Arghakhanchi. Tourists visiting Supadeurali have benefited from the expansion and upgradation of gorusinge-sandhikharka road connecting Sandhikharka, the district headquarters of Arghakhanchi, through the East-West Highway.

The journey has become easier these days after widening, constructing drains and blacktopping the old and dilapidated Gorusinge-Sandhikharka section with narrow potholes.

A 68-km road from Gorusinge to sandhikharka, the district headquarters, has been upgraded. Sabin Koirala, division chief and engineer at the Road Division Office, Shivapur, said the road has been widened to seven metres wide in some places and five metres in some places. According to him, 67.5 km road from Gorusinge to Sandhikharka has been blacktopped.

The expansion and repair work of Gorusinge Sandhikharka road connecting Sandhikharka, the district headquarters of Arghakhanchi, through the East-West Highway was progressing at a rapid pace. In the last fiscal year, Rs 10 million was spent on landslide prevention and up-gradation, Rs 15 million on maintenance, Rs 5.5 million on road safety and Rs 20 million on excessive maintenance of roads.

Two landslide removal equipment has been kept ready for regular operation as the road will be blocked due to landslides in the rain. JCV at Thanda and loaders at Narpani have been kept ready, he said.

Division Chief Koirala said that the road from Narpani to Phudbang of Sandhikharka Municipality, Amrai, Ribdi, Sitapur of Shitganga Municipality and Narpani of Sandhikharka Municipality under Gorusinge-Sandhikharka section is at high risk of landslide. According to him, a budget of Rs 84 million has been received for road repair and upgradation in the current fiscal year 2082/83 BS.

According to Koirala, the upgradation of this section has made it easier for religious tourists, especially those visiting the Supadeurali temple as shaktipeeth. He said that domestic and foreign tourists coming to visit the temple have been benefited by being able to travel without any hindrance.

“Earlier, anyone who visited the Supadeurali temple remembered the narrow and scary road on a rocky cliff. The widening of the narrow road on the same rocky cliff has made it easier for religious tourists to visit the temple,” he said.

Division Chief at the Road Division Office, Koirala, said that the road has been expanded by drilling through the use of new technology ‘Rock Anchoz’ as it is a hard rock in the section.

Earlier, the width of the road from Lahurebazar to Supa Temple was 4.5 meters. The Road Division, Shivapur, upgraded the road to nine metres wide.

Satra was struggling due to about 300 meters of hard rock and cliffs from Lahurebazar to Supa Temple on the Gorusinge-Sandhikharka section, which is an old and important route connecting the district headquarters. Chief Koirala said that the wall was constructed using new technology from the Road Division Office, Shivapur.

Hari Khanal, vice-chair of the Temple Conservation Committee, said that it is expected to increase the number of religious tourists visiting Supadeurali, a famous religious place of Nepal, and to promote the hill of Narpani, a tourist destination around Supadeurali.

“Narpanidanda is famous for cold air and cold water. Tourists come here to escape the heat from the Tarai in the summer season as the mountains can be seen with a beautiful view from here. The number of tourists coming from India has also been increasing in recent times,” he said.

According to Chura Bahadur KC, ward chair of Sandhikharka-7, tourists from Arghakhanchi, Kapilvastu, Dang, Pyuthan, Gulmi, Rupandehi and other districts also come here to visit the temple.

Municipality Mayor Krishna Prasad Shrestha said that the municipality has forwarded the work with a plan to take the religious tourists to Argha Bhagwati Temple and Argha Durbar Area, which has the statue of Goddess Bhagwati, the largest statue of Asia, through Khanchikot. According to him, physical infrastructure has been constructed targeting the devotees visiting Supadeurali.

Khanal, vice-chair of the Temple Conservation Committee, said that there is a religious belief that after visiting Supadeurali, the mind will be worried. There is a road built amidst hard rocks and a temple next to the same road. People who have reached high positions in the national and international arena also visit here.

It is believed that if there is any problem, the problem will be solved if Supadeurali takes a vow. For this reason, sacrifices are made here by making goats, goats, vows.