Around Kathmandu: Champadevi Hill [काठमान्डू वरीपरी: चम्पादेवी डाँडो]

A woman carried a brick to build a temple at the top of the Champadevi hill.

[This is a bilingual post. यो पोस्ट दुइ भाषामा छ ।]

नयाँ वर्ष २०७१ को दिन म साथिहरूसँग २२८५ मिटर अग्लो चम्पादेवी डाँडो गएँ । हामी किर्तिपुर नजिकैको र चम्पादेवीको फेदमा अवस्थित मच्छेगाँउमा रहेको पुष्पलाल स्मृति पार्कबाट उक्लियाै । बाटो साँघुरो थियो, धेरैजसो ठाडो उकालो र दुइतर्फी अावतजावतकालागि चुनाैतिपूर्रण । तर हिड्नै अप्ठेरो चाँही होइन । बाटो धेरैजसो ठाउँमा झांडीले छोपिएको थियो जसले गर्दा कुनै सुरुंगमा हिंडेजस्तो भान हुन्थ्यो । घमाइलो दिनमा त सुरुंगले गज्जवको शीतलता प्रदानगर्ने नै भयो तर उपत्यका र हिमालयको दृश्यबाट चै त्यसले बटुवाहरुलाई बन्चित तुल्याउथ्यो ।

नयाँ वर्षको दिन चम्पदेवी जाने सर्वाधिक उपयुक्त दिन थिएन किनकी त्यो दिन चम्पदेवीको शिखरमा लाग्ने जात्रातिर जाने या त्यहाँबाट फर्किने मानिसहरूले बाटो भरिएको थियो ।

हामी गएकै बाटो फर्किएनौं । हामी हात्तीवन हुँदै फर्पिंग झर्यौं । यो बाटो चैं राम्रो थियो– फराकिलो, खुला र कम उकालो . साथै त्यति चर्को घाम पनि लागेको थिएन जो गज्जव थियो ।

योजना चांही फर्पिंगबाट सार्बजनिक बस अठ्याउने थियो । तर सबै बसहरु दक्षिणकाली मन्दिर या चम्पदेवी डाँडोबाट फर्किएका मानिसहरूले पुरै भरिएका थिए । तेसैले हामीहरु थप ४-५ किलोमीटर हिड्न बाध्य भयौं पिच बाटोमा– गाडीहरूले फालेको धुलो र धुँवा खाँदै । त्यो रमाइलो थिएन ।

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On the New Year Day 2071 BS, I went to the top of the Champadevi Hill (2,285m) with friends. We started the walk from the Pushpalal Memorial Park located at the base of the hill (Machhegaun village, near Kirtipur). The trail was narrow, mostly steep and challenging for a two-way commute but not difficult to walk. It was covered mostly by the bushes giving the feel of walking in a tunnel. In a sunny day the ‘tunnel’ provided a great shade to hikers but blocked the view of the valley and mountains.

The New Year Day wasn’t the perfect day to hike because the trail was crowded with people who were either heading to the top or returning from there after visiting goddess Champa Devi and taking part in the annual jatra (festival).

We didn’t return via the same route. We descended to Pharping via Hattiban. This route was better– wide, open and less steep. Also the sun wasn’t too bad which was great.

The plan was to get into a public bus at Pharping. But they were all super packed— stuffed with people who were returning from either Dakshinkaali temple or Champadevi Hill. So we were forced to walk another 4-5 kilometers– this time on tarmac amidst dust and smoke that came from passing vehicles. It was no fun. (Most pics by Suraj Kunwar)