Jomsom
is more correctly known as Dzongsam or New Fort.
It spreads over both the banks of the Kali Gandaki.
The towering peaks of Dhaulagiri and Nilgiri form
an attractive backdrop. Being the district headquarters,
it is primarily an administrative and commercial
center with government officials and merchants
rubbing shoulders with the local inhabitants of
the region, known as the Thakalis. It has a wireless
station, a police station, a bank, a hospital
and a veterinary hospital. A company of the Nepalese
Army is stationed here. Nearby is an airfield,
from where flights operate regularly. However,
due to the strong winds that buffet the area in
the afternoons, the airfield is functional only
in the forenoon.
The
Thakalis living in the Jomsom region and in the
nearby villages of Marpha and Tukuche have been
known for their trading skills. They occupy an
important village on the traditional trade route
between the Gangetic plains of India and Tibet.
The
views from Jomsom are enchanting as the golden
rays of the rising and setting sun are reflected
by the Nilgiri and Dhaulagiri ranges. The entire
panorama is filled with a golden, glittering light
which forms a dramatic contrast with the barren,
black and dry mountains of the surrounding Kali
Gandaki valley. |
