Celebrating unique heritage

7 May 2010

People can get an insight into the lives of khengpas, see how their house looks like, get the taste of their cuisine and feel the texture of their clothing, all at the clock tower square in Thimphu.

Some 10 people from Zhemgang Kheng are here in the capital to take part in the sixth Tarayana fair, which opened yesterday.

Khengpas have built a model of their traditional house at the fair in which they have displayed their products and cuisine.

“We took the initiative to build a model of our house because most of the people haven’t seen one, including Khengpas from other dzongkhags,” said Apa Wangdi, one of the participants from Zhemgang.

He said that, with development, different the houses are being constructed. “There would be a time when people would not know how a traditional Khengpa house looks like,” said Apa Wangdi.

Ganglay, 56, from Langdurbi has come to Thimphu for the first time. She is excited about being in the capital. She plans to go around the city once the fair is over.

The Khengpa group have come with some hand-woven kiras for sale.

Opposite Khengpas’ displays are those of Doyaps from Samtse. Doyaps have also put up a model of their house. They have come with some bamboo products for sale.

The Khengpas and Doyaps attract big crowds.

Oleps, Lhops and Monpas are also participating in the fair. Besides the representatives of the self-help groups, 50 community representatives are taking part in the fair.

Her Majesty the Queen Mother Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck, in her opening address, said, “As we celebrate our rural communi ties, we are mindful of the contribution that these communities continue to make as custodians of our natural resources, our ancient traditional artisan crafts, and oral tradition.”

Her Majesty said it was an opportunity for the community representatives to know Thimphu and the potential market for their crafts. “For many of them, this is their first visit to the capital, and for a few, it is their first time outside their gewog,” she said.

There are 35 stalls displaying and selling products ranging from kiras to bamboo products to fish and paper. There were also a few games stalls.

Tarayana Foundation turns seven years this month. The foundation currently works in 36 villages in five dzongkhags with the objective of ensuring holistic development for all communities.

By Tandin Pem

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