Paradise lost

A pristine, clear blue river sandwiched between jagged, rocky ranges seemed like a beautiful mirage displayed on the projector screen mounted at the wall in front of us. This stunning image of a trekking destination in Nepal, langtang, ignited the nomad within us. We had decided to attend a presentation by Deb Mukharji on Remembering langtang at IIC. “A not so popular trekking destination, the small village of langtang was completely obliterated by forces which even man cannot control, the April 2015 Nepal Earthquake,” said Mukharji. 

An uncrowded terrain, langtang is a region in the Himalayas that borders Tibet. With shadows of the past crossing his face, Mukharji told us, “When I was approached for this project, I decided to name it Remembering langtang, but this can perhaps also be called Reckoning of langtang.” For this presentation Mukharji had carefully selected and compiled about 50 photographs from his 2,000 trip of this hidden paradise. 

Eight hours by road through Syabru Beansi, which is a 100-odd km from Kathmandu, one can start trekking to langtang the next day till the last habitat, known as Kyangin Gompa. The trek takes about three to four days depending on the speed of the trekkers. Mukharji fondly recalled, “This trek offers an experience not found elsewhere. The trails are challenging with long steep climbs and descents, often with deep forests all across.” His 2000 trip taken with a group of six was to be relived again this year.

He told us, “It was in April 2015 that we decided to trek langtang again. At around 12:45 pm we were at the arrival lounge of Tribhuvan airport, Kathmandu, waiting for baggage clearance, on our way to Syabru Beansi on the Bhote Kosi River, the base for our trek to Kyangin Gompa in the upper reaches of the langtang. All at once, the room started shaking violently in uncoordinated motions and a roar of destruction could be heard somewhere. It was a fearful moment with people running under the tarmac to reach safety.” 

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake, which rocked the city of Kahthmandu had its epicentre in the Gorkha region. “Naturally help reached the people in Kahthmandu, Sindhupal Chowk and Gorkha, but the isolated village of langtang was forgotten in this mayhem. News of the level of destruction of this region reached the authorities several days after the quake,” shared Mukharji. The earthquake had triggered an avalanche in the mountains that wiped out the village of langtang.

Around 450 people lived in this remote village, which had a towering rocky mountain shadowing it. It was believed that this mountain would protect them against all odds. But Mukharji pointed out, “Just behind this mountain rises larang lirung, the villain in this saga. At 7,234 metres, this snow covered peak is four metres higher than the rocky mountain and is directly above the village. When the earthquake struck, a mix of ice, mud and rocks climbed high into the sky over the rock wall and rained down on the settlement.” 

Through his curated photographs, the former Indian ambassador to Nepal and China took us on a journey of how langtang used to be. Nestled between two icy ranges, the valley of langtang was displayed on the huge projector screen. We experienced the glorious pine trees and the sturdy bamboos, the bright blue gentians, majestic yaks grazing about and the magnificent sunrises with white specks of the icy mountains in the background. We passed through the Ganja la Pass, visited the langtang village, saw Kyangin Gompa and the settlement of Ghodatabela and trailed alongside the destructive yet beautiful langtang River.

This display of pictures was peppered with lively anecdotes by Mukharji. He revealed, “In a land of yaks, langtang too, essentially means to follow the yak. langshisha Kharka, which is on the way to Kyangin Gompa is sprinkled sporadically with red stones. Folklore has it that the name means the lost yak and that the skinning of yaks in this region over the years has painted the stones red.” 

A photograph of two smiling children and their mother, her face etched with hard lines sitting beside an earthen oven popped up on the screen. Mukharji's face contorting into a painful smile,he shared, “This picture has a story attached to it. It was the first day of our trek and we had planned to reach lama Hotel where we were supposed to spend the night.

But with the night quickly approaching, as is common in the hills, we were stranded as some of the trail had disappeared and finding our way in the night when headlamps were uncommon was not a possible solution. It was a German lady, trekking through the treacherous mountains, who offered us help and guided us to a local household. The people in this photograph took us in and gave us food and shelter for the night. They themselves stayed in the kitchen and made us stay in the family room.”

The tragic beauty, langtang, has ceased to exist. Where one could earlier see a cluster of small buildings is now covered by debris. More than a hundred villagers and trekkers still lie buried in this lost paradise. The neighbouring settlements and Ghodatabela were also destroyed during the tumult that Nepal witnessed. “The Gompa which is at least 600 years old would have also been destroyed in the avalanche. I have tried to inquire about the damage to it but have received no information so far,” said Mukharji.

His love for Nepal is apparent. looking at him sharing his journey undertaken 14 years back, silently mourning the loss of an alluring place that used to be, he narrated an expressive account of the ever-changing langtang landscape, its flower-filled fields and lush green forests, the scattered monasteries and guesthouses. His presentation gave us an impressive sight of the langtang Glacier and its rustic villages. 

Mukharji explained, “Such calamities are a part of nature. I think Nepal has been fortunate that it did not suffer the demolition it had in the 1934 Nepal-Bihar earthquake recorded at 8.2 that wiped out cities. The ever increasing buildings and the rising tourist footfall has put the country in a precarious position if another such quake strikes.” With a heavy heart he also added, “The future of langtang looks bleak. It was a village that had flourished through the hard work of its people. The funds now required to reconstruct it are over Rs.10 lakhs. Home to a meagre population, revival of this heavenly abode does not seem to be the priority at the moment.”