The month of Chaitra ended recently. This is the time of the year when the sweet, red, berry-like fruit ripens in the mountains of Uttarakhand. These days, cartloads of this fruit can be seen on the streets of Dehradun. It is one of the best things to have in this sweltering heat.
In what is known as the “cultural anthem” of Uttarakhand-the folk song of Kumaon-Bedu Pako, Bara Masa, the second line is “O Naraina kafal paako chaita, meri chhaila”, showing how close this fruit is to the cultural and social life of this mountain state. So it was not surprising when former Chief Minister Harish Rawat chose to make his “kafal party” in the Doon valley on Monday evening a platform for launching the Kafal Chapter of Garhwal. Representatives of various political parties and social organisations gathered at the Kafal party to discuss how, through this newly formed chapter, products based on local materials and resources could be popularised widely.
Coarse grains, local arts and crafts, traditional moutain attire ,commercially beneficial trees –all these will be promoted and made commercially viable through the efforts of the Kafal chapter of Garhwal. Kafal, a fruit that is now becoming known well in places other than the mountains of Garhwal and Kumaon, is attracting tourists in Doon and Mussoorie these days. Though it looks quite a bit like the “falsa” available in Delhi in summers, Kafal has a very different flavour and texture. It reminds one of the freshness that the mountain breeze has even in summer. Somehow, it represents the beauty and simplicity of Himalayan life.
Harish Rawat had earlier held mango and other theme parties .However, the Kafal party is much clearer in its message- it evokes the basic, natural resource bank of the mountain state. It shows concern, through this new chapter, about utilising these resources to the maximum to boost the income of the mountain folk, suggesting value-addition efforts .
Mandua, Jhangora, Rhododendron (Buransh), Malta and many other such grains and fruits are being now sold in the form of biscuits, bread, cakes, kheer and juices at cultural events and trade fairs. They are also easily available in markets now. These unique products from Uttarakhand do really need to be promoted more aggressively and it is hoped that the Kafal Chapter of Garhwal will take up this promotion and encouragement in a big way. Behind this Kafal party and the Kafal chapter lies politics, no doubt. However, the purely local flavour given to it is attractive.