Festival Chauri – Yak Festival
A great opportunity to meet the breeders of yaks and their products is the Nepalese Chauri Festival.
This year it took place on April 15-16 in Chartare,Eastern Nepal.
The main goal of the festival is to preserve the traditional way of breeding chauri – yak. In addition, the organizers hope that the festival will also contribute to the promotion of cross-border tourism.
Organization
The festival was organized by local authorities with the support of several local institutions and the Nepalese Tourism Council.
Dilli Amjung, president, the main organizer:
– ‘This is the second year of the festival and it was better than last year. We look forward to seeing many interesting things happening in the coming days, ‘
The guests came mainly from India and Bhutan. There were also a few European and American tourists. Amjung shared the reflection that they were enchanted by the scenery of a mountain view.
– ‘For them, the risk factor has been amazing: if you walk around carelessly, or just lose your balance for a second of inattention, you may fall off a cliff.’ In fact, it is a deadly place, ‘
The organization and planning of the festival proved to be excellent. In addition to tourists in the festival participated leaders of political parties and state officials.
– ‘It’s a very distant place. Because markets are not close, organizing this festival is not easy,’
– ‘But because our guest lists included tourists and dignitaries, we did our best to make this event great,’
The festival is celebrated on the occasion of the Nepalese New Year and it has gained a special significance among its participants. Currently, the festival is organized for two days, but the organizers are forecasting the extension of its duration on the basis of popularity.
Last year, the festival drew international attention, which was a significant factor for the organizers. The festival was so inspiring that the Bhutanese government adopted a similar program organizing a similar event at home. The chauri festival also suits Bhutanese agriculture and culture.
Location
The peak of the Chartare hill is at an altitude of 3300 meters above sea level. To reach the top, tourists had to cope with trekking requirements.
– ‘The way to the top of the hill is not easy, they were going along risky paths – which was a real feat for them – to get here and they were excited when they did,’ Amjung said with his reflection.
Atractions
The main attraction is the specific farmer climate created thanks to the real presence of animals and the breeders. To raise the attractiveness of the festival, the organizing committee brought animals from various regions.
The festival gives tourists a close insight into the variety of yak and its dairy products. The stands at the party presented products of milk origin, such as chhurpi, or hard cheese and ghee. These products are highly sought after, and those interested can learn in detail the differences between their types. The owners of the stands can provide the precise information about their products, In addition to dairy products, participants also got interested in regional cuisine, which could be tasted during the festival.
The happening
The morning after a strong storm dawned with a perfect weather, and the flowering rhododendrons made the landscape spectacular. The guests came out of their tents and began to record, with their cameras, wonderful views stretching from the hill of Chartare. Then came the moment awaited by the arrivals: flocks of chauri – yaks – came to the hill.
It was the beggening of the festival.
The provincial government also expressed interest in festival, which resulted in the award of 1 million Nepalese rupees for this purpose.
