Panchase – Five Seats!

Panchase area is rich in natural and cultural resources. Panchase, with an area of 284 square kilometres represents a mountain ecosystem linking the lowland and the high Himalayas of the Annapurna Himalaya range. The area is rich in natural and socio-cultural resources.

Panchase provides a home to 71,634 populations with around 14,807 households.Local communities are highly dependent on forest resources for their livelihoods. Panchase with plenty of Hindu temples around its perimeter attracts tourism for trekking.

Home stays are identified as a potential mechanism for boosting the local economy through tourism and bringing positive attitudes towards conservation. There are several families who are engaged in the home stays business, especially in the Panchase area. However, home stay operations are at very preliminary stage and services meet only the basic conditions as required by the government.

High youth migration for better economic opportunities, poor sanitary conditions, poor production of local agriculture products, and lower priorities regarding cultural conservation further poses threats on effective operation of the home stay. In addition to this, households, who depend on natural resources, are more vulnerable to climatic changes while their resilience is low because of reduced livelihoods options. Hence, there is a need to build community resistance by creating alternative livelihood opportunities.

Panchase Trekking

Panchase is one of the hill stations of Annapurna Region and also the religious sites for the Hindus. This is considered to be the best viewpoint of panoramic Annapurna region.

Trekking around Panchase can be an awesome experience as it is one of the shortest trekking sites in The Annapurna Region and this trek is becoming popular day by day among the trekking lovers. There are different ways to reach Panchase and almost all are equally interesting and adventurous.

So, Panchase is obviously one of the breathtaking areas in Nepal, not to forget Panchase trekking is a lowland trip of Annapurna Region. Panchase Trek offers you the attraction of the Himalayan sceneries of beautiful mountain ranges of Dhaulagiri, Machhapuchhre, Lamjung, Annapurna and Manaslu.

The trek is feasible for all age groups with sound fitness level. It is the best short camping trek that starts at hill in the Annapurna Region. The best seasons for Panchase Trek are February-May and August-December.

Attractions

1. Nature & Scenery: The longest chain of mountain range visible from Panchase includes Mt. Dhawalagiri (8,172m), Mt. Annapurna (8,091m), Mt. Annapurna South (7,219m), Mt Hiuchuli(6,441m), Mt. Fishtail (6993m), Mt. Annapurna II(7,934m), Mt. Annapurna III ( 7575m), Mt. AnnapurnaIV(7525m), Mt. Lamjung (6,998m), Mt. Manaslu and many more. From the top of Panchase, Mt. Fishtail seems to be nestled by Mt. Annapurna around her lap. Sunrise and sunset views from the top are spectacular and heavenly.
2. Flora and Fauna: As Panchase receives a lot of rain throughout the year and is covered with lush green vegetation from sub-tropical to temperate forest all over, it also provides home to a wide variety of flora, fauna and is a source of many rivers including Harpan River, the source of the famous Fewa Lake of Pokhara. 107 species of wild orchids, including 2 endemic ones, have been found in Panchase, 5 species of Rhododendron and many herbal plantssuch as Loth Salla, Titte, Kurilo, Naagbeli,Satuwa, Paanch Aaule and plants such as Loktha, Khashru, Champ, Phalat which are used for the production of Nepali paper, are also found here. Leopard, bear, deer, several species of birds, butterflies and other animals also inhabit in the jungle of this area.
3. Religious and Cultural Attraction: Panchase, the 5 peaks which literally also means 5 sacred seats, is an ancient pilgrimage climb. The climb itself holds a great significance in Yoga. The temple of Shiddha Baba (Lord Shiva), Homekunda (place for ritual of offerings to fire), Panchase Lake, Balaji Phachyan Temple, Bouddha Stupas (about 200 years old) and coves where sages were believed to have meditated many centuries ago. The population of Panchase is almost 100,000 including Gurungs, Brahmins and other ethnic groups living in the surrounding villages.
4. Festivals: Balachuturdashi Festival (around the end of November) is the biggest festival in Panchase where people from all circles of life come to pay their homage to the Mountain Mother where at first they cleanse themselves in the sacred Panchase Lake, make offerings, and start the Panchase climb up to the top during which they offer grains and rice to the earth which symbolizes the re-fertilization of the Mother Earth. Devotees generally wear auspicious red colour dresses. Shivaratri (mid-February), Budda Purnima (full moon, mid-May) and the entire month of Shrawan (mid-July to mid-August) are the other special occasions when devotees come for pilgrimage climb to Panchase. On Buddha Purnima, the auspicious occasion of the birth of Lord Buddha, Holy Books from the 200 years old Gompa near Kusma village is carried around the villages by the devotees during special ceremony