Encountering Nepali surrealism in Thak Khola

• Hit Thapa

Nepal’s Thak Khola could be ascribed to be a real epitome of Nepali surrealism, which can be a good source of expressing or reflecting the aesthetic, artistic feelings of the subconscious mind for an avid lover of solitude, art, culture, and literature.

That is why thousands of solitude seekers, foreign tourists annually venture to throng to this remote village of Thak Khola which poses to be a paradise for loiterers and solitude seekers.

Both trekkers and pilgrims are fond of trekking into this lonely village endowed with serenity, solitude, off the beaten roads, forlorn and abandoned, and completely devoid of usual crowds of people.

The ancient forts in dilapidated conditions are found here which may intrigue the visitors by posing various queries. The centuries-old Buddhist monasteries are additional charms of this remote village which can provide a vantage point for romanticism if the visitor could be a romantic poet by nature like William Wordsworth or John Keats to reflect their spontaneous feelings about nature and culture.

In other words, this remote village could also provoke your stream of consciousness once you visit it.

The Thak Khola with its enigmatic surrealism could pave the way for a surrealist artist to find his artistic subject matter here which could outflow in the form of a narrative or painting or it could be a unique meeting point for lovers of solitude with a separate taste for outlandish things.

Furthermore, the captivating sacred lakes tucked in the folds of mountains could make anyone feel the world of heavenly paradise with its magnificent aura and sanctity.

For sure, Thak Khola can give an individual all the rich experience of romanticism in this region of Trans-Himalayan.

How to reach Thak Khola?

To reach this ancient romantic place of surrealism, you can just take a short flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara then Pokhara to Jomson. Then you can cross the Jomsom Bazaar and walk either upriver toward Kagbeni and Muktinath or go downriver toward the idyllic Marpha and other Thakali towns.

You can also be brave enough to venture to take a bus or a jeep from Beni. However, you may also opt for a trek to relish the fascinating moments of watching the panoramic glimpses of ancient cultures and the propensity of the region into which you would gladly like to immerse for the time being.