Picturesque Sundevi Lake in shadow due to lack of publicity

KANCHANPUR: Nestled inside dense forest in the Chure hill range, the Sundevi Lake is stunningly picturesque. It looks golden dazzling when the sun’s rays are reflected in the lake water, hence, the name Sundevi. Gold is ‘sun’ in Nepali.

This beautiful lake is in Shuklaphanta Municipality-8.

The chirping of different species of birds adds music to the enchanting beauty of the lake surroundings.

While on a stroll around the lake, one can see deer, wild boar, monkeys, hedge hogs as well as birds like peacock, barn owl, hornbills flying around in the forest area. The scenery of different species of flowers blooming in the forest area is also eye-catching.

The water in Sundevi Lake, which is 400 meters long and 200 meters wide, sometimes looks blue and sometimes yellow when wind blows over it. Although there is a dense forest area around the lake, no leaves are seen in the lake.

Surrounded by hills all around, it is very difficult to fathom the width and length of this lake from anywhere. Although fish are found in most of the lakes in the Chure region, this lake has no fish.

There is a small temple of goddess Sundevi near the lake, where local people come for worshipping.

The fact that there are old bells dating to 1673 installed at the shrine confirms that the area has been a religious destination since ancient times.

There is a belief that childless couples will be blessed with children if they pray and take a vow to make offerings to the goddess Sundevi near the lake. A large number of devotees visit the temple during the Navratri festival.

Durga Dutta Bhatta, a local social worker, said that devotees come here for worship and vows during Navratri, Dashain, Tihar and Maghe Sankranti festivals.

However, this idyllic place in Kanchanpur district is in the shadows due to the lack of publicity. There is no road for vehicles here so far. Visitors have to walk to this place.

Although one can take vehicle for eight kilometres up to the Watawaran Madhyawarti Samudayik Ban from the East-West highway, it is a five-kilometre trek beyond that to reach the Sundevi Lake.

Due to lack of publicity and road transport, only a few domestic and spiritual tourists have been reaching this area.

“This area should be developed into a religious tourism destination. Road should be constructed. Local youths can be provided employment opportunities in the village if it is developed into a tourism site,” Bhatta said, adding that the local government should pay attention for the same.

According to local residents, Stationpur area, about seven kilometers south of the lake, was once used by the then British rulers as a railway station for transporting timber. This shows that it is a historic place. The area where the railway station is located is now known as Stationpur and the place where the British flag was installed is now known as Jhandabojh.

Kanchanpur district was once a British domain when the East India Company ruled over India. The British rulers later handed over the district to Nepal during the reign of Junga Bahadur Rana, in return for Rana’s support to them to quash the Lucknow Revolt in 1857.