3rd Sarangkot Festival from Friday

POKHARA, Aug 30: Locals of Sarangkot village are organizing 3rd Sarangkot Festival in Sarangkot hills, Kaski, from Friday.

The 10-day festival is being organized by Sarangkot Area Development Coordination Committee.

“Though Sarangkot lies in Pokhara-Lekhnath Metropolitan City and has immense tourism potentials, the area is not getting desired benefits from tourism. We are hopeful that this festival will help to bring more tourists to Sarangkot,” Sushil GC, secretary of the committee, said at a press meet organized on Wednesday.

Sarangkot Social Service Youth Club, Smriti Youth Club and Sarangkot Tourism Development Committee are the co-organizers of the festival.

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The festival will be held at Deurali Patan near the Sarangkot view tower.

The first two editions of the festival were organized in 1997 and 2007. GC, however, said the festival could not get continuity in recent years due to several technical problems.

According to the organizers, the festival will have stalls of agricultural products and organic food. Similarly, local sporting events will also be organized during the festival, according to GC. “We are organizing this festival to promote Sarangkot as a tourist destination,” GC added.

Until few years ago, Sarangkot used to be the starting point of a trekking route to Annapurna Base Camp. But the route is no longer in use these days as trekkers choose to travel directly to Nayapul.

Pushkal Thapa, an advisor to the festival organizing committee, said that Sarangkot should get more tourists. “Despite being so close to Pokhara - the second largest tourist destination in the country, the area is still not getting desired benefits from tourism. We should establish a link between Sarangkot and Pokhara if we are to get more tourists,” he added.

Meanwhile, Roshan Gurung won a mini-marathon organized on the eve of the Sarangkot Fesstival. Sandip BK of Miruwa and Saroj Thapa of Simpani finished second and third in the 10-kilometer race. The winner received cash prize of Rs 10,000 as well as a free paragliding flight, while the first and second runners-up received cash prize of Rs 7,000 and one zip flyer ticket, and Rs 5,000 cash prize, respectively.

Around 90 participants, including some foreign tourists, participated in the mini-marathon that began from Baglung Buspark area.