Deusi –Vailo as a Fundraiser Event

In rural Nepal, Deusi-Vailo (a cultural musical event specially performed in Dipawali festival) program is well performed every year by group of kids, adolescents and by adults. People visit houses with the musical event and the households are supposed to give some money, rice, sel roti (special ring-shaped bread made from rice floor, sugar in oil) and fruits. In this way people raise money and entertain others. Nowadays, it has been a fundraiser event for clubs and other social groups. This year, our sister concern New Horizon Children’s Club organised Deusi-Vailo program to raise fund for a child library in village. Money to buy furniture has been received from Ganesh-Himal.be ASBL, Belgium. So we are trying to gather money to buy textbooks, child magazines and other stuffs that could be useful for kids.
We (ECWZ Nepal and NHCC) raised about 10000 NC from Deusi-Vailo, which is good. We slept only 3 hours for 3 days of the festival. This year’s Dipawali Festival was for Child Library. No cards, no cinema, no family gathering but only Deusi-Vailo. I wish to see a child library before I start my master’s degree uni classes. We have another street drama project originally granted by Action Aid. We hope to save some money to give it to child club to buy more library stuffs. ECWZ Nepal has started Child Initiative through Children’s Club. This type of program will help children to build up their capacity and will make them responsible to their family, community and country.

Gosainkund Mela Begins

Gosainkund (also known as holy frozen lake) is going to be full of humans there year too. After next week, people from different part of the country will start pilgrimage trek of Gosainkund as that time will be the festival time for the Hindus and Buddhists.

These small cottages are called "Tharpu", as hotels are not enough to provide facility to more than 25000 people within a week. Devotees believe that if they dip once into the lake, they can get rid of all the sins and crimes they have ever committed in their life. Washing away sins means washing bad attitudes, washing bad intentions and bad thought....

Happy New Year 2064!

Baloon Dance
Originally uploaded by Kishan Devkota.

New Year celebration with NHCC was so amazing!! Kids danced in adult songs, parents played kid's games, kids performed their song, dance, poetry and jokes. Finally they managed to show their docu Drama (Blind Faith) and pictures of their previous shows. A full day show was very good and people liked it.
Happy New Year 2064!! In Nepali calendar, we are in 2064, 57 year ahead than English calendar. Lets hope New year will bring peace and harmony in the world.

Native culture as a tourism product

Native culture as a tourism product
Originally uploaded by Kishan Devkota.

ECWZ with the help of NHCC is trying to promote village tourism. ECWZ want to convert traditional culture and costumes with the adventerous hillsite station, as the tourism product.

Download Brochure

Traditional Costume!!

Costume of Jhyanglanga
Originally uploaded by Kishan Devkota.

This is the costume of traditional Nepal. Cholo and Phariya with white Patuka identifies Nepalese lady. New generation are being forgotten of these costumes. ECWZ is encouraging them not to forget their unique culture.
NHCC is developing the feeling of responsibility among children and youth towards their culture and community.

Grandson following Grandfather

Grandson following Grandfather
Originally uploaded by Kishan Devkota.

Karsingi, one of the ECWZ sponsored Child is performing Tamang cultural and ancient dance in front og his Grandfather. Grandfather is happy because he is too old to do such dances and now Grandson is following his grandfather.
Karsingi, you are really making difference!!!

Dancing

Dancing
Originally uploaded by Kishan Devkota.

Improved, inspired, self motivated and attractive Fourth Show by NHCC

Chhatra n Bhajan

Chhatra n Bhajan
Originally uploaded by Kishan Devkota.

This is Chhatra (made up of colourful clothes and bamboo through holy way). The dance people do in this occasion is called Balan dance. Organising Chhatra is like a festival but it is not compulsory to organise every year. This year it has been organised after five year. The culture almost forgotten by young generation and about to disappear from the country. I am proud of you my dears for what you doing. Kishan Dai will always there to support you.

Parents in Children's show

Parents in Children's show
Originally uploaded by Kishan Devkota.

