Bhratang is characterized by large apple orchards. Although nowhere near to
Marpha's orchards in scale, Bhratang can be considered the wannabe Marpha of
the Marshyangdi valley. According to the landowners, apples here are grown
from seeds flown in from Italy and Serbia. But the apples on the other side of
the Thorung Pass are definitely better tasting. Bhratang is historically
significant because it used to be a Tibetan refugee village comprising mostly
of Khampa rebels. Khampas or the Tibetan warriors who put up an armed
resistance (secretly backed by the CIA) against the People's Liberation Army
of Mao Tse Tung's China once settled down here controlling the traffic up and
down the Manang valley. They did so by installing a gate on the bridge at the
choke point here. Nowadays there are two bridges, a suspension bridge and a
steel bridge for the motors. By the way, there are two Bhratangs as well. The
old Bhratang is across the Marshyangdi river to the south where the refugee
settlement used to be and the new or the current one is on the north side
amongst apple orchards. But as of now, Bhratang is just a one tavern affair.
Bhratang holds special importance geographically as well as this is the last
village of the Gyasumdo region. Just after Bhratang, there is a sharp turn
made by the Marshyangdi river which stops the monsoon rains from reaching the
Nyeshang region which is why the region is dry and barren.