ASARE ROPAIN IN POKHARA

Asare Ropain is a paddy plantation that is observed with lots of fanfare in Pokhara. Photo: jukson.com

 By KESHAV PATHAK

"Hario Danda Mathi Halo Jotne Sathi" this melodious song conjures up a sweet memory of Dharma Raj Thapa, a legendary poet of Pokhara. His scintillating Asare songs have not only immortalized him but also included Asare ropain (Paddy plantation) in the menu of Pokhara tourism. Today Asare Roapin Mahotsava is celebrated with much agog and excitement and participants are not only Nepalese but also foreigners who enjoy wallowing in the mud and taking part in various events for fun. 

Pokhara Tourism Council (PTC) has been regularly organizing Asare Ropain Mahotsava over the last decade. PTC has been preparing to celebrate '12th Asare Mahotsava-2015' on 15th Asar.  Asar 15 is an important day for Nepali farmers as they swing into action in their respective fields. The PTC is going to celebrate this year's Asare Ropain Mahotsava with the slogan 'Pokhara for all seasons'.  

Speaking with journalists Som Thapa president of Pokhara Tourism Council said that the Asare Ropain Mahotsava is organized with the sole purpose of promoting agriculture. "Devastating earthquake of 25 April and aftershocks have derailed Nepali tourism. To bring the tourism sector back on normal track every sector of the country should make efforts from their respective places. This year's Asare Ropain Mahotsav is going to be unique because we will put every possible effort to include more foreigners than ever before. By organizing Asare Ropain Mahotsava we want to give a message to the world that Nepal is a safe destination to visit" emphasized Mr.Thapa.    

Nepal has been passing through a critical phase of time. The government should act promptly and advertise abroad giving the message to the world that Nepal is a safe country to travel to.  The PTC has made an appeal to all Pokhareli people to participate in the 12th Asare Ropain Mahotsava. 

"It is a popular myth that in the month of Asar every single Nepali farmer must step into their paddy field and get contact with the mud. Meanwhile, this Mahotsava will sure attract domestic and foreign tourists at a greater number. Our purpose is not only to create a sensation for a time being but we want to leave a long-lasting impact. At the same time, we want to leave a message that we should bring more land into farming. Because if we grow more foods it means we need to import less from abroad. There was a time when Nepal used to export cereal crops but today Nepal depends on imports. Efforts should be put to bring more barren land to tilling" added Mahendra Shrestha, coordinator of Asare Ropain Mahotsava.   

All photos jukson.com



"It is good to see that nowadays more and more Nepali youths have inclined towards agriculture profession. I am convinced of the scintillating success of this year's Asare Ropain Mahotsava because this Mahotsava will attract more youths" said Ganesh Bhattarai, erstwhile president of Pokhara Tourism Council.  

The venue of the Mahotsava is located at Birauta. A local youth club and Ama Group will also join this year's Asare Ropain Mahotsava. There are many interesting events such as the Asare song competition, tourists sprint in mud, tug of war between foreigners, journalists' race competition, tourists' fish catching competition in mud, and cultural program. A cash award has been set for the winners in different events. "Outstanding farmers will also be honored with a cash award," said Ramu Gautam, general secretary of the organization. He further added, "We have made 26 different committees and 11 advisory committees". It is estimated that about 9.75 hundred thousand rupees will be spent to organize the gala event. Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) is the main organizer of the event whereas Pokhara Sub Metropolitan city and Pokhara Chamber of Commerce are the promoters of the event.  

Keshav Pathak

About the author

Keshav Pathak is a senior journalist and the managing director of Neotech Pvt. Ltd.
Location: Pokhara, Nepal

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

KRITIKA GURUNG SCORES 8.0 IN THE IELTS EXAMINATION

Image
Kritika Gurung wants to study ‘Aeronautical engineering’. Her intense desire and deep attachment to the subject have made her even more confident not only to succeed but also to become an authority in days to come. By LB THAPA Hard work pays off is not merely a popular slogan but a reality. Because, with the dint of hard work and perseverance, Kritika Gurung has proved that hard work really pays off. She put her heart and soul together for the preparation of her IELTS test and eventually achieved a scintillating success.   received “When I saw the IELTS course for the first time then I was baffled. Because I had never studied such courses before. Honestly speaking, I was damn nervous but the next moment I decided to take up the challenge and face it with all my capacity”, said Kritika Gurung, an 18-year-old science student from Chhorepatan Higher Secondary School, Pokhara.   Kritika Gurung Kritika Gurung is hell-bent to study ‘Aeronautical engineering’. Her intense desire and deep atta
Read more

