Indian tourists continue to throng Nepal's Muktinath temple three years after PM Modi's visit

Tourists from India continue to throng Muktinath Temple in Nepal's Mustang District even three years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit that boosted the confidence of tourism entrepreneurs in the area.

In 2019, a total of 57,000 foreign tourists visited the district, as per the record kept by Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP).

"The number of Indian tourists is high amongst those foreigners visiting the district. Indian tourists flowing into the district mostly come to perform a pooja at Muktinath Temple. After Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited this place in 2018, the number slowly started onto increase and has remained consistent," Chief of the ACAP office in Jomsom, Tulsi Dahal, said.

In 2018, a total of 59,838 tourists visited Mustang while 52,475 visited the Himalayan district in the year 2017.

"We are experiencing the surge in the last three years. Indian tourists are our frequent guests here as well as the movie and music video production teams come here, which has kept our business on move," Ram Bahadur Gurung, a hotel entrepreneur at Lomanthang of Mustang said.

Muktinath is one of the sacred temples for both the Hindus and Buddhists. Prime Minister Modi in 2018 had visited the place, which made headlines for media in India as well as Nepal highlighting the district.

Lomanthang, Tibetan and Thakali Culture and Arts, Muktinath, Thini, Dhumba Lake, Kaagbeni, Damodarkunda are the major attraction of Mustang. The Upper-Mustang valley is more fascinating with structures made of mud and ancient inhabitance.

( With inputs from ANI )