– Rajendra Prasad Baral

Nepal is an exotic tourist destination. It is     the land of nature, culture and adventure. Outside Kathmandu. there are many things to see and many places worthy of visit for the holiday makers from far and wide. There are many wonders and splendid natural resources like green forests, rivers, lakes, waterfalls, snow- clad mountains; topography of the country. Beside the snow-capped mountains and journey on the torrential cures. Nepal has mountains and narrow-foot trail offering the pleasant and adventurous trekking activities and experience. Nepal’s undulating landscape with many up hills and down hills is the unique gift to those tourists who can have admiration, enjoyment and study of the certain places and people. We cannot therefore, blink the fact that Nepal is the land of all season and the world of its own. If we just single out a small part of the country, we can also capture Ilam. a small but beautiful Queen of the hills situated in the far-eastern part of Nepal. Known as a pleasant hill station. Ilam incorporates many potentials of its own, of sublime and unique beauties of nature on the lap of Himalaya. Geographically linked to Dargeeling in the east, Jhapa in the south, Morang and Dhankuta in the west and Panchthar in the north. Ilam is at the height of 600-3700 meters with maximum temperature of 310c and minimum O.00c. Nature has not discriminated Ilam with Darjeeling but it is we ourselves to neglect our own destination. Native culture, unique natural resources, traditional customs, handicrafts, wooden modernly innocent smiling people, hills serving as the view of sunrise and sunset a panoramic mountain view of Kanchanjangha, ginger and cardamom fields, green carpet of tea bushes, rhododendron, production of cheese, holler and Chhurpi, holy pilgrimage spots like Maipokhari, Gajurmukhi, Panchakanya,  and tourist areas like Shriantuntu. Chhintapu, Sandakpur and Siddhithumka for the sunrise view are some of the remarkable characteristics of Ilam.      Ilam is one of the popular destinations of Nepal worthly to he declared a tourist center. A possible trekking paradise. Ilam can offer a culture study tour of different ethnic groups- like Rais, Limbus, Iepchas and Gurungs. Sight seeing of beautiful tea gardens of Soktim, Kanyam, Ilam and Panitar offers a heavenly pleasure of the east. Visiting the countryside for its culture is not like visiting to museum. The culture in the village is vibrantly alive and delicately preserved. As the road through Ilam runs to Panchthar and Taplejung, Ilam can be a grandwork for the conservation of the Kanchanjangha mountain ecosystem. The promotion of tourism in Ilam and its exposure will enrich the ecological, socio-cultural and economic integrity of the district.      People of diverse culture and tradition, many ethnic groups and sub-groups living in Ilam seem engaged in different economic activities in almost all seasons. People buy and sell their products in the local weekly markets that are held in spaces set aside for the market. Most of the hills can be seen covered with tea plantation, broomsticks and cardamom fields. The workers plucking the green tea leaves in the tea gardens and carrning that in bamboo baskets with innocent smile, the horses bringing the milk pots and walking alone the road and farmers doing agro-pastoral activities really offer a charming wonder of the district.      Ilam has an extensive road construction everywhere in the VDCs. Thanks to an excellent road, the journey to Ilam from Birtamod takes only 3 hours. One can make a pleasant bus/taxi journey to/from Ilam observing the sights and sceneries of tea gardens on both sides of the highway, breathing a cool flesh mountain breeze and watching a sunlight dancing through the foliage oh tall imposing trees. A cool breeze in foggy day sets up and refreshes the mind from the oppressive heat of the plains, chaos and pollution of the city. In Ilam, one feels happy in the company of nature.      In the field of tourism, Nepal as a destination country has come along  the way through its gestation period. Visit Nepal Year’98 program, as officially declared lunching pad of the government tried to materialize many tourism promotion programs in different parts of the country. But it remained more in words and less in action. It could not improve and cherish its objectives satisfactorily. The program declared ‘Maipokhari’ as a major tourism center of Ilam, but it could not accelerate the tourism promotion activities in the district. The religiously important place of Ilam like Gajurmukhi lies in the east of the district headquarter and Panchakanya of the east also could not experience the essence of the tourism promotion. There is a sweeping judgment that Maipokhari, like other religious centers and natural places; like Sandakpur, Siddithumka, Sriantu, Little Pathivara, Mangsebung, Kanyam, Soktim etc. could not have the sign of sign of site management, protection management, visitors management, research management or any sorts of tourism education and awareness activities so far.      