Location:
Solukhumbu is one of the six districts in Sagarmatha zone, the northern part in eastern development region of Nepal. The district spreads over a total physiological area of 3, 39,676 hectare. Bhojpur and Sankhuwasabha, Dolakha and Ramechhap, Okhaldhunga and Khotang and the Tibet bound the district in East, West, South and North respectively. The district is predominated by a landmass of divers topography, rich culture, skilful people and abundant natural resources. The district is the homeland of 1, 19,901 population with 20,712 household.
There are 34 VDCs in the district. Deusa VDC is in the southern part of the Solukhumbu District. It covers a large area and is at an altitude between 1,000m to 2,100m. The village is populated mainly by the Thulung Rai people though there are some other groups like Tamang, Magar, Newar, Kshetri, and so called Dalits who live in the village.
Deusa VDC covers a large hillside area, taking about two hours to pass from one side to the other. It is located in the southern part of Solukhumbu, about one day’s walk east from Salleri, the District Headquarters and about 3-4 days’ walk from the nearest road at Jiri in Dolakha district. There is a small airstrip at Phaplu, near Salleri and another closer but less reliable airstrip at Kangel, about 4 hours’ walk away.
The village is made up of a number of smaller hamlets. The neighbouring VDCs are Waku, Kanku, Basa in the North; Mukli, Nele in the West; and the opposite of Dudhkoshi River, there are Jubu and Lokhim VDCs in the South and East.
People:
According to the VDC report of 2064 (B.S.), the total population of Deusa VDC is 5127 of which 2460(47.98%) are male and 2667(52.01%) are female in 813 households. VDC posses different caste/ethnic groups such as Chhetri, Tamang, Magar, Newar, Kami, Damai, Rai etc. The village is populated mainly by the Thulung Rai people though there are some other groups like Tamang, Magar, Newar, Chhetri, and so called Dalits who live in the village. People from all caste/ethnic groups have got very similar status and way of life as the village is in the remote area and is merely influenced by the rapid changes of modern cities’ world.
Household and population distribution in Deusa Village
The houses are spread almost everywhere within the VDC. As the village is in a hilly area and people are from different caste/ethnic and religious group, each group neighbouring families are living a bit far building the houses not very closely. Tamang people are in upper part but some families are found in middle part of the village too. Similarly, other caste/ethnic groups like Rai, Chhetri, Dalits and Newar are both in middle and lower part of the VDC. People living in Deusa VDC are 853 households and 5127 members
By Caste/Ethnic composition in Deusa Village
Table No: 3
Population by Caste/Ethnic composition
Caste/Ethnic group
No:
Percentage
Magar 205 =3.99%
Tamang 564 =11%
Chhetri 667 =13%
Rai 3066 =59.80%
Dalit(Kami) 410 =7.99%
Dalit(Damai) 205 =3.99%
Newar 10 =0.19%
Total 5127 =100%
Source: Deusa VDC office
Medical Facilities:
The social as well as economic status is interrelated to the health status. There is only one sub-health post providing health facilities to the villagers in this VDC. The sub-health post was run only by a Mid-Wife Nurse who comes from same village for almost 2 years during the Maoist problem. There is a district hospital at Phaplu (nearby the district headquaters, Sallery) which is 6-7 hours walk away from the village. This hospital is well equipped but often there are no doctors and use to be run by the nurses so that most of the patients aren’t able to get proper treatment and have to go to Kathmandu or elsewhere for the treatment.
Education:
There are three Pre-Primary schools, three Primaries, one Lower Secondary and one Secondary school in Deusa VDC. These all are governmental schools and the quality of education provided to the students is very poor comparing with other private schools and some of the good governmental schools in the district. There aren’t enough subject teachers in these schools except at the Secondary school which has been supported with three extra teachers, reference books, some music and sports equipments, with the help of people from village living in Kathmandu, and a charity in UK since the last 2 years. Besides, time to time adult literacy classes have been conducted for the people in the VDC for period of 3 to 6 months supported by government or NGO/INGOs.
Economy:
Agriculture is the main source of family income of the people in Deusa VDC. About 82% of the people are fully engaged in farming/agricultural production. There is no electricity, motor able roads and any industries through which people start producing more goods and export outside the village. There’s still traditional way of subsistence farming and that has directly affected the VDC’s economy.
