Sarlahi women busy preparing dung pies

By Our Correspondent,Sarlahi, Mar. 5: The women from Madhes region including Sarlahi are busy preparing dried cow dung pies (guitha).  In the region, many people prepare their food in traditional ovens burning dung pies. The women started preparing cow dung pies as there was not much work in the fields. 

According to Rinku Shah of Chandranagar Rural Municiplaity-2, Babarganj, dung pies are produced in the months from October through March. “Since there was no rainfall, there was not much work in the field,” said Shah.

She added that they have no forest near them to go to collect firewood, so they cook with dung pies. The poor, homeless and Dalit Families in Madhes are still dependent on dung pies whereas families with better economic condition have already switched to LPG gas.

These days, dried dung pies are ubiquitous on the roadside in the region. In order to prevent them from the getting damaged from rain during the rainy season, dung pies are generally prepared during the winter season. A pie of dung is prepared by putting straw and bamboo in cow dung.   

Shah said that a pie of cow dung cooks a meal for single families. In other seasons, cow dung is used as compost, but in the winter it is used to make dung pies. 

Dahuri Devi Dusadh of Basbariya Rural Municipality informed that in Bhawanipur, most Dalit families who are unable to afford gas use dung pie to cook their meal. She complained that some poor families with no resource or dung are unable to make dung pies. Navaraj Rai, Ward Chairman of Barahthwa Municipality-11 Hirapur informed that preparing meal by burning dung pies in the tradition of Madhes.  

“Rich people can afford gas, and since there is no forest nearby to go and collect firewood, the poor have no option but to rely on dung pies to cook their food,” said Ward Chairman Rai.