Nepali border villages empty every winter to escape extreme cold

Residents of Chhangru and Tinkar in the Darchula district of Nepal move to lower elevations every year to escape heavy snowfall and extreme cold.

These two high-altitude villages on the northwestern edge of Nepal become completely deserted for six months. Families from the Sauka community begin a seasonal migration known as kuncha sarne, moving their households and livestock to the district headquarters of Khalanga and other low-lying areas.

Before departing, families perform extensive preparations to ensure they can return in April. Residents spend weeks gathering firewood, drying fodder for livestock, and storing harvests of buckwheat and potatoes. They also sow crops like garlic, peas, and mustard greens, which germinate in their absence so the plants are ready for harvest when they return. The community shares the cost of hiring herders to look after animals left along the route, while families carry milking cows with them on the journey.

The migration involves a week-long trek on foot, which often requires traveling through Indian territory. Residents choose this route because the local trails in Nepal are severely damaged by landslides. Despite government spending on repairs, the mule tracks remain in poor condition, making it difficult for people and livestock to move safely within their own country. The villages remain locked and silent until the spring thaw, at which point the residents return to resume their farming and livestock rearing.