Story of Chautari in Kerwani Village

Chautari is a rest stop usually found along the foot trails of rural Nepal. They are usually made by piling stones to create a platform.Kerwani village of Sunwal Municipality has two major chautari ,my story is the chautari of the top area of Kerwani village where the Kadam,the fruit tree has the major attractions.This gossip is chautari is the  main theme of the essay because it has lots of connectivity to me.I remember I saw an old man sitting on Chauataree ,he was my uncle aged 74 and used to play cards with other there.

Then came tea-shops selling homebrew and cheap edibles, which took away some of the regulars from rural chautaris. After that, radio, television to an extent, and the offices of political culture became focal points and agenda-setters in such discussions. There are many func-tional chautaris in the countryside, but they aren't used as extensively. Does this decline in the popularity of chautaris have something to do with the increasing intolerance in Nepali society? It's difficult to say, but people do have little time, and even less inclination, to listen to views that aren't consonant with their own. 

Anyway the tap attached near chautari in Kerwani is the place of water resources and most women participate in chautari discussion about locality and other issues.Sometimes they used to  prepare and enjoy the classic citrus salad dish, especially made during the winter season  -  sweet, sour, tangy dish, adorned by dry-roasted sesame seeds, salt, sugar, yogurt, chili and several other spices.  We call it "Bhogate Saadeko or Bhogate Saandheko".It is one of the largest citrus fruit, thick-skinned and grown in subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world. 

Like grapefruit, pomelos are pink or yellow, with fibrous flesh separated into segments by membranes. The fruit is covered by a thick, tough, and loose fitting skin, which peels off easily with some effort.  Bhogate is abundant in the winter months (December-January) in Nepal. Even though this salad-like fruit dish is probably hard to find in Katmandu restaurant menus, it is a great favorite of Nepalese. The preparation of the refreshing salad is a leisurely family affair. Typically, family members, relatives, and friends gather in the sunniest part of the house, usually the top open floor (kausi) or the sunny part of the garden or porch area, on a warm sunny day . A large amount of pomelos are brought in and everyone helps to peel the fruit, separate it into segments, and mix with spices.  

Likewise many aunts used to collect mango and used to share there.Even it was the platform of playing cards during Dashai and Tihar holidays.The discussion of development ,rural issues dealing with education for female and forest preservation occupy the weekly seat here.Anyway ,chautari of Kerwani has passed many stories of generations who held meeting there and still it becomes the main area for visitors there and people who enjoy days during daytime.

I remember every week people gather there to buy local bamboo shoots from the lake areas nearby and the merchant often use this platform for selling best fancy dresses there.One can not forget our ancestral platform for the discussions about our homes,locality and community which has the glimpses of our lives and identity in it .