Marpha
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Marpha
| other_name =
| native_name = मार्फा
| nickname =
| settlement_type = Village
| motto =
| image_skyline = Marpha , Mustang.jpg
| imagesize = 300px
| image_caption = Marpha Bazar (Market)
| image_flag =
| image_seal =
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| pushpin_map = Nepal Gandaki Province#Nepal
| pushpin_label_position = bottom
| pushpin_mapsize = 300
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Nepal
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{flag|Nepal}}
| subdivision_type1 = Zone
| subdivision_name1 = Dhawalagiri Zone
| subdivision_type2 = District
| subdivision_name2 = Mustang District
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| population_as_of = 1991
| population_footnotes =
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| population_total = 1630
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_blank1_title = Ethnicities
| timezone = Nepal Time
| utc_offset = +5:45
| timezone_DST =
| utc_offset_DST =
| coordinates = {{coord|28|47|24|N|83|40|48|E|type:adm2nd_region:NP_source:unmaps-enwiki|display=inline,title}}
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Marpha is a village in Mustang District in the Dhawalagiri Zone of northern Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 1630 people living in 434 individual households.{{Citation|url=http://www.digitalhimalaya.com/collections/nepalcensus/form.php?selection=1 |title=Nepal Census 2001 |magazine=Nepal's Village Development Committees |publisher=Digital Himalaya |accessdate=15 November 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081012163506/http://www.digitalhimalaya.com/collections/nepalcensus/form.php?selection=1 |archivedate=12 October 2008 }}.
The village is a part of the trekking industry, and has a nearby Tibetan refugee camp. Tibetans from the camp work in the village, supporting the tourist and trekking service sector. It is in a scenic location and apples are an important crop for the area.
Formerly, Marpha was a village development committee (VDC), which were local-level administrative units. In 2017, the government of Nepal restructured local government in line with the 2015 constitution and VDCs were discontinued.{{cite news |url= https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/new-local-level-structure-comes-effect-today/ |title= New local level structure comes into effect from today |date=10 March 2017 |access-date=23 September 2021|website=www.thehimalayantimes.com |publisher=The Himalayan Times}}
Sights
Marpha is a pretty stone lined village which has survived the transition to the current time, by catering to trekkers and tourists. The village is a common overnight halt on the Annapurna Circuit, less crowded and touristy{{citation needed|date=July 2014}} than Jomsom to the north.
The name itself reflects the "mar" meaning hard working and "pha" meaning people. Tourism and mule rearing are the means of survival of the people of this place.{{citation needed|date=April 2012}} Although it has an original Safe Water Drinking station, it now also sports numerous guest houses and small hotels.
The village is the apple capital in the nation, with Marpha brandy and jams produced from local fruits.{{cite news |last1=Brush |first1=Chase |title=The art of making—and drinking—Marpha brandy |url=https://kathmandupost.com/money/2019/08/19/the-art-of-making-and-drinking-marpha-brandy |access-date=24 September 2021 |work=kathmandupost.com |date=19 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924022918/https://kathmandupost.com/money/2019/08/19/the-art-of-making-and-drinking-marpha-brandy |archive-date=24 September 2021 |language=English}}
Dominating the village is the Nyingma monastery from which there are good views of the village and the Gandaki River valley. Above the monastery is a chorten painted onto the cliff face and a number of small stone chortens on the ledges below. Legend says that the villagers became afflicted with leprosy and all attempts to control it had failed. A local monk, originally from Tukuche, south of Marpha, advised the villagers to build the chorten and hold religious rituals at the site. Since that time the leprosy stopped and Marpha flourished once more.{{citation needed|date=July 2014}}
On the southern outskirts of Marpha, on the opposite bank of the Gandaki River is a Tibetan refugee camp and Chhairo gompa, the first Nyingma monastery to be established in Mustang District.
Many of the souvenir shops in Marpha are run by residents of the Tibetan refugee camp.
Climate
Marpha has a cold semi-arid climate (BSk) with cold, dry winters and mild, slightly wet summers.
{{Weather box|width=auto
|metric first=y
|single line=y
|collapsed = Y
|location = Marpha (Thakmarpha), elevation {{convert|2566|m|ft|abbr=on}}, (1976–2005)
|Jan high C = 10.3
|Feb high C = 11.3
|Mar high C = 14.4
|Apr high C = 17.5
|May high C = 19.3
|Jun high C = 21.0
|Jul high C = 21.2
|Aug high C = 21.2
|Sep high C = 19.7
|Oct high C = 16.9
|Nov high C = 13.9
|Dec high C = 11.7
|Jan low C = -2.0
|Feb low C = 0.8
|Mar low C = 1.9
|Apr low C = 4.8
|May low C = 7.9
|Jun low C = 11.4
|Jul low C = 13.2
|Aug low C = 13.0
|Sep low C = 10.6
|Oct low C = 5.2
|Nov low C = 1.4
|Dec low C = -1.1
| year low C =
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 7.3
|Feb precipitation mm = 15.3
|Mar precipitation mm = 31.4
|Apr precipitation mm = 29.5
|May precipitation mm = 32.9
|Jun precipitation mm = 47.0
|Jul precipitation mm = 67.2
|Aug precipitation mm = 63.4
|Sep precipitation mm = 49.4
|Oct precipitation mm = 34.7
|Nov precipitation mm = 7.0
|Dec precipitation mm = 13.2
| year precipitation mm = 402.4
|source 1 = Agricultural Extension in South Asia{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231013221356/https://www.aesanetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/888-Temporal-and-Spatial-Variability-of-Climate-Change-Over-Nepal-1976-2005.pdf
| archive-date = 13 October 2023
| url = https://www.aesanetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/888-Temporal-and-Spatial-Variability-of-Climate-Change-Over-Nepal-1976-2005.pdf
| title = TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL VARIABILITY OF CLIMATE CHANGE OVER NEPAL (1976-2005)
| publisher=Agricultural Extension in South Asia
| access-date = 14 October 2023}}
}}
Gallery
Marpha.JPG
Goats in Marpha.jpg
Mustang-Marpha-06-Schranktransport-2015-gje.jpg
Mustang-Marpha-30-Hauptstrasse-2015-gje.jpg
Mustang-Marpha-Gompa-04-Aufgang-2015-gje.jpg
Mustang-Marpha-Gompa-10-Innenhof-2015-gje.jpg
Mustang-Marpha-Gompa-16-Lhakhang-2015-gje.jpg
Mustang-Marpha-Gompa-25-Padmasambhava-gje.jpg
Mustang-Marpha-Gompa-40-Zeremonialgeraete-2015-gje.jpg
Mustang-Marpha-42-Gompa-Ausblick-2015-gje.jpg
Mustang-Marpha-22-Bergheiligtum-2015-gje.jpg
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.un.org.np/maps/district-maps/western/Mustang.pdf UN map of the municipalities of Mustang District]
{{Mustang District}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Populated places in Mustang District
{{Mustang-geo-stub}}
http://www.marphamonastery.com Website of Marpha Monastery