<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723b9b9c7e80680e0c95d2jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="4993" height="3241"/><figcaption>Vermilion rice paste and barley shoots prepared for Tika. All photos: SUMAN NEPALI</figcaption></figure>After two years of <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/this-years-dangerous-dasain/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">relatively muted Dasain festivities</a> due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Nepalis were all revved up to make up for it this year. However, heavy post-monsoonal rains over most of Nepal drenched Tika on Wednesday.The rains, combined with a lingering <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/dengue-days-are-here-to-stay/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">dengue epidemic in Kathmandu</a> did put a damper on the festivities, but did not seem to dampen the Dasain spirit.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723b9f9c7e80680e0c95d3jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723ba39c7e80680e0c95d4jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427"><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723ba69c7e80680e0c95d5jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2304" height="1536"><figcaption>People leaving for their home towns for Dasain and crowded marketplace with people shoping for the festivities.</figcaption></figure>On 5 October, families celebrating the festival across the country observed Tika, the main day of <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/where-are-you-going-this-dasain/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dasain</a> when elders bless younger ones with ceremonial vermilion-rice paste on the forehead and sacred barley shoots. The celebration continues until the full moon night of 9 October.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723ba99c7e80680e0c95d6jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723bac9c7e80680e0c95d7jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427"><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723bb29c7e80680e0c95d8jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="4809" height="3387"><figcaption>Various rituals performed throughout Dasain festivities.</figcaption></figure>Dasain has been marked for millennia as a symbol of good vs evil, but probably originated as a harvest festival, and evolved into family get togethers. It is also traditionally accompanied by <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/high-on-swings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">playing on bamboo swings</a> and flying kites -- although this Dasain was too wet for kite fights.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723bb69c7e80680e0c95d9jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1600" height="1066"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723bb99c7e80680e0c95dajpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1312"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>Nepali Times photojournalist Suman Nepali brings these and more in this photo feature depicting this year’s <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/top-dasain-destinations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dasain</a> festivities.

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Dasain 2022

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723b839c7e80680e0c95c9jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="683"/><figcaption>Photo: SUMAN NEPALI</figcaption></figure>The thing about Dasain is that I’m never good enough for it.When I was a child, I wasn’t good enough because I was a girl. It meant I could not participate in certain rituals by the virtue of being female.Over the years, I learned to make peace with it. Rituals were not my thing, anyway.One Dasain, after the main practice of sacrificing the gourd, painted as the demon Mahishasur was over, my sister picked the khadga dagger handed down from our Malla ancestors, and started to slice the gourd. It riled the male guardians in the clan. My sister tried to argue that it is after all the goddess who kills the demon, and the goddess is female. Not like her argument would work.After that, the age-old practice of impaling the gourd in our clan met a sudden end — causing our strand of the Tuladhar men to disperse into nuclear family Dasain celebrations.While my childhood memory of Dasain, or Mohni as the Newa people call it, has always been about the Tika big day (this year on Wednesday) when the men came together to perform the violent act against a painted gourd, the festival has changed over the years. Some of those changes are very welcome, including the one that put an end to the simulation of violence performed by certain Buddhist Newa families in Kathmandu.Growing up, I also experienced discrimination shared by some of my cousins, who were not allowed the tika by certain relatives because they were not Buddhist. But wasn’t Dasain a Hindu event in itself? I never understood that. And while I stood on the other side of the line where I was allowed tika, their sense of humiliation for being refused the blessing was mine, too. We were children together.Over the years, I also learned to stage fake periods when I did not want to receive tika. And while isolation during period is something my family has never observed, I still have mood swings the moment I see the tika tray.Lately, they remind me of the Asur people in certain parts of India, who mourn their dead during Dasain. But the tika is also sticky and leaves a mark on my forehead, reminding me that I have the privilege of it because I was born in a certain family.Also, for women, neither having or not having your period during Dasain is a privilege. Either way, it means you spend the festival running household chores or being banished for bleeding. All things become tied to birth eventually—who you were born to, where and how—your gender, your sexual orientation, your religion, your civil status and your social station in life, to mention a few. They make that everything about you. In this case, they is Dasain and Dasain is they.Once upon a time, I worked in a newsroom. The country was declared secular and we stopped calling Dasain the biggest festival celebrated by Nepalis. We started writing: the biggest festival celebrated by Hindus in Nepal. But every other day, one person would change it back. All Nepalis are Hindu by default, he would say. How? I would ask. And he would say: it is just how it is. In my head, I would say: It is just how a newsroom you lead is. Closed to everyone who is not you.Over the years, Dasain has kept finding new ways to defeat me. When it discovered that I am a woman without a man, it naturally relegated me to the lower-station of social life. You need a husband to do certain things in the society that calls me its own. Doesn’t matter that this time of the year is about a woman who rides on a ferocious animal and is independent.I have met Dasain with an entirely new fear recently, because it’s given me fresh reasons for disdain. It tells me I’m not good enough. My hair is greying, and fast. Dasain wants me to discover hair colour. I’m told my cousins who are in their 50s “upstage” me in looks and it is why I will never “find a husband”. I’m also being told I’m too conservative in how I dress and in the topics I like to discuss. And so, I’m too conservative for this festival.It is never going to be good enough for Dasain that I’ve learned to play kitty to entertain my nonagenarian grandfather. Not good enough, that I let the spindle reel against my thumb, flying a kite with my nephews and my brothers.Dasain is often a reminder that singlehood is not even a concept available to one and that we must make the choice of finding a partner. It doesn’t matter that the partner might have been someone who slammed the door on your face or held you to the ground by your hair, or spent his entire time watching pornography on his phone while you sat up in bed wondering. But you must have a partner because that’s what is acceptable to Dasain.I’m never going to be good for Dasain. And that, is just fine.Suburban Tales is a monthly column in Nepali Times based on real people (with some names changed) in Pratibha’s life.

Pratibha Tuladhar

Reasons for disdain at Dasain

<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114101144/63720eaf9c7e80680e0b7932jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="640"/>The Ass takes umbrage at Nepal celebrating Horse Day with an official holiday in Kathmandu Valley on 25 March, whereas there is no special day earmarked for us donkeys. Horses are snobs, they exude entitlement and high caste privilege. A day just for these high horses proves just how exclusionary the Nepali state is towards other members of the genus Equidae, despite the 2015 Federal Constitution.But hold your horses. Those of you who know us Jack and Jenny Asses will not need to be reminded what we think of our equine daddies. After all, it was because horses horsed around with asses to produce progeny known as mules that we have not taken our relationship any deeper than that. Ever since,  jackasses and the mares observe decorum and have strictly platonic relationships.That makes me question why Nepal does not have an Ass Day. And why, during these austere times, do we need a separate Horse Day and Cow Day? Why not lump them together? That way, bulls can take part in equestrian events on Ghode Jatra at Tundikhel, and horses can horse around on Guy Jatra.It is precisely because Nepal has so many jatras that it has now been declared the happiest country in South Asia. The Ass was happily going about his morning business the other day when there was a headline with these glad tidings.It is not a coincidence that the UN’s Sustainable Development Solutions Network has ranked Nepalis as the 84th most jovial out of 146 countries around the world. We are more cheerful than even Indians, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans and Bangladeshis. And this makes us happier still.This announcement followed another headline last month that Nepal was the second-most corrupt country in South Asia, so this probably means that we are happy because we, as a nation, merrily offer and accept bribes.The Global Unemployment Ranking also puts Nepal below most other countries in the world, and that makes us mighty pleased with ourselves. Deservedly so. Imagine if we really had to work.We are also at the bottom of the heap in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index, the Fragile States Index, Global Competitiveness Quotient, and the Index of Economic Freedom. But all that just makes us all irrationally happy because when you hit rock bottom there is nowhere to go but up.This week, IQAir brought out the annual list of the world's most polluted places. And as if the Swiss were telling us something new, they ranked Kathmandu as the city with the sixth worst air quality, and where it is like smoking two packs of cigarettes a day. But happily, happy-go-lucky Nepalis are thrilled to bits saving all that money in buying cigarettes.The other reason we Nepalis are unnaturally happy is probably because alcohol consumption per head is at an all time high. Just look at all the booze ads in this paper. And it is typical of the optimistic nature of us Nepalis that even when we do a bottoms up, we still see the glass as half-full.