RISING HIGH AGAINST THE GUSHING WATER

Image
Sita Thapa is a professional rafting and kayaking trainer of Nepal. Among five she is one of the pioneer woman rafters. Ms. Thapa is from Pokhara.    By LB THAPA Perhaps you might have seen some white-skinned Westerners sailing their rafts on the turbulent waves and battling against the deadly ripples, which can toss away their rafts at any moment. Well, let me help you to remember this scene---you must have seen all this on your TV screen. Am I right?      Quite a few would have this opportunity to see these rafters entering into the water, setting up their gears, and finally getting ready to challenge the gushing waters. Unless you are a rafter himself, you can rarely catch a glimpse of these people from a close distance. Without any doubt, rafting is not an ordinary adventure sport like paragliding, bungee jumping, and parachute jumping---rafting is above all.   Muscular strength and perfect skill are a must. But if I tell you that there is a young and beautiful lash from Pokha
Read more

THIS IS MY JOURNEY: A GIRL WITH A WILL OF STEEL

Image
Pabitra is really a girl with a will of steel. In the true sense, she is a brave daughter of Nepal.    PABITRA IS A GIRL WITH A WILL OF STEEL She is determined to travel 77 districts of Nepal all on foot...Isn't it amazing?  By LB THAPA Pabitra Pariyar is a 21-year-old young girl who hails from Sikles, a remote village in the Kaski district. In recent times, Pabitra has come to the limelight for her daring activities. You might be wondering what is Pabitra famous for.   The other day this scribe had an opportunity to meet this wonderful girl when she arrived in Pokhara after walking all the way from Siklis. She is actually on her way to Dhorpatan.  Pabitra is most probably the first girl in Nepal who has been on her mission to travel all 77 districts of Nepal. If you think what is special to travel all 77 districts of Nepal. Then there are two things of note. The first thing is that she may be the first girl to solo travel to all 77 districts of Nepal. The second and the most speci
Read more

REKH MAYA GURUNG WINS GOLD MEDAL IN THAILAND

Image
Nepali Taekwondo players display their medals won in the 1st Tirak & K.T. M International Taekwondo Championship-2023 held in Bangkok, Thailand.    By LB Thapa Nepali taekwondo players have won medals in the 1 st Tirak & K.T. M International Taekwondo Championship-2023 held in Bangkok, Thailand.   Niru Magar’s dazzling performance in the Poomsae category brought her two gold medals. Her powerful steps and aerial movements left spectators glued to their seats until the end of her performance. Senior taekwondo players have opined that Niru’s Bangkok performance was one of the best ones.   Similarly, Prem Darnal and Bikram Lamichhane have both won one gold and one silver medal, respectively, in the Poomsae category. Rekh Maya Gurung, the head coach at Absolute Taekwondo Dojang, registered a thumping victory and brought home one gold and one silver medal.   Adding more medals to the medal tally, Karun Khand won one gold medal. Similarly, Prabin Bayam and Ramiyong Gurung have won
Read more

DEALING WITH DEADLY SNAKES

Image
Though Prabin does not get any financial assistance, his love for snakes pushes him to catch them to safety. Photos: All photos by Prabin   By LB THAPA Snakes are one of the most important reptiles found in our environment. They are of course an inseparable part of our environment because they play an important role to maintain the ecological system. This shy creature does not like human presence and therefore it prefers quiet places to spend most of its time.   Despite the fact that snakes invariably avoid human beings, most of the snakes die at the hands of human beings than other causes. Most of the time snakes come to human residential areas to find their favorite food, rats. That is the time when snakes and human beings come face to face and as usual, during such time many snakes are killed---without knowing whether they were poisonous or not.   In this write-up, I am going to introduce a young man from Pokhara whose selfless love for snakes has made him a local celebrity. He is P
Read more

