Khokana
| Khokana खोकना Jitapur | |
|---|---|
| part of Karyabinayak Municipality | |
|
Dyo Pukhu Jatra | |
| Nickname(s): land of oil/ khona | |
  Khokana Location in Nepal | |
| Coordinates: 27°38′N 85°17′E / 27.64°N 85.29°ECoordinates: 27°38′N 85°17′E / 27.64°N 85.29°E | |
| Country |
 Nepal |
| Zone | Bagmati Zone |
| District | Lalitpur District |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 12,786 |
| Time zone | Nepal Time (UTC+5:45) |
Khokana is a former Village Development Committee (VDC) which has been merged with the neigbouring VDC's of Bungamati, Chhampi, Dukuchhap and Sainbu to form the municipality of Karyabinayak in Lalitpur District in the Bagmati Zone of central Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census, Khokana had a population of 4258 living in 699 individual households.[1]
Khokana, a traditional and tiny Newari village about eight kilometers south of Kathmandu (on the outskirts of Patan), which has its own history and has retained its tradition and culture. It is a living museum and recalls medieval times. The farming community of Newars who live here are mostly dependent on agriculture and much of their daily activities take place outside of their dwellings.
There are women sitting outside spinning, men crushing seeds, and other daily activities. The village is famous for its unusual mustard-oil harvesting process in which a heavy wooden beam is used to crush the mustard seeds in order to extract the oil. It is believed that a share system was used in the past here. This oil can be consumed if desired, but it can also be used for therapeutic massage. This was also the first village, indeed the first habitation, to be electrified, before Kathmandu.
In the center is a three-storey temple, Sri Rudrayani, with a particularly wide main street, especially for a village of such small size. Khokana has been nominated to be listed as a Unesco World Heritage, representing a vernacular village and its mustard-oil seed industrial heritage.[2]
"Khokana is a unique village which can be taken as a model of a medieval settlement pattern with a system of drainage and chowks. It houses chaityas and a Mother Goddess temple. The mustard-oil seed industry has become the living heritage of the village. One can have a wonderful time veiwing the mountain ranges , and so on and of course the beautiful land scape and farming over it."
In August the Khokana festival is held to showcase the unique aspects of the village. Cultural Newari dances, such as the dhime dance and Devi dance, Newar food, such as Newar pancake (woh), a sweet steamed dumpling filled with molasses and sesame (yomari) and strong Nepali wine (ayla), crafts, music and the towns mustard production were all on display.
The Khokana festival has also drawn widespread criticism and ire from animal sympathisers and animal rights activists for its blood sacrifice. Typically, a young goat is lowered into a pond [3]
References
- ↑ "Nepal Census 2001". Nepal's Village Development Committees. Digital Himalaya. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
- ↑ "Some Nepal Sites/Properties submitted on the Tentative List of UNESCO". SAARC Tourism Nepal. 2009. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
- ↑ http://www.stopanimalsacrifice.org/khokana-festival.php
