Pathibhara in My Reminiscence | Written by Supekshya Neupane

Pathibhara

The beauty of travel lies not in the destination, but the journey. I consider myself a hodophile who has well-traveled eastern Nepal and a few parts of western Nepal.

As I grew up visiting every single place my father was posted during his job, road trips are what never fails to astonish me. This might be because I am constantly in search of stories in the mountain trails, curvy routes of the hills, and the smooth roads of the Terai.

Some journeys give me a reality check about how distant my urban life is from my own land, and my journey to the Pathibhara temple two years back was indeed one of that. When we initially planned the trip, Pathibhara wasn’t my dreamland. It was just a six days family trip to a holy pilgrimage but as I introspect today, it was a journey of parting me from my chaotic thoughts and meeting a better myself.

We left Kathmandu to travel through the curves of Sindhuli with a cool breeze touching us through the open windows of our jeep, the bank of Sunkoshi, the plain, green roads of Bardibas, Lahan, and the popular ‘Peda’ place- Barmajhiya in the scorching heat, the Koshi Barrage, and Jhapa to finally leave the Terai and move towards the cold hills of Ilam.

The roads were familiar but the serenity I found in the bank of Saptakoshi, the sunrise view from Antu dada in Ilam, Terai’s greenery, the magnificent tea gardens of Ilam, and chit-chats with the local women while they were plucking tea leaves in their doko and the homely vibe in the air can never be expressed in words.

We then moved to Taplejung via Phidim and reached the Tallo Fedi which introduced us to its bone-chilling cold and stormy nights. Since our jeep wouldn’t be able to pass through the steep cliffs and trails, we started our hike to visit the Pathibhara temple. With our hiking sticks, we started our journey to reach the Mathlo Fedi- a place that seemed to be above the clouds. But with us, walked some natives carrying passengers and loads in their back. It revealed the harsh reality of the lives of the locals to me; our adventure is the locals’ reality.

We rested at the Mathlo Fedi that day and started the hike before the dawn of the next day with our hiking sticks and raincoats as our companions. As we walked through the stairs for about four hours watching the breathtaking landscapes and views of the silver-shining mountains, we reached the Pathibhara temple. Pathibhara is considered to be the Goddess of faith and devotion. As we completed our prayers, I forgot all the hardships endured to reach the temple.

The heavenly feeling around the temple always stays within me but what also stays with me is the remembrance of the barren slums, the spot where a car accident killed a newly-wed couple two days back, the forest burnt by wildfire, the habitat of hundreds destroyed due to landslide and the warm eyes of an eight years old child smilingly telling his tale, all encountered in my journey from Kathmandu to Pathibhara.

I had an epiphany as I returned back home. Today, I’m more than grateful for what I have. I know life exists beyond my comfortable urban lifestyle and there are thousands of people working relentlessly to provide a full meal for their family every passing day. This is what led my journey to Pathibhara be the teacher of my biggest life lessons.

Journeys come to an end but their memories last forever. My journey to Pathibhara is one such memory that will forever live in me. Till date, my mind wanders in the thought of our homely welcome in the homestays of Shree Antu and Mathlo Fedi, the locals facing the challenges inviolably on a daily basis, the uncomplaining young minds that deserve so much more, the warm smiles of those small kids selling peanuts in the roads and a Goddess watching over all of us.

 

Written by Supekshya Neupane

Contestant of  ‘Nepal Travel Diaries Writing Competition’ organized by Offline Thinker

 

Also Read:

Follow Offline Thinker on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can send us your writings at connect.offlinethinker@gmail.com

Facebook Comments

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *