Panchthar: The Chauri Tourism Festival, which has been organized for nine years in the Charrate-Phalot area of Phalelung Rural Municipality of Panchthar, has greatly benefited the Chauri farmers.
Since 2074, the festival, which is being held in the Phalot area at an altitude of 3,500 meters above sea level, has increased Chauri farming and the Chauri products have gained an international market. Chauripalak’s sheds have now become a place for tourists to stay, while infrastructure development is also increasing.
According to Chauripalak Chandralal Nepal, the Owner and Leader of Phalot Yak Gothbas, Chauripalak, the enthusiasm of the Chauri shepherds has increased since the festival started. There were 18 cowsheds in the Phalot area in the last 74 years, but now there are 31 cowsheds.
“Young people and women are attracted to the profession. Before it was customary for only men to live in the cowshed”, he said. “The cowsheds have improved more than before. Now arrangements have been made to keep the tourists in the barn. Which is called ‘Goth-Bas’ (Goth-Stay). Shepherds are attracted towards tourism. But Gothbas has not been implemented in all Goths. Now only 10-12 sheds can accommodate tourists. About 150 people can live here in these sheds from Sandakpur Ahal to Phalot.
At least five thousand tourists come annually to Nepal. Due to heavy rains in June, July and August, it is difficult for tourists to reach and stay as the sheds are swept towards the village. Before, only Chauri ghee and Churpi were produced there, but now cheese is being produced and sold. It is said that because of the festival, handicrafts have found a market, government agencies have started to help and tourists have started arriving.
According to Ramchandra Gurung, President of Kanchenjungha Yak Cheese Producers Group, a group of Chauri farmers in Charrate, Three Borders and other areas of Phalelung, the number of Chauri has been increasing in recent years. The number of people who earn their livelihood based on cattle breeding has also increased and the development of tourism has been greatly helped. The main reason for this is the increasing number of tourists. After the Chauri festival brought in tourists, Chauri materials have started fetching good prices.
According to Gurung, Chauri’s bones are also sold. Horns and tails are also sold. As many of the materials of Chauri are used in religious/cultural activities, shepherds earn income in many ways.
Recently, efforts are being made to develop new species of Chauri by bringing in new yaks, which has increased the number of Chauri. According to Gurung, efforts are being made to produce advanced varieties by bringing yaks from the mountainous areas of Taplejung and Bhutan, in which more than 40 yaks have been raised so far. Now he demands that the government should support artificial insemination in Chauri.
President Gurung said that the market for raw materials is also easy. “The export of Churpi is sometimes a problem. But the sale is going well”, he said, “Yak cheese is being produced now. Its market is also good. But the price should increase.” Yak cheese is exported a lot in Kathmandu. Currently, cheese is being sold at Rs 800 to Rs 1,000 per kg, while Chauri’s ghee is Rs 800.
President Gurung complains that the price of the produced materials is low. “There is a lot of difference in the milk products of cows and cows. Cows are grass-fed animals”, said Gurung, “but the prices of milk products of cows and cows are almost equal. This makes it difficult to raise the production cost.”
This time, sheep ghee produced in Yangru of Panchthar was also kept in the festival. According to Lokesh Gurung, the seller, sheep ghee costs Rs 12,000 per kg as it requires a lot of hard work. “There is a decline in the commercial breeding of sheep. The demand is high, but it is difficult to produce ghee”, he said.
For the past nine years, Chauri Festival has been organized on New Year’s Day in Charrate. The festival attracts tourists from various districts of Nepal including India, Bhutan, Bangladesh. Many tourists are busy watching the herds of hundreds of Chauri that are gathered on the occasion of the festival, viewing the snow ranges of Nepal, India and Bhutan from here, and getting lost in the colors of the gurans and chimals in full bloom. According to Mahendrahang Jabegu, the Vice President of Phalelung rural municipality, everyone is attracted by the high mountains on the Nepal-India border when they meet with the lively presentation of Himalayan culture.
(RSS)
