Sita's Tharu Family Homestay
About this stay
Mud-walled courtyard home, three rooms around the family kitchen. Sita teaches Tharu rice-paste mural painting at dawn. Nestled in the village of Tilaurakot, this homestay offers an authentic window into the living culture surrounding Lumbini's sacred landscape. Your host has been welcoming pilgrims and travellers for years, and takes pride in sharing meals at the family table. Expect quiet evenings, home-cooked food, and the kind of warmth that no hotel can manufacture.
What's included
House rules
Location
Tilaurakot, Rupandehi District, Lumbini Province, Nepal(4 km from Maya Devi Temple)
Tilaurakot · Lumbini
Map
Guest reviews
Yuki Tanaka
Japan · April 2026
The mud walls breathe.
Sita's morning chai on the courtyard step is the moment I keep returning to. The mud walls actually breathe at night — cool and dry. Geeta-didi's rice-paste mural lesson made my daughter cry.
✓ Verified stay
Priya Mehta
India · April 2026
Finally, a homestay that isn't a hotel pretending.
Three rooms around the family kitchen — that's it. Sita's mother taught me to grind mustard on the silbatta. We ate on banana leaves in the courtyard. I will be back every winter.
✓ Verified stay
James Watkins
UK · March 2026
The bicycles, the fields, the dogs.
Took the homestay bicycle to the Tilaurakot ruins at sunrise. Came back to find Sita's husband had repaired my broken sandal with goat-leather. Where does this happen anymore?
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Hiroshi Sato
Japan · March 2026
Silence at 4am, then the chickens.
I came for one night and stayed five. The silence at 4am is profound — until the courtyard chickens start. Sita's daughter Anjali speaks remarkably good English and walked me to the eternal flame.
✓ Verified stay
Sarah Okonkwo
UK · February 2026
Women-led, and it shows.
Sita is a force. The whole household runs on her quiet rhythm. The dhikri at dinner was unlike anything I've eaten in Nepal — slow-cooked over cow-dung embers.
✓ Verified stay
Anand Krishnan
India · February 2026
Heart-warming, but plan around power cuts.
Two-hour evening power cut on our second night — but Sita lit kerosene lamps and her son played sarangi for an hour. Not a complaint, an observation. Bring a power bank.
✓ Verified stay
Questions guests have asked
Q.Is the homestay vegetarian-only? I'm a strict vegetarian with no onion/garlic.
A.Yes, vegetarian by default. We can do no-onion / no-garlic — just let me know when booking. We use mustard oil and ghee for cooking.
— Sita Chaudhary · Yuki T. from Japan
Q.Is Tilaurakot ruins walkable from you, or should I hire a bike?
A.Walkable in 50 minutes through the fields, but most guests take our bicycle (free for stays of 2+ nights). The early morning ride at 6am is special.
— Sita Chaudhary · James W. from UK
Q.Can my 8-year-old daughter join the rice-paste mural class?
A.Absolutely. Children from 6+ are welcome. My daughter Anjali, who is 9, will paint with her. Bring an apron — the rice paste washes out but takes a few cycles.
— Sita Chaudhary · Sophie M. from Germany
Q.Is there a generator for the evening power cuts?
A.We have a small inverter for fans and lights, but not for AC. The 7-9pm cuts are common in summer — we use kerosene lamps which guests usually love. Bring a power bank for phones.
— Sita Chaudhary · Anand K. from India
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Managed by Lumbini Municipality.