Mahottari. With the Tihar and Chhath festivals approaching, the demand for items made of bamboo and kaptera has increased in the Mithila region, including Mahottari. Due to the Maithil tradition of keeping the worship materials neatly during the festival and making new items made of bamboo choya and kaptera, new chiti, dali, kansupa, anglo, chalno, fan and other items are indispensable for use in the rituals.

A separate market for these goods has been set up at Hatiya behind the settlements of 15 local levels of Mahottari. These items are being sold in the district headquarters Jaleshwor, Matihani, Bardibas, Gaushala, Ramgopalpur, Pipara, Sitapur, Aurahi, Balwa and Loharpatti.

In Mithila, the ancestral occupation is considered to be the ancestral occupation of making bamboo choya and kaptera of the Bin and Dom castes and making chiti, dali, kansupa, anglo, chalno and fan. Kashi Mukhiya Bin, 50, of Ramnagar in Bhangaha-4 said that the demand for such equipment has increased due to the festival.

“Other times, these items don’t sell, the use of plastic items has increased. The demand for bamboo utensils during Diwali and Chhath has increased due to the demand for bamboo utensils,” Kashi said, “My generation has been doing the work taught by my father, but my sons and nephews have not paid attention to learn this work.” He said that although his father and grandfather used to make a living from this profession in the past, now they are in demand only during Diwali and Chhath.

The elders of the Bin and Dom communities say that they can survive for three to four months with the money made and sold during the festival. “We will meet our needs with the cash we earn at this time,” said Paro Marik (Dom) of Bardibas-1, who reached Gaushala Bazaar to sell these items. ’

Due to the festival, people are able to go in search of bamboo, to split (saw), to make choya and kaptera and to make goods as per the demand. Ratan Marik of Jaleshwor-1 said that they have been able to get some cash after completing the work of transporting the finished goods to the market. Bean and Dom, who have skills, are now working day and night. This process continues till the day of the start of the Chhath festival.