Ass s

Horsing around

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410118/637205b09c7e80680e0b28cejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1118" height="531"/><figcaption>Kathmandu's dense settlement as seen from Halchok.</figcaption></figure>Owning a house is a mark of success in Nepal — much more so than elsewhere. And if that house is in Kathmandu Valley, then you have really made it.You might have a stable job and family, but unless you have a roof over your head that you own you are not settled by society standards. It could be a small house and the tiny plot, as long as it is yours.<a style="font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=15757#.YfSXGS2B2t8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Owning a house</a> is part of our everyday conversation in households. There is always someone talking about how they are building their house, how there is no water coming out of an expensive bore well, how a neighbour built a multi-story structure and blocked out all the sunlight.Homes hold a special place in our society that very few other things can match and it is reflected in our numbers too.Nepal may lag in several economic and human development indicators, but when it comes to home ownership rates, it is far ahead of the rest. Some 85% of Nepali households live in homes they own. Proportinately, more people in Nepal own the houses they live in than in the US, UK, and Germany.Most other countries with higher home ownership rates than Nepal, such as Singapore and Russia, were able to achieve it due to their strong social housing programs. The fact that so many Nepali families own their <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=6200#.YfSXGS2B2t8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">own houses</a> with little governmental support is remarkable. Nepalis prize homes as their most important investment.But even with this high home ownership rate, thousands of new houses are built every year, feeding <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-vanishing-land/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the urban sprawl</a>. New apartments and housing projects come up to address demand.And yet, there are never enough houses to meet that growing demand. More and more cultivable agricultural land and green space are being turned into housing plots.Economically, it makes more sense for Nepalis to own their own house, even if it is at the very edge of the city. Unlike wealthier nations where buildings generally follow a standard national code for health and safety, most homes in Nepal function as isolated and self-sufficient units.Germany, for example, has laws that require housing units to have regular access to <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/getting-our-shit-together/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">water and sewage</a>, Nepal has no such centralised directive. A house in a Berlin neighbourhood will have roughly the same level of access to water and garbage collection as the one next to it.A house in one Kathmandu neighbourhood may have a running water and sewage system, but only if the owner is able to drill for water and have a septic tank.In the US, if landlords build a house with cheap construction materials and endangers the lives of tenants, they can be taken to court and prosecuted. In Nepal tenants are completely dependent on the whims of the landlord.So, it makes sense that people would want to move into their own house where they can make their own choices rather than live under the tyranny of someone else.Even if the landlord is agreeable and the living environment acceptable, renting is not a long-term, financially sound solution. Given how the rents have soared in the cities, it makes more economic sense to build one’s own home.Houses in Nepal are not just places of shelter, but also of income. Owning a house doesn’t just save rental money it can also earn rental cash. In a country with very few mature investment opportunities, a home is a nest-egg. Many Nepali families sell off their homes in times of acute need: to send a family member abroad, pay hospital bills or marry off children.Homes become important at festival time, and Nepali culture places a lot of emphasis on communal gathering and cooking, all things that are more conducive in personally owned houses.Nepal has always had a <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/ground-reality-of-landlessness-in-nepal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">historical home-ownership culture</a>. Until very recently, most of Nepal’s population lived in rural areas where land is plentiful and houses are built with local materials. There were few constraints on building and owning a home. Houses were within the reach of many people, creating a cultural legacy towards home ownership that has persisted.Ultimately, there is a universal and innate desire to own your own home.  In archaeological remains all over the world, we see human settlements created with a meticulous level of care.From the earliest cave paintings, humans have been decorating and creating a material environment. Building technology may have advanced, but this fundamental human desire to elevate personal space from a place of rest to one with meaning has not changed.Homes are where we spend the most time, they are where we create memories. They are an extension of ourselves. How they are built and look end up becoming a reflection of how we think, act and behave. That is why we seek to permanently own this extension.By owning our own house, we give ourselves more freedom. In the end, home is where the heart is, and who would not want to own their own heart?Avani Adhikari is a student of Economics and Urban Planning in Singapore.

Avani Adhikari

Home is where the heart is

The <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/ancient-panautis-french-connection/">ancient town of Panauti</a> is preparing for its once-in-12-years Makar Mela this month, a festival that dates back 1,000 years. Despite the Omicron scare, the town 40km east of Kathmandu expects 6 million pilgrims from Nepal and India during the month of Magh.  Although it is among the better preserved historic <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/khokana-and-bungamati-strive-to-save-heritage/">Newa towns</a>, even here the sloping tile roofline is being replaced by flat-top concrete blocks that dwarf the temples and shrines. But the town is preserving its past, not just by restoring its monuments but also reviving its many festivals like the Makar Mela. The recent release of the bilingual book Panauti: Passé– Présent Panauti Past- Present (1976-2020) is perfectly timed not just for the 12-year festival which starts on 15 January, but also to draw attention to the town’s many other festivals.<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-84494" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114091156/637203819c7e80680e0b2812jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="3072" height="2048"/><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-84495" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114091156/637203859c7e80680e0b2813jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="3072" height="2048">Indreswor Mahadev Temple. Photos: Gerard Toffin, 1976 (left) and Prasant Shrestha, 2020 (right)With French and English text by Gérard Toffin of the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), and illustrated with before and after photographs by Toffin, the ethnologist Corneille Jest and Panauti-based photographer Prasant Shrestha, the book is a must-have guide to anyone interested in exploring the history of this unique town.Toffin and Shrestha met in 2010 during the last Makar Mela and were both struck by the changes that Panauti was undergoing, mostly for the worse, and decided to make a photographic documentation before it was too late.‘This book is a testimony to the mutations in Panauti,’ writes Toffin in the Introduction. ‘It gives a real importance to photography, aims at highlighting the local cultural heritage and how the current uncontrolled urbanisation threatens it.’ <img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-84489" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114091156/637203889c7e80680e0b2814jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1528" height="1036"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-84490" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114091156/6372038c9c7e80680e0b2815jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="3072" height="2048">Panauti. While the town's roofline has changed, the surrounding hills have more forest. Photos by Gerard Toffin, 1976 (left) and Prasant Shrestha, 2011 (right). For Shrestha, it was a matter of using his profession to further the cause of the preservation of the heritage of his beloved hometown, and this passion shows in the meticulous care he has taken in repeat photography of shrines and landscapes. Just as the German government undertook to <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/saving-kathmandus-past-for-the-future/">restore Bhaktapur</a> as a coronation gift to King Birendra, the French chose the out-of-the-way town of Panauti. Legend has it, Panauti was given by the king of Bhaktapur as dowry to his newly-married sister.  Panauti is located in the sacred tri-junction of the Punyamati, Lilawati (Rosi Khola) and the mythical underground river, Rudrawati – a miniature replica of the holy confluence of the Ganga, Jamuna and Saraswati at Prayag in India. Which is why the Makar Mela is also called Nepal's own Kumbha Mela.<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-84488" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410110/637203909c7e80680e0b2816jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="3077" height="2048"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-84493" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410110/637203959c7e80680e0b2817jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="3072" height="2048">Tribeni Ghat as photographed by Gerard Toffin, 1976 (left) and Prasant Shrestha, 2020 (right)Panauti’s Tribeni was so revered that it was among the sources from which holy water was poured into the Rani Pokhari by Pratap Malla when he consecrated the royal pond in Kathmandu in 1669.Archaeological evidence points to Panauti having been settled from the early Kirat period 1,500 years ago. It escaped being conquered by Prithvi Narayan Shah, and was annexed when <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=15468">Bhaktapur</a> fell in 1769.  The town was on a ancient trade route to the Tarai, and with its Indreswar Mahadev, Bhadrakali and Unmatta Bhairav shrines it is <a>predominantly Hindu</a>. However, there are Buddhist influences.<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-84502" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410110/637203999c7e80680e0b2818jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="4096" height="2777"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-84559" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410110/6372039d9c7e80680e0b2819jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="3252" height="2068">Panauti Layaku Area. While the traditional houses have been replaced with concrete blocks, the temple appear to be in a better state.   Photos by: Gerard Toffin, 1976 (left) and Prasant Shrestha, 2020 (right). Panauti was the <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=10973#.YdPsrMlBypo">scene of a battle</a> during the insurgency in 2006, and suffered damage in the 2015 earthquake. But now, its glorious past is threatened by modernisation, which is why this book by Toffin and Shrestha is so important. It does not just show us the changes in the past 40 years, but also encouraging signs of how its monuments and festivals are being restored.The Makar Mela itself is a celebration of Panauti’s proud heritage during which there is a vigil for the king of the serpents, Vasuki Nag. (This is the reason the Shah kings never attended the Mela because they would have to compete with another ‘king’.)Other examples of revival are the Devi Pyakhan masked dance which used to be performed in the past to ward off cholera, and the Jya Punhi full moon festival which is only celebrated here. And in 2015, Panauti also reinstated its own <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/a-goddess-among-people/">Kumari Living Goddess</a> tradition.The book reprints a scroll dating back to 1635 that depicts the sacred Tribeni confluence which we learn is now in the Virginia Museum of Fine Art in the United States. To draw attention to the stolen holy objects from Nepal, Bhaktapur-based architect Rabindra Puri has set up the Museum of Stolen Arts in Panauti with replicas of the statuary from this town, and other parts of the Valley.<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-84505" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410110/637203a09c7e80680e0b281ajpeg.jpg" alt="" width="4096" height="2797"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-84506" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410110/637203a49c7e80680e0b281bjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="3072" height="2048">Panauti with Gorakhnath Hill in the backdrop. Photos: Gerard Toffin, 1976 (left) and Prasant Shrestha, 2020 (right)Under federalism, Panauti became a municipality that includes some of the surrounding villages. Mayor Bhim Neupane was elected in 2017, and says preparations are complete to manage the influx of pilgrims from 15 January – 12 February.“Despite the pandemic, we are expecting about 200,000 people a day,” says Neupane. “We are directing everyone to take health precautions seriously, and have cleared the Tribeni area to make space. There is a bypass road and extra bus parks.” Panauti: Passé– Présent Panauti Past- Present (1976-2020) is a book that proves to other towns in Nepal that it is indeed possible to save what is left of the country’s unique cultural heritage and diversity.<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-84532" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410110/637203a89c7e80680e0b281cjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1550" height="594">Panauti: Passé– Présent Panauti Past- Present (1976-2020)Text:Gérard Toffin Photos: Prasant ShresthaAmbassade de France Népal and Alliance Française,2021ISBN 978-9937-0-8212-9114 pages

