Tue, 13 October 2026
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Tue, 13 October 2026
By Santosh Subedi
Pakhribas (Dhankuta), Oct. 13: With the arrival of Dashain, one of Nepal’s major festivals, villagers traditionally used to decorate their homes with red clay, khato (reddish-brown earth), and kamero (white clay). However, the age-old practice of coating and painting houses with natural materials is gradually disappearing in rural areas.
The tradition is fading as more people construct houses using cement and concrete and turn to modern paints instead of traditional clay coatings.
Dashain is one of the biggest festivals celebrated in Nepal. It is customary for people to wear new clothes, prepare special dishes, and receive blessings from elders. Decorating and cleaning homes before the festival has long been an important part of the celebrations.
Traditionally, houses built with stone, mud, and wood were plastered and decorated with red and white clay. In Dhankuta, people would visit specific locations to collect the sticky red clay used to coat their houses before Dashain. Today, however, such houses have become increasingly rare.
Khem Ghimire, a local resident of Dhankuta, said the growing use of cement in rural house construction has encouraged people to adopt modern paints as alternatives to red and white clay.
Traditional methods were also used to protect and decorate wooden doors and windows. According to Ghimire, resin extracted from the bark of mature Sal trees was prepared by boiling the shaved bark in water and then applied to wooden surfaces.
The natural coating helped protect doors and windows from moths and dirt, while serving as an alternative to modern paints.
With changing lifestyles and modern construction practices, traditional skills and knowledge are gradually being lost among younger generations. Preserving these practices is important not only for maintaining the region’s cultural heritage but also for passing traditional knowledge on to future generations.
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