Someone has said, ‘person looks beautiful, only when he/she is hard working’. This is true to Mankumari’s life
On the one hand paralyzed husband. On the other hand the service of guests, their hospitality and arrangement of fooding and lodging. This is the daily routine of Mankumari Bagale these days. The age difference with her husband is twelve years. However it is said that age is simply a number. It’s been 28 years of their conjugal life.
After marriage husband Gangamani took Mankumari to different places of Ramechhap and Dolakha district to collect pine oil known as turpentine that is used as solvent in paints. She assisted her husband for six months there. Later, she returned back home. Gangamani engaged himself with the same task of collecting pine oil.
Mankumari faced dire difficulties after marriage. Husband was compelled to be away from home. Otherwise they had no alternative to solve hand to mouth problem. Mankumari engaged herself in tilling the steep barren land at Bhakarlung. A village located nearby Suke taal. She sustained family needs through agriculture. Grew different kinds of vegetables and grains. There was no irrigation facility and the land was not fertile. There was scarcity of even drinking water. Electricity and motorable road has been recently constructed. Village has only 5/6 houses. There is no facility of health service and education even today.
‘Loong’ is the word in magar language that connotes stone (rocks). Village got the name ‘Bhakarloong’ from the same giant rocks found abundantly in the vicinity. Memory of her beloved husband Gangamani couldn’t be stopped in the steep/ sloppy land. She often cried looking at the Suke Taal village and wiped out her tears. Her torments were more conspicuous in the remote locality. Nothing was there to sympathize her. However, Bhakarloong is a non living hammock.
Mankumari was born and grown up in Suke Taal ( a drying lake in essence, often read in general knowledge books). It is located in tinau Gaupalika-2, Palpa. She has an elder brother and a younger brother. A younger sister couldn’t survive. So Mankumari is a single daughter in the family. Her parents were poor. She couldn’t attain school education. She was grown up doing petty household chores.
Family members increased. Mankumari became the mother of a daughter and three sons. She had to struggle hard for the survival. From the hard earned money of her husband & herself they could purchase a piece of land in Suke Taal. They decided to migrate from Bhakarloong to settle permanently in Suke Taal. This decision came to be the turning point in her life.
In the year 2065 B.S. ‘Suke Taal Rural Tourism Fair’ was held for the first time. Around 8500 visitors observed the fair. A village cornered in the shadow came to the limelight. Likewisw second fair was of the same kind was organized in 2067 B.S. Chaitra 7th & 8th. On the same occasion Mankala bagale, Basanti Uchai, Purnakala Gaha and Lila Rana jointly started a community based home stay. Homestay brought zest and zeal in the village. It has been playing an important role to boost the rural economy.
In the beginning we had no idea of homestay, says Man Kumari. A homestay is very simply part of someone’s home converted into a hotel. A homestay is similar in concept to that of a bed and breakfast. Guests are either accommodated in the family home or separate quarters nearby. Some enthusiastic and active youths of Community Forest Coordination Committee, Dovan gave them this idea. They managed the logistics requirements. Provided cooking & basic hospitality trainings. Constructed a community building for welcoming guests.To entertain guests youths & children of the village were provided singing and dancing classes. Members of community based homestay were taken on tour to observe other similar homestay. They observed the operation of famous homestay destinations like Ghale gaun of Lamjung, Dalla of Bardia and Amaltaari of Nawalparasi.
It has been 9 years that Mankumari is engaged with home stay. She has the sweet memories of national and international guests in her mind and happiness of having cash in hand now. After the initiation of homestay I’ve learned to grow seasonal vegetables in the kitchen garden to grow seasonal vegetables, says Mankumari. Guests can savor the taste of local pork, hen, goose and fish. After the operation of homestay women in the village are becoming self-reliant.
She further adds, in the beginning we didn’t know how to provide hospitality services to guests. We had no idea of communicating with them. Village women were pretty sigh. Later we learned to welcome and see off our valued guests. Could easily manage singing and dancing to entertain and engage. Local products got good value in the village. Guests are attracted by their cooking skills and traditional cultural shows. Together with guests’ happiness our incomes are rising. We are happy that we could earn 3/3 lakhs per annum side by side.
Mankumari’s children are now grown up. But, her better half Gangamani is bed ridden due to paralysis caused by high blood pressure. She has been taking care of her paralysed husband together with her busy schedule. Difficulties of her past life recur in the mind. However, Mankumari is determined and is not losing her courage. She is striving hard for brighter days to come.
Mankumari’s heart is tender and compassionate to both guests and family members. This year she could build a four room house that can accommodate eight more guests. She is thinking of opening a grocery in the same building. Though she has recurrently faced ups & downs in her life she is struggling without being upset. Feels like her life is like sandalwood, the more it is rubbed or scrubbed more is the fragrance.
After the operation of homestay in Suke Taal journalists reached there. Businessmen go there to take snacks and food. Political leaders, doctors, engineers, lawyers, teachers, professors, agriculture & forest experts, forest and environmental activist have reached Suke Taal. This has helped in the development of whole Suke Taal village. Irrigation facility is managed. Village is accessed by a motorable road. There is electricity facility now. For the conservation of Taal (lake) economic and physical support is provided by government organizations and NGOs. At the midpoint of the lake a temple has been constructed. Foot trail is made around the periphery of the lake. Lake has been conserved and renovated. Water flowing out of the lake is utilized to generate electricity through micro hydro.
Homestay is becoming more robust due to the inflow of both domestic & international tourists. Besides earning money Mankumari could gain the support of more good friends and relatives. Nowadays everyone knows her as Mankumari from homestay. She is still filled with vigor & enthusiasm to better manage the homestay and devote her remaining life in the same profession.
It is said that, ‘if you are hard working, money or investment is of secondary importance to succeed’. Mankumari’s perseverance and hard labour provides similar lesson. Homestay has transformed Mankumari from have not to have situation.
कमला ितवारी सोमबार ०२ माघ, २०७९ आइतबार भएको विमान दुर्घटनामा सरकारले शोकमा बिदा दिएपनि आज बैंकिङ सेवा भने खुला रहेको…
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