Kunda Dixit

Creation to destruction, then revival

<h2>The Old Inn, Bandipur</h2><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161152/636d1edb9c7e80680e0af433jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="480"/>Most people driving from Kathmandu to Pokhara do not realise that 30 minutes off the highway and up a mountain side is the jewel of Central Nepal: Bandipur. The old Newa trading town with its pedestrianised cobblestone main street is a model of how heritage tourism should be done in Nepal.At the centre of Bandipur bazar is<a href="https://www.facebook.com/The-Old-Inn-Bandipur-250494511972310" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> The Old Inn</a>: a restored four-storey Newa townhouse of timber and warm red bricks. The carved beams and staircases add to the charm of this centuries-old structure true to Kathmandu Valley's traditional architecture.The rooms have low ceilings and doors, and the ambience more than makes up for the absence of the usual accoutrements of a modern hotel room. They are comfortable and decorated with Buddhist and Newa art, and locally made furniture. Food is delicious and prepared entirely from locally-sourced organic ingredients.Those spending the day here can take a leisurely hike to Ramkot, a Magar village two hours away, and learn first-hand about age-old farming methods. If you like more adventure, you can hike to Siddha Cave (4 hours down and up) and even do a bit of spelunking.Situated on a ridge at 1,030m elevation, <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=9962#.YcXGkC8w3u0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bandipur</a> is sunny all winter when the Marsyangdi Valley below and Pokhara to the west are shrouded in fog. As the sky clears up, a vast mountain vista opens up, revealing the stunning Annapurnas, Himalchuli and Ganesh Himal.A Magar kingdom before Prithvi Narayan Shah took over nearly 300 years ago, Bandipur was settled by Newa traders from Kathmandu Valley in later centuries, bringing with them art, culture and architecture that have been preserved intact – even as they slowly disappear in Kathmandu itself.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161152/636d1edd9c7e80680e0af434jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="1333">Easily accessible from Kathmandu (4 hours), Pokhara (2 hours) and Chitwan (1.5 hours), Bandipur will soon be connected to the highway by a scenic cable car. Visitors can opt for lunch on arrival at The Old Inn and take a guided tour of the town, and then savour authentic Nepali cuisine for dinner.At the end of the day, The Old Inn provides a soothingly tranquil environment to wind down over sundowners on the terrace, making it a place perfect for families and groups of friends for a festival holiday.For Nepalis (all prices include service charge and VAT)Single room with bed and breakfast: Rs5,000Single room with either lunch ordinner and breakfast: Rs6,000Single room with breakfast, lunch, and dinner: Rs7,000info@rural-heritage.com+977 1 4522617, 4522618, 9808882270<h2>Soaltee Westend Premier, Nepalganj</h2><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161152/636d1ee09c7e80680e0af435jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1400" height="562">Equipped with infrastructure that is both eco-friendly and luxurious, <a href="https://www.soalteewestend.com/">Soaltee Westend Premier</a> is the ideal hangout in <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=5885#.YcXG0y8w3u1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nepaganj</a> for the eco-conscious traveller. It is the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified Silver Category hotel in Nepal with a ground water recharge system, rainwater harvesting, recycling of toilet effluent and measures to save energy. Visitors can sleep soundly at night, not worrying about their carbon footprint.The hotel is just 10 minutes away from the airport, making it a good choice for those looking for a comfortable stay after treks. It was designed to cater to an influx of Indian pilgrims headed to Mt Kailash, although the pandemic ruined that idea. Still, travellers can relax at the spa and sauna, enjoy snacks in the in-house café, or head down to the Sunset bar.For those looking for adventure, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-wellbeing-of-the-wilderness/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bardia National Park </a>is only a few hours away. Pay a visit to the grasscutter’s lane to taste the tradition and life in rural Nepal. At the city centre, indulge in some local delicacies and barbecue street food. Sweat it all out in the in-house gym at the hotel or take a leisurely swim in the first-floor swimming pool.Single: Rs6,500++ (breakfast included)Double: Rs7,500++ (breakfast included)081 - 551145/48/86/87<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161152/636d1ee39c7e80680e0af436jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="542" height="245"><h2>Charikot Panorama Resort, Dolakha</h2>Designed in collaboration with a Swiss architect and built in the late 90s, <a href="http://www.charikotresort.net" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Charikot Panorama Resort </a>provides a comfortable stay with a friendly and homely atmosphere.Perched atop a hillock in <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=15278#.YcXF_S8w3u0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dolakha</a>, the resort is a perfect weekend getaway. The resort offers a full package of accommodation, and can organise trips to Rolwaling, Jiri or Kalinchok, now linked with cable car.Rolwaling Himal, including majestic Gauri Shankar (7,134m) and Melungtse (7,181m) are directly to the north. The hotel offers traditional Swiss (think fondue) and Nepali cuisine prepared by trained chefs.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161152/636d1ee49c7e80680e0af437jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="640">You can also take a stroll down the old trading town of <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/heritage-conservation-outside-kathmandu,3487" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dolakha Bazar</a> with its old mint house and the Bhimsen Tower. Bring your binoculars to the four-storey high Charikot View Tower to take in the breathtaking view of the surrounding landscape.The vegetables served are homegrown organically in the hotel’s garden. Don’t miss out on the homemade bread and plum jam during breakfast and opt for dinner by the bonfire during the chilly evenings.The resort also features a small library and is pet friendly. Rooms are heated, which is welcome during the chilly nights.Standard Half board (includes set dinner and breakfast) Single: Rs4,400 Double: Rs7,500 Triple: Rs9,900 Room-only starts at: Rs3,800 All rates inclusive of VAT and Service charge. 01-5529463, 9802189822<h2>Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge, Pokhara</h2><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161152/636d1ee79c7e80680e0af438jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="426">People don’t come to <a href="https://tigermountainpokhara.com/">Tiger Mountain</a> to see tigers, although tigers have started being sighted higher along the Himalaya lately. An occasional leopard does stroll by at night. But most visitors come here for the mountains after seeing tigers in the hotel's sister properties in Bardia or Chitwan. The surrounding forest is alive with birds, and a 30 minute stroll yields sightings of at least 40 different species. The trees and thick undergrowth of the community forests are a favourite for birds, with 332 of Nepal’s 867 species found here. Two new sightings were recorded last year: White-fronted Goose and Short-eared Owl. There are 350 species of butterflies and dragonflies.Nestled at 1,200m on a ridge, Tiger Mountain commands an unparalleled vista from Gurja Himal in the west, along a jagged horizon of the Annapurnas, Machapuchre’s skyscraping pyramid, Lamjung Himal, right up to Manaslu and Himalchuli to the east. The place is ideal for those looking for a calm pre- or post-trek stay, for nature lovers, and for exploring local communities in rural setting.While most will come for the mountain views, Pokhara has a lot more to offer than Machapuchre. The ridge where Tiger Mountain is situated was first located by trekking pioneer Jimmy Roberts while trying to find prominent hilltops to erect radio masts for the 1960 elections. It then became a camping spot for Prince Charles’ trek to Nepal in 1979, and the ‘Royal Trek’ that it popularised: more relaxed scenic day hikes around Pokhara.Nepalis $140 per night/person (+tax)Foreigners $195 per night/person (+tax)Includes accommodation in double or twin sharing basis, all meals, non-bar hot drinks throughout the day, arrival and departure transfers and local guides.01 472 0580, 98611 17717<h2>Ghale Gaun Homestay, Lamjung</h2><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161152/636d1ee99c7e80680e0af439jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="720">There can be no better way to experience the famed Nepali hospitality from a pre-trekking era than at<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=18274#.YcXHZi8w3u0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Ghale Gaun</a>.This historic village in Lamjung is where for more than two decades Gurung families have opened their homes to guests.Located 4 hour drive northwest of Kathmandu at an altitude of 2,100m, Ghale Gaun was first developed as a model SAARC village in 2008. Today, it draws trekkers and tourists to the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-tamu-trek-trail/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Gurung Heritage Trail</a>, which starts at Besisahar and ends in Thumsikot. The route includes several other villages within the Annapurna Conservation Area, including Ghanpokhara, Bhujung and Pasgaun, which also offer homestay services.“Out of 120 households in Ghale Gaun, 40 homes currently provide homestay services,” says Dirgha Ghale of the Ghale Gaun Tourism Management Committee.   “Homestay operators reopened their doors to tourists in mid-August following a crippling months-long Covid-induced shutdown.”Visitors can either ride up to Besisahar and make a 6-hour trek to the village, or drive straight up for a relaxed family trip.Ghale Gaun offers an authentic experience of the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/nepali-times-search/?q=ghale+gaun" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Gurung culture and way of life</a>. Stay in Gurung ‘ghumaune’ round-houses, savour local cuisine and beverages, and enjoy the breathtaking view of Manaslu in the east, Lamjung  and Annapurna II to the north. Visitors can meander through the bazar, visit the famed Uttarkanya Temple, bird-watch at the Talangyo Lake, or walk through the expansive tea garden. You can also sit in the sun overlooking terraced farmlands and listen to former Gorkhas recount stories of battles in far away lands in days gone by.Ghale Gaun Tourism Management Committee Price: Rs1,100-1,200 per day (3 meals included)

