He still remembers the first time he reached Hatia from Khoku at the age of 14.
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68-year-old Ratan Rai of Dhankuta Municipality-3 Kagate was waiting for customers with a mouthful of cauli, rayo and coriander. It has been more than five decades since he started going to the weekly Hatia every Thursday in Dhankuta-5. She has been coming to Hatia for 54 years to sell vegetables and fruits produced in her garden according to the season.
He still remembers the first time he reached Hatia at the age of 14 from Khoku in the current Sahidbhoomi Rural Municipality before marriage. At that time she said that she went to Hatia with her mother carrying fruits on her head. At that time, to reach Dhankuta from Khoku in a hurry, one had to walk for 6 hours. She says that it was fun to reach Dhankuta market drenched in sweat.
'When I first arrived in Hatia carrying fruits on my small head, I was surprised to see a large gathering of people', she said, 'After that it became a habit to go to Hatia every week and I still do it.' Rai remembers going to the bazaar with her parents and neighbors in a whisper, lighting the bamboo stove. "We used to go to Hatbazaar along with a rooster's mail, carrying dhuns on our backs," she said. He remembers that the millet-fapar bread he took with him would satisfy his hunger.
His habit of going to the hot bazaar continued even after marriage. Married to Krishnakumar Rai from Dhankuta-3 Kagate in 2043 . There was also a custom of going to Hatia to sell vegetables and fruits grown in their fields. So, he didn't miss the order of going to Hatia . Apart from occasional work, his journey has never been interrupted. "Four/five decades ago, the number of people filling Hatia used to be small," she said. It is surprising to see that the price has also increased by hundreds of times.
A handful of greens, which was sold for 50 paise in the early days, now sells for 20/30 rupees. At that time, bananas that are available for a dozen of rupees are sold for 80 to 100 rupees. ``At that time, a little money made a lot of money, but now a lot of money works less,'' she said, ``now it is difficult to sustain life due to high prices.'' Apart from the
weekly Hatiama, bangur, goats and seasonal fruits are also sold from his home. Fruits including oranges and avocados are sold the most. From which the average income is up to one lakh rupees per year . Apart from farming, there is no alternative profession to support his family.
His family has planted 20/25 orange and avocado plants on four acres of steep land. The Rai couple was supporting five families including three daughters with the income from the cultivation of the same land. Two daughters are already married. The Rai couple said that they have married two of their three daughters with the source of income from the agricultural profession. The elder daughter Premkala and the younger Sasikala are already married and Miley Vijayakala is also married. Premkala has completed graduation in Law and Masters in Political Science. They couldn't read and write. They are satisfied that they can teach their daughter as much as they want,' Krishna said.