There’s only 35% of cultivated land in the lower part of the village that is supposed to be more fertile where they can grow rice, corn, millet, wheat, pulse and other seasonal cash crops like, orange, guava, lemon, coffee, cardamom etc. In the rest 65% cultivated area, people hardly can grow cash crops but seem to grow corn, wheat, barley, millet, buck wheat, potato, and few other seasonal fruits and vegetables.
There isn’t proper irrigation in the village so that most of the crops are planted in summer and in dry season; most of the cultivated areas remain unplanted. Dudh Koshi River flows through the south below but there’s a few water resources in the village that’s hardly enough for drinking water supply for the people in few wards.
The nearest market place from the village is the Nele bazaar (a weekly market that is open on Tuesday) and sometimes go to the Dorpu bazaar, at Sallery (market is open on Saturday) which is 5-6 hours walk away from the village or 2-3 hours walk a way to Suke bazaar (market is open on Friday) crossing the Dudh Kosi river towards South or 6-7 hours to Sotang bazaar (market is open on Friday) towards North-East. Besides, people from Deusa VDC go to Lukla (one of the busiest place during the tourists’ visit in Everest area for trekking and mountaineering, in upper part of the District situated at an altitude of 2800 m. is known as ‘Khumbu’, there’s an airstrip first built by Edmund Hillary, one of the first Everest submitters) carrying the things to sell on a weekly Thursday market of 4-5 days walk with loads or even go to Namche (3440m.) which takes 2 more days to get up to the place.
What to see in Deusa:
Schools:
Deusa Secondaray School, Rindapu
Dudhkaushika lower secondary school, Ranem
Deurali primary school, Bogal
Shishu kalyan primary school, Furke
Kalika primary School, Dipli
Jalem primary school,Cherakhu
Saraswati primer school, Temlobaaya
Namse primary School, Toriya
Fair and Festivals:
Deusa VDC spreads over a large area and there are people of different caste/ethnic groups. In general, people seem to do the same types of work throughout the year but the way of celebrating fair and festivals, rites and rituals differ from one group to another. Dashain (the greatest Hindu festival) and Tihar (Deepawali/ festival of lights) are celebrated by almost all people in Deusa. Besides, there are few other interesting fair and festivals celebrated in the villages.
Dewali :
Chhetris celebrate Dewali (each morning Chhetri Dhami/s can be seen chanting/dancing holding bells and yak tails with the loud voices of ‘Her..’ ‘Haun..’ ‘Masta’ in different houses and on the final day all the relatives get together at the place called; ‘Mandap’ and several goats are sacrificed and the Dhami/s drink the blood of the goats and dance around the mandap. Normally this festival is celebrated in Dec/January in each three years of time.
Similarly, Dewali is also celebrated by another group so called lower caste /untouchable caste Biswakarma/Kami(metalsmiths) as well.
Typical Marunee Dance:
Marunee dance is organized and presented by the Thulung Rai people in the villages. This dance mainly remains throughout the ‘Tihar’ (Deepawali), right after a month of Dashain, the greatest Hindu festival, and also can be seen lasting until few more days of Tihar. Gurus (as masters), who know the steps to follow from the beginning to the end of the show or the rituals and the particular songs that has to be sung and make the Marunees(main attraction of the dance with traditional costume), Dhatuwares(dancers who assist Marunees), Makhundo(an ugly looking character wearing wooden mask and whatever the clothes) etc. act or dance, they also play the Madals(drums). The group visit most of the relatives’ houses or other houses (if invited earlier) especially starting from the evening to late night or till dawn. It is very interesting to see the Marunees who actually are boys of the age of 10/12 to 15/16 but they seem typical Rai girls wearing traditional custumes (like; Chaubandi, phariya, patuka, pachhaura etc.) and jewelleries (like; Kande churaa, balaa, haaris etc.). One very interesting episode to see is the very beginning where some of the Guru/s spell/chant or pray the particular Gods and Goddesses and they make Marunees and people around be shaking their own bodies by hyipnotizing the area.
