JHARKOT - Seat of Power

Jharkot, also spelled Dzarkot or simply Dzar was a powerful place back in the days. I you visit this village today then you will see a ruined palace which is quite big, a gompa, Tibetan healing center all of which will give a sense that this place indeed had a rich history. Jharkot's power was formidable in the 17th century when the kings of Gunthang dynasty came to settle down here from Jhong. Jharkot had a more fertile land and would be abble to sustain a better life. Seeing the advantage of Jharkot the kings shifted their settlement and continued to be a dominent dynasty in the baragaon (12 villages) region. Back in the days Jharkot was also a pioneer in Tibetan medication and healing. This is still evident because of the medicinal collection and processing center that functions even today. They were also equally good in veterinarian medicine, especially horse medication since horses were very important trade and travel wise. There was a book discovered which had detailed explaination of how to treat a injured, sick horse. The book was very detailed that consisted of sypmtoms, treatment methods and medicines. To this day ancient healing methods and medications are used to treat a person here in Jharkot. There is a healing center inside the premise of Jharkot gompa where you can get a traditional therapy to your aching body.

The palace ruin that sits on the edge of the village is a proof that the kings of Jharkot had intentions of living here for a long time. Some of the rooms of the palace are still in use. The palace is quite big and comprises of many rooms and defines the grandeur of the place back then. There is also a entrance gate with khenis on either side which marks the original smaller settlement of Jharkot. They are very similar to the khenis of Kagbeni, the only difference is that both the male and female khenis are present together in Jharkot. he gompa towards the extreme north of the village is astonishing and has great view of the Muktinath valley and the surrounding villages of Jhong , Putak and Khingar. All in all, the village of Jharkot gives away rustic vibes to a traveller and if one is hungry from all that travelling or simply, if one is trying to answer some bakery cravings then there are some pretty nice bakery here too. And if you are still not amazed by this beautiful village then there is a lodge named 'no name' which tries desperately to amuse.