Since the suspension of the Manakamana cable car on June 15 for maintenance, there has been a significant decline in the number of devotees visiting the Manakamana Temple. The number of visitors has reportedly dropped by around 60%, according to Manakamana’s chief priest, Insaan Thapa Magar.
Thapa Magar explained, “Due to the monsoon season, the number of devotees is naturally lower than in other months. However, compared to last year, there has been a notable 60% reduction in the number of visitors.”
On most days, the temple now sees fewer than a hundred visitors, while Saturdays attract around two to three hundred devotees. Previously, during the peak season, the temple would welcome at least a thousand visitors a day when the cable car was operational.
The decline in visitor numbers has also impacted local businesses in the Manakamana area. Many restaurants and lodges have shut down due to the reduced influx of devotees.
Dinesh Joshi, founding president of the Gorkha Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Manakamana Market Unit, noted, “Almost all the hotels along the path from the upper Cheres to the temple are closed. The lack of cable car services has resulted in fewer visitors walking the path, and there are hardly any people at the temple now.”
He further added that most local business owners are focusing on repairing their hotels. Although some shops on the old road leading to the temple remain open, the number of visitors using the road has decreased due to its poor condition and lack of proper paving.
Joshi pointed out that the road from Ramshahghat is currently closed for asphalt work, and the rough roads leading to Manakamana have been damaged by the rains, further discouraging devotees from traveling by road.
Lilambar Thapa, president of the Gorkha Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Manakamana Market Unit, reported that the decline in visitors has led to a standstill in local businesses, making the area unusually quiet.
