सिंहदरबार संवाददाता
Khotang. An initiative has been taken to list the world-famous tri-religious site Halesi in the World Heritage List. The Halesi Tuwachung Municipality has taken the initiative to list Khotang’s Halesi, a meeting place for Hindu, Buddhist and Kirat followers, in the World Heritage List.
The winter municipal assembly of the municipality has passed the decision to list the world-famous tri-religious site Halesi in the World Heritage List, said Mayor Bimala Rai. ‘The meeting place of three religions is in our municipality. It is necessary to list it in the World Heritage List. For this, an initiative will be taken to submit documents to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization through the Department of Archaeology,’ he said. ‘If it is listed in the World Heritage List, all-round development can be carried out. Discussions have been started with various bodies for this.’
Halesi is considered a tri-religious site on the grounds that Shivaji took shelter there to escape from the demon Bhasmasur, that the ancestors of the Kirat Rai community discovered it, that Padmasambhava attained enlightenment, and that the origin of the Kirat community, Tuwachung, is located near the Halesi cave. Since there is also a Marathi monastery, Buddhists from all over the world spend four to five months meditating in Halesi.
Apart from domestic tourists, tourists from China, India, Bhutan, Singapore, Japan, Russia, France, Ukraine, and America have been coming to visit and observe the tri-religious site Halesi. The temple management committee has stated that with the availability of transportation facilities, thousands of tourists have been coming daily in recent times.
In Halesi, which is famous not only for its religious beliefs but also for its natural beauty, there is a temple of Shivalinga and Parvati sitting inside a cave in the middle of a huge rock. Just behind the main cave of the Halesi temple is a similarly large Basaha cave. The view of the sky after entering the cave is a unique gift of natural beauty.
In front of these two caves, there is a natural cave called Thulo Bhairav, which is considered by observers to be a model of natural landforms in the world. This is just a description of the natural beauty of this cave located in the lap of the Mount Everest. Halesi, located 40 kilometers west of Diktel, is located in the Mahadevsthan of Halesi Tuwachung Municipality-7. It is believed that if Shiva and Parvati are worshipped, their wishes will be fulfilled. With the start of direct transport from the district to the Terai, a crowd of pilgrims and tourists has started to travel to Halesi.
Halesi, which had no other alternative than Lamidanda Airport until the road reached, can now be easily reached by bus and jeep after the construction of concrete bridges at Dudhkoshi in Jayaramghat and Sunkoshi in Harkapur. Some visitors and observers have been chartering helicopters directly to Halesi.
To observe and visit the three large natural caves, Halesi can be reached after a seven-hour bus and jeep journey from Kathmandu via the Mid-Hill Highway. Halesi can also be reached from various districts of the Terai via the Siddhicharan Highway under Udayapur-Okhaldhunga. Apart from these, Halesi can be reached after a few hours of bus and jeep journey by getting off at Lamidanda and Khanidadan airports. Inside the Halesi cave, along with the temple of Shiva Parvati, there are various gates like Dharmadwar, Papadwar, Swargdwar. It is believed that if you enter there, your sins will be destroyed and your dharma will be earned.
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## ##About the origin of Halesi##
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## There are various legends about Halesi cave. The Kirati call it their ancestral land, the Buddhists call it the second Lumbini, and the Hindus call it the Pashupati of the East. According to one legend, the Kirati king Banghbanshi lost his dog while chasing deer around 1820 BS.
While searching for a dog, he hears the sound of a dog inside the cave. When he enters the cave with the help of a ladder, he finds a shining Shivalinga. After that, it is believed that it has been considered as Mahadev. According to the legend of Hinduism, a demon named Bhasmasur did penance to Lord Vishnu for thousands of years to get Parvati. Then, while granting a boon, Bhasmeshwar asks for a boon to kill Shiva. According to the same boon, while chasing Shiva and Parvati, Shiva and Parvati entered the cave after Halesi came. Bhasmeshwar also entered the same place. However, after Vishnu created a trap again and reduced Bhasmasur to ashes, there is a legend that Shiva and Parvati were sitting there.
In the Buddhist scriptures, the Buddhist guru Padmasambhava attained enlightenment and established the Maratika Gumba as an important place. Buddhists pay high respect to this beautiful cave, which is a religious and tourist destination, and thousands of domestic and foreign tourists visit it.
There is also a legend that Kirati people used to live inside the cave. There are three large natural caves in Halesi, which have statues of various gods and goddesses. The cave where the Shiva Parvati temple is located is 443 meters long and 100 meters deep. Just behind the Shiva Parvati temple is the 120-meter-high Basaha Cave. There is also a large Bhairav Cave. All three caves are circular.
When and which fair is held in Halesi
Here, the Ram Navami fair lasts for 15 days in Chaitra, the Bala Chaturdashi fair lasts for 12 days in Mangsir, the Shivaratri fair lasts for seven days in Falgun, and the Teej fair lasts for three days in Bhadau. Devotees come from all districts of Nepal as well as other countries, including India, China, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Japan, and America, to attend the fair. According to the Khotang Chamber of Commerce and Industry, billions of rupees are traded during the fair. Domestic and foreign businessmen also come to Halesi with their respective businesses.
Government’s eye on Halesi
The government has been implementing a development plan through the Halesi Development Committee since 2053 BS to develop Halesi as a tri-religious site. The program is being implemented with a focus on creating a comfortable environment for pilgrims and tourists visiting Halesi to stay, eat, visit and observe.
The government has been allocating a budget annually for Halesi, a religious and tourist site considered a major economic source of the Koshi Province. However, locals complain that the implementation process has been sluggish. The local government has been providing support for the all-round development of Halesi.
Physical infrastructure development in Halesi
Halesi Guthi Sansthan, which is visited by an equal number of visitors and tourists throughout the year, has been built with the investment of the Development Committee and the Temple Management Committee, including the entrance gate, stairs, and Havan Kunda. Blocks have been laid in the temple premises with the investment of the municipality. A tent for selling and distributing Doramalas has been built with the investment of the Temple Management Committee. The tent has been built to organize the Doramalas, which were previously being sold haphazardly.
To organize the incense burning inside the temple for a long time, the municipality has made arrangements to burn it outside the main entrance. The hiking trail around the temple has been upgraded with the investment of the municipality. The Dharamshala, which was started in partnership with Nepal Oil Corporation and the municipality, is under construction.
Halesi in the field of management
In Halesi, a meeting place for Hindus, Buddhists and Kirats, which is unique in the world, hotels and businesses have been flourishing in recent times. Hotels and restaurants with facilities have started opening in the vicinity of Halesi Bazaar. Recently, hotels that can accommodate about five hundred tourists have been opened in Halesi, which is located on the Mid-Hill Highway. The municipality has also shown interest in managing the hotels and restaurants that have been opened in Halesi.
Water has been arranged to provide easy drinking water and bathing facilities to visitors and tourists coming to Halesi. Water has been arranged in Halesi, which is located in a drought-prone area, through the Lochakhola Drinking Water Project and the depowering carried out in the same place.
Future plan of Halesi
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## The work of constructing the Halesi Master Plan has been started under the future plan of Halesi. The master plan has been prepared for the overall development of Halesi, which has been under encroachment by locals in recent times. It is said that the master plan has been prepared keeping in mind conservation, promotion, physical and tourism development. A team of geologists has been brought in from the department to prepare the master plan and the survey work has been completed.
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