Butwal, October 27
Tilottama Municipality in Rupandehi has added a new tourism attraction by opening a musical water fountain at Kunj Park in Kunjalapur, Ward 6, built for Rs 12.6 million.
According to resident Lok Pun, who conceptualised Kunj Park and the fountain, it is Nepal’s first nighttime musical water fountain.
The fountain, built as a flagship project of Tilottama Municipality, was inaugurated by Mayor Ram Krishna Khand and Deputy Mayor Jageshwari Devi Chaudhary on Monday evening. It is located on the western side of a one-bigha pond within the seven-bigha park.
The fountain features water jets that move in rhythm with music, complemented by colourful lighting that creates an attractive visual display, adding a new dimension to the park.
According to Baburam Poudel, chief administrative officer of Tilottama Municipality, the fountain was completed at a cost of Rs 12.6 million. Its detailed project report had estimated the cost at around Rs 15 million, but the construction contractor completed the work for Rs 12.6 million, he said.
The site, which was previously used as grazing land and covered with thorny bushes, began to be developed into a park in 2009 by the local Jharana Sports Club and a group led by Lok Pun and Dhananjaya Poudel. They started clearing the overgrown vegetation and developing the area.
Mayor Khand said the municipality had moved forward with plans to develop Kunj Park as a centre for nighttime tourism. It also plans to introduce an integrated park tourism package covering other parks in the municipality, including Ban Batika, Bawannkoti, Tilottama Park, Siddhartha Peace Park and Jamuhani Park.
“We plan to promote tourism by linking Kunj Park with other tourist destinations in Tilottama,” Khand said. “Visitors will be encouraged to explore all the parks, which is expected to extend their stay and benefit local businesses.”
Deputy Mayor Chaudhary said the municipality aimed to increase tourist arrivals and stimulate the local economy by boosting investment in tourism infrastructure.
She pledged that the municipality would take the necessary initiatives to make Kunj Park, which has historical, religious and tourism significance, more organised and attractive.
Ganesh Pathak, chairperson of Ward 6, said the municipality had continued allocating budgets for infrastructure development based on priorities as the park attracted increasing numbers of visitors. He expressed confidence that investment in tourism would contribute to building a prosperous Tilottama.
Kunj Park features boating on the pond, picnic shelters, gardens, a children’s play area, a café and landscaped green spaces. The park also houses the old Somai Mai Temple and other religious and natural heritage sites. These features have helped establish it as a destination combining recreation, leisure and religious significance.
The local community and Jharana Sports Club have played an active role in conserving and managing the park. Lok Pun said the initiative was launched with the aim of promoting local sports while developing a scenic tourist destination.
More than 300 domestic and foreign visitors visit the park daily. It generates annual revenue of more than Rs 5 million.
The park has also leased four bighas of land belonging to the adjoining Uma Basic School for 30 years. The land has been used to develop walking paths, green spaces and other recreational facilities.
The post Kunj Park adds musical water fountain to boost nighttime tourism in Tilottama appeared first on OnlineKhabar English News.