In the early 1970s, when I started my professional career, I lived in Phungling bazar, Taplejung, for a year. Both the Taplejung and Phungling bazar are very dear to me, that’s where I spent my early youth as part of my first job. I was sent there by the Education Ministry as a vocational teacher to teach science to ninth and eighth graders at the Bhanu Jana Secondary School in Phungling bazar.
Phungling bazar
In the early 1770s, the Phungling bazar had probably around 100–150 homes and businesses spread along one street, and a local secondary school was about 5 mins walk down the hill. The tiny town had one military barrack and one small airport at Sukhetar, about an hour’s climb up the hill.
I had tented a small room with no water or cooking facilities except for sleep and study. We were all required to take our meals at local restaurants or make arrangements at someones family home.
During that period, life was simpler, roads were absent and trails provided the means of travel. I recollect that we used to go to nearby villages in search a isolated location for taking showers.
Pathivara Devi temple trip
Recently, one of our family members shared with me a few images of the Pathivara Devi temple (see below), which is situated in close proximity to the Phungling bazar. Those images brought back memories of my own sacred pilgrimage to the holy temple site with a couple of close friends, which highlighted the remarkable changes that had occurred over the years.
Pathivara Devi Temple is a famous Hindu pilgrimage site located in the Taplejung district of eastern Nepal. Dedicated to Hindu goddess Kali, it is considered a sacred and significant religious site for the people of Nepal, and is visited by numerous devotees and tourists each year.
Our own pilgrimage trip
During that time, we had to carry everything we needed in our backpacks because there were no roads for modern transportation. Since there was no public lodging to overstay or restaurant facilities, we were entirely self-sufficient. We had to navigate the trails through small villages with our backpacks full of necessities.
We spent two nights in a rustic, bare-bones open shelter hut, a modest place to share and live together with other pilgrims. Because there was no electricity for lights, we had to bring our own candles or flashlights. The nights were fun, filled with laughter, conversation, and a sense of purpose.
Early the following morning, we continued our uphill journey, following a small trail to the top of the mountain, the Pathivara Devi temple location, a site of great significance for those seeking spiritual solace. Even while climbing the steep hill trail, we felt a welcoming sense of divinity that only remote and difficult trails like this can provide. Our climb was both difficult and awe-inspiring as well.
After spending a couple of hours at the mountaintop temple site, with the famous Nepalese mountains in the background, we had to descend to the shelter hut for the overnight stay. The next day, we followed the same village trails to the Phungling bazar.
Looking back, it’s astonishing to see the stark contrast between the past and the present, what was once a rugged adventure is now a more accessible and comfortable pilgrimage. The memories of my journey to Pathivara Devi temple in the 1970s hold a special place in my heart, and the recent images bring a smile to my face, knowing that time has brought about such transformative changes.