Road closures leave Kagbenidham empty during ritual season

Severe weather events, including heavy precipitation starting on eight September alongside earlier flooding in Rasuwa on ten September, have disrupted transportation links across the region. The resulting landslides blocked the vital Beni-Jomsom highway, leaving access to Kagbenidham severely restricted and causing the number of arriving pilgrims to drop to near zero during the ongoing ritual period. Priest Gautam Koirala, who serves at the dharmashala operated by Akhanda Jyoti Baba Swami Shriji Charitable Trust, noted that numerous religious preceptors who traveled from outside the district have already departed without completing their scheduled ceremonies. In addition, travellers who had previously arranged trips to Mustang are cancelling their lodging reservations in large numbers. Tourism entrepreneur Gurung stated that the adverse weather lasting from eight to eleven September has affected various local sectors, encompassing farming, transportation, and general commerce. While the destination typically attracts upwards of fifty thousand visitors during the Sorthashraddha period, the current conditions have completely halted normal tourist activity and stalled infrastructure development projects throughout the area.