Fikkal (Ilam), 04 December: There is a rush of religious tourists in Mangsebung. Mangsebung (Larumba) located in Mangsebung Rural Municipality-5, which is known as the center of faith of Kirat believers, has been visited by religious tourists. On the occasion of the 71st birth anniversary of Kirat religious guru Atmanand Lingden, Kirat devotee Mangsebung has attended. Kirat followers who are celebrating the birth anniversary of the religious leader as a religious festival gather in Mangsebung every year on the first week of December.
Since Monday, Mangsebung has been full of religious tourists from the country and abroad. All hotels and homestays here are full. Kalpana Lingden, president of Mangsebung Community Homestay, said that arrangements have been made for religious tourists who are not staying in hotels and homestays to stay in local homes.
There are about a dozen registered hotels and 15 homestays and dozens of unregistered hotels and homestays. All of them are full of religious tourists”, she said. “Religious tourists who are not staying here have been arranged to stay in local houses.” She said that all the houses here are kept as homestays during religious festivals. Hotel owner Sukdal Seling said that more than 20,000 religious tourists have gathered in Mangsebung. “Religious tourists continue to come here, all the lodges are full”, he said, “They are kept in the houses of local residents as they cannot be accommodated in hotels.”
There are about 700 households of Kirat religious people living in that area. Ward President Narendra Kumar Rai said that the religious festival held every year in the third week of November has helped in local income generation by promoting business here. “The gathering of religious tourists here has helped in promoting the business of the locals”, said President Rai.
Thousands of tourists from the country and abroad have come to celebrate the birthday. Thousands of religious tourists have come to Mangsebung from various regions of Nepal including India, Bhutan, Burma, Britain, America, Australia, Denmark etc. Various religious programs are held on the occasion of the religious guru’s birthday celebration. Chief organizer Kirat Angsi Mangenan Service Committee Chairman Kehar Singh Yonghang said that the birthday celebration, which was inaugurated by Defense Minister Manbir Rai on Tuesday, will continue till Thursday.
President Yonghang said that on Wednesday, a religious sermon by religious leader Atmanand Lingden along with blessing reading, distribution of gifts, distribution of letters of thanks, and release of booklets have been scheduled. Similarly, on Thursday, he said, there is a farewell program along with Mangena rice distribution. Atmanand Lingden born on 3 December 1955 in Chukchinamba Agoutebari of Mangsebung Rural Municipality-2 Evang is running a campaign of religious, cultural and social transformation to complete the unfinished work of national hero Falgunanda Lingden. He is considered as a worshiper of truth, peace and non-violence by the followers of Kirat religion.
In Mangsebung, which is known as the main faith center of the Kirat religion, the religious leader’s birthday is attended by distinguished people from the state every year. Mangsebung area is a no smoking area. People who go there from outside are also prohibited from consuming meat and any kind of alcoholic beverages, tobacco and cigarettes.
In Limbu language, Mang means god (God) and Sebung means chosen place, i.e. the place chosen by god (God). Atmanand Lingden, the religious leader, made that area a work place. Mangsebung can be reached by taking a dirt road about 13 km north from Damak in Jhapa. But those who go there say that after reaching the religious place Mangsebung, they feel really happy. Mangsevung can be reached after traveling 35 km through Birtamod-Khudunabari-Danabari in Jhapa.
