Chautara - resting places

Namaste.

Rural Nepal in the hilly regions is criss-crossed with a network of paths, mostly very old, which connect remote villages and settlements. Before motorised transport these paths were the main highways.  As often the slopes are steep, stone steps make up a large proportion of the length of some of these paths.

Transportation of goods to these villages is often still by carrying. I know from experience how tiring it is when walking up these continuous steep steps, and more so if you are carrying a heavy load on your back.

At intervals on most paths the walker will come to a chautara. These are places built to sit and rest, or use as a social area for meeting.  It is usual for there to be two trees – often a pepal tree and a bar tree, holy trees, which provide much needed shade for those who rest.  The construction of the platform around them is thought to be the joining of these two holy trees in sacred wedlock. 

Around them the stone walls form seats, with a higher step for depositing the load being carried.  It is very common to see people sitting at these places, sometimes porters carrying a load or travellers on their way to a village.  At other times, if the place is close to habitation, groups of teenage friends may sit there, chatting and passing the time.

Sitting in the shade at the chautara watching the dancing at Teej

Holy trees at these sites may sometimes be decorated.  They may be looped around with thin white string, have a small shrine in amongst the roots and frequently have offerings of red tikka power and flowers placed at the base.

Some trees are obviously very old – some have many aerial roots which have dropped from the branches and developed into new secondary trunks.  A variety of other plants make their homes on these old trees; orchids and many different species of fern.  They are likely to be many types of insect in this habitat too. 

Mosses and ferns living on the tree trunk

How grateful I am, during a steep climb on a hot day, to arrive at a chautara and sit down and rest in the cool shade of the trees.