Olangchung Gola

  Olangchung Gola  

The village is tucked away in a remote place and the name of the village is Olangchung Gola. It is a village that takes days to travel from the nearest village.

The old village of Olangchung Gola is situated in the Northern region of Taplejung district.

An ancient village in a remote location near the Tibetan border and they’ve been living here like this for centuries, the word “Gola” literally translates as a market or Bazaar in the local language.

Olangchung Gola is a village where Tibetan salt was traded a long time ago, we can still experience the old traditions and culture thriving there.

The site around Olangchung Gola is wonderful, but unfortunately, tourism hasn’t yet touched this region. It’s not easy to reach Olangchung as well, it’s a long journey, and we have to spend the night along the trail.

The Peaceful walk along the Tamor River is quite pleasant, besides, the landscape is breathtaking as if nature is always welcoming us.

Many of us must’ve considered it an imaginary village or thought about its name, Olangchung Gola, the village is located near Tibet and it’s remained isolated over the years.

It’s remote yet intriguing, hidden yet alive amongst a thriving culture and traditions an unminded diamond of East Nepal, Olangchung Gola.

All the supplies had to be carried from bazaars in Tibet or Nepal, and they had to travel 3-4 days from Taplejung back then. They carried all their supplies on such a long journey. This has been going on for 700-800 years and the situation is not much different even now everything has to be carried.

The walking trail has been really pleasant. it feels as if we’re exploring a park or something like that.

There are old traditional houses that still have wooden roofing. They haven’t used any material other than timber and stones.

There aren’t any neighboring villages nearby, Olangchung Gola consists of around 53 houses and a population of around 200 individuals.

A unique village where the locals store 6 months’ worth of supplies in advance for winter.

Diki Chhoiling Gumba, is situated at the top of the village. The center of faith and spirituality for the whole village and inside the gumba, there is a unique wild mushroom found in the jungle, and the Buddhist chant of ‘Om Mani Padme Hum’ has been etched on this mushroom naturally.

It’s pretty cold there in Olangchung Gola since it’s situated at an altitude of around 3,200M-3,300M from the sea level.

We can reach the village after crossing dozens of mountains after leaving Taplejung.

The locals who follow the Tibetan customs consist of people from Walung castes and the locals also call this place Walung.

We can see pots kept inside each house in the village and these earthen pots have a hole and are placed in the pillars.

It turned out to be an incense-burning pot. These juniper branches are burnt there. Most of the houses in Olangchung Gola are very old and still retain the same condition to this day.

Olangchung Gola can still be considered one of the most remote locations in the world. whereas, just two years ago, Nepal Telecom. 2G networking service has been accessible before that, the primary communication would be the posted service.

The postal service is still operational and the letters are still sent and received. They also have employees in the post office.

After a short hike from the village, you can reach the Nangyur Diki Chholing Gumba. There’s a school right beside the Gumba, which teaches students up to the 5th grade. This monastery is around 800 years old and is very interesting

Gola is exclusively populated by the Walung castes and all of them follow Buddha and his teaching.

The Walung castes are considered peaceful, honest, and very hospitable, they have a deep affinity towards their faith and traditions. They preserve their heritage.

The main occupation of Gola is animal husbandry, besides that, there’s been a significant growth in handicrafts and tourism.

Olangchung Gola is remote, but it holds great potential for tourism. you can immerse yourselves in this pure and pristine village lifestyle, you can visit beautiful Senjema Lake.

There are arrivals of foreign tourists here from time to time but among fellow Nepali, Olangchung Gola is not that popular.

Two major problems in Olangchung Gola, are communication and transportation. Communication is the 2G service but there’s no internet and transportation being the walking trail, but no motorable roads.

Phutuk is a special ceremony done by Lamas in this region especially, the traditional dances, and these dance performance also have their own significance.

The Lamas are also wearing unique garments, and there’s another section where they’re playing their instruments.

The locals set up tents right beside the Gumba and stay here for the festival. They spend the entire time here and the meals are also served there.

The Lamas emerge from the Gumba in their special outfits, their special dance rituals are considered very important.

The head Lama sits in the middle and chants various Mantras and the dance begins once again.

The Lamas emerge from the Gumba once again for another dance ritual, one after the other. They keep emerging from the Gumba in their unique garments and outfits.

The group of Lama and residents have arrived near the Tamor River, they light a fire for world peace and well-being.