Karate must be compulsory for every girl in schools and colleges

Image
Prizma Kunwar is an emerging karate player from Pokhara. She has already won several medals and karate championships. Currently, Prizma prepares her IELTS & SAT at Miracle Institute, Pokhara. Photo: Read 2b happy.   By LB THAPA   Prizma Kunwar is yet another name in Pokhara who is a shining star in the national sporting firmament. She holds a Black Belt and her dedication and commitment to karate are simply overwhelming.   Migrated from Baglung, Prizma Kunwar and her family now live in Pokhara permanently. Though she is only 18 years old, her achievement can surprise anyone. A gold medalist in the National Games, she has repeated this feat of success many times in both National and Regional sporting events.   It is her strong belief that Karate is the most effective barehanded fighting technique that is most suitable for girls to defend themselves from wayward miscreants.   The other day this scribe had an opportunity to talk with Prizma Kunwar, a national karate champion, who spok
Read more

FROM SUICIDE ATTEMPT TO LIVING FOR A CAUSE

Image
The life story of Sandesh Subedi can inspire many people. Photo: Sandesh Subedi By LB THAPA Falling into the pit of depression invariably leads to nowhere. We must have seen or heard about many known and unknown people who became victims of depression and the tragic end of their lives.  Sandesh Subedi’s story is no different. But, what is special about his life is his fight against depression and a dramatic change that brought a U-turn in his life. What makes it even more special is he got victory over depression and suicidal mentality without any doctors, psychiatrists, or medicine’s help.   His story of falling into the cobweb of depression and losing all faiths in himself had pushed him to a broken point. Soon he realized that death was much dearer than life and he was on the brink of committing suicide.  Well, can you imagine anything like this in your life? I am not telling you any fictional story. I am going to tell you the story of a young man, full of life, whose life was s
Read more

SAMIR THAPA: A life dedicated to football

Image
All photos: Read 2B Happy. SAMIR THAPA A life dedicated to football By LB Thapa Samir Thapa’s journey to football is full of vicissitudes. Born into a poor family, his parents could not afford a pair of shoes and a jersey. Fighting against poverty, he continued playing football. The only thing that kept his hope alive throughout the years was his self-confidence. He knew well that he was born to play football and had to succeed at any cost.   Here is the story of Samir, the boy who has dedicated his life to playing football for the country. It is his dream to play for Nepal and make Nepal known to the world.  My name is Samir Thapa, and I was born in 2009 in Udaipur, Nepal. At present, I am studying in grade 11 in Kathmandu. Ever since I came to my conscience, I began liking football more than anything in my life did. Football is more than my passion. Speaking of football, it is running all through my veins. Today I am going to tell you what football is for me and about my dedica
Read more

MOTORBIKING WITH A PURPOSE

Image
Amrit Kunwar is not just an amateur bike reviewer. He has already completed a diploma from Madras (Chennai) Race Track. He is also a professional bike racer and therefore he holds necessary technical knowledge about motorbikes and their performance in different conditions. Amrit Kunwar is one of the first full-time motorbikers who is committed to promoting local tourism through motorbiking.   By LB THAPA Amrit Kunwar’s passion is different and that very passion has made him special. He is a motor biker---I mean an unswerving biker. He has not taken up motorbiking as fun or just out of curiosity. He has made motorbiking a purpose in his life and now he lives for that.     “The spirit of motorbiking runs all over my veins and therefore it cannot be alienated from me---I’m there where my motorbike is. I fell in love with motorbikes ever since I was in standard seven. I did not have a motorbike in those days at my home. Thus, I would look for every available opportunity to ride my friends&
Read more

MANAUSEWA ASHRAM POKHARA: Helping the helpless

Image
  MANAU SEWA ASHRAM POKHARA Helping the helpless LB Thapa Ever since Manausewa Ashram came into existence in 2012, the Ashram has been doing great work. Now the Ashram has become the home of several men and women who are not capable of fending themselves. Had the Ashram not brought them to its home, they would have been living on the street--- unnoticed and unattended.   Seeing the true dedication of the people behind running this Ashram, now even our government has started helping them with infrastructure development activities. Lately, my wife and I visited one of the branches of Manausewa Ashram located at Chhorepatan, opposite Devi’s Falls. We spent a quality time with the people living in the Ashram. We offered food for them and a little financial help for the construction of a new Ashram building in Hemja. New building of Manausewa Ashram under construction in Hemja.  We have made it mandatory to celebrate our son’s birthday at Old Age Ashrams. We have been doing it for th
Read more