Dar party thrown for Chepang girls in Chitwan

Basanta Parajuli,Narayangadh, Sept. 6: Juna Chepang, a resident of Lothar in the hilly region of Chitwan, ate the Dar ‘latte’ of Teej for the first time. Dar is a midnight feast for the women fasting the next day on Teej. 

Representatives from the Nepal Press Union visited the Chepang Conservation Centre in Tikauli, Ratnanagar Municipality, where they shared the festive treat with Juna and other children from the Chepang community who are sheltered there.

“I've eaten Dar for the first time, and it’s delicious,” Juna said with a shy smile. “I’ve never seen anything like this ‘latte’ before.”

Latte is prepared from the anadi rice (species of rice) by cooking it in ghee and sugar. 

Nepali women traditionally eat Dar the day before Teej, a special feast to prepare for the festival. 

Fourteen-year-old Namina Chepang of Siddhi, who is currently studying at the centre, mentioned that she never had a chance to try latte. 

“I never had this at home. How could we, when my family couldn't afford it?” she said. 

“Even now, I get the chance to eat it because I’m here at the centre.”

The main food for Chepangs living in the mountains is corn flour and roots. 

“To eat rice, we need help from others. Since coming to the centre two years ago, I’ve been eating rice regularly,” she added.

“Only today did I learn about this dish. How could we afford to eat this food?” she said, adding that her community was not even familiar with what Teej Dar is.

“They may not know what Dar is,” said Anil Dhakal, president of the Press Union. 

He added, “Chepang girls were given Dar to help them understand the significance of Teej.”

“Girls from underprivileged communities should also be able to celebrate the festival joyfully. The significance of festivals like Teej should be explained to them as well,” he said

The Secretary of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists, Shrijana Aryal, who was present at the event, remarked that the union has undertaken innovative and creative work, especially at a time when the tradition of Nepali girls gathering in hotels and party palaces to celebrate Dar is growing.

“It was essential to impart knowledge about our true cultural identity, and the union is doing just that,” she said.

“This effort counters the misconception that's developing with the trend of celebrating Teej in hotels and party palaces months in advance,” said Aryal. 

There are currently 150 Chepang teenager girls and children residing at the centre, according to KP Kiran Sharma, the centre’s patron. 

He explained that the center has been providing protection and education to Chepang children from poor and underprivileged communities. 

They have made arrangements for the children to attend Panchkanya Secondary School after completing their primary education at a nearby basic school.