When Charikot Turns Into a Memory of Light
In Charikot, festivals don’t arrive loudly. They slowly appear—like something the town has been preparing for without saying it out loud. A few days before it begins, you notice small changes. Houses get cleaned more carefully. New clothes are bought and kept aside. The streets feel a little more alive, as if the town is quietly holding its breath for something good. On the day of the festival, everything changes. The usual calm roads fill with people, music starts echoing from different corners, and the smell of traditional food drifts through the air. Children run freely, laughing louder than usual, while elders sit together, watching the town come alive again. What makes the festival in Charikot special is not just the celebration itself, but the way people come together. Neighbors who rarely speak sit side by side. Families that were busy for months suddenly share meals. Even strangers feel less like strangers for a while. As evening arrives, lights begin to glow across the hills. The town looks different—warmer, softer, almost like it is smiling. From a distance, Charikot feels less like a place and more like a feeling. And when the music slows down and the night becomes quiet again, what remains is not just the festival memory, but the sense that for a short time, everyone in the town was part of the same story.
Dil Kumar Shrestha
