Come Maghe Shankranti and Tokha, a town in Kathmandu famed for producing chaku, a special cultural cuisine, is going to see Chaku Day and Grand Cultural Day and Felicitation programme taking place simultaneously.

Newa: Guthi Tokha is going to organize the event on Maghe Shankranti that falls on January 15 this year. Maghe Shankranti is observed every year on the first day of Nepali month, Magh, as per lunar calendar.

Chairperson of the Guthi, Ramesh Napit, shared that distinguished personalities contributing to the preservation of historical traditions of Tokha would be feted with cash prizes.

Two artisans and artistes’ groups preserving traditional musical instruments of Tokha would be honoured with Rs 25,000 each, informed Napit.

Similarly, individuals from sports, comedy, music, education and culture among others sectors would be honoured on the occasion for their outstanding contributions, added Napit.

Ward no 2 and 3 of Tokha municipality are going to support the event where Tokha Culture Preservation Area Development Committee and Tokha Traditional Chaku Conservation Society are joining hands with the Guthi for the same, said the organizer.

Other attractions of the celebration are exhibitions of handicrafts, traditional musical instruments and chaku, according to the organizers.

Chaku, is a cultural and traditional confectionary made from sugarcane juice turning into molasses. Even the spices as black pepper, almond, and coconut shreds are in concoction of the confectionary.

Tokha, a small town in the northern outskirt of the Kathmandu Valley, is taken as a morpheme of two Newari words- ‘tu’ and ‘khya’- meaning sugarcane and field respectively.

In this town, sugarcane was produced in abundance previously. The place, originally inhabited by the indigenous Newar community, is a home to unique Newar culture and heritage.