Women in Bihar’s Pashchim Champaran district make organic soap from goat’s milk
Several districts in Bihar’s Pashchim Champaran are predominantly inhabited by the Tharu tribe, known as Tharuhut. The women of Tharuhut are doing something remarkable that deserves respect throughout Bihar. They have started making soaps that are in high demand in several districts of Bihar and even in the capital city of Delhi. The most special soap among them is made from goat’s milk.
A group of 30 women in Bagaha-2 block of Pashchim Champaran district make soap
A group of tribal women residing in Bhatawa Tola of Bagaha-2 block are gaining attention for making organic soap from goat’s milk at home. They received training from an organization called Namami Gange and now they make soap themselves. Sarita Devi from Bhatawa Tola mentions that there is a group of 30 local women who are involved in soap-making. They have divided the work among themselves, with some women raising goats and others preparing the soap base.
Soap made from goat’s milk is chemical-free and has natural fragrance
Sarita explains that to make soap from goat’s milk, they first prepare the soap base. Initially, they used to buy the base from another state, but now they make it themselves. What makes their soap unique is that the base is made from glycerin and lye by the women, making it chemical-free. After preparing the base, they mix it with goat’s milk to make the soap. Approximately 2 teaspoons of goat’s milk are added to one kilogram of base. After boiling the milk with the base, it is poured into molds and left for about 3 hours to solidify. The women also use natural flowers for fragrance.
बिहार के पश्चिम चम्पारण जिले के थरुहट क्षेत्र में रहने वाली महिलाएं बकरी के दूध से बनाया जाने वाला साबुन बना रही हैं। यह साबुन केवल बिहार के ही नहीं बल्कि दिल्ली तक पहुंच चुका है। इस कारण इस साबुन की मांग बढ़ रही है। इस कार्य में लगभग 30 महिलाएं शामिल हैं जो बकरी पालती हैं और साबुन बनाने का काम करती हैं। ये महिलाएं बकरी के दूध के साथ-साथ प्राकृतिक फूलों का उपयोग भी करती हैं। साबुन को मार्केट में जलज शार्दुल नाम से ब्रांड किया गया है और इसकी कीमत 60 रुपए है। इसे दिल्ली में आयोजित मेले में भी प्रदर्शित किया गया था।
