Know Dolakha

DolakhakoSanskritikSampada(Cultural Heritages of Dolakha) authored by Yagya Kumar Pradhan, published by Praveen Pradhan, 2017 (Second Edition). Pages 334, Price Rs. 275

Many people know Dolakha for Jiri, BhimsenTemple, Kalinchowk, and lately the Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project, but it is a district with great historical, cultural, archaeological and natural importance. It has greater importance in terms of history and culture. It has the Gauri Shankar peak, highest point in the district which is unconquered by any human being so far, and is the basis of Nepali time which is 5 hours and 45 minutes faster than the GMT. A small township, Jiri, is the gateway to the highest peak in the world, Mt. Everest.

The district that borders with Ramechhap and Solukhumbu in the east, Sindhupalchowk in the west, Tibet in the north and Ramechhap in the south, has two great glacier lakes – Tchho-Rolpa and BahulaPokhari, rivers like Tamakoshi and Bhotekoshi, and is rich in minerals such asmagnesite, slate and iron. It is estimated that about 3,000 megawatts of electricity can be generated from the rivers in Dolakha.

The history of Dolakha district dates back to the Dwapar Yuga or Mahabharat era. According to the myth, Pandavas had been to Dolakha to worship the Gauri Shankar and goddess Tripura Sundari before going underground after losing everything in gambling with Kauravas. Historian Babu Ram Acharya was of the view that the first human settlement was established in Dolakha around 7^th century and it had close ties with the Kathmandu Valley. According to the documented history, Kirti Singh was the first known ruler of Dolakha who ruled the small kingdom in the 15^th century. Indra Singh Dev, who was the king of Dolakha in the sixteenth century created the first coin in Nepal. The coin supported the trade with Tibet greatly.

Dolakha has diversity in terms of people with Brahmin, KshetriTamang, Thami, Jirel, Surel, Kami, Damai, Newar, Kusule, Kasahi and people belonging to various other castes and ethnicities living here. It has rich wood and stone carving history as well as music and arts. It has Bhimsen Temple in historic Dolakha Bazar. It is believed that when Bhimsen came here to request Shringa Yogi to worship the God on their behalf, he established triangular statues of fivePandavas and their mother Kunti.

Likewise, KalinchowkBhagawati is another religious and tourist destination. It's five miles away from the district headquarters, Charikot, and is located at an altitude of 12,586 feet. Kalinchowk area is famous for different kinds of rhododendrons, other flowers and herbs. There is no idol in Kalinchowk but a small pond-like structure.

There are myriads of things that people want to know about Dolakha. Yagya Kumar Pradhan has made the task easy with a book 'DolakhakoSanskritikSampada' (Cultural Heritages of Dolakha). The 334-page volume gives you every piece of information about the district from its history, relation with the kingdoms in the Kathmandu Valley during the Lichchivi and Malla era and before that, people, their culture and lifestyle to business and potentials.

The book is divided into three sections – history, culture, and documents and artefacts. Pradhan has presented various mantras and hymns in the book and many attractive photographs. A separate section that presents the meanings of various historical documents, plaques and stone carvings has added to the quality of the book. 

The writer has described each and every historical and religious heritage, be that big or small, and has given the details of the monument and the myth behind it.

Pradhan has set a trend in terms of documenting the necessary information about a district including its history, culture and anthropology. The book is worth reading and keeping in one's collection. 

Published in The Rising Nepal Daily.