Salahesh Fulbari: Popular tourist destination for 2020

• Sushant Lama 

Lahan in Siraha district of Nepal is the place with an abundance of natural and religious places and with uniqueness in natural and religious sights which has been attracting domestic and international tourists nowadays.  That’s why it has been able to gain fame and recognition worldwide.

Among many places, Salahesh Fulbari is by far the most popular destination in Siraha, located in Padariya, five kilometers west to the district major trade center Lahan.  It is a garden with its own historical and cultural significance covering an area of around 14 acres of Land.

Salahesh Fulbari is famous for the unique kind of flower, an orchid that blooms only on the eve and first day of the year, Baisakh, the first month of the Nepali calendar.

It is an amazing flower in the world which blooms and dies on the same day and this has created a buzz among tourists from all over the place.

Rakesh Yadav says “It is a historical Park”.

•  Legend

This place is also believed to have been named after local demigod Salahesh. The orchid grown at the tree is taken as the symbol of love between Salahesh (the folk hero in the Mithila region) and his beloved Dinamalini (Princess of Morang and daughter of King Maheswar Bhandari).

King Salhesh always used to visit this place with his love, Dinamalini. It is said that Dinamalini could not get the love of Salahesh throughout her life so, once a year she comes as a beautiful flower in this garden to meet Salahesh.

A temple called Salahesh Temple has been constructed with their statues at the side of the tree and is worshipped by thousands of devotees from the Terai region as well as from India.

Every year on the new year of the Nepali calendar, a special fair called “Salahesh Fulbari Mela” takes place. Due to such supernatural quality of flower people started the fair to worship it and to remember King Salahesh’s bravery, courage, and love.

This type of flower has not been seen elsewhere, so many people from neighboring districts and even from India people come to visit Salahesh Fulbari just to take a glance at the amazing flower.

Binay Kumar says “It is a god gifted thing that the flowers of the tree only flowering only on the occasion of the new year of Nepal”

The garden opens only on New Year’s Eve when the flower blooms. It is also said that in all the other days the garden is filled with wild animals that appear magically. Hence no one is allowed into the garden on the other days.

According to the local priests, unlike other flowers, the leaves of that flower never fall on the ground which adds the uniqueness and mystery to it.

“Very beautiful park,” says Rabin Jaiswal

The Salahesh Fulbari now has been listed under the top 100 new tourist destination in Nepal unveiled by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.

The government’s decision to include this unique place in new tourist destinations has brought happiness among the people of Siraha and they hope that it will help in the prosperity of the entire district.

This unique garden is the heritage of Lahan as well as of Nepal due to its special and unique values.