The ongoing Ridi Mela in the Ruru region, the confluence of Palpa, Gulmi, and Syangja, attracts crowds of people who bathe in the Kaligandaki River and shop for homemade goods they have produced.
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Jit Bahadur Budhamagar of Taksera, Putha Uttarganga Rural Municipality, east of Rukum, has been attending the Maghe Sankranti fair held in the Ridi Ruru area for 22 years.
Earlier, people had to come on foot. It was customary to spend more than a week enjoying the festival. ‘Now, you can easily come in a vehicle in two days,’ he said, ‘but still, people come and stay for two more days while enjoying the festival.’ In his understanding, the Ridi Mela of 20 years ago and now is very different.
It was the custom for more than 50 households in Taksera alone to come to the Ridi Mela to escape the cold. Now, he said, 25/30 households come. There has not been heavy snow in Taksera for the last 5 years. The cold is also not as bad as before. ‘Even at the Ridi Mela, goods are not sold as before,’ he said, ‘but still, I like coming to the fair because I keep coming.’ He said that many goods are sold on the way as they come.
Tejumaya Budha of Taksera, Putha Uttarganga Rural Municipality, has also been coming to the Ridi Rurukshetra Mela for 15/16 years. She feels like the winter has gone when she comes to Ridi and returns. She said that she comes every year to Ridi because she can sunbathe, there is a market and see the fair. ‘There are no crowds like before,’ she said, selling ghanji (a begging basket made of walnuts) at Ridi Bagar. ‘We also don’t bring the same goods as before. When we sell the goods we bring, the money is spent here.’ She said that she also comes to see the Ridi fair and escape the cold.
The Ridi fair, which is ongoing in the Ruru area, where Palpa, Gulmi and Syangja meet, attracts a crowd of people who bathe in the Kaligandaki and buy homemade goods.
Women, men, children, young people and the elderly have come in groups from various places in Putha Uttarganga, east of Rukum. They regularly come to the Ruru fair every year. Karma Budha, who has been coming to the Ridi fair for 25 years, said, ‘After the business is over, we return having fun. The winter is also getting less.'
He said that when they return, they make a good income. Only those who cannot walk in the village stay. According to him, many sell ghanji worth 8/10 thousand. They say that they do not realize that 15 days have passed in the bag of Ridi. Rukumeli people come with everything from pork sausages to vegetable baskets. 'It is difficult to sell radi, pakhi, and kamlo in the neighboring villages,' he said. 'It is easy to sell after Ridi comes to the fair.'
But the kamlo and radipakhi brought from China, claiming to be from the Himalayan districts including Mustang, have affected the business of Rukumeli. 'Now many have started sending them to Kathmandu,' he said. 'It is difficult to compete with fakes.'
Here, it is an old custom to break nuts and seeds and bring ghanji. 'It takes a lot of effort to break these bones,' said Manu Budha, 'We are very sad. It's frustrating to find cheap ones here.' But she said that she hasn't had to return the goods she brought so far. When coming and going to the fair, there is a crowd buying bamboo and bamboo-made doko, dalo, supa, dhakiya, kaiyo, radipakhi, and kamlo. This time, only a few dalo and supa have come from various places in Baglung. Less supa, doko, and dalo have come from Juthapauwa, Baldhenggadhi, and Kachal in Rainadevi Chhahara of Palpa than in the past. It has been a tradition to make supo, doko, dalo, and mandro for the fair for months. They say that this helps meet household expenses. Similarly, they have brought home goods for sale from Palpa, Gulmi, Arghakhanchi, Syangja, Baglung, Mustang, and Rukum. Jaggery made from sugarcane in Gulmi has also become popular. Jaggery and khudo produced by cooperatives and individuals are also sold in large quantities.
