Machhapuchare Mountain should be opened for climbers: Karna Gurung

Kathmandu: Machhapuchhare Rural Municipality Chairman Karna Bahadur Gurung has stressed that Machhapuchhare Mountain also known as “Fishtail” in Pokhara should be opened for climbers to promote Visit Nepal year 2020.

Machhapuchhare which is elevated at 6993 meters and is blessed with significant possibilities of tourism development, although it is said to be a virgin mountain in the country.

There is a general perception among the local people that as this peak represents the holy deity of Gurung people stepping on its peak would defile the peak and cause the deity to get outrageous.

Machhapuchare peak

Municipality chair Gurung says, “Although Gurung and Magar people of the surrounding regions worshiped Lord Shiva in the ancient time, yet Machhapuchare cannot be the deity of Gurung people. So, it should be opened for the development of tourism in the year 2020. It is rather connected with the daily lives of the Gurung people and their survival. It’s a false and mere illusion to say that climbing Machhapuchare peak would contaminate it.”

Gurung also claimed that he would make all possible efforts to reopen Machhapuchare for the domestic as well as external climbers. “All other Himals of this country should be opened for tourism development,” added Gurung.