Nepalgunj, 7 February: The ‘Tour de Thakurdwara’ cycle tour to promote tourism in Banke and Bardiya has been launched today. The cycle tour, organized by the Nepalgunj Cycling Club, was inaugurated by Lumbini Province’s Minister for Industry, Tourism and Transport Prachanda Bikram Neupane, MP and RPP General Secretary Dr. Dhawal Shamsher Rana, and Nepalgunj Sub-metropolitan City Deputy Mayor Kamaruddin Rai.
On that occasion, Minister Neupane mentioned that cycling tours will help in promoting tourism. MP Dr. Rana suggested that it would be more effective if a program like Tour de Thakurdwara from Nepalgunj to Rara was organized. The club organizes Tour de Thakurdwara every year to promote the religious tourism sites of Banke and Bardiya. This year, 140 cyclists from Nepal, India and China are participating.
The journey, which began from the famous Shaktipeeth Bageshwori Temple in Nepalgunj, will travel about 100 kilometers and end at Thakurdwara in Bardiya. 29 people from India and one from China, including world cyclist Pushkar Shah, are participating in the journey. Club President Pradeep Sapkota said that such programs will help support the Ghumai Bardiya Thakur 2025 program announced by the Lumbini Provincial Government through cycling events.
The route of the journey, estimated to cost Rs. 2.7 million, starts from Bageshwori Temple, goes around the market, passes through Kohalpur, Kedareshwor Dham, Bansgadhi, Satkhalwa, Baidi, Babai and ends at Thakur Baba Temple, covering a distance of 100 kilometers.
