Launch of Kailash Brand Photo: Raj Shrestha

The ‘Kailash’ brand endorsed as “Kailash-Truly Sacred” was launched during the 13th National Handicraft Exhibitionat Bhrikuti Mandap Exhibition Hall in Kathmandu, Nepal, on 5th May 2016. Dignitaries and guests from the Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation, ICIMOD and RECAST were on site for the launch by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), the Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation (MoFSC), Research Centre for Applied Science and Technology (RECAST) andSABAH Nepal. Dignitaries unveiled the Kailash Logo and lighted ‘dio’ as a gesture of optimism and good wishes and prosperity.

Hundreds of visitors dropped by the stall during the five days exhibition; some fascinated by the decoration of the stall and some with queries about the brand and the products exhibited at the stall.  Community members themselves were involved in showcasing their products and selling them to the visitors. The exclusive involvement of women in the process made this exhibition a unique as visitors observed the integration of rural skills with urban products creating a fusion of traditional weaves & modern designs.

Madan Raj Pandey, Chair Person of Malikarjan Natural Production P Ltd in Gokuleshwor, Darchula, was involved in the 13th National Handicraft Exhibition held in Kathmandu. Mr Pandey is associated with nigalo and ritha business in the district. Mr Pandey thanked KSLCDI for giving him a platform to promote community products at the exhibition. Mr Pandey said Dala, ritha and namlo got the highest market in the exhibition. There was also a demand for doko and chatai (mat) of smaller size. Mr Pandey also mentioned that he observed the good market for processed Ritha as most of the people asked for ritha powder. Besides these, kidney beans and different varieties of lentils were well represented at the fair. Similarly, Mr Sher Singh Bahara, a member of the community facility centre for allo in Khar, Darchula said allo topi and pakhi (mat) were a hit with visitors as were allo bags. Although people were interested in allo products, Mr Bahara said the high price of allo items prevented most of the visitors from purchasing their products. He said lower prices would be possible if processing technologies were improved.

Binita Maharjan from SABAH agreed that dalo and ritha from Darchula were amongst the highest sold products in the exhibition. Allo soap case and allo scrub got the highest market at the exhibition. Allo thread and fabrics were highly demanded from numerous manufactures in the fair. Nearly fifty thousand items  of allo, nigalo and ritha were sold at the exhibition.

The five day event ended on 9 May 2016. The exhibition was a successful event for Kailash Scared Landscape Conservation and Development Initiative (KSLCDI) in many ways. With a launch of Kailash brand, the initiative has taken an important step towards improving livelihoods of mountain communities in KSL region. The exhibition served as a platform for those rural communities knowledgeable in marketing and selling perspectives. Not only did this fair give an opportunity to showcase the products from the villages, but helped the communities identify potential markets and walk in the path of development.

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