Ghunsa () is a village of
Taplejung
Taplejung District ( ne, ताप्लेजुङ जिल्ला ) is one of 77 districts of Nepal and one of the 14 districts of Province No. 1. It is remotely located in the Himalayas in Eastern Nepal with Tibet to the north across the ...
,
Nepal at elevation of 3,475 m and is a major check point for Mt.
Kangchenjunga. This village came into attention after the helicopter accident that killed 24 passengers including most prominent figures in conservation work.
Inhabitants
The local called themselves
Gunsa(wa)pa. They can be classified under larger
Walung-ngas tribe.
The local language spoken by Gunsawa is Ghunsake, a variation of
Walungge
Central Tibetan, also known as Dbus, Ü or Ü-Tsang, is the most widely spoken Tibetic language and the basis of Standard Tibetan.
''Dbus'' and ''Ü'' are forms of the same name. ''Dbus'' is a transliteration of the name in Tibetan script, , whe ...
family,
Walungge
Central Tibetan, also known as Dbus, Ü or Ü-Tsang, is the most widely spoken Tibetic language and the basis of Standard Tibetan.
''Dbus'' and ''Ü'' are forms of the same name. ''Dbus'' is a transliteration of the name in Tibetan script, , whe ...
. Ethnologue. Retrieved 2017-02-14. "Walungge" of Central Tibetan language.
Most inhabitants involves themselves in
subsistence farming and
yak
The domestic yak (''Bos grunniens''), also known as the Tartary ox, grunting ox or hairy cattle, is a species of long-haired domesticated cattle found throughout the Himalayan region of the Indian subcontinent, the Tibetan Plateau, Kachin Sta ...
grazing. The main crops grown are
maize and
potatoes. Until recently, many households were semi-nomadic in their quest for capital, with the exception of a few trading families. But thanks to the opening of the
Kangchendzonga circuit, more young people are now employed in the tourism sector.
Access
Ghunsa can be accessed from Taplejung in three days walk along the bank of
Tamur River. The trail passes by numerous waterfalls and rivulets making it popular among the trekkers all around the world.
Facilities
*Hotels: There are few hotels that serves for the tourist and local travelers.
*Health post: There is one health post in this village
*Education: The Ghunsa community is currently served by a six-government-staffed school that was built with the support of a group of climbers from San Francisco.
*Microhydro:
35 kw microhydrohas been constructed and is under operation. Water from Ghunsa river is used to run the turbines of this plant. The energy has served to reduce local deforestation and also helped to flourish tourism in neighboring village.
References
{{Reflist
Populated places in Nepal