What a meaningful journey it was to Lamjung. Exploring the district as we pedalled the bicycle was a whole exciting experience this time.
We started our journey with a goal to enjoy cycling along hilly trails. We cycled there for about two months with the intention to explore the unexplored.
At the very beginning of the journey, we reached Puranokot of Lamjung. We passed the path enjoying the scenic beauty of the mountains and hills. Puranokot was one of the Chaubise principalities in the past and carries historical significance.
There are the ruins of the palace of King Kalu Shah in Puranokot. As mentioned in history, Kalu Shah was the king of Lamjung. The second son of the King Kul Mandan, he was brought from Kaski and made the king of Turlungkot. Later, the palace was shifted to Puranokot.
Just below the Puranokot fort is the Puranokot village. There, a homestay facility has also been brought into operation since 2011. One can reach the historical fort in an hour and a half by bus from Sundar Bazaar of Lamjung. The view of the village and the clear mountains from the fort looks stunning. Machhapuchhre, Annapurna, Lamjung Peak 29, Gangapurna, Manaslu, Buddha, and other mountains can be seen from there.
Besides this scenic beauty, Puranokot has much more to offer to the visitors. There is Jaldevi temple, ruins of Rajarani palace, and an army parade ground in Puranokot. However, the palace is surrounded by weeds and is untidy.
There are many attractive places with tourism potential in Lamjung like Lamjung Durbar, Dura Danda, Tumlung fort, Halo Kranti, and Ghale Gaun. There are also palaces in Gaunshahar and Besishahar, which were built by King Kalu’s younger brother Yashobrahma. Like his brother, he was also brought from Kaski after King Kalu’s assassination and made the king of Ranokot.
The friendly demeanour of the locals also makes the visitor cheerful. However, the construction and promotion of infrastructure in the area have not been relatively good. Places of importance have not been properly maintained and protected by the local authority.
We managed to roam around all these places of Lamjung during our stay. The most fun part of the journey was cycling from Lamjung Durbar to Ghale Gaun (29 km). Overall, the journey to Lamjung was very meaningful and exciting.
