Bhaktapur, May 8

Normally, tourists who come to Nepal prefer to enjoy its natural beauty, visit archaeological sites or go on a trek through the mountains.

But tourists visiting Bhaktapur come for something else entirely.

According to the tourism entrepreneurs, tourists are much excited to see local people cooking food on wood-fired ovens.

Laxmi Awal, chairperson of Bhaktapur Tourism Development Committee, said local people prefer wood-fired ovens to stoves using liquefied petroleum. “As much as they are curious about local culture and tradition, they want to see the local people actually cooking food.

I have taken tourists to local’s houses to show them how food is cooked in traditional households,” she shared, adding “As I belong to the same society, so I know much about local culture and tradition.”

Awal goes on to share that food prepared in wood-fired tastes better than on gas stoves. “Even I like the food prepared in wood-fired ovens. They pay generously to stay in a local home and taste local Newari food,” she said.

Nearly 800 tourists visited Bhaktapur daily before the quakes last year. But there are limited numbers of tourists these days.

Although close to the capital, centuries-old traditions still survive in Bhaktapur. Nearly one-fourth of the families in this ancient city still use firewood to cook food.

“Many people may find this surprising, but it is the reality of life in Bhaktapur,” says Bikal Manandhar, a local.