Tosi Dance / Bhume puja:
Tosi naach or Bhume puja is a popular religious festival of Rai people. This dance is known as ‘Sakela’, ‘Sakewa’, ‘Tos’ , ‘Waas’, Chandi and etc. Nowadays, this dance is being organized and presented in Kathmandu valley or elsewhere by most of the Rai people. Different Rai groups have different way of dancing (known as sili/s) and musical instrument played. In general, Tosi naach is the popular cultural Rai dance which is celebrated twice in a year. Rai people celebrate as their greatest festival same as the Dashain by Hindus. Tosi naach is celebrated once in Nov/Dec. and another time in April/May this also is called Udhauli and Ubhauli. Through different steps of dance or ‘Sili/s’ Rai people present the traditional way of worshiping God and Goddesses and ‘Nature’ as a whole for the protection of the crops..etc. The dance with their costume, mainly of ‘Dewa’(the most impt. Person) and ‘Sase chakpa’ (second impt. Person) in community wearing jamas, pagaris, sidimos and holding bottle like ‘Bom’ or the sound of Dhol, Jyamta and blowling horn of wild buffalos makes the naach very interesting. A typical ‘Simal’ tree(somewhere Lankuri also) is worship by the Thulung Rai people and they dance around the tree/s turning clockwise direction several times. They make dance and worshiping in each houses of the relatives or the group which sometimes takes days or even a week.
Jalem Mela(festival):
A small pond right on the top of the village in ward No: 5 is called ‘Jalem Pokhari’. The pokhari is believed to be there for a long long time and is said to be a secred place. There’s a wall built around the pokhari to preserve it’s beauty and the water that has been collected there. Many old trees can be seen around and there are many Devithans(place for goddesses) nearby including one very big cave which is said to be very deep where people aren’t allowed to go into if in case the they might get lost. The biggest Devithan which is walled and is just to the door of the big cave, there’s the tridens, bells, chhatras(umbrella like) etc. offered by the devotees who come to visit either from the village or from outside the village too. Dhami (shaman/witch doctor)s come to worship to the pokhari and to devithans twice in a year with their Dhole (people assisting the dhami), their family and relatives. People are still following the tradition of not letting the women go inside the wall to touch the water or wash but they are given water by other men. The time when many dhamis gather and worship the sound of the Dhol/Dhangra (drums) and thaal (bronze dish sounding as singing bouls) is very much entertaining and interesting to hear and see. Besides, people sacrifice the baby goats at the biggest devithaan on Panchami(the fifth day after full moon) once in a year by whoever have a vaacal(promise).
Just about 5 minutes is a place where there’s Mela (bazaar). Jalem mela is also twice in a year. ‘Vaisakhe mela’ is in April/May on the day of Buddha Jayanti and ‘Bhadaure mela’ is in July/August on the day of Janai Purnima. One is called Udhauli and another Ubhauli. The main attraction of this mela is the dhamis and singing and dancing of the visitors coming from a long distance. There use to be several tea shops built up for the mela and other shops as well as individuals selling fruits and alcohols etc.
Shiva Temples :
Among the population, 276(5.40%) are ‘Shiva Bhaktas’ (followers are vegetarian, known as ‘Shadhus’ in Deusa VDC, Shiva bhaktas are different from any other religious groups) by religion. There are 4 Shiva temples in Deusa VDC. Though it is called shiva temple, there is seen the statues of Goddess Parvati, Ganesh, Ram, hanuman and somewhere there is a small temple of Dakshinkali also. All of the visitors or the followers can enter into the main temple and worship, eat and drink which is quite different with Hindu religious temples and practices. Each day in the morning and in evening there is pooja(worshiping) by certain people in the temples but all of the group/family of followers gather twice in a year to worship which is called ‘Jagge’. They also do organize the jagge in different houses and others are invited. The process is turn by turn planning the suitable time in each family. Sadhus read the religious book called ‘Pustak’/’Pastuk’ which until now is in Bantawa (a clan of Rai group) script so they have to learn the script and pronounce or even explain the meaning of. These sadhus have also different rites and rituals for the births, namings, weddings, deaths and mostly they follow the religious books or chant the Mantras. The Gurus or the priests are important persons within the followers. There is shankha, ghanti, damaru,dhol, nagaraa, madal, khaijadi, symbal etc. been used by sadhus as well as flowers, milk or fruits been used instead of alcohols or meat etc.
