Marpha is a small village in Mustang district of Nepal , situated in a altitude of 2720 . Most of the inhabitants are either nepali or TIBETAN BUDDHIST. It is mostly famous in Nepal for the starting point of many High altitude mountain trekking and Apple /Apricon Farming . Here most of the houses are made of rock , mud and wood . Therre is narrow road inside the village with entry gate for the village and Buddhist dharmachakra in the way. Inside the village there is a Buddhist monastery and a buddha stupa . This area is very dry and high snow capped mountain like Dhaulgiri , Nilgiri and Annapurna are encircling this place .
Story :
I started my journey toward jomsom from Pokhra by bus . Time of the Bus was 7 am in the morning . I stayed in a Hostel in the Centre point of Lake side in Pokhra . They pick me up in the bus from a nearby point in the morning 6:30 and then reached PRITHVI CHOWK Bus stand . From here around 7 am they left for Jomsom . Bus fare is 1400 NPR for this route and it will take more than 8 hours to reach to the destination . Roads up to Beni is still good but later becomes just Hell . There was almost no turmac road from Beni and specifically road beside the deepest river gorge of kali gandeki near Rupsa Fall is dangerous . One Mistake and you fall in the river .
In the way bus just stop in one place for lunch . I does not take heavy meal because the road is very bumpey and there is a chance of vomiting . After sometime there is Mustang Checkpost . In this checkpost you have to . I have made this permit from the Tourist office , Pokhra . This is the ANNAPURNA TREAK PERMIT . For Indian it costs all total 1600 NPR and 5000 for other foreigner . You just submit the application either in Kathmandu or Pokhra and in a few minutes you will got it . Finally at around 3 pm it reached to Marpha .
Marpha is a small village just between the main road and the those arid mountain feels like big wall . In the another side of the road there is Kali Gandaki river . In this area river has a very wide basin . Beside this road you will see lots of apple garden . I gone there in March 2022 . It is not the season for Apple . Trees looks like deserted. Only the skull remains . For seeing apple in the tree you have to reach there in October – November . Near the Village there is a Tibetan Refugee Camp . In the time of tibet annexation by China lots of tibetan flee from there and rests here .
Near to the tibetan refugee camp there is a Gompha called “Chairo gompha“. It is one of the oldest gmpha in the Mustang Area. It was build in 16th century . It was build in the path of older salt route . From Marpha it is just 1.5 km and in the opposite side of kali gandeki river . There is two suspension bridge to reach to the opposite side of the river . After crossing this suspension bridge you have to walk a bit to reach to the Chhairo Gompha . Near to this temple there is a small tibetan village “Chhairo ” mostly inhabited by tibetan people .
From here I started my treak toward the DUMBA LAKE . It is a high altitude lake with prestine water . This lake is believed to be holy lake among the local buddhist people . Bathing and fishing is restricted in this Lake . In this road I don’t find any people except me .After sometime I just found a tractor carrying brick for the Chiro village . This road is situated in high altitude than the opposite side road of the river . Wind is very fast in this place . Always you will find dusty stroam like situations. From this road you have the panoramic view of the place and the river valley .
Roads inside the village are narrow and in bothside of the road there is either shops selling woolen cloths , handicrapped items and local goods . In this place also people were selling shaligram . It is a living form of God Vishnu . If you break this items then you can see fossils . Here in the local shops you can get dried apples and dried apricot . In between the shops there was lots of Tibetan shops .
This place have been very cold in winter time and relatively cold throughout the year . So for sitting outside in the floor , they used yak’s skin . This have been used as an insulator. Everywhere in the village you will see this things .
Inside the village the road starts toward Dhaulagiri (8167 m ) Mountain base camp . It is one of the tallest snow capped mountain in Nepal . From this village you can get porter , food and other instrument to climb the mountain . Local people says just After Alu Bari you can see beautiful view of the Mountain . It requires 6 days of trekking to reach to the base camp of Dholagiri .
Inside the Marpha village there is a small monastery and a Stupa , build high in the mountain . In this monastery there is lots of Children taught the Buddhist teaching . I learned a lot from those young monks about their culture and seen their holy script , the big drum and also the long DUNGCHEN (a long flute with some unique sound ) . Buddhist flags were making sound by the strong wind .
Most of the Buildings were made of Stone and Mud . Above the roof you will see a stock of wood . I don’t know what is the reason but local people says that this are kept to protect the wash away of the mud from the roof in the rainy season . Most of the buildings are white coloured and made in traditional way . Here you can see buddhist flags were hanging throughout the mountain .
summery:
It is situated in a very rare place where travelling is very difficult . Roads are difficult to drive but still there is years old Civilization which is a mix of both Hindu and Buddhist culture. People are looking differently than Kathmandu and tarai . They are very hospitable and warm welcoming . Infrastructure is very poor and you have very bumpey road but still there is arial connectivity . Place is very cold and dried weather .
