The hidden Himalayas and cultures of nepal

Treks in the west of Nepal are quite a different proposition to treks in other parts of the country. This part of Nepal is far less developed with fewer facilities available for visitors. Access is also far harder, especially to areas such as Humla, Jumla and Dolpa.

All of this makes trekking here much more of an exploration and intending trekkers must be prepared for some delays and other hardships. It is also considerably more expensive to trek in the remote parts of the west. The west of Nepal is impossible to describe in few lines. This Part of Nepal is rich in the range of flora and fauna the most particular interest and value are the medicinal herbs and plants that are found in the higher regions, which represent an important source of income for the locals. The western Nepal, specially Upper & Lower Dolpo region, is also known as medicine hills. In the summer many peoples from the surrounding villages and district and even from Kathmandu and Tibet arrive here to collect this strange insect know as even "Himalayan Viagra".

This medicine is a combination of insect and plant remains inactive in winter and comes out as a plant in summer. In Nepal it is known as "Yar-Cha Gun-Bu" which is an insect having high commercial demand as tonic. It is found in subalpine pasturelands of Nepal including Jumla, Dolpa, Langtang, Manaslu, Kanchanjunga and Solukhumbu area. Yar-cha gun-bu, which means plant in summer and insect in winter is found mainly on the high hills of Dolpo and this is collected during the spring and early summer when the snow melt and sprout out on the hills.

The history and anthropology of western Nepal is complex and fascinating. Much of the geographic territory, now recognized as Nepal, formerly consisted of a number of small hill states and petty kingdoms (minimum 46). The Jumla was one of the powerful petty Hill States of that time. Since centuries the western part of Nepal including Jumla has played a significant role in the political and cultural chapters of Nepal, especially while the Malla empires declined and split into numerous petty hill states. In an effort to develop their domain as a trading center and to obtain Tibetan goods, the rulers of Jumla turned their attention eastward and assumed control over Lo (Upper Mustang), from which they extracted as annual tribute. Soon after when Jumla assumed control over Lo the Army of Bahadur Shaha attacked on Jumla and annexed both of the petty Hill State (Jumla & Lo) into Nepal in around 1800.

In our day the entire Jumla and Dolpo region has become one of the major travel destinations. The cultural route of Jumla extends north into Tibet and west to Kumao in India. We get to cross four different atmospheres: the medium mountain with forests and pastures, the trans-himalayan vertical desert with the oases of the villages, the high quota with tundra and cliffs and the microclimate of the Phokosundo. The entire upper Himalayan range of Dolpo, Jumla and Humla are dominated by Tibetan and keeps a significant influence on the areas by trading. Most of the villages are packed closely together, one atop another with flat roofs. The main ethnic groups of this area are Thakuris, Chhetris, Matwali Chhetris (many of them are Tibetan) and of course the Tibetans.

The most obvious group of people seen in the northern most parts of the area, particularly in Dolpa, is of Tibetan origin. They pastures and supplementing this with trade both to the north and the south. Their religion is a mixture of Tibetan Buddhism and the ancient, pre-Buddhist, Bon religion, a largely animistic faith. Strangely, their language is based on the Tibetan dialect spoken in Kham, a province of old Tibet located many hundreds of kilometers to the east. Lower down the people are a mixture of ethnic groups, such as the Magar, Gurung, and hill people of Hindu caste origin. Of particular interest are the Thakuri, the royal family's caste. Again they are quite different in culture and language to their cousins further east.

The western Nepal is remote and unknown because of its relative inaccessibility from the Capital, Kathmandu, or from other Major commercial cities of Nepal. The life here is very difficult and the poverty is unforgettable in every way. This days various NGOs are currently working with the local people in the west to try to establish a certain level of tourism infrastructure. At present this is limited to community camping sites and porter and hotel training.

The west of Nepal also reserves two famous and beautiful National Parks. Those National Parks are SHEY PHOKSUNDO and RARA.