सिंहदरबार संवाददाता
Bhojpur. The historic Taksar Bazaar, which has been the identity of the industrial, commercial and cultural area, is currently awaiting preservation. As the artistic style houses built here have become ruins, the originality of this place is also being erased.
Taksar Bazaar, which has been producing metal products worth lakhs and printing Tak (Doli Paisa) since the Panchayat period until the advent of the multi-party system, has been deserted for a few years. The metal products manufactured here are famous in the country and abroad.
Taksar is a historical market where Tak (Doli Paisa) was printed, which was necessary throughout Nepal during the Rana period. Taksar, located near the Bhojpur district headquarters, was also a market that was once established as a trading center. The elders here say that the area of this market was under the then Khikamachha Thum.
Local Kishore Kumar Tamrakar says that there is a historical fact that doli money was made here from 1872 to 1887. He informed that the artisans who were brought from Patan at that time after establishing a mining base here used to make iron and copper doli money.
He says that those money can still be found. The one tola and two tola (tak doli) money made by stamping here was popular during the Rana period. Tamrakar informed that the first artisan to cut tak here was Devdatta Shakya. The Newar people who came to Taksar from Patan brought their language, religion, customs and culture to this place.
‘This place is known as a place where money is made,’ he said, ‘Even now, you can find money made here. Not only that, this place was also known as an industrial area. Most of the houses here used to manufacture metal materials. But now this profession has also reached the point of extinction and the market is becoming deserted.’
The then Nepal government had established a mining station in Taksar since 1872 BS to extract minerals in the eastern hill districts including Bhojpur, Khotang, Udayapur, Okhaldhunga, Solukhumbu, Sankhuwasabha, Dhankuta, Tehrathum, Taplejung and Ilam.
Tamrakar says that the Shakya dynasty has been doing the business of stamping coins in Taksar. He says that the work of making metal products started by cutting money and giving the excess metal to the artisans here.
At that time, metal industries and metal products were sold in every house here. ‘It seems that a mining station was established here in 1872 BS and Takmar was being made,’ he said, ‘It is found that minerals are collected from the eastern region and Takmar was being made here. It seems that the work of making metal products started by cutting money and giving the excess metal to the locals here. After the establishment of various government offices, the settlement expanded here.’
He informed that King Mahendra declared Taksar as an industrial zone in 2013 BS. At that time, two to 300 families lived here.
Locals say that the market was very crowded at that time. Experts here say that after the government office here was shifted to Bhojpur Bazaar after 2007, the market became deserted after the work of cutting the taksar was stopped. Handicrafts made in Taksar were exported to Bhutan, Tibet of China, Darjeeling, Assam, Siliguri and Kolkata of India.
The industries that made metal handicrafts here are also closing down every year. The bronze plates, karuva, ankhora, bokuta and other items made by the artisans here with the help of handicrafts are still famous in the country and abroad.
Local artisan Bimal Shakya said that metal industries that used to number dozens until decades ago are now divided into five. He said that these industries are having trouble meeting market demand.
He said that if this is not passed down from generation to generation, the profession itself will be in danger. He said that as people lose interest in this profession, the originality of Taksar has been erased along with its historical importance in recent times.
‘Taksar is a market with religious and historical importance,’ he said, ‘but this market is becoming deserted. Metal industries that used to number dozens in the past are limited to five. There is a lot of demand for the metal materials produced here, but we have not been able to meet the market demand.’
The artistic houses in this place, once known as ‘Small Patan’, are also being demolished. Local Surja Bahadur Udas said that the metal industries that carried the originality here are being closed down in a big way. He said that the uniqueness of Taksar is being erased due to migration.
He said that the metal industry is also in crisis due to the shortage of raw materials including coal. ‘Taksar is a historical market in the eastern region,’ he said, ‘but along with the historicality of this market, its originality is also being lost.’
This market is in a state of ruin mainly due to migration. Most of the artistic houses are mostly empty, while some houses have been demolished. He said that as people here leave their homes and settle elsewhere, the artistically built houses are deteriorating and the appearance of the market is deteriorating.
Udas said that the identity of Bhojpur district is becoming blurred with the closure of the traditional metal industry in Taksar. He said that people here have been living in Kathmandu, Dharan, Biratnagar and other places after leaving their homes.
Udas said that about 50 to 60 percent of the people here have left their homes and migrated elsewhere. ‘Taksar Bazaar is a historical market that carries the identity of the country,’ Udas said. ‘This market, known as Mini Patan, has become deserted due to migration. The monasteries and temples built in an artistic style have also become dilapidated. The market is deserted.’
Local elders say that monasteries, monasteries, monasteries, monasteries, temples, fountains, patipauvas and statues were built here when the Ranas were using Doli money from Taksar. At that time, copper was brought from Dhodlekhani in Bhojpur and various materials were made along with tak.
According to history, it was under the rule of Sen Raja of Palpa towards the end of the 16th century. Local experts say that many malls and courts were also opened here at that time, along with the work of cutting tak in Khikamachha in Kirat.
Now, after the people of Taksar left their homes and went elsewhere, the market has become deserted, said local Roshan Shakya. He says that he is currently working in the metalworking industry as a continuation of the profession brought by his ancestors. He says that the further development and expansion of the market has been hindered after the wealthy class that used to live here moved elsewhere. Devi Karki, Ward Chairperson of Taksar, Bhojpur Municipality-12, said that such houses in the market have become dilapidated as the people who migrated did not sell their houses and left them abandoned.
Ward Chairperson Karki says that the ward is doing the necessary work to preserve the historicity of this place. She said that it is mainly necessary to protect the profession of making metalworking products here.
The metalworking industry, which was prevalent in the past, is now disappearing, says Ward Chairperson Karki. ‘The traditional metal manufacturing industries here are closing down,’ said Ward Chair Karki. ‘Now only a small number of industries are operating. Mainly due to migration, Taksar market has not been able to develop.’
She said that there is still a problem in the expansion of the settlement as people who left their homes here and lived in cities including Kathmandu and Biratnagar have left their houses and properties lying idle.
‘Many have left their homes and moved away,’ she said. ‘Those abandoned houses are in a state of collapse. New settlements have not been able to expand.’ She said that future work will be carried out keeping in mind the beauty of the place.
There is a Shakyamuni Buddhist monastery in Taksar. This Buddhist monastery was established in 1993 BS. The Saraswati Gumba in the same area has also not been preserved. Taksar Bazaar is located about two kilometers from the Bhojpur district headquarters.
Taksar Airport is located nearby. Local experts say that there is a need to revive the metal industries of Taksar Bazaar and motivate the businessmen who have migrated to keep the original identity of this market alive.
It is necessary to provide the necessary means and resources to preserve the original art and industry here. Currently, the industries here are not able to meet the market demand. Locals say that this situation has arisen after the migration of the workforce to make various types of metal materials due to the decrease in population density in the market.
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