Unique Nepali campaign makes its way into English calendar
Kathmandu, Jan 1: A unique campaign spearheaded by a trove of creative Nepali youths has found its space in the Gregorian Calendar as the ‘Dhaka Topi’ Day on the first day of every English new year/January, albeit as an informal event.
The Day calls for a celebration when the Nepalis in home or abroad, in an attempt to preserve Nepali cultural identity, putting on the national cap commonly known as the ‘Dhaka Topi’.
Stitched in a special indigenous colourful and patterned textile called ‘Dhaka’, the hat is meant for the males but this day Nepalis, irrespective of gender and the dresses they are in, have been observing this day by putting on the national hat.
As a part of this avant-garde campaign spearheaded by a group of Nepali youths for consecutive four years, an event was organized at Basantapur in Kathmandu today marked by the presence of the public assembled with Dhaka Topis on their heads to show their solidarity to this culture preservation effort.
The slogan for the event was ‘Let Us feel Nepali at Heart and Rejoice in Nepaliness’.
Tejendra Shrestha, one of the pioneers of the campaign, said the event aims to spread awareness across the public not to forget the Dhaka Topi, which, he said, embodies our national identity.
An overwhelming number of participants, some in the national dress, were seen jostling with taking pictures in Dhaka Topi, according to organizer Shrestha.