Pathivara Devi Temple is one of the most significant temples in Nepal, a temple of goddess Pathivara is situated in the top eastern part of Nepal. Temple lies in Taplejung district at the elevation of 3750 meters. It serves as a secondary route of Kanchenjunga trek. It is also considered one of the holy places for the Limbu people. Worshippers from different parts of Nepal and India flock to the temple during special occasions, as it is believed that a pilgrimage to the temple ensures fulfillment of the pilgrims' wishes.
The Goddess Pathibhara is believed to possess supernatural powers and diligently answer devotees' prayers. It is believed that local shepherds lost hundreds of their sheep while grazing at the same place where the temple stands today. The distressed shepherds had a dream in which the Goddess ordered them to carry out ritualistic sacrifice of sheep and build a shrine in her honour. When the sacrifice was offered, the lost herd suddenly returned. The ritual of offering sacrifices inside the temple is believed to have started after the incident.
Pilgrims can also pay visits to monasteries near the Pathivara Temple that are located along Olangchung Gola and Lungchung. There is a waterfall at Sawa and a pond at Timbung and both the autumn and the spring are great times to visit the Pathivara Temple and its environments every year. The ecosystems in the forests that are found along the Pathivara Temple trails provide visitors with an assortment of animals, birds and flowers. Trekkers can also catch a glimpse of the entire Kanchenjunga range in the Pathivara Temple trail.
How to get there
The journey to Pathibhara starts from Suketar (2840m) which takes about 2-hours walk to reach from Phungling Bazaar. Pathibhara Devi is about 8-10 hours from Suketar. The airport at Suketar is the only airport of Taplejung district. Suketar is connected to Kathmandu and Biratnagar by scheduled flights.
