NBBGC Nepali Department holds ‘Ramailo Ropai’ for students at Lower Tarku
Nar Bahadur Bhandari Government College organised its annual ‘Ramailo Ropai’ programme for fifth-semester Nepali Honours students at Lower Tarku, Namchi, to add
The Department of Nepali at Nar Bahadur Bhandari Government College (NBBGC) organised its annual Ramailo Ropai programme for fifth-semester Nepali Honours students at Lower Tarku in Namchi district. According to a press release, the event is designed to give students hands-on exposure to traditional agriculture, including organic farming practices, and to help them understand the social and cultural meaning of rural life.
The programme was attended by the Head of the Department, Dr. Udai Chettri, and senior faculty member Prof. Dr. Geeta Nirola. Students took part actively in paddy cultivation, where they learned practical agricultural skills alongside cultural traditions connected to rice growing.
Community participation during paddy cultivation
The day began with a customary breakfast of curd, beaten rice, bananas, and jaggery, following local tradition. After that, students were assigned different traditional roles involved in paddy farming, including Bause, Ropar, Hali, Dantere, seedling pullers, and Fyauri workers. Another group prepared the Arani (lunch) for everyone taking part.
Senior men and women from the local community also joined the programme. Male elders demonstrated traditional farming methods and the use of indigenous agricultural tools. Women guided students in paddy transplantation, sang plantation songs, and shared knowledge about local water sources, as well as the role of agriculture in supporting rural livelihoods.
Experiential learning and cultural knowledge
The initiative is linked to Dr. Tek Bahadur Chettri, an Assistant Professor in the Nepali Department. The release says it has continued as an annual experiential learning programme under his leadership. Students said they found value in learning alongside classmates, with participation making the activity both enjoyable and educational even for those who had earlier worked in paddy fields at home.
Guests Munga Rai and Durga Pandey praised the effort, saying such programmes help strengthen emotional connections between students and rural communities while supporting the transfer of traditional farming knowledge and cultural heritage to younger generations. The coordinator, Dr. Tek Bahadur Chettri, also thanked Principal Prof. Dr. D. Purohit and other college officials for their support in conducting the event.
