Simikot sees influx of Indian tourists for Mansarovar Kailash pilgrimage

Tourist season has begun, and the market in Simikot, the district headquarters of the Himalayan district of Humla, is bustling with Indian religious tourists heading to Mansarovar Kailash.

With the commencement of the pilgrimage to Mansarovar Kailash this year, Indian religious tourists have started arriving by air. As the number of tourists increases, Simikot Airport and the local market have become quite busy.

According to Police Inspector Bishnu Shrestha, 1,478 Indian tourists have already departed from Nepalgunj via Simikot and Hilsa towards Taklakot in China for the Mansarovar Kailash pilgrimage. Indian tourists began arriving in Humla from the 30th of Baisakh this year.

Among the Indian tourists who have reached Humla so far, 716 are men and 762 are women. Since the season began, between 80 and 200 Indian tourists have been arriving in Humla daily by air.

Arrangements have been made for tourists arriving from Nepalgunj to stay overnight in Simikot. As a result, local hotels such as Vijay, Kailash, Mansarovar, Karnali Resort, Humla Resort, and Potala are filling up, leading to a significant improvement in hotel business earnings. Additionally, more than 300 porters have found employment carrying tourists’ luggage from Simikot Airport to the hotels.

Due to the influx of tourists, local farmers in Simikot have found a ready market for their vegetable produce.

In response to the high number of tourists, private airlines have increased their flight frequencies. According to Mahendra Singh, head of the Civil Aviation Authority’s Simikot branch, Tara Air operates one flight, Sita Air two flights, and Summit Air three flights, making a total of six flights from Nepalgunj to Simikot starting at 7 AM.

Similarly, six helicopters from six different companies operate continuous flights from Simikot Airport to Hilsa from 5:30 AM to 7 PM. This busy schedule of helicopters and planes has resulted in good earnings for hotel operators and porters in Hilsa.

With the start of the Mansarovar Kailash pilgrimage season, the flow of Indian tourists coming and returning after the pilgrimage has increased significantly. This has led to a bustling atmosphere at Simikot Airport from morning till evening, sometimes even causing air traffic congestion.

Tourists arriving from Nepalgunj and returning from Mansarovar via Hilsa are now a common sight throughout the Simikot market.