KURAGRAPHYकुराग्राफी

Fieldwork-2018

Raksi is an indigenous technique to distilling alcoholic beverages. Homemade raksi using malted beer. The three-story structure will build to make Raksi from the homemade malted beer. i, Phoshi, the bottom of the vessel, homemade beer  and a certain level of contains into the Phoshi; when firewood hits the bottom of the vessel, the boiling solution vapurates. ii, Paini — the structure's middle level; the vessel's bottom has holes that allow steam to pass through.  iii, Nani - the small pot located inside the Paini that will hold the distilled Raksi. iv. Bata - a conical jar, traditionally manufactured by copper. The steam from the bottom vessel is distilled in an apex of cold water placed on top of the structure. A mixture of cow dung and clay and a wet cloth was used to seal off the gap between the vesseles.

The process

The Jand (malted beer) putting into the Phoshi and adding a level of the of water then the Phoshi would placed on the hearth, on the top of the Phoshi palaced by the Paini, the Nani placed into the Paini, the gap bettween Phoshi and Paini must be sealed by the misture of the cow dung and clay, and the Bata palced on the top of the the Paini. the gap between Paini and the Bata must be sealed by a moist cloth. The Bata contains full of cold water. 

The process begins when the heat from the fire on the bottom of the Phoshi,  hit boils the solution and evaporates. resulting in the evaporation of steam, which then passes through the holes in the Paini and into the Bata, caintaining cold water into the Bata the surface of the bata would be cold, seam transform into sweat, resulting the cycle of the distilled water that would collected into the Nani. Pane- the number of changing cold water into the Bata. The term "Tin pane," it refers that the Raksi was made with the three water changing time. The Pane is considered as the standard of the "Raksi." For instance less number of the changing water means the high quality of the production of the Raksi.

Raksi is a widely used alcoholic beverage among indigenous people.  Raksi's typical roles may include the following:

1.      Raksi as an offering to their gods. It plays a significant role in many indigenous birth-to-death ceremonies.

2.      Raksi as a welcome drink - among indigenous communities, a warm welcome is often marked by the consumption of Raksi (sagun) or the presentation of Raksi (Koseli) as a gift.

3.      Raksi as a Khaja (breakfast/energy drink) among  workers/labors

4.    Raksi to mark special occasions by sipping it "like a cocacola" to show their appreciation.

5.     Raksi used as medicine by indigenous peoples, who have found success treating a variety of illnesses.

6.      Indigenous women traditionally sold Raksi in marketplaces and other venues to supplement their income. 

The government of Nepal extremely discouraging of Raksi production and consumption, classifying it as a harmful alcoholic drink and promoting sterio-types of slogans like "(drinking Raksi is injurious to health), despite the fact that Raksi has multiple meanings in the indigeous world. The next generation of indigenous youngsters is being cut off from the traditional knowledge of Raksi production as they are brainwashed with such nonsense in schools. Some of the so-called educated indigenous pleople  putting themselves aside from Raksi practises and sophisticated to imitate the lifestyles of the Tea, Coffee, and Cola drinking cultures.

In summary, Raksi is a grain-based organic beverage. appropriate use of the liquor at the correct time, in the right volume, and in the right method, it may have a variety of meanings and benefits. I take great pride in the fact that Raksi is a well-known product of indigenous knowledge. It's unfortunate to hear that the Nepalese government has classified Raksi as a toxic beverage, and it's even worse to hear that so-called educated people are such a perception on Raksi  with out dept knowledge of multifunctional meaning of the Raksi among the indigenous communities.