Summer is the harbinger of monsoon rains with an abundance of splash of water and mud in the fields. The plough and spade artists carve a beautiful landscape mixing love, sweat and faith in the terraced rice fields. They work from dawn to dusk to embellish the earth around them. Still, their greatness largely goes unnoticed and unappreciated.

Underneath a dusky sky, the Jyapu farmers had already clustered in small groups by the time I reached Khokana.

Asar 15.

Every year, Ropain Jatra is celebrated after the completion of rice plantation to rejuvenate from the stress and workload one faces during the plantation time. This year, it was celebrated on Thursday in Ilam.

After bidding farewell to the exuberance of Gaijatra, Kathmandu Valley witnessed another lively crowd on the occasion of Ropain Jatra (Rice Planting Festival) on Wednesday. A diverse group of people clad in flamboyant attires with unusual strokes of make-up gathered at the court of Boudhanath Stupa to mark the ages old festival.

KATHMANDU: For the sixth year running, Social Tours in association with Bagmati Trails Initiative marketed and organized Ropain–the Rice Planting Festival in Khokana on Saturday.