Workers at a factory in Tokha on the outskirts of Kathmandu are busier than ever preparing chaku for Maghe Sankranti.

Chaku is a Newari confectionery made from concentrated sugarcane juice, jaggery, ghee, and nuts, and holds significance during Maghe Sankranti, which falls on January 15 this year.

The process involves melting jaggery, stirring it continuously and then cooling it in clay pots. It is then whipped, slapped, and stretched until it turns dark brown. The confectionery is then weighed, topped with nuts, and packaged. The whole process takes two to three hours.

People across communities in Nepal follow the tradition of eating chaku as a way of bidding goodbye to the frigid winter days.

Here are some photos the Post’s photojournalist Sanjog Manandhar captured at Tokha Chaku Udhyog in Kathmandu on Wednesday.