New Year New Places

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161152/636d1ecb9c7e80680e0af42cjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="665" height="472"/><figcaption>Me as Santi, the female Santa, during a staff association 2008 Christmas get together in UNICEF. Photos: COURTESY OF RUPA JOSHI</figcaption></figure>It is that time of the year again. Malls in Kathmandu have decorated themselves with tinsel, baubles, artificial trees, LED lights and Christmas themed gizmos on shelves, painting the town red (and green).The other day I was almost tempted to buy a little snow globe in one of the stores before I balked at the price. Nonetheless, I did turn a couple of them upside down to watch the snow fall.  Snowfall, jingling bells, presents. Christmas is here!This fascination with Christmas goes back to childhood, studying in a Catholic missionary school. The nuns taught us carols, and shared with the ‘good girls’ cards that had been sent to them from across the world. It was an era when Christmas greetings were still in hardcopy — letters, cards and postcards.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161152/636d1ecd9c7e80680e0af42djpeg.jpg" alt="" width="299" height="360"><figcaption>Vintage Christmas card of Santa Claus. Source: FINEARTAMERICA.COM</figcaption></figure>The cards were precious, and we cherished the ones with glitter on them, or with pop-ups and layers. One year, I even made a scrapbook out of these cards as part of my ‘hobbies’ exhibit.The Christmas tree with presents piled up underneath, the plump laughing guy with rosy cheeks in a red suit, twinkling eyes and snowy white beard riding his reindeer-driven sleigh laden with presents. And of course, white snowy scenes with boughs of holly and red berries.So enamoured was I to have a piece of Christmas myself, I scoured the nooks and crannies of our compound, in the undergrowth, searching for any plant that had chevron spikes that looked like holly.Drawing a Christmas tree also became an interesting pastime during the last days of school in December. A three tiered pointy pagoda-like tree with zigzag lines for tinsel, circles here and there for baubles, and not to forget a big star on top and a trapezoid pot at the bottom.I loved our singing classes, and as December got closer we performed the feisty “Jingle Bells” and “Good King Wenceslas” or the solemn “Silent Night” with all our might.I hankered for Christmas so much my parents took pity on me and decided to let me have a Christmas experience. I must have been eight, and had hung a sock on my bed on Christmas Eve, hoping the cherubic guy from the North Pole would come sleighing down to Kathmandu.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161152/636d1ece9c7e80680e0af42ejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="780" height="519"><figcaption>A more buxom Santi from the year earlier.</figcaption></figure>Next morning I found a yellow cloth doll with a pixie head and a plastic face peeping from the top of the sock. I was thrilled that Father Christmas had come all the way to my room. I had a doll named Bella that my father had given as a gift, so I named its companion, the yellow doll, Yella.I played with Bella and Yella, and the next Christmas I hung up the sock again. And the next morning there was a Johnson &amp; Johnson pink and blue striped tiffin-like tin box with soap, cream, and talcum powder set inside it. I still get the soft soapy aroma of that box in my nose today.I was probably 10 when the Christmas bubble burst. I had put up my sock again but my mother probably did not have time to shop for a present. What I found inside the sock on Christmas morning was the glass bottle of ointment (with a chipped glass cap) that used to be in the showcase in my parent’s room. Dreams were shattered along with the broken glass cap. Christmas fizzled out after that.It sparked again years later when I was in the US for my masters, and my three children had come over for a visit during the holidays. At their request we put up a Christmas tree, tinsels, twinkling lights, presents, enjoying the whole process along with them, and probably finally living up to my childhood dreams too.But the feather in my Christmas cap came when I was with UNICEF Nepal and arranging a Christmas party for colleagues and their children. My dream of Santa Claus visiting me was exchanged for dressing up twice, not as Santa, but the female version Santi – with white curly locks, carrying a jute sack full of gifts and draped in a red sari with white edging of surgical cotton that I had hurriedly stitched the night before.Merry Christmas. हो! हो! हो!Read also:<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/ghosts-of-christmas-past/"> Ghosts of Christmas past</a>, Lisa Choegyal