Typical culture with native apartness

Typical culture with native apartness
Originally uploaded by Kishan Devkota.

NHCC has started a campaign to protect native culture of the remote villages of Rasuwa. Since its formation, NHCC is highly committed and dedicated to ensure welfare of the people in the lap of remote Langtang. NHCC, through its member from more than seven villages at the moment, combines all the cultural heritages through its several cultural shows. Especially Tamang and Barmhin culture are found in remote villages. Young generation has accepted the challenge to protect tradition and native apartness of the culture of Rasuwa whereas people are being unknown from which culture and tradition they are.
Youth participation to make their own society is the central idea of the club. Currently NHCC has 100 members but there are a lot of children who wish to be the member of the club.

Pratik @ NHCC show

Pratik @ NHCC
Originally uploaded by Kishan Devkota.

NHCC to protect native culture of Rural Nepal

culture of Rasuwa @ NHCC
Originally uploaded by Kishan Devkota.

New Horizon Children’s Club (NHCC) organised a cultural programme few days ago as their first formal programme and step of a big campaign. Established with the aim of working to ensure cultural protection and to address other issues related to children in rural communities, NHCC organised a cultural night. Despite unavailability of the resources like musical instruments, proper cultural/traditional dresses, music systems and so on, NHCC had good night show. It performed a show between more than 100 villagers. Children have to work 6 hour a day except 6 hour at school. This is what they are doing in the rest of the day. It’s so hard because they don’t have enough time now for playing and doing other tasks that might be interesting for them. But still they look happy and highly motivated to do something for their community. They practice sometime up to midnight. The village where the NHCC formed and works is a mix community. One can experience the blend of Tamang and Brahmin culture.
Children borrowed the dresses from a school and instruments from a nearby village, they borrowed speakers from villagers and organised the programme. They had to start programme at 8 pm because they didn’t have time during they since they were supposed to work at their home and field. Parents were also busy during daytime. The night was perfect because kids and adults both had free time after dinner and all could enjoy the programme. Within two hours programme, members of NHCC performed different types of music and songs. It was first time we were dancing and organising such programme. Lets hope we will be doing this type of programmes and even more effective programme even in future.

The Essence Of Tihar Festival

Well, the Tihar is the one of the biggest festival for Hindus. I celebrate this and honestly my favourite festival is Tihar. The songs, Deewali, Laxmipuja( worship to the Goddess Laxmi; the goddess of wealth), worship to Cow( national animal of Nepal and holy animal), worship to Crow(the messenger for people), worship to dog( the God of death Kal-bhairab(Yama) rides the dog and the dog helps us to cross the hell to go to heaven. According to Hindu Epic, there is the river between hell and heaven and everyone supposed to cross that river to get into heaven. The river is dangerous; with dragons, bog snakes and other terrible obstacles. The wisest people can cross that river easily and worst people are distroyed at that river.), and Bhai tika( putting tiks of seven colour by the sisters to the brothers), the sweetest dish( Sel roti, Anarasha and other...), Ping(swing), Deuse-Bhailo( the special song wich is sing only at Tihar), etc. are the things which makes the festival more interesting. Specially songs are best and the gathering is entertaining. There is the legend once in holy period, the Yama the King of hell was going to take away people from their life but his two sisters Ganga and Yamuna( Ganga is name of holi river which was in heaven but the people from earth need that river in earth so that is here in earth. Now Ganga is in India. Yamuna is also the river) decided to stop the action of their brother at least for one day. They both went to their brother at the day of Bhai Tika and put tika on his forehead and requested him not to kill the man at least for that day. Finally the Yama was happy to do so. So it's like the excuse from the death for this day. Every sister put the holy water around their brothers and that is the boundry which is out of Yama's reach. Yama can't cross that boundry. They break a hardest fruit that is to break(remove) the obstacles of their brothers. Anyway it's the culture and we have to appreciate the culture. The Tihar my best festival, I really missed in some ways.