Maipokhari. a place of pilgrimage and worship, in fact, can become a grand work and the base camp for the tourism promotional activities in Ilam and neighboring districts. It is the most famous pond (pokhari) of the district. Lying about 2 km. far from the district at the height of 2150 meters to the north, Maipokhari has its own religious, historical and cultural importance. It is estimated that Maipokhari having nine corners altogether has the round circle of about I mile with an area of about 188 hectors. A uniqueness is that the corners of pond can not be Captured into eyes sitting in one place. The corners of the pond are supposed to represent of  nine goddesses named Shailaputri. Bhramhacharini,  Chandraghant, Kushmandaa, Skandamaataa, Kaatydyani. Kaalaratri. Mahagawi and Siddhidatri. Its religious importance (pilgrimage) is for the domestic tourist and natural beauty is for the visitors from outside. Maipokhari can be reached via Barbote, Biblyante and Jasbire either by taxi/bus or on foot of about 3 hour’s walk. As for its historical importance, there is a place called Saatkhalde, where 7 great national freedom fighters of 2018 B.S. were killed. Maipokhari has a Shiva temple and a school of Beda teaching and learning where Sherpa, Rai and Gurung community have their access for the study. A legend goes that in ancient time. Shiva and Parvati disguised themselves as Swans and enjoyed swimming into this beautiful pond and passed their days of love and romance there. In the area, a fair is held every month of Kartik, during Shivaratri and Haribodhini Ekadashi, Chandinaach of Rai and Maruninaach are performed in the month of Baisakh and Kartik (during Tihar festival) respectively. Maipokhari has also a strong potentiality of boating over it. During spring different varieties of wild flowers, specially, the rhododendrons make the hill side of about 2000 meter, a haunting paradise. Still, however, there are no good hotels and toilet facility, telephone, electricity and security sense on the people. It is an expectation that this place has to be promoted by identifying that areas like holy and religious sector, botanical sector., culture protection area, shelter area, parking area, fair and picnic spots etc. as its Iong term project. Above all, there should be public awareness for the preservation of the pond itself.      Ironically speaking, like Maipokhari, there are many other places of tourist importance which are waiting urgent promotional activities. The existing NGOs, INGOs, GOs and local communities of the district have not been launching their activities effectively and successfully in tourism sector of Ilam. Ilam therefore is such a district that is still waiting to be explored much and much more.       It is a fact that Ilam has not received a due attention from the tourist point of view. People of Ilam confined to those areas of Nepal do not seem ready and responsible for the introduction and publicity of their birthplace in the national and international area, despite its immense tourist potentials. Ironically, Ilam is obscures  the information about this region is sparse. The role of social workers of both government and private sectors, development of basic infrastructure and supra-structure like hotels and lodges, information centers, training programs, dumping site management, publicity of the tourism promotional programs,  active participation and mobilization of the local people, operation of helicopter service, inovation and developmental works in Sriantu, Maipokhari and Sandakpur, construction of road links, view towers and renovation of existing tower are some of the urgent needs to be hence forth formulated in Ilam. Our duty is just to say that the based is yet to come, see and enjoy. It is our duty to capture the motivation of the visitors- both inside and outside the country for the rural attraction in the form of rustic life style, peaceful atmosphere congenial, climate and unspoilt natural environment away from the polluted cities of the modern world. Since more than 90 percent of the country is dominated by rural environment with traditional society,  the ‘travel crease’ of the visitor to the simple village life, the nature rhythm of the folk culture, and natural attraction should be addressed by making in the village tourism a success. One of the most crucial factors to be ingrained in the minds of all concerned is to create an atmosphere of injecting correct concept of tourism consciousness among the local communities and addressing their livelihood needs.       A countryside gateway of a natural lover is a sheer bliss ! It’s a high time that natural and traditional ethnic culture of Ilam be preserved and tourism promoted. Yes, small is beautiful, sustainable and prosperous and above all, small is a little paradise and ‘a thing of beauty is joy for ever’.The author is a lecturer ofMahendra Ratna Multiple Campus, Ilam and also‘Culture Expert’ of Nepal during Visit Nepal 1998 and Tourist Guide (A)