnificent view of the Manaslu Himalayan ranges and houses an old temple built during the rule of Prithvi Narayan Shah. The trek further proceeds to Tinmane Bhangyang before reaching Pipalchap village, Ghairung, the rest stop for the day. The village offers homestay facilities with decent food and room.

The second day of the trek begins from Pipalchap to the historic village of Kaule Bhangar of Bungkot VDC, the rest stop for the night. The place also has historical importance because it is the birthplace of Lakhan Thapa, the first martyr of Nepal. Magar settlement, Bungkot, offers a homestay facility and local foods. One can stay either in Bungkot or proceed to Gorkha Bazaar, the district headquarter of Gorkha district, just one and half hours of walk away for the night stop. There are several accommodation options in Gorkha Bazaar, from deluxe to budget hotels.

Gorkha's historical and religious sites can be visited on the third day of the trek. Historical Gorkha Durbar (Palace) carries the great history of King Prithvi Narayan Shah's initiation for the unification of modern Nepal. This palace dominates the surroundings and is visible from all around. It offers visitors fantastic views of green valleys and the ranges of beautiful snow-clad mountains in the north. The palace also boasts gorgeous architecture and is built in pagoda style.

The cave of Gorakhnath is situated just below the palace. The cave Gorkha museum, located in the Bazaar area, is another attraction. The museum consists of a wide range of artifacts and personal belongings of King Prithvi Narayan Shah.

The fourth-day lower Manaslu trek begins with a bus/jeep drive to Bhachhek, driving around 6 to 7 hours from Bazaar. The road passes through curvy mountain roads overlooking the Daraudi River, which can be a thrilling experience. The trek then proceeds towards the Hyolmo village, Sirandanda. It takes around an hour short hike to get there. The Nagepokhari, Dudhpokhari, Bhot dodar, Chima, Dharadi, and tea gardens are significant attractions of sirandanda. Sirandada also offers a magnificent sunrise view and a stunning Manaslu Himalayan range.The village is rich in diversity of medicinal herbs like nirmasi, jedamasi, jatamasi, rato unyu, yarsagumba and satuwa among others. Homestay facility is available in the village.

The fifth day of the trek passes through Mathar village.  After around 1.5 hours hike we reached the Mathar village toward the northeast.Barpak village, the rest stop for the night, can be reached after a trek of about 5-6 hours, passing through Ghvachowk, Dewalsara, Sum River, Daraudi River, Goje, and Alagang. Barpak village is famous for being inhabited by ex-army people and is also known as the village of late Captions and the epic center of 2015 earth quick. Gaje Ghale was a person who was honored with Victoria Cross Medal and was from this village. Mostly village population was covered by Gurung and Ghale communities. The village offers the panoramic view of Buddha Himal, and the unique sloppy shape with clustered stone tile-roofed houses and stone-built narrow alleys are other attractions of Barpak. The village offers a well-organized homestay facility and standard hotels for accommodation.

The sixth day of the lower Manaslu trek passes through Basukang before reaching Laprak. The basking point is a junction that also leads to Rupinala Pass. Rupinala pass is a  famous destination among trekkers who trek Manaslu. After around six hours of treks, one can reach Laprak village.Laprak, a famous typical Gurung village, is a  stopover point for trekkers. For accommodation, Hotels are available in Larpak. Most villagers are engaged in the tourism business, and a few have also earned international recognition.

On the seventh day, the trek heads towards Nambai Kharka. The Kharka (pasture or cowshed) can be reached after a moderate walk of about four hours from Laprak village. The Kharka is a small land with a minimum number of houses for the laprakis people. Trekkers need to be self-sufficient for lodging and flooding. At Night in Nambai Kharka, it is advised that one should stick with a vegetarian diet as locals believe that slaughtering animals will bring illness to the trekkers.

On the eighth day, hike to Dharche Danda, the highest point of the lower Manaslu trekking route and located at an altitude of 3220 m, which offers a breathtaking 180-degree panoramic view of different Himalayan peaks and a beautiful sunrise view. Mountains like Annapurna, Annapurna I, Annapurna II, Bharatsikhar, Gangapurna, Machhapuchhre, Langtang, Himalchuli, Buddha Himal, Sarang Peak, Malkunti Peak, Babu Himal, Sringi Himal, Ganesh 1, Ganesh Il and Ganesh III among others can be seen from Dharche. The hill also holds a religious significance among Gurungcommunities. Peoples offer prayer to the hill deity to avoid natural calamities. People believe that if tourists offer prayer to the hill from their hearts, they are totally blessed with clear visibility and will be safe from any misfortune during the trek. The day's trek ends at Tallo Thotnery, a village enriched with Gurung culture. Commercial lodging facilities are not available in the village, but tourists have an option for the homestay, where we experience the local Gurung foods and culture. Sita Cave is situated in the southwest, and Olajung Danda is another attraction.

On the ninth day, trek down to Sita cave, located at a distance of 1.8 km from Tallo Thotneri. The cave is surrounded by dense forest which holds religious significance among Hindus. The experience inside Sita Cave can be thrilling, unique, and adventurous. The day ends with a trek to Gyampesal, the final destination of the day, which is a few hour's walk from the Sita Cave. The place offers homestay facilities, and camping can be the other option.

The tenth and final day begins with a bus drive to Gorkha Bazar. It takes about two and a half hours to teach there. You can either spend a night in any of the hotels and lodges available or drive back to Kathmandu.