Parashi/ Sample of traditional houses put on display at the ongoing First Industrial Trade Fair and Folk Cultural Festival at Badera of Sunwal municipality-13 of Western Nawalpur have been considerably attracting attention of the visitors since the Festival kicked off last Thursday. One such visitors was Tara Sharma of Bhumahi who was seemingly excited to see the model of the house her ancestors had lived in. “We had only heard of such houses where our ancestors had built and stayed for long. It is exciting to see uniquely designed houses.”
The traditionally designed houses belonging to Newar, Tharu, Magar and Kumal among others ethic communities made up of timber, stones, sands, mud, straw, red and white clay among others charmed mostly the youth visitors besides their cuisines and cultural dresses, according to the organizers. The Fair, organized by Rastriya Lok and Dohori Geet Pratisthan, Nawalparashi and Sunwal Commerce of Commerce and Industry, has focused on traditional houses, dresses and cuisines and folk cultures of various ethnic communities, according to Pratisthan’s District President Bharat Chhetri.
The youths were particularly amused by the designs of the houses that embodied the ethnic identity of different ethnic communities. Taking a ‘selfie’ with such houses was a common sight among the visitors. Deepa Shrestha of Sunwal, who belongs to Newar community, shared, “We were born and brought up in modern houses. We have not gone to hilly areas to visit our ancestral houses. I had no idea about the design of the houses our community prefers to stay in until I came to the Fair.” The traditional processions and cultural programmes also caught the fancy of the visitors, added Festival Coordinator Raj Kumar Shrestha. The organizers aim to play their part in preservation of unique Nepali cultures and traditions and hand them over to the new generations, said Festival Spokesperson Ramesh Parajuli. The event will run till Feb 11.
