Ilam. The main tourist destinations of Suryodaya Municipality are Kanyam and Shree Antu. With the onset of summer, the number of tourists coming here is also increasing. After taking photos and videos in the tea gardens of Kanyam, the average tourist’s ‘schedule’ is to enjoy the cool weather by reaching Antu, take a boat ride in the pond, watch the morning sun, and return.
However, tourists do not go home empty-handed when they return home after sightseeing. They reach Fikkal Bazaar, the center of the municipality, and buy Koseli. Dairy products such as chhurpi, ghee, lollipop and bombison are also taken as tea and akbare koseli.
‘My friends in the office say that Ilam’s koseli is missing,’ said Roshan Sapkota, who came to visit from Chitwan. ‘They have told me not to come without bringing lollipop. It’s like buying something for Rs. 6,000, and taking it with you wherever you go.’ Koseli goods are lined up in the market for sale. A shop usually sells for Rs. 5,000 to 10,000. More than a hundred shops have opened in Fikkal.
‘Yesterday, it was sold for Rs. 9,000. Some days, it is sold for only Rs. 4,000. The season is starting. Last year, they sold up to Rs 30,000 a day during the season,’ said local Sujan Sapkota. Tourists who come here do not leave empty-handed. Locals say that it has become a tradition to carry some kind of koseli.
‘When you come to Ilam, you can’t just take photos in the tea gardens, you must also buy chhurpi, bombison and lollipops from Ilam.’ Local businessman Amir Acharya said, ‘Koseli is the most popular item in Fikkal. There are many shops, none of them are empty.’
Deepak Khadka, who does business in Kathmandu, immediately orders koseli from Ilam when he gets news that someone he knows is coming to Kathmandu from Ilam. “My daughter gets angry when I mention sweets from Ilam,” he said, “Ilam’s lollipops and chhurpi are irresistible.”
Lollipops and bombisons made from a mixture of milk and sugar have now supported the cottage industry of Ilam. Nowadays, chhurpi, lollipops and bombisons are made in the villages here. These sweets are now being established as an ‘Ilam brand,’ said Pema Urgen Lama, ward chairman of Suryodaya Municipality-10.
There are about two dozen lollipop industries in the district. Entrepreneur Shivlal Pradhan says that the sweets produced here are in demand not only in the local market but also in Kathmandu and India and other countries. A small packet of lollipops is being sold at a retail price of Rs 50 and a large one at Rs 100. Artistically packaged ‘gift lollipops’ are also available in the Ilam markets.
18 cheese factories in Ilam have been collecting 27,000 liters of milk daily. Five thousand liters of milk were sold in the local market area daily. The chhurpi-making industry used to consume 15,000 liters daily.
Sweetness industries like lollipops and bombisons sell five thousand liters and three thousand liters of milk in the Indian market. According to official statistics, there are 18 cheese factories, around 150 chhurpi-making industries and 13 dairy sweets-making industries in Ilam.
Ilam produces 116,086 metric tons of milk annually. According to official statistics, 33,371 advanced breed cows, including Holstein and Jersey, are raised in Ilam.
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