Khokana

The following is mostly from Wikipedia:

Khokana is a traditional, tiny Newari village 8 km (5.0 miles) south of Kathmandu. It has its own history and has retained its tradition and culture. It is a living museum and recalls medieval times. The farming community of Newars who live here are mostly dependent on agriculture and much of their daily activities take place outside of their dwellings.

There are women sitting outside spinning, men crushing seeds, and other daily activities. The village is famous for its unusual mustard-oil harvesting process in which a heavy wooden beam is used to crush the mustard seeds in order to extract the oil. It is believed that a share system was used in the past here. This oil can be consumed if desired, but it can also be used for therapeutic massage. This was also the first village, indeed the first habitation, to be electrified, before Kathmandu.

In the center is a three-story temple, Shree Rudrayani.

All pictures are © Dr. Günther Eichhorn, unless otherwise noted.