Trek to Pathivara

Trek to Pathivara is basically known as Limbu culture trek as well as religious trek.
Starting all way from Phunglingtar headquarter of Taplejung you can complete it just in one day or more days as you wish. After around couple of hour jeep ride passing through Suketar airport, Gupte, Chhat Dunga and Bhalu goude we can reach the place named Kafle Pati (2795m.). To challenge the cold weather people there to serve you hot tea and some breakfast as you wished but you need to pay. 4-5 tea shops including hotels are always to serve you with an adjoined well managed public toilet. Usually, people start their trek all way from here, Kafle Pati.

Pathivara Goddess

The cold morning breeze, hundreds of pilgrimage and trekkers on the way adds separate feeling on mind and body. The well-managed stairways passing through rhododendron, dhupi, Gobre sallo forest with sightseeing of varieties species of butterflies, birds and wild animals forgotten the tiredness of trekking.
To experience the thrilling trek as well as to fulfill the religious beliefs it's not an easy task because to ascent high and reaching the altitude of 3794 m its quite challenging for the old peoples. To escape from the altitude sickness people on the way eat citrus fruits, some slices of ginger as well as shatu (especial powder of maize, barley, and soybean).
After a couple of ascents, we can reach a place named “Thulo Phedi” where well-arranged hotels, as well as tea shops, are serving the pilgrimages and trekkers. There is an entrance checkpoint where every people need to enter their name as well as deposit money in order to minimize the pollution at Pathivara. The deposit will be refunded after the people return back the wastes they have produced there. It was quite an amazing idea to minimize waste. People need to buy every required kit like water, worshipping materials, snacks as well as medicines required here because above from there, there were no shops and hotels.

Pilgrimage buying worshipping items

After half an hour walk from Thulo Phedi, we arrived Kanchithan where people worship before heading to Pathivara. On the way, there are well managed resting places but less managed toilets. Usually, the way above 3000m will be covered with temporary snow. It was the month of November cold enough tough way with snow everywhere. The view of Kanchanjunga, Kumbakarna, Makula, Lhoste, and Notse was really mesmerizing and awesome. With the continuous rhythmic ringing of bells hung on the way arrive the destination, Pathivara temple at a height of 3794m.

Map of Pathivara trek

Pathivara Devi temple or Mukkumlung (as mentioned in Mundhum of Limbu people) is one of the most significant temples in Nepal located on the hill of Taplejung famous for both Hindu and Buddhist pilgrimage. 19.4 km North East from Punglingtar, headquarters of Taplejung it serves as the holy place for thousands of Pilgrimage from Nepal as well as India. Even serving as the secondary trekking route of Kanchanjunga it is believed that pilgrimage visiting here has the wish fulfilled.
The Goddess Pathivara is believed to possess supernatural powers and fulfill the desires of devotees. It is believed that local shepherds lost hundreds of their sheep while grazing at the same place where the temple stands today. Then the shepherds dreamed that Goddess ordered them to sacrifice a sheep following a ritual process. The lost herd of sheep was back after the ritual activity performed. Then they started worshipping Goddess Pathivara and built the temple which became the famous destination at present. Even the hill seems like a Pathi full of grains so-called Pathivara.  At present people sacrifice goats, sheep etc as well as different cosmetic items like bangles, tika, etc along with grains, money etc. The priest over there will support there to worship there. After the worship pilgrimage took some foods and was back to Thulo Phedi and to Phungling bazaar. Sharing of food among pilgrimage added taste to the food. All way returning back to Thulo Phedi with 3 hrs walk and one and half hour jeep travel finally arrived Phunglingtar.  My short trek to Pathivara was memorable and mesmerizing.

Pathivara 3794m height with bells

The suitable season for visit is summer and autumn season. We can enjoy the forest full of different varieties rhododendron if we visit during February/March. Another alternative route to Pathivara is following Koshi highway of 100km via Dharan- Dhankuta – Hile to Basantapur and hike via Gupha Pokhari, Gorghadoran to Pathivara. More than 2 lakhs of pilgrimage and trekkers visit everywhere. Even you can keep Pathivara trek in your buck list.