'Honey hunting' festival in Khotang

Khotang, May 8: A 'honey hunting' festival is to be organized in Kepilasgadhi Rural Municipality of Khotang in the third week of May.     

The Rural Municipality in cahoots with the Koshi Province Ministry of Forest and Environment is hosting the festival on May 22 to promote local tourism by conserving endangered giant cliff honeybee (bhir mauri).     

The festival to be held in Fedi which is connected with the 'Mundum Trail', one of the 100 tourist destinations designated by the Government of Nepal, is expected to help in the conservation of cliff honeybees and the promotion of tourism, Kepilasgadhi chair Sameer Rai said.     

"Many cliffs in the rural municipality are the habitats of honeybees. This year, the 'Honey Hunting' festival has been organized to conserve the cliff honeybees, which are on the verge of extinction, and link them with tourism," he added.     

The festival also features indigenous food consumed by the local community. The festival to be held in Terawa area of Fedi will have participation from personalities from various fields related to biodiversity as well as domestic tourists, it is shared.     

More than a dozen cliffs have been found to host honeybees for years in the community forest areas of Kepilasgadhi Rural Municipality-1 Fedi located in the northern region of the district.     

Honeybees have been living for years in cliffs such as Kuhireshang Cliff in Ripdaula of Phungalung Community Forest, Mahbehir Waterfall in Makhamla of Chilim Lahure Community Forest, and the Terawa Cliff in Terawa.     

Locals of Fedi have traditionally hunted cliff honey twice a year, during the months of Jestha–Asar (mid-May – mid-June) and Kartik–Mangsir (mid-October – mid-November).     

Local honey hunters have reported that honey worth at least five to seven lakh rupees can be harvested from a single cliff in one season.     

Hasta Ram Rai, a local honey hunter, said cliff honeybee hunting has been practiced as a popular Kirant tradition for generations in Fedi.     

"I have been in the business for nearly 48 years. Now, youths are being attracted to honey hunting. We have transferred our skills to the new generations about honey hunting," he shared.     

Bee hunting in cliffs is done in a traditional way with the help of various local materials.     

Locals residing around Terawa, Makhamla and Piping areas of Fedi gather with diverse food varieties to celebrate the honey hunting day.     

Honey extracted from cliff beehives in Fedi is supplied to Diktel bazaar, Dharan, Biratnagar, Kathmandu as well as cities such as London, Hong Kong and Singapore.     

Kirant Rai (Sampang) community of Fedi has also linked the practice of honey hunting with traditional culture. They brought the honey of giant Himalayan bees to home after hunting and consuming as a prasad.     

They have a tradition of offering it to their departed family members.     

Honey of giant Himalayan bees is considered to have medicinal properties as the endangered species of bee produces honey from herbaceous flowers.(RSS)