Chum Valley : Where Animal Sacrifice is Restricted
Chum Valley
Background:
Animal slaughter is prohibited in the Chum Valley in Chumanubri village in Nepal’s Gorkha district. The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation of the Government of Nepal has selected Chumbhavali in Gorkha district as one of the 100 new tourist destinations identified. Chumbhalya has also been given the responsibility of attracting 2 million foreign tourists to Nepal by celebrating the year 2020 as the Nepal Tourism Year.
Introduction
Chum Valley is a valley in the east-north region of Gorkha district with a very ancient Buddhist culture. The special meaning of the word kiss is east. It is also known as the area of non-violence. Chumunubri village municipality of Gorkha – 6 Chumchet and 7 Chhekampar two wards are called Chum Upatyaka. The Chum Valley, which has about 800 households, is never slaughtered.
Chhekampar was declared a non-violence zone in 1977 BS and Chumchet in 2069 BS. The locals have expressed their commitment not to commit any act of violence in the area by setting up four forts in the village by holding Ahimsa (Syakya) festival. Here are the commitments:
1. Do not kill any animals
2. Not to hunt
3. Do not extract honey
4. Don’t light a fire
5. Do not allow animals and birds to enter the non-violence zone for meat purposes
Similarly, a commitment has been made not to kill any animal or sell it to a person who eats meat and not to kill the calf calf even after it is old enough to give work. Even the policemen living in the police station of this village bordering China are not allowed to kill. Hundreds of foreign tourists visiting Chumbhavalli are not allowed to eat meat as the hotels are all vegetarian.
This area is more than an open museum of animals. The animals and birds here have a family connection with man. Hundreds of foreign tourists visiting Chumbhavalli are not allowed to eat meat as the hotels are all vegetarian. The Panchasheel of Buddhism is followed in this valley.
Importance
There are monasteries here that are more than 700 years old. Peaceful rites and culture, ancient Buddhist mani, kani, chhorten, chaitya, monuments and Tibetan culture have a special significance.
Religious and cultural significance
There is no slaughter in Chum Upatyaka. This is the non-violence zone of the valley. Wildlife is also abundant. So it feels like an open museum in the valley. The handwritten documents of the Chum Valley residents are still safe, as evidenced by the fact that the Chum Valley has been a non-violent area for many years.
Narendra Lama, tourism officer of the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), has prepared a research paper on the area. According to him, the place has been described as a safe area in case of religious crisis in the country. Buddhist monks have also described the area as a hidden side, a unique place to hide, and have been identified as the safest place of refuge in times of crisis in Buddhism.
Historical and mythological beliefs
Since there is a large Buddhist community here, there are Buddhist monks and nuns. The world’s oldest Defu Dolma monastery (Ani) monastery is located in this area. It is said to have been established about 820 years ago. At the time of its establishment, about five hundred nuns lived in the monastery. There, along with daily worship lessons, he also studied Buddhism. Similarly, Mu Gumba (monk), Rachen Ani (monk) Gumba, Milarepa cave and other monasteries are also found in this area. Natural beauty Ganesh Himal 1,2,3, 4,5, Buddhist Himal and Sringi Himal surround the valley. It is also a good place to see these mountains.
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Biodiversity
The forests of the area are rich in wild animals such as deer, squirrel, musk deer, kaliz, scarecrow and munal and fa (mouse in the local language), langur monkey. In the area also known as the open zoo, Jharal Noir grazes around the musk house. Wild animals also play with humans. This area, which falls within the Manaslu Conservation Area, is also known as the Open Zoo. The locals of Yaha raise animals only for milk, curd, ghee and churpi. They do not sell their animals to anyone else for slaughter.
Tourism promotion
‘Chum Valley’ is a less popular but popular tourist destination in Nepal. This area has been known worldwide as a non-violent area since 1977 BS. This is the 94th anniversary of the declaration of non-violence. It is believed that cattle and poultry have not been slaughtered in the area for over a century. But Chum Valley has been overshadowed by a lack of publicity.
Tourist potential
Many foreign tourists visit this valley which falls under the Manaslu tourist footpath.
How to reach
Chum Upatyaka is 50 km away from the Gorkha district headquarters. The area is about a five-day walk from the Gorkha headquarters.
