Situated at 4,400 meters in the Khumbu region of eastern Nepal, the settlement with some 50 houses—most of them converted into guesthouses— pack their belongings and temporarily move to nearby villages for about two months for a period called “Dee,” meaning “closed” in Sherpa language.[break]
At Dingboche, it is a rule that its residents have been following for ages. And there is a valid reason: better productivity of barley, one of the few agro-produces in this high-altitude barren land.
Ang Phurba Sherpa has seen this cycle of temporary migration for 57 years and he is stiff about keeping up the tradition.
“If people stayed in the village, there would be pollution and smell that would affect the productivity of the crops,” said Sherpa, owner of the Ama Dablam Lodge, the first teahouse with accommodation facility in the Valley on the way to the Everest Base Camp.
And this is why the villagers consent to be away from their homes for the period that usually starts from Dawa Dr’ugpa, the Sherpa calendar’s sixth month, until Dawa Dünpa or mid-Dawa gjäpa, the seventh and eight months.
Munga Tamang, who moved from Salleri, the district headquarters, has been in Dingboche for 30 years and runs a local lodge. He explained the tradition and the myth associated with it.
“There’s an old saying that we can’t blow fire for 40 to 50 days,” he said, clarifying that the smoke would destroy the barley.
People in Dingboche and other parts of Solukhumbu district still rely heavily on firewood for cooking. And people here have the notion that the smoke from their daily household use will harm their farm’s fertility. So people like Sherpa and Tamang camp on the outskirts of the Valley where they take their livestock and cook there if they decide to spend the nights in their houses.
“Another reason why no one is allowed here is to save the crops from our cattle,” Tamang said.
But Tamang also said there isn’t any authority who dictates people to follow the rule.
“We’re all following the rule together because we’re the ones implementing it,” he said. “We discuss it together.”
And to maintain the law of the Valley, people known as “Nawa” are employed.
Appointed by the villagers on a yearly basis with a stipend, the Nawas are responsible for taking care that the law is maintained—that no household cooks in the village or any cattle are found grazing during the stipulated period, as mentioned above. Each man from every household has to serve as Nawa once, or more if necessary, said Sherpa, who has served as a Nawa twice.
“This is good because these local constables help to protect the crop. If there’s no harvest, what will we eat?” he questioned.
However, with time, the appointment of Nawas has also changed. There has been a shift in perspective. As the older belief is on preserving the tradition, the newer thoughts have shifted to environmental conservation, and hence non-profit organizations like the Khumbu Alpine Conservation Council (KACC) have been established on local initiatives.
“This helps to protect the environment and conserve the alpine trees,” said Nima Tenzing Sherpa, an employee present at the KACC office in Dingboche. “And Nawas help to do that.”
It is KACC that currently overlooks the Nawas for a yearly stipend of Rs 10,000. And to reduce pressure on alpine vegetation, the organization has established a kerosene depot at Dingboche that provides alternative energy for local people.
While older-generation people like Tamang and Sherpa stay on the outskirts of Dingboche and take care of their crops, people who migrate to Dingboche solely for business leave for Kathmandu during the Dee.
“It’s difficult to leave everything and go for a while,” said Karma Sherpa who has been running a hotel and an Internet Café for three years. “But it’s a tradition here.”
And though business is affected, Tamang said they’re “following the custom.” But “After Dee is opened, we all start working again: clean, cut the grass, and get on with our daily lives,” he said.
And Ang Phurba agreed. “It all opens when the crops are ready for harvest,” he said.
Related story
Malaysian backpacker killed
