Hot water tourism has returned to its old rhythm

Myagdi. The tourism business of Beni Municipality-4 Tatopani, known as a place of natural healing, has returned to its old rhythm. Bathing in hot water had become deserted due to the risk and prevention of the coronavirus.

Tatopani, which has been closed since the first week of April 2020 was reopened on February 6, 2021. Chairman of the Tatopani Pond Management Committee, Birendra Man Shakya, said that a large number of guests have started coming for bathing. “The hot water tank, which was closed for ten months, is now back to normal,” he said.

According to the statistics of the committee, 1,500 people are bathing in the hot water tank daily. As the pressure has increased, arrangements have been made to bathe in three groups. People from Myagdi, Baglung, Parbat, Kaski, Kathmandu and other districts of the country come to bathe.

Hotelier Kumar KC said that the hotels and houses in Tatopani Bazaar were full of guests. There are 10 hotels in Tatopani with 200 households. Most homes have housing facilities. Businessman KC said that the business along with the hotel has returned to the old rhythm.

The lake has a capacity of 350 to 400 people at a time to bathe in the 50 degree Celsius hot water collected from the ground on the banks of the river Myagdi. Kali BK of Nisikhola Rural Municipality-4 of Baglung said that he has come to bathe in hot water as he can cure gastric, heartburn, back pain, skin, swelling, tingling, nausea, stomach ache, and loss of appetite.

Health problems such as gastric, uric acid, back pain, various skin diseases, swelling, bruising, nausea, abdominal swelling, goiter are cured. This place has a source of hot water of 45 to 57 degrees Celsius containing sulfur elements. As sulfur is a natural antibiotic in itself, bathing in the pool will reduce the risk of transmitting the disease from one person to another, said, Chairman Shakya.

After bathing the body in a pool of hot water twice a day for two to two hours, one goes out and rests for five to ten minutes by covering oneself with a warm cloth such as a blanket, plastic, blanket, etc., and sweating.

Different time schedules have been made for men and women in the hot water tank. In the last fiscal year, the committee had earned a total of Rs. 12.1 million by providing admission fee.

In the hot water tank, especially in the months of Asoj, Kartik, Magh, Falgun, and Chait, people get sweaty. Tul Prasad Shrestha, treasurer of the tank management committee, said that the income of the tank has provided expenses for the salary of staff, management, infrastructure construction, and salary allowance to 11 teachers of the local Saraswati high school.