The Rajis, people of river and forest

Synopsis

“On the border of India and Nepal lies the land of the Rajis, in the Terai, a remote area in the west of the country, sparsely populated but rich in tales and legends. Christophe Cousin, torch in hand, met his first Rajis in the middle of the night, wading in the water. A poor night’s fishing was the starting point to his journey. The fishermen turned out to be gold prospectors. And the prospectors told him where to find the honey hunters. The Rajis have a taste for the inaccessible. Climbers emeritus, the honey hunters risk their lives to climb the treetops, and collect the nectar that will allow them to preserve their tradition. They say “We’re not doing this for a living; we do it because it is better to fall from a tree than to fall into oblivion”. A nomad has spoken.”