In Krishnapur Municipality-6, four bathing ghats (bathing areas) are set to be constructed for the women of the Tharu community. The municipality has allocated a budget to build these ghats along the Balwa River, aiming to provide a more organized and private space for women to bathe after participating in funeral rites.
The Tharu community has a tradition where women collectively bathe in the river after attending funeral ceremonies. Currently, these women have to bathe and change their clothes in open, unstructured areas, prompting the need for more organized bathing facilities. Ward Chairperson Baburam Chaudhary stated that the construction of the ghats is intended to address this issue.
“We have proposed the construction of ghats in Banjariya, Singhpur, Baluwa Phanta, and Singhpur Rana Tole,” Chaudhary said. “The municipality has allocated NPR 200,000 for each ghat, but since this amount is insufficient, we are in discussions with the municipality for additional funding.”
Chaudhary also mentioned that they are exploring cost-sharing partnerships with community forests to support the construction of the ghats. He estimated that each ghat would require at least NPR 500,000 to complete, including features such as steps and changing rooms for women. The construction is expected to begin after the monsoon season.
Bir Bahadur Rajbanshi, President of the Mahakali Community Forest, expressed his willingness to contribute to the cost-sharing efforts, noting that the ghats would provide women with the privacy they need while bathing and changing clothes.
Additionally, the ward office is advancing the construction of eight “Bhuiyari” (Deuthan) shrines for the Tharu community, with over NPR 3.5 million already spent on these projects. “Some of the shrines have been completed,” Chaudhary said, “while others are nearing completion.”
