Bhalam
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Bhalam was a Village Development Committee, north of
Pokhara Pokhara ( ) is a metropolis, metropolitan city located in central Nepal, which serves as the capital of Gandaki Province. Named the country's "capital of tourism" it is the List of cities in Nepal, second largest city after Kathmandu, with 599,5 ...
in the Valam
Municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...
of
Kaski District Kaski District (, ), a part of Gandaki Province, is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal. The name is disambiguated from Kaskikot, the ancient Kaski Kingdom. The district, with Pokhara as its district headquarter, covers an area of 2,01 ...
, situated in the
Gandaki Zone Gandaki zone () was one of the fourteen zones of Nepal, located in the Western Development Region. It was named Sapta Gandaki after the seven tributaries ( Kali Gandaki, Trishuli, Budhi Gandaki, Marsyangdi, Madi, Seti Gandaki, and Daraundi) ...
of the Western Development Region, located in northern-central
Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...
. In 2015, the VDC was amalgamated with Pokhara. Bhalam is located around 950 m above sea level, 5 km from the city of Pokhara.


Population

At the
2011 Nepal census Nepal conducted a widespread national census in 2011 by the Nepal Central Bureau of Statistics. Working in cooperation with the 58 municipalities and the 3,915 Village Development Committees at a district level, they recorded data from all the m ...
, Bhalam had a population of 4,022.


Literacy & Education

In 2001, 2300 people were literate, 1024 of them were male and 1276 were female. However, a total of 402 inhabitants could not read or write, including 39 males and 363 females. There were 721 people in the Valam region eligible for attending school, but only 434 were actually enrolled in schools (291 males and 143 females). Shree Mahendra Secondary School is only one Secondary Level School in the village. Here currently in 2023, about 350 students attend. It facilitates Technical Steam or
Plant Science Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially their anatomy, taxonomy, and ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who specialises in this field. "Plant" and "botany ...
or Agricultural Stream from Grade 9 to Grade XII.


Marital status

According to the 1991 census, 2118 people were identified as having a
marital status Civil status, or marital status, are the distinct options that describe a person's relationship with a significant other. '' Married'', '' single'', '' divorced'', and ''widowed'' are examples of civil status. ''Civil status'' and ''marital st ...
.; 15 of these were identified as being married with more than one spouse (
polygamy Polygamy (from Late Greek , "state of marriage to many spouses") is the practice of marriage, marrying multiple spouses. When a man is married to more than one wife at the same time, it is called polygyny. When a woman is married to more tha ...
).


Structure

Like in many other villages of Nepal, the
Gurungs Gurung (exonym; ) or Tamu (endonym; Gurung: ) are a Tibetan ethnic group living in the hills and mountains of Gandaki Province of Nepal. Gurungs speak Tamu kyi which is a Sino-Tibetan language derived from the Tibeto-Burman language family. ...
live in higher parts of the village (mainly Dadagaun and Bhathal), and the
Brahmin Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...
s and Kshtrees inhabit the lower regions of Valam Phant, Rayalechaur and Khora. Some
dalits Dalit ( from meaning "broken/scattered") is a term used for Untouchability, untouchables and Outcast (person), outcasts, who represented the lowest stratum of the Caste system in India, castes in the Indian subcontinent. They are also called ...
live in both upper and lower parts. The village now have some number of facilities. There have been Paved roads builds that give some relaxation during the monsoon season. Now during the monsoon now there is access to the market to sell goods, and income can be generated from both during the monsoon from agriculture and selling goods. As a consequence, having improved facilities large-scale migration to neighbouring cities has taken place and even emigration to foreign countries, leaving the village almost empty. Day by day many youths are leaving the village for good opportunity and employment.


Culture

Although not generally known for its rich traditions, Bhalam has become known because of its HariHar Cave (Gupha), being a religious site for Hindu. Every year a fair ( mela) is held by local youths at the occasion of the
Holi Holi () is a major Hindu festival celebrated as the Festival of Colours, Love and Spring.The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) p. 874 "Holi /'həʊli:/ noun a Hindu spring festival ...".Yudit Greenberg, Encyclopedia of Love in World ...
(or Phagu Purnima) the 3-day festival of colours. Volleyball competitions are held and dances are performed, attracting citizens in and around Pokhara. Another large event is the annual athletic competition of the British Gurkha recruits each carrying 25 kg of weights to the highest point of the village.


Local Life

People are engaged in agriculture, government and private jobs for their livelihood. Most local people are Hindus, Buddhists and Christians living in the village. Gurung, Sharki, Damai, Kaami, Newar, Brahaman, and Chhetri ethnicities exist in and around Bhalam contributing to a mixture of people and traditions. Festivals celebrated in Bhalam include Dashain, Tihar, Teej, Lhosar, and Janai Purnima etc. Every year a fair is held during different occasions such as Holi, which is an exciting festival of colors.


Major attractions

Major attractions of this place are impressive caves in the area, including the Harihar Cave and Birendra Cave which attracts many tourists. Located north of the Khola River is the Hari Har Ghupa, a religious site for Hindu people. The site is located along the Bhalam Dandagaun Road. Bhalam offers visitors an opportunity to experience genuine rural Nepal life while keeping the conveniences of
Pokhara Pokhara ( ) is a metropolis, metropolitan city located in central Nepal, which serves as the capital of Gandaki Province. Named the country's "capital of tourism" it is the List of cities in Nepal, second largest city after Kathmandu, with 599,5 ...
reasonably accessible. The contrast between city and country is no more obvious than when travelers take the option to walk from the busy, noisy streets of Pokhara, dodging motorbikes and crowds to find themselves on peaceful, ambling paths among
tradition A tradition is a system of beliefs or behaviors (folk custom) passed down within a group of people or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common e ...
al buildings of Bhalam.


References


External links


UN map of the municipalities of Kaski District
{{Kaski District Populated places in Kaski District