Captivating religious trek to Kalinchowk

• Sushant Lama

Religious trek of the Kalinchowk Temple is considered to be one of the most pleasurable short treks of Nepal. Kalinchwok trek has everything you wish for like, walking on top of high hills, panoramic views of various mountains, green forests full of Rhododendron of different kinds, views of beautiful valleys and much more.

Located about 150 km northeast of Kathmandu in Dolakha district, Kalinchwok hill is situated at an altitude of 3790 m above the sea level and on the top of the hill lies the temple of Kalinchwok Bhagawati which is also the apex of this trek.

Rajesh Manandhar writes about this place “location is very attractive and view of Himalayas is breathtaking. Evenings feel heavenly.”

It is one of the important Hindu and Buddhist pilgrimages where thousands of devotees arrive to take the blessings of the goddess Bhagawati. There are no actual temples but only the presence of an idol of goddesses, Kalinchwok Bhagawati, one small pond, and the surrounding area of the pilgrimage site filled with Trishul (trident) which devotees take there as an offering for the goddesses.

It is believed that offering the trident to the goddess brings good luck to the devotee’s life. During Janai Purnima, a huge fair takes place here and thousands of devotees can be seen here.

Sajjan Poudel writes,” It is the most amazing place to visit and even very special to trek for a short time. I can say it is an alternative to heaven.”

Kalinchowk trek can be completed in 3 days as it is a very short trek. It is ideal for the people who love to walk on the high hills but if you are afraid of the height then you might be a little nervous as the trekking takes place through the ridges of very high hills.

If you want to learn about various cultures in a small area then this trek might be a very fruitful trek for you as this area is inhabited mainly by Bhramin, Tamang, and Sherpa peoples. You can easily study their culture, traditions, and lifestyles and their diversity very closely.

Spectacular views of the mountains like Langtang Himal, Ganesh Himal, Shisha Pangma, Dorje Lakpa, Jugal Himal, Gauri Shankar, etc can be seen from the Kalinchwok temple and in clear day even Kathmandu can be seen from there. You can also take a glance at a variety of birds including Danphe, the National bird of Nepal. The Sunrise and the sunset, seen from here are truly mesmerizing.

Best season

Kalinchowk trek can be done throughout the year but the best season would be the spring and the autumn season because of the beautiful weather conditions.

Food and Accommodation

Since Kalinchowk trekking trails pass through plenty of villages, food and accommodation are not going to be a problem for you. You can get lots of hotels in Kuri village and Charikot offering local food and accommodation.

Pradeep Kumar Rijal says that” One of the very famous and beautiful open temple of goddess Kalinchwok Bhagawati. Great natural adventure with panorama view of mountains.”

How to get there?

For a Kalinchwok trek, you can take a local bus, small vehicles or a bike from Kathmandu to Chatikot which is about 4 hours’ drive. After reaching Charikot, it’s a beautiful 6hours hike through forests up to the Kuri village located just below the Kalinchwok hill.

Though there is a presence of a gravel road from Charikot to Kuri, it is an extremely challenging and technical, especially during the rainy season.

From Kuri village, the temple is an hour walk up the hill. There is also the presence of a cable car from Kuri village up to the temple. So, if you don’t want to walk then you can ride a cable car.