From Fields To Festivals: How Pokhara’s Daai Festival Is Turning Rice Harvesting Into Tourism Gold!

Nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas, the Pokhara Tourism Council (PTC) in Nepal initiated the Daai Festival at Churunga, Puranchaur of Pokhara Metropolitan City-19, to see the second edition of the event, which provided a unique opportunity to witness Nepal’s declining agricultural heritage. The event was organized under the slogan Pokhara for All Seasons, and besides turning rice-threshing into an energetic agro-tourism experience, it also provided a picturesque view of the high peaks of the Himalayas, including the famous Machhapuchchhre and the Annapurna range.

The day’s atmosphere blended the rustic charm of rural life with the curiosity of travellers, creating a space where local farmers, youth and visiting tourists could come together to experience, learn, and celebrate.

The Daai Festival brings to light the ancient agricultural method of daai, a traditional post‑harvest technique where bullocks are tied in a row to trample paddy around a central pole, separating grain from straw. This method, once common across rural Nepal, is rapidly disappearing in the face of mechanised farming. The festival seeks to preserve this cultural memory, offering both locals and visitors a tangible taste of a vanishing way of life.

Leaders of the Pokhara Tourism Council have stressed the festival’s dual importance: reviving pride in farming among youth and farmers, and building a new strand of agro‑tourism that complements adventure and lake‑based tourism in Pokhara.

According to PTC chair Taranath Pahari, this kind of agro‑tourism can deepen the year‑round appeal of Pokhara, expanding beyond seasonal trekking, boating and lakeside recreation to include rural life and cultural immersion.

The festival’s schedule, from early morning at 9 a.m. to late afternoon, included a lively mix of agricultural demonstrations, folk‑style contests, and local cuisine.

Local farmers competed in categories such as best ox keeper, best paddy producer, rice‑threshing (daai), straw‑bundle tying, and traditional mat (gundri) weaving. The winners, including those with impressive yields, were honoured, receiving cash prizes.

For tourists, both domestic and foreign, the festival offered a rare, immersive opportunity: to see (and in some cases participate in) traditional paddy‑threshing, observe rural craftsmanship, and taste authentic local snacks and vegetables, all under the Himalayas. Organisers anticipated around 800 to 1,000 visitors, including locals from Puranchaur and Pokhara, other Nepali citizens, and foreign travellers.

Festival coordinator Hari Bhujel said the Daai Festival was designed to answer a simple question that many tourists raise during the earlier planting‑season festival (the Ropai Mahotsav): after planting rice, how does it grow. This newer festival aims to complete that story, showcasing the full agrarian cycle from planting to harvest.

Bhujel also expressed hope that the festival would keep drawing tourist activity even during off‑season months, offering farmers a renewed sense of dignity, and younger generations a connection with their rural past.

Given Pokhara Tourism Council’s long‑standing commitment to eco‑tourism, heritage and sustainable tourism development, this agro‑cultural experiment aligns with their broader mission to strengthen Pokhara’s appeal beyond lakes, mountains and adventure sports.

The Daai Festival provides a glimpse into living farming traditions, contact with local villagers and rural Himalayan life to the participants of the event as well as the very few other events. For the festival which takes place in Puranchaur, a village in the hills with a spectacular view, pure air and country side lifestyle they gain considerable peace from the main tourist attractions.