There are many reasons why one should visit Baglung Kalika Temple. The temple itself is very popular among the Hindu devotees; but at the same time the temple is also the
cynosure of tourists. No temple in Nepal has been built in such a unique location as Baglung Bhagwati temple. To reach the temple one has to walk through the dense forest for about two kilometers�no vehicles are allowed inside. Since the temple is located in the middle of the thick forest, peace and tranquility are guaranteed. The natural surroundings of the temple are as such that even foreign tourists can be seen regularly visiting this temple.
The �Kali� also called the Bhagwati resides in the temple. The Kali is associated with Kaal or death. It is believed that Kali is one of the fearsome deities among the group of ten Hindu deities. The devotees believe that the deity will protect them from accidental deaths. Many couples regularly visit this temple to solemnize their marriages. It is a popular belief that if a marriage is�solemnized in the witness of Kali, she protects the couple from all kinds of evils and the marriage remains intact.
It is said that Pratap Narayan had built Kalika temple for the first time. Thereafter the temple was renovated in 1990s. However, in recent time the surrounding area of the temple has�been developed to a large extent. Stone slabs have been put on the path from the main entrance until the temple premises. Inside the temple premises, drinking water supply is available for the devotees. Installation of a CCTV camera inside the temple premises has instilled the sense of security among the devotees and visitors.
On the way to Baglung the visitors can stop briefly at Kushma. Kushma is the district headquarters of Parbat district and it is about 57km away from Pokhara. Kushma is noted for two exciting places. The first one is the Kushma-Balewa suspension bridge. The height of the suspension bridge is 166m and length 347 meter. The bridge was completed at the cost of Rs.2 Crore. The bridge is the highest suspension bridge in Nepal, and possibly the longest also. The suspension bridge has connected Kushma with the southern part of Baglung district. After the construction of this suspension bridge, farmers have been largely benefited. The nearby villagers of Baglung district have found market in Kushma, where they sell vegetables, fruits and cereals.
Another exciting thing that the visitors must see in Kushma is the most mysterious Gupteswor cave. The local people of Kushma had discovered this cave in 1940s. It was a
huge cave where lived wild bears, so people began calling this cave Bhalu Dulo. The local people could not dare to enter the cave as this cave was the home of ferocious bears. Later, when bear abandoned the cave then only local people explored the cave. The cave is 700 meter long.
The local people�s surprise knew no limit when they saw the cave was replete with several idols of the Hindu gods and goddesses. The interesting thing about those idols is that all the images and idols are naturally made. There are also the images of five Pandavas. Because of these idols, the cave is considered one of the sacred pilgrimages in Nepal. The cave has also given shelter to several species of bats. Due to lack of modern equipments, the cave has not been explored completely.
Many cavers assume that the cave might be the longest in Nepal.
Gupteswor cave is devoted to lord Shiva, a prominent god of Hindus. The cave itself is considered the abode of lord Shiva. This is the reason the cave is also called Gupteswor Mahadev cave. The Shiva devotees from all over the country throng to this cave during Chaite Dasain and Shivaratri. The legend has it that Parbati had meditated inside the cave to get lord Shiva as her husband. The cave is at the distance of merely 15 to 20 minutes walk from Kushma.
�If the local administration takes its responsibility honestly and use local budget for the
development and�promotion of the cave, the cave can pull more domestic and international tourists round the year. Unfortunately, no concrete action has been taken till date to attract visitors to Gupteswor Mahadev cave� said Ram Prasad Gaire, a local resident of Kushma.
The local people of Kushma don�t look very satisfied with the local administration. They think that the lackluster attitude of the local government and corrupt officials have never made an effort to develop Gupteswor cave.
On the way to Kushma there is a place called Sahastradhara. There are several natural taps
where water of natural spring flow throughout the year. The place is located at about 200 meter up on the sloppy sledge of a cliff. A natural waterfall is also the main attraction among the visitors at Sahastradhara. Since the place is located beside the highway, the visitors can stop for a while and take bath from those natural taps. Mineral rich cool water of Sahastradhara gives a soothing feeling to keep body active and energetic.







LB Thapa, born and educated in Bhopal, India returned to his ancestors home Nepal in 1991 after completing Master�s Degree in Economics from Bhopal University and started teaching in schools and colleges. He later began freelance writing and wrote seven books till now which are available in www.amazon. com, http://www.amazon.com/LB-Thapa/e/ B00ISV3PFA. One of his books �The Pokhara Valley: A Traveler�s Guide� has been published by Nirala Publications, India. �Pokhara and Annapurnas� has been published by Himalayan Maphouse, Kathmandu, Nepal. This book has been translated in seven languages and available in leading bookstores in Nepal. He is the regular contributor of The Rising Nepal(daily newspaper), VIBES Magazine(Monthly Magazine published from Nepal) beside Food & Wine of the same publication, and People�s Review Weekly(Weekly newspaper, published from Nepal).You can reach him in his blog http://theroamingpost.blogspot.com, where he generally writes about development, tourism, social and corruption issues.All Photographs by LB Thapa for Food & Wine