The Carved Dreams of Kumar Bik in Woodcraft
Summary: Traditional woodcarving remains alive today along the banks of the Khorungwa River, on the border between Manglung Municipality and Fedap Rural Municipality in Tehrathum. Kumar Bik uses local techniques to create traditional wooden items and is expanding his market reach. Structural initiatives and plans to attract youth are essential for preserving this craft. April 19, Tehrathum. As the first sunlight brightens the hills, a unique scene unfolds along the banks of the Khorungwa River. The sound of flowing water, the cool breeze, and the rhythm of tools striking wood compose a living melody of labor. With this melody, some hands carve their lives, dreams, and future into wood—steadily, selflessly, and quietly.
Along the border of Manglung Municipality and Fedap Rural Municipality in Tehrathum district, a distinct world awakens with the morning sun by the Khorungwa River. Worn pieces of wood, shaping hands, and the continuous practice of skill throughout the day together narrate the story of a living tradition. This is the environment where Kumar Bik from Change, Ward No. 5 of Aathrai Triveni Rural Municipality in Taplejung, has connected his life to wood for over two decades. For him, wood is not just raw material but a source of possibilities. He operates a motor driven by the river’s current to carve wood—a fine example of local technology.
Even with limited resources, his creative thinking and practice demonstrate how productive work can be achieved. Kumar spends his whole day immersed in woodcraft—from early morning to evening—carving, polishing, and giving new shapes. This persistent practice has made him a recognized expert woodcarver in the district. The products he creates are deeply intertwined with rural lifestyles: milk containers (theki), oil storage boxes (chautha), storage pots for traditional firewood (tongwa), and Khurpeta among others. These items fulfill daily needs as well as carry cultural significance.
Especially, the demand for items related to Tongwa remains strong because they reflect the lifestyle and hospitality culture of the eastern hill communities. His products are reaching markets locally in Taplejung’s Phungling and extending as far as various places in the Terai region. The expansion of his market has accelerated with phone orders, and the income from this craft has provided stability for his family.
Nonetheless, the journey is not without challenges. With the increasing use of plastic, steel, and other modern materials that are cheaper, easier, and more durable, the use of traditional wooden items is declining. These alternatives are overshadowing old craftsmanship. Furthermore, young people from the villages are increasingly migrating to cities or abroad in search of employment, reducing the workforce available to learn and continue traditional crafts.
If the new generation shows little interest in traditional skills like those of experienced artisans such as Kumar Bik, the knowledge, practice, and experience accumulated over decades risk disappearing. Kumar himself is deeply concerned about this threat. He believes that beyond individual efforts, structural initiatives are necessary. He emphasizes the need to conduct skill-based training locally, introduce local crafts to students from an early age in schools, and create plans that economically attract youth.
Moreover, linking traditional craftsmanship with modern design, markets, and technology could attract the younger generation. For instance, modifying wooden products to suit modern lifestyles could boost demand. There is also a strong potential to connect these crafts with rural tourism. Providing tourists with direct experiences of local products, handicrafts, and manufacturing processes could open new avenues of income.
The growing fascination with handmade and locally produced items also lays a foundation for revitalizing this craft. Every figure carved by Kumar Bik’s hands holds a profound meaning of self-reliance and identity. He is not merely producing wooden items but preserving a tradition, safeguarding a way of life, and leaving a message for future generations—that through hard work, skill, and dedication, a future can be built even on one’s own soil.
If efforts to preserve, promote, and pass on such skills are made timely, the labor melody echoing along the Khorungwa River’s banks will never cease. Instead, this tune will extend through many more hands, creating a beautiful fusion of tradition and modernity.