Kengkharpas in Monggar are well known for producing wood-based products for ages now. One of the most popular products they produce is ‘Palang’ or wooden flask. Over the years it has become one of the major source of cash income as they get demand from other Dzongkhags.
Palang is used as a container to store locally brewed alcohol or Ara. It is made up of Gongtshong Shing, a wood locally known as Gongtshong.
Thukten Thinley, 26, has been in the business for four years now. “The toughest job is to collect materials from the forest. There are no trees available nearby and we have to go far always. Also it is difficult to find the trees too,” he says.
|
[media id=511 width=320 height=260]
|
|---|
Tashi Wangchuk, 47, partners with Thukten. He mainly does the outer design, making beautiful pattern rings around the Palang. He says all his family expenses are met from the sale of Palangs. “Making of Palang began serious since last 30 years,” he remembers, adding that the tradition of making Palangs were there since olden times but got serious only in the last 30 years.
People in the east are still using Palang to store Ara, to be offered to their guest. They say, it’s their pride to offer Ara from the Palang to their guest. The age old tradition of carrying Palang during social gathering is even followed now.
Unlike other business, sale of Palang is not a concern for them. It’s just that they cannot meet the demand some times. “Palangs make major part of our sale, and even few Choeshams. In one year we sale over thousand Plangs,” says Sangay Dhendup of the Yudari Tarayana Tshogpa
It is time for the villagers to collect raw materials at this time of the year. They will begin producing by the end of the year. Kengkhar is located about 67 Kilometres from the proper Monggar town.
