Submit your Article

The public transport fare has decreased in Bagmati Province, including in the Kathmandu Valley. The Ministry of Labor, Employment and Transport has reduced the fare, nine days after Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) slashed the price of diesel. The Ministry has decreased the fare of public transport vehicles operating on short routes within the Bagmati Province. The reduced transport fare has been published in the Nepal Gazette. According to the public transport latest fare determined by the Ministry, the fare has been decreased by 5.9 percent in the Kathmandu Valley, and by 4.18 percent in public vehicles and by 5.69 percent in goods-carrier vehicles operating in short routes in places outside the Valley, said Asman Tamang, Secretary at the Ministry. "The reduced public transport fare would come into effect from today itself as it has already been published in the Gazette," he said. The transport entrepreneurs had determined the fare on their own before this as the public transport fare of vehicles operating on short routes was not increased even as the price of diesel went up. The public transport fare of only vehicles operating on long routes was increased at that time. NOC had reduced the price of diesel effective from Wednesday last week. Immediately after this, the government had increased the public transport fare on vehicles operating on long routes. The transport fare of long route or inter-province is determined by the federal government while that of the short route or inter-municipality is fixed by the province government. The NOC on April 3 slashed the price of diesel and kerosene by Rs 10 each per liter and petrol by Rs 3 per liter. It reduced the price of diesel and petrol by Rs 10 each per liter effective from last Wednesday. As per the reduced fuel price, diesel costs Rs 155 per liter. The transport fare of public transport vehicles operated in short route within the province was increased last year. As per the increased transport fare, passengers are charged Rs 20 upon boarding the public bus in Kathmandu Valley.  

The country at present has the impacts of local and westerly winds with low pressure system, causing partly to generally cloudy in the hilly region in the country, according to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology. The Department said that light to moderate rain with thunder and lightning is expected to take place at some places of Madhes, Gandaki and Lumbini provinces and hilly and mountainous regions of rest of the provinces. The Department said that chances of storms are also likely in some places of Tarai belt.

President Ram Chandra Paudel today observed the Bhoto Jatra festival, a ritualistic festival dedicated to the Rato Machhindranath, the deity of rain and bountiful harvest. The President attended the Bhoto Jatra festival at Jawalakhel this afternoon and observed the ritual of displaying the Bhoto (the jewel-studded mythical vest believed to belong to the deity). As part of this ritual, an employee of the Guthi Sansthan Lalitpur displayed the Bhoto from the pinnacle of a chariot of the Rato Machhindranath deity. It is a tradition to display the Bhoto on the fourth day the chariot of the deity is towed in a procession up to Jawalakhel from Lagankhel. On the occasion, the Head-of-the-State paid homage to the Rato Machhindranath deity and also took the prasad. He also paid obeisance to the living goddess Kumari on the occasion. The chariot festival which started from April 24 concluded today with the displaying of the Bhoto. Vice President Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Speaker Devraj Ghimire, Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha and the government ministers were also present on the occasion. A large number of people had also gathered at Jawalakhel to observe the festival.  

When you think of ‘taas’, you think of Chitwan. It’s a much-loved mutton dish that is basically marinated mutton pieces cooked in a generous amount of mustard oil on a griddle. The meat cooked thus becomes tender, succulent, and rich in flavors. This iconic dish is perhaps an identity of Chitwan. However, taas didn’t originate in Chitwan. Its roots can be traced back to Raxaul, a small border town near Birgunj. During the Panchayat era in Nepal, people from Kathmandu traveled all the way to Raxaul for shopping and to watch the latest Bollywood movies. Rangoli Meat Hotel, located just opposite Krishna Talkies in Raxaul, was a popular spot to enjoy taas. It wasn’t the only place selling this dish though. There were a few stalls near Pankaj Talkies that also served the delicacy. In April 1987, Gobinda Tiwari started Bhetghat restaurant in Bharatpur. The restaurant served taas. Apparently, he brought taas to Chitwan, and the rest is history. It became popular and today Chitwan is incomplete without taas. I’m a huge fan of ‘Chitwan ko taas’ as well. Every time I visit Nepal, I make some excuse to go to Chitwan just to visit Bhetghat Taas Ghar, one of my favorite eateries. During one such visit to Bhetghat, I told the waiter to get me one standard plate of taas. This normally includes the taas meat along with tomato achar, salad, and bhuja (puffed rice). I eventually ended up ordering three plates. My mum and brother who had tagged along were surprised to see my insatiable appetite for taas. I had ordered eight plates when my mother stopped me from ordering more and said, “Ma banai dinchu ghar mai.” (I shall prepare it at home.) What makes taas stand apart from any other meat dish prepared in Nepal? These boneless lamb cubes are marinated in coarse Nepali spices and herbs and are grilled in as little oil as possible. To prepare taas, people use a large, near-flat concave thick-bottomed pan called tawa. Cooking this meat in the tawa, in medium heat, results in an assertively spiced crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside succulent meat. But what makes taas special is not just the grilled marinated meat. It’s the right combination of the whole set, including puffed rice, tomato chutney, cucumber and radish salad, green chilies, red onion, and lemon salad. My personal preference is eating taas with fermented pickled radish. There was a time when I tried having the taas khaja set meal at Bhetghat’s outlet in Anamnagar, Kathmandu. But it didn’t match the original taste of their Chitwan outlet.  The recipe might be the same but the dish didn’t have the same taste or texture. The taste of food is not only about recipes and technique, it’s about the vibe that the surrounding gives. Food tastes different depending on where the products are coming from. So, the taste of taas in Chitwan beats all other copycat places that offer taas dishes. You wouldn’t think of having fried fish, aloo chop with tomato achar, and beer inside cities like Kathmandu or Pokhara. But the same dishes with a little bit of dust, vehicles’ noise from the surrounding taste heavenly on road trips. Everyone is in a holiday mood, and the rush and sounds of the road give a different experience which you will not find in either Kathmandu or Pokhara. As much as I wish I could, I can’t go to Chitwan every time I crave taas. So I have tried the original recipe several times. I’ve also introduced it to my restaurant’s menu. Here, I’m sharing my version of the taas recipe.