Food · Kudan
Morning curd and sweets in Taulihawa bazaar
A short walk through Taulihawa's market, 2 km from Kudan, for clay-pot curd, chiura dahi, fresh jalebi and sweet tea, and a look at the shops that serve the Kapilvastu plain.
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Taulihawa, headquarters of Kapilvastu district, is a plains market town where Nepali, Awadhi and Hindi mix in every shop. Mornings are the best time: sweet shops fry jalebi in big pans, curd sets in clay pots, and farmers bring vegetables in on bicycles.
We stop for chiura dahi, beaten rice in thick curd with jaggery, and a glass of sweet milky tea. Your guide will show you the cloth shops, the grain traders and the stalls selling the brass and steel pots used in village kitchens.
Taulihawa sees few foreign visitors, so expect curiosity and friendly questions. It is a good break between the morning at Kudan and the midday heat at the pillar sites.
Good for
Questions
Is street food in Taulihawa safe to eat?
Stick to freshly cooked, hot food such as jalebi and tea, and curd from busy shops with high turnover. Avoid cut fruit and raw salads, and drink bottled or filtered water. Our guides take you to shops they use themselves. If you have a sensitive stomach, keep to cooked items.
What languages are spoken in Taulihawa?
Awadhi is the main home language in much of Kapilvastu district, with Nepali widely spoken in shops and offices and Hindi understood by almost everyone. Tharu and Urdu are also heard. Simple English is spoken in some shops, and your guide will translate.
What can I buy in Taulihawa?
Taulihawa is a working market rather than a souvenir town. Good buys include kalanamak rice, local sweets, brass and steel kitchen pots, cotton cloth and glass bangles. Prices are fixed in most food shops; in cloth and household shops polite bargaining is normal.
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