Santi, the female Santa

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110151156/636d11959c7e80680e0a9893jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427"/><figcaption></figcaption></figure>It’s that time of year again when dogs are gods in Catmandu, and as we involuntarily get the urge to raise our hind-legs when passing a telephone pole, we are reminded that it is time for another annual column on the city’s canines.Kukur Tihar is also the rutting period for our furry friends. All along the red-light districts these days we see strays from all walks of life taking part in x-rated doggie style xtracurricular activities in broad daylight hours. And at night the yelping and yowling means ‘tis the season to be jolly for our four-legged friends, who are working hard to faithfully implement the commandment from Genesis 9:7 (King James Version) : ‘And you, be ye fruitful; populate the Earth abundantly, and multiply therein.’As the mutts gearing up for Kukur Puja, which this year falls on 3 November, the dogs are strutting about as if they already know they are divine for a day. Thank goodness for that, imagine if they were gods every day of the year.Every year this is what gets the Ass’ goat: how come Fido is deemed worthy of worship, and not us donkeys? Crows are divine, but not vultures? Who made these rules? And how come it only rains cats and dogs, but not gnus and donkeys? I hereby, henceforth and hereinafter, propose a more inclusive Tihar under the new inclusive federal Constitution whereby the canine elite doesn’t monopolise the right to be man’s best friend forever. This year let us also worship pangolins.Kathmandu Valley’s dog population has already exceeded the carrying capacity of our garbage dumps, and there is an urgent need to give them hounds a snip and a tuck. In fact, it would not be an exaggeration to say that given the wild and carefree manner in which mutts are shagging away, Nepal is sitting on top of a ticking volcano. The by-products of these interlocutions will be evident several months hence (at about the time when Parliament reconvenes) when the streets near the August House will be crawling with sons of bitches.And at this rate, there will be more man’s best friends in Kathmandu than man himself, or herself. The question is, what is Mayor Shakya doing about it besides letting sleeping dogs lie?His first order of business is to do something about dog do-do. Now that the capital is open-defecation free for humans, when is the rule going to apply to Phaurey? One can’t have one law for people and another for pooches. Given doggie demographics, when these baby boomers reach adulthood, how is Kathmandu Metropolitan City going to ensure that there is enough garbage to feed the goddam dogs?

The Ass

Sons of bitches

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161128/636d19159c7e80680e0ac7fcjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1149" height="640"/><figcaption>Photo: MONIKA DEUPALA</figcaption></figure>The <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/who-wants-early-elections-and-why/">first 100 days of Sher Bahadur Deuba</a> as fifth-time prime minister is not a huge disappointment to Nepalis -- most did not expect much from it.To be sure, it is not all Deuba’s fault, but as prime minister the buck stops with him. He has taken the blame for infighting between and within coalition partners that <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/what-is-delaying-nepal-cabinet-expansion/">delayed government formation</a>, for riding roughshod over the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/political-expediency-trumps-nepal-constitution/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Constitution</a>, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-govt-fills-cabinet-after-3-months/">making controversial appointments</a>. But most of all, the government is seen to be uncaring about citizens ravaged by <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/monsoon-hits-nepal-with-a-bang/">floods</a> and the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/helping-nepals-covid-orphans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">pandemic</a>, as well as dismissive about the demand from long-excluded Nepalis for<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/four-fold-increase-in-reported-rape-in-10-years/"> social justice</a>.Perhaps nothing has driven home government indifference and neglect for the marginalised more than the treatment meted out to activists like Ruby Khan who walked for 20 days from Nepalganj to Kathmandu to highlight their demand for a fair investigation into the death of two women in Banke district for which they were given the runaround by local police and administration.Nakunni Dhobi, 38, was found dead in her home in July, and foul play was suspected because she had previously faced dowry-related violence. Nirmala Kurmi, 52, has been missing following the passing of her husband and the suspicious deaths of her two sons soon after. Khan had filed a case of kidnapping and murder against 12 people, including NC leader Badshah Kurmi, as part of a plan to take over her property.When the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/protesting-to-protect-the-right-to-protest/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">activists</a> finally arrived in Kathmandu, tired, hungry and with blistered feet, the government arrested the activists. The Supreme Court later freed them, but Ruby Khan went on a hunger strike, until the government finally agreed to investigate the two cases.Few believe this will result in justice being delivered, as has been the case of previous high-profile cases of violence against women.“On one hand it is a great achievement that women from a minority community dared to come all the way to Kathmandu for justice and turn this into a national issue,” says journalist Namrata Sharma. “But that they had to resort to this, and were not able to get justice in Banke is a failure of our governance.”Indeed, the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/deubas-long-and-winding-road/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Deuba-led coalition government</a> for the most part in the last three months has been embroiled in a power struggle ahead of the elections in 2023 and the concerns of the public get little importance. Commentators have gone as far as to say that Deuba has committed as many mistakes in three months as that made by K P Oli in three years.For Deuba’s faction-ridden party and coalition, the Ruby Khan case was just an inconvenient distraction in trying to keep his government intact, and to show the public that it is different than the K P Oli government it replaced in June. But 100 days later, he does not have much to show for it.In fact, commentators have said Deuba has violated the constitution more often in the past three months than <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-pm-oli-goes-it-alone/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Oli did in the three years</a> he was prime minister. Members of Deuba’s own NC have been most critical of his dissolution of Parliament to <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/old-wine-in-old-bottle-in-nepal-politics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">pass an ordinance to help Madhav Kumar Nepal split from the UML</a>, and then repeal it after the deed was done.“Making laws to serve a particular political party or individual violates the Constitution,” said political analyst Shyam Shrestha. “This makes a mockery of the rule of law, and is unimaginable in a democracy.”And if that was not enough, Deuba allegedly had a pact with Chief Justice Cholendra SJB Rana to nominate two ministers. One of them, Rana’s brother-in-law, Gajendra Bahadur Hamal, was appointed to the Cabinet, but resigned three days later following a public uproar.Even when the coalition has acted decisively, it is for the wrong reason. The Finance Minister amended the Financial Act scrapping the requirement that investors needed to show source of income. This preceded revelations in the <a href="https://www.icij.org/investigations/pandora-papers/global-investigation-tax-havens-offshore/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pandora Papers</a> about <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepals-richest-man-in-the-pandora-papers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nepali tycoons maintaining offshore shell companies </a>for money laundering.This week, Human Rights Watch slammed Nepal Police for using excessive force that killed four squatters protesting eviction in Butwal.All of this while the country is still reeling from what has been a disastrous monsoon season. Moreover, this week parts of <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/post-monsoon-rain-ruins-nepals-crops/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">western Nepal were hit with unseasonal downpours </a> that dumped 500mm of rain in 24 hours in some places, killing at least 100 people, destroying roads, and wiping out 20% of the country’s ready to harvest rice.Meanwhile, health experts across the country are on alert for a possible <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/dasain-crowd-unmasked/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">post-Dasain surge in Covid</a> cases as families mingle during the festivals while the contagious Delta variant is still circulating.Half of Kathmandu’s target population <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-jabs-and-jabnots/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">has been vaccinated</a> but the rest of the country is far behind, and as such hospitals and limited medical professionals must be on standby, especially with the onset of the winter season. More than 1,000 ventilators donated during the second wave are just sitting on store-rooms in hospitals across the country.The coalition government, however, has already set its sight on the 2023 elections but not on the fact that district hospitals have<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/donated-ventilators-gather-dust-in-nepal/"> ventilators but no doctor or nurse to operate it</a>, or that Nepal is yet to build a proper storage facility for vaccine for the inoculation of children against Covid-19.Says pulmonary specialist Raju Pangeni at HAMS Hospital: “Our priority now must be to vaccinate children across Nepal after the holidays, and with only Pfizer and Moderna certified for the younger population, we should already be preparing for the required storage facility.”

Sonia Awale

Non-government of Nepal

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141132/636cfde49c7e80680e0a0c0djpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"/><figcaption>A dancer impersonating Goddess Nil Barahi at the festival. All photo: SAURAV THAPA SHRESTHA</figcaption></figure>More than 500 years after they were first performed, Kathmandu Valley’s tantric dance festivals are seeing something of a revival.The Lichhavi and Malla era <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/kathmandus-festival-of-the-mysterious-dancing-goddess/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nil Barahi Dyo Pyakhan</a> (निलबाराही द्यो प्याखँ), a mystical ancient dance, is a part of Kathmandu Valley’s rich intangible heritage that is staging a comeback.Residents of Bodey, a quaint Newa settlement north of Thimi, have been performing the tantric dance consisting of different deities including Bhairav, Barahi, Kumari, Simha, Dwarpal and Ganesh.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141132/636cfde89c7e80680e0a0c0ejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption>All the deities line up with the Bhairab at centre during a special ritual called Kha Tyeligu that takes place every 12 years.</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141132/636cfdeb9c7e80680e0a0c0fjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="667" height="1000"><figcaption>An offering of Kisli (prepared with rice, coins and betel nuts) to the deity</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141132/636cfded9c7e80680e0a0c10jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="667" height="1000"><figcaption>Devotees wait for their turn to provide offerings to the deities.</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141132/636cfdf09c7e80680e0a0c11jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="1500"><figcaption>A musician playing mwali</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141132/636cfdf29c7e80680e0a0c12jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="1500"><figcaption>Dwarpal at Nilbarahi Naach</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141132/636cfdf59c7e80680e0a0c13jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption>Simha jump (Simha ti nwoigu) is one of the most spectacular shows during the festival. Here it is being performed at Nil Barahi Temple premises in Bodey.</figcaption></figure>Legend has it that a Bodey farmer with the surname Dhon (धों) was abducted by the Nil Barahi herself in her deer form and carried into the nearby dense forest of Tigini. The deity taught him a tantric dance, which the locals would go on to perform every year ever since.Some believe that the ritual dates back to an even earlier Lichhavi era, 1,000 years ago. But the first record of the dances being performed are from 1514 (Nepal Sambat 633) when King Subarna Malla commissioned the performance of the Navadurga Naach (नवदुर्गा नाच) in the drought-hit <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/bhaktapur-shows-the-way-by-rebuilding-itself/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bhaktapur</a>.He also organised Layaku Bhaila (लायकु भैलः) in Thimi and Nil Barahi Naach in Bode. Later in 1718, King Bhupatindra Malla offered ‘Chhati Kathi’, the Royal Sceptre (राजदण्ड) and land for the ritual. The sceptre is intact, and still has the date inscribed on it.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141132/636cfdf99c7e80680e0a0c14jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption>Ganesh deities during one of the performances.</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141132/636cfdfc9c7e80680e0a0c15jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption>Ganesh deities take a short rest in between the performances.</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141132/636cfdff9c7e80680e0a0c16jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption>A participant holding the Sukunda of Bhairab in Nilbarahi Naach Festival.</figcaption></figure>Others state that the dance is the celebration of a peaceful victory in an ancient battle. According to local folklore, three dances took place at the time. Mahakali Naach at Nagadesh portrayed preparation for the war, Navadurga Naach represented the war itself, and Nil Barahi was the celebration.The four days preceding <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/saparu-the-festival-of-death-and-rebirt,2543" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Gaijatra</a>, mark the beginning of the festival which this year is held 24-27 August. On these days, the Bodey locals representing the deities are taught the dance in the process called Pyakha Syenegu (प्याखं स्यनेगु), which translates into ‘teaching the dance’. As patrons of the dance, the attendance of Bhairav, Barahi and Ganesh is mandatory.The individuals representing deities draw on heavenly power once they put on their masks. With tantric ability, they dance for four nights and three days despite all hardships. The entire time they dance, the deities and their families cannot consume anything, cannot talk, and only use hand gestures.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141132/636cfe039c7e80680e0a0c17jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="1500"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141132/636cfe069c7e80680e0a0c18jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="1500"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141132/636cfe089c7e80680e0a0c19jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141132/636cfe0c9c7e80680e0a0c1ajpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141132/636cfe109c7e80680e0a0c1bjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption>Various accessories adorned by the deities.</figcaption></figure>Each deity is accompanied by Jwokalu (ज्वकालु, a helper) to help them with their needs. If the performers need to rest, they can do so only for a few minutes. If a dancer dies before the ritual or during it, one of the family members must step in.The <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/patans-dance-of-the-deities/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">animated dance procession</a> has 19 masked dancers but it is acted out by an ensemble of some 100 residents of Bodey. This includes deities, gurus, dancers, musicians and helpers.A variety of musical instruments accompanies the dance. An individual carries a ‘Sukunda’, which has to be aflame throughout the festival. In the past when the lamp had turned off, deities had gotten sick.As soon as every member arrives at Dyo Chhen, the parade begins. But before that, all the masks are brought to Naskuti (नासःकुथि), inside the Dyo Chenn where Jwokalu carries them. An accompanying musical tune is played during the mask-wearing procession.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141132/636cfe149c7e80680e0a0c1cjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption>The crowd gathered to watch the masked dance.</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141132/636cfe199c7e80680e0a0c1djpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption>The gathering of all the deities.</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141132/636cfe1c9c7e80680e0a0c1ejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption>The pwonga musical team at the festival.</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141132/636cfe209c7e80680e0a0c1fjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141132/636cfe239c7e80680e0a0c20jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>The procession has a sequenced lined up: flag (ध्वाय्), sword and shield (सँय्), Chilakh (flames), sceptre (rajdanda), Bhairab, Barahi, Kumari, Simha, Dwarpal, Ganesh and musical team at the back.From the Dyo Chhen, the parade takes you to Lachhi (लाछी), Lyaku (लाय्कु), Bishnughat (विष्णुघाट), Bhangu (भाँगु), Khansi (खाँसी) and back to Akha through Lachhi. The deities’ march through the gallis is accompanied by traditional musical instruments like dhaa baja (two-headed drums), ta and bhusyah (cymbals), ponga and mwali (flutes).A variety of rhythmic music is played based on four different dance styles: Nhyakhin Taal (न्ह्याखीं), Dhaa: Taal (द्यःताल), Lisa: Nyosa: (लिसाः न्ह्यसाः ताल) and Simha ti nwoigu Taal (सिंद्य तिं न्वइगु ताल). Deities receive offerings from the locals and relatives as part of the ritual.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141132/636cfe269c7e80680e0a0c21jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption>Those who can't make it to the procession can still worship the deities with offering at Dyo Chhen at nights during the festival.</figcaption></figure>The enthusiasm and passion of the inhabitants in Bodey is the key to preserving this <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=12277#.YSd36i2B2CR" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ancient tradition</a>, which is why the ritual has continued to this day for the past five centuries. For viewers, it is a unique taste of our culture, for the performers, it is a life-long commitment.The 19 dancers who represent Bhairav, Nil Barahi, Kumari, Singha, Dwarpal and Ganesh take the responsibility for life until a new group is appointed in what is called Dyo Gan Hilegu (द्यःगं हिलिगु; where the deities are changed). The current group has been performing the ritual since 1958 and most of them are in their 70s and 80s.

Kathmandu Valley’s Nil Barahi Dyo Pyakhan

Born in Khandbari in eastern Nepal, Parashuram Pathak helped his family around the farm, sold what they grew in the market and lent a hand in the kitchen.&nbsp; After working as a chef in Dubai, San Francisco, Denmark, Australia, and on cruise ships, Pathak has now brought back what he has learnt to the Tusa Restaurant in Bhaktapur that opened on Nepali New Year on 13 April. Tusa uses fresh indigenous ingredients from various parts of Nepal, and fuses them with international methods to produce unique dishes. Pathak is a global Nepali, and is introducing global Nepali cuisine to his homeland. Pathak left an executive chef job to intern at three-Michelin-starred Noma in Denmark, named the best restaurant in the world five times. Noma runs on a philosophy of foraging to rediscover wild local ingredients, and Tusa’s mission is similarly noble: preparing dishes with Nepali ingredients using modern techniques and equipment. “We are taking Nepali food beyond dal-bhat and momo, we are taking it international,” Pathak said on the phone from Sydney. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepali-baker-rises-to-the-top-in-denmark">Denmark’s best baker is a Nepali</a>, Vishad Onta  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240419180424_1312bc016cbb2fe59c6d4a78d1f8b463af4a10b3f79559a2405fd54ea5b3197a.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20240419180424_1312bc016cbb2fe59c6d4a78d1f8b463af4a10b3f79559a2405fd54ea5b3197a" data-rendition-name="original" width="801" height="802" loading="lazy" alt="The return of the natives Page 12 NT #1208"> <figcaption>Photo: PARASHURAM PATHAK/FACEBOOK</figcaption> </figure>  Pathak’s team in Nepal includes chefs Rupesh Bohara and Sagar Shrestha who have also worked extensively in Dubai and Australia, and share his vision. The three realised they shared the same dream, and over the past five years have travelled across Nepal to research their menu, collecting ingredients and ideas from homestays, food carts, and nature. The team then scouted for Nepal’s best architect, and zeroed in on Bhaktapur-based heritage conservationist Rabindra Puri who designed the Malla-era house for Tusa in the Nag Pokhari neighbourhood. Bohara and Shrestha have moved back to Nepal for good, and Pathak arrives in September. “I made dishes from all over the world, but when someone asked what Nepali food was like, I had no answer,” says Bohara, “I came back to find out.” &nbsp;“You can get citizenship, a green card, big houses and cars, but where is the self-satisfaction?” asks Shrestha, who has a red-and-blue chef’s knife with the sun and moon of the Nepali flag tattooed on his right forearm.&nbsp; Read also:<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/diaspora-diaries/the-return-of-a-master-baker"> The return of a master baker</a>, Raju Pakhrin  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240419180424_c601264463e5a28d4e71a46781f340a53619a08d00949a7aaebfef84e75a319d.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20240419180424_c601264463e5a28d4e71a46781f340a53619a08d00949a7aaebfef84e75a319d" data-rendition-name="original" width="6000" height="4000" loading="lazy" alt="The return of the natives Page 12 NT #1208"> <figcaption>Photos: TUSA</figcaption> </figure>  Bohara and Shrestha passionately recount stories of their trips across Nepal, speaking of generous lodge owners who introduced them to local ingredients. Tusa can seat 28, and dining here is a sensory experience with a live kitchen. The chefs cook and place dishes on a large granite countertop with induction sections built in. Behind the counter is a grill on an indoor fire with pulley control to adjust the fire. Everything that can be made in Nepal — chairs and tables, ceramic dishes, the grill — is locally sourced. The executive kitchen/laboratory is downstairs. It is spacious, spotless, and contains appliances rarely seen in restaurants here: a sous vide machine that cooks vacuum-sealed packets at consistent temperatures, and a dehydrator for sisnu nettles. A fresh batch of deep purple kimbu (mulberry) muffins has just come out of the oven. Fridges have dry-aged fish and marigold kombucha. Fermentation seems to be the theme at Tusa, and Pathak explained: “Fermentation takes away the natural sugars in food, leaving behind a true, umami taste.”&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/vikings-khukri-passion">Viking's khukri passion</a>, Alisha Sijapati  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240419180424_c59e2b4230864f646bc36108adb951e95ec85da6156740294b1ec715b86acf89.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20240419180424_c59e2b4230864f646bc36108adb951e95ec85da6156740294b1ec715b86acf89" data-rendition-name="original" width="5895" height="3930" loading="lazy" alt="The return of the natives Page 12 NT #1208"> </figure>  Tusa itself means ‘shoot’ in Nepali, and can be a dish of fermented bamboo shoots. The restaurant serves a tasting menu with six courses, plus surprises. It starts with a fermented potato and millet roti with charred green garlic and tomato chutney. The bread tastes like a mix of alu paratha and kodoko roti with a satisfying, mild flavour. The chefs do not show off, and overdo it. Dishes are tastefully simple and faithful, a theme that runs through the meal. The second course is a filet of fish charred on one side and placed in a broth. It is delicate and smokey, and does not mask the character of the fish.&nbsp; The next is Batuk Chukauni, a Magar dish with a lentil snack and a yoghurt-based potato achar. The batuk, made of lentil batter, is light and the chukauni has potatoes and peas. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/money-is-not-everything-but-you-need-money-for-everything">"Money is not everything, but you need money for everything"</a>, Rohit Shrestha  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240419180424_e3f51228ff792e8d4297f81f8e67d138584e922ae035d131977494219e5e85c5.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="20240419180424_e3f51228ff792e8d4297f81f8e67d138584e922ae035d131977494219e5e85c5" data-rendition-name="original" width="1333" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="The return of the natives Page 12 NT #1208"> <figcaption>Batuk Chukauni. Photo: VISHAD ONTA</figcaption> </figure>  Next is a skewer of jackfruit with a tamarind and mustard glaze that has the texture of a slice of sausage and melts in the mouth. Then comes the first off-menu item: a steak of watermelon, glazed and grilled, tasting sweet, sour and smokey. After that a palate cleanser sorbet made with laligurans syrup adorned with a frozen candied rhododendron petal. Finally the main course: barbeque chicken and chyakla coarse corn grits. The chicken has been brined, marinated, cooked sous-vide and seared on the grill. The delicate consistency of the chicken stands out. Desert is a smooth, creamy cheesecake that uses the local juju-dhau yoghurt. And the last course is a moist, moss-green sisnu cake laced with mulberry jam and cream.&nbsp; There is nothing gimmicky about Tusa. It is the coming together of skilled Nepalis with international exposure who have mixed what they have learnt abroad with the flavours of home.&nbsp; The tasting menu is Rs3,500, and it may take some time before Nepalis develop a predilection for some of its items. The chefs are excited, vindicated, and relieved. Coming back to Nepal, uprooting successful careers abroad to take a chance on Nepal must not have been easy.&nbsp; Tusa had a soft launch on New Year’s day with Kathmandu-based diplomats. Australian Ambassador Felicity Volk was one of them, and wrote on a Facebook post: ‘Chefs who honed their skills in Australia and returned to Nepal to give back. We call it fine dining, they call it #cominghome.’ Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/the-baker-of-barpak">The baker of Barpak</a>, Tara Aryal Pandey

The return of the natives

For a year or two after the 25 April 2015 earthquake, the residents of Kathmandu were too terrified to return to their high-rise apartments. None of them collapsed in the 7.8 disaster, but many sustained serious structural damage. &nbsp;
Fast forward nine years, and they have all but forgotten that frightful day. Kathmandu is back to building substandard structures, even as land prices drive developers to build taller.&nbsp;
With no more space to spread horizontally, Kathmandu is going vertical. But structural engineers say most of the high rises do not take into account seismicity, soil condition, construction methods, quality of raw materials, fire hazard, and search and rescue in collapsed concrete structures.
“Much of our focus since the 2015 earthquake has been on building and construction, but not as much on where we are building,” warns Sangeeta Singh, Professor of Urban Planning and Deputy Director of Centre for Disaster Studies at the Institute of Engineering.
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/in-a-disastrous-state">In a disastrous state</a>, Sonia Awale
She adds: “Kathmandu is not really suited for high-rises. We have to first test the condition of the soil, but building permits are being issued without this fundamental step.”
Kathmandu Valley is a former lakebed with soft topsoil prone to liquefaction and excessive shaking, as seen during the 1934 megaquake. Many ruptures tore up the surface in 2015. &nbsp;
During an earthquake, the rock layers below Kathmandu ring like a bell and the vibrations on the surface take between 0.5 to 2 seconds for one oscillation. Buildings also vibrate, but at different frequencies depending on their height, construction material, and arrangement of their structural components.
At five floors, the vibration period of a building is 0.5 seconds, which is the same as that for Kathmandu Valley, and this could cause more damage, says structural engineer Surya Narayan Shrestha at the National Society for Earthquake Technology - Nepal (NSET).
“Building anything that is five storeys or higher in Kathmandu needs special design and structural considerations,” says Shrestha.
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/shaking-things-up">Shaking things up</a>, Editorial
Technologies exist to reduce seismic risk in high-rises, and these are used in earthquake-prone cities like Tokyo, Los Angeles, Jakarta or Mexico City.&nbsp;
Base isolation, for example, separates the vibration of the land and the building, reducing damage from soil-building resonance. Base isolators move and stretch under pressure, absorbing much of an earthquake's impact by reducing swaying and shaking. &nbsp;
Seismic dampers change the pattern of vibration altogether, dissipating energy as vibrations move across a structure. But these are all expensive technologies, and none of the high-rises in Kathmandu use them.
However, Nepali engineers who can help with technology transfer are working in the field in Nepal and overseas. Kathmandu’s high-rises are already very expensive, and making them seismic-resistant would be an incremental cost.
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/comment/learning-from-jajarkot-what-we-didnt-after-2015-695vpzle">Learning from Jajarkot what we didn't after 2015</a>, Sushil Gyewali
The shape of high-rises also matters. Reinforced concrete buildings with asymmetric designs of the kind that are seen in newer structures in Kathmandu experience more torsion and shear during quakes. High-rises with regular geometry are stronger. &nbsp;&nbsp;
An even bigger concern is that of emergency evacuation and rescue in case of fire or earthquake. Kathmandu fire services do not have ladders that reach the higher floors of most new structures.
“High-rises mean more people and potentially higher casualties,” explains Shrestha. “We need immediate evacuation routes, fire escapes, emergency ladders, and fire trucks that can reach higher. Right now, safety features are voluntary and not mandatory.”
The street access, shelters, open spaces, and evacuation routes are integral to disaster preparedness and the safety of neighbourhoods and not just buildings. Most new high-rises in Kathmandu have narrow access roads.
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/rebuilding-resilience-7-years-later">Rebuilding resilience 7 years later</a>, Anil Pokhrel
Since most of the buildings that survived the 2015 disaster were reinforced concrete structures, it fed the misconception that they are safer. But Himalayan seismologists say that if the intensity and duration of the shaking had been just a little higher, many substandard concrete structures would have collapsed.&nbsp;
And that is the final gap: Nepal’s limited expertise and equipment for search and rescue inside collapsed concrete structures. Kathmandu’s high-rises need to be better prepared for the next Big One.
“Structural safety and design were at the front and the centre after the 2015 earthquake, we also revised some building codes but we are back to square one with contractor-driven construction, especially in peri-urban areas,” says Sangeeta Singh, who is also with the National Planning Commission. “We need to monitor construction as much as design.”&nbsp;
Shrestha at NSET agrees there have been improvements in building practices in the past nine years, but adds, “We have both learnt and unlearnt lessons from 2015. The awareness hasn’t yet translated into action on safety.”
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/lessons-not-learned-from-2015-o2etq6zu">Lessons not learned from 2015</a>, Sonia Awale

The rise of high-rises

Midway along the stretch of the ancient trade route between Tibet and India lies the Kel Tol neighbourhood. The name is derived from the original Koligrām, and it is believed the Koli people, who were originally from Rāmagrām in present-day southern Nepal near the Indian border, settled here. The Koli were the maternal ancestors of none other than the Buddha. Kel Tol is famous for the Buddhist monastic complex of Kanak Chaitya Mahāvihar, featuring the majestic two-tiered gilded temple of the white god Karunāmaya.&nbsp; This elaborately decorated courtyard is a bustling centre of the Vajrayāna sect of Buddhism, practised widely by the indigenous Newā people of Kathmandu Valley. Karunāmaya, also known as Ārya Avalokiteshwor, is defined in great detail in the 1st century CE Buddhist text Sadharmapundarikā where he liberates all sentient beings from suffering. He helps rid the eight external fears metaphorically equated with their equivalent internal states of mind: lions (pride), wild elephants (ignorance), fire (anger), snakes (jealousy), floods (attachment), imprisonment (miserliness), thieves (wrong views) and cannibals (doubt).  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240418130432_fe370cbee75003cd3eb5dccc7c3b2671630da193b0744db2aeac1bab3ff4a85c.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20240418130432_fe370cbee75003cd3eb5dccc7c3b2671630da193b0744db2aeac1bab3ff4a85c" data-rendition-name="original" width="1338" height="2000" loading="lazy" alt="Seto Machhindranath"> </figure>  In the Pancha Rakshyā Sutra, a Buddhist scripture from 200 CE, Ārya Avalokiteshwor was counted among the eight major deities. Followers of the Brāhminical god Shiva worship Ārya Avalokiteshwor as Seto Machhindranāth. For Shaivites, Machhindranāth is the Indian saint who founded the Nāth cult in the 10th century CE. He is the guru of saint Gorakhnāth. During the reign of Yakshya Malla (1428–1482 CE), a beautiful image of Ārya Avalokiteshwor was dug up by a farmer in present-day Jamal, which was then a cultivated area outside the city. The farmer, known as a Jamami (meaning the one from Jamal) took the image home for safekeeping. That night, Ārya Avalokiteshwor appeared in the farmer’s dream and told him that the proper place for him to reside is at the confluence of two rivers. The nearest confluence was at present-day Wongha (Indrachok) and the image was installed in the Kanak Chaitya Mahāvihar complex in Kel Tol near Wongha. This made it easier for city residents to pay homage to Ārya Avalokiteshwor and spread compassion. Soon, the deity came to be revered highly as Jamaleshwor, the one found in Jamal. Eventually, the name got corrupted, as happens often in Nepāl Bhāsā, to Janabahā Dyo. The courtyard where his temple is located is now popularly known as Janabahā.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240418130432_5c9b219530e400445ef4e7f64856b43e7cdb756be26d9ed4565c84044c178a7e.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20240418130432_5c9b219530e400445ef4e7f64856b43e7cdb756be26d9ed4565c84044c178a7e" data-rendition-name="original" width="2500" height="1668" loading="lazy" alt="Seto Machhindranath"> </figure>  The gilded temple of Janabahā Dyo, first built in the early 16th century CE, is adorned with wooden and metal artefacts that symbolise 108 forms of Ārya Avalokiteshwor. It stands out as the most decorated temple of its kind in Kathmandu. Today, Janabahā is a living heritage site where many ancient customs and rituals are widely practised as per Vajrayāna Buddhist tradition. Devotees throng the Janabahā Dyo shrine for daily worship and to receive Karunāmaya’s blessings. Being the compassionate one, Ārya Avalokiteshwor goes around town every year in his tall wooden chariot to allow sick and physically disabled devotees to pay homage to him from the comfort of their homes. One could say it is a door-to-door visit by the Compassionate One.&nbsp; For the pragmatic minded, the chariot festival is an annual renewal of communal harmony, validation of our ancient mathematical supremacy and demonstration of the need to keep practical skills alive, including the craft of building earthquake resilient houses.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240418130432_fc8b234ceca87dee4b99e897a485cef121fb953857fb61492a413fbfcc48360c.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20240418130432_fc8b234ceca87dee4b99e897a485cef121fb953857fb61492a413fbfcc48360c" data-rendition-name="original" width="2500" height="1667" loading="lazy" alt="Seto Machhindranath"> </figure>  The Janabahā Dyo chariot is pulled from Jamal, where his image was found by the farmer, through the historic heart of Kathmandu in a gala parade every year. The procession, accompanied by folk music ensembles and revellers, starts on the eighth day of the bright half of the month of Chaitra, and lasts up to a week (ending on Saturday this year). Hundreds of devotees pull the chariot along the streets as a way of expressing their gratitude to lord Karunāmaya for blessing them with compassion and well-being. Purna Ratna Vajrāchārya is an ordained priest who belongs to the clan responsible for taking care of Janabahā Dyo. He has been studying the design and architecture of the chariot for the past 40 years, and overseeing its construction for the past 15. He has learnt that the engineering principles of building the chariot are based on the mathematical system in which Buddhism is taught. For example, 365 pieces of wood are used in the chariot, each representing a day of the year. Each of the four wheels consist of 25 pieces of wood, totalling 100, representing completeness or fulfilment. The chariot is vertically divided into 13 sections, a parallel to the Buddhist concept of Trayodashi Bhuvana that describes the 13 steps that one must take to achieve the state of Nirvana.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240418130432_36d9964c9845f6d9a074786361fc5ab7d49138503ad162086998b731349b0ec0.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20240418130432_36d9964c9845f6d9a074786361fc5ab7d49138503ad162086998b731349b0ec0" data-rendition-name="original" width="2500" height="1668" loading="lazy" alt="Seto Machhindranath"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240418130432_2662753a9514a682ccdfd17bf05e2be3771183a68dc86b717ab67d9aad894563.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20240418130432_2662753a9514a682ccdfd17bf05e2be3771183a68dc86b717ab67d9aad894563" data-rendition-name="original" width="1668" height="2500" loading="lazy" alt="Seto Machhindranath"> </figure>  &nbsp;Exactly nine types of wood are used, which is the sum of the four base elements that make up the universe (earth, water, fire and air) and the five human senses. The height and length of the chariot is 32 arm’s length (hāt in Sanskrit), 14.8m. The number 32 represents the maximum number of auspicious and