The enticing flowers of Panchase have not just taken up space within a lyric of a famous Nepali song, but also been a boon for the tourism industry. 

Resting on the lap of the Himalayas, Panchase is a complete package with its pristine beauty, topographical diversity to go with the blend of historic, religious and cultural hue. Panchase that abuts Kaski, Syangja and Parbat districts is a place of bio-diversity and is home to endangered bird species of the world. In case you have not noticed, Panchase is also the source of the renowned Fewa lake. 

The world famous rhododendron, Sunkhari, Leksallo among other flowers are the staple products of the area. 

Panchase is also known as the depot of endangered herbs and herbal medicine. The world's endangered herbs as Satuwa, Chattre Unyu and Loth Salla have existed since the time of dinosaurs. 

Panchase lies at a height ranging from 800 to 2,517 meters above the sea level which tells us of its diverse topography. The mountain ranges of Mt Dhaulagiri, Mt Annapurna, Mt Manaslu and Mt Ganesh can be seen from Panchase, which is the source of Fewa lake, and rivers like Rati, Jare, Andhi and Seti. 

Panchase Conserved Forest Main Council Chairman, Gopal Gurung, said that Panchase area has recently seen a boon in religious tourism and is considered ideal for trekking with youths flocking to the area for the purpose. 

The area lies at a distance of 28 kilometers from Pokhara, making it one of the attractive trekking destinations from the scenic city. It is home to animals like tiger, bear, deer and many species of birds. 

Panchase's conservation efforts are being undertaken with the Ecosystem based Adaptation (EbA) programme under the joint economic and technical support of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). 

The programme is being practiced for containing the impact and risk of the climate change on ecosystem, its management and rehabilitation. 

UNEP Consultant and environmentalist, Purna Chandralal Rajbhandari, said awareness programmes were being launched in the communities in Panchase for management of the community based ecosystem. Under the programmes, the locals are encouraged to produce tea, coffee, vegetables and organize Home Stay schemes as well as mounting necessary measures for bio-diversity conservation. 

Local resident, Lal Bahadur Gurung, said the project has motivated the people to get engaged in productive works and protect the environment. 

Laxmi Gurung, who runs a Home Stay at Damdame area in Panchase, said tourists are flocking to her place. A total of nine Home Stay registered in the district are running in full commercial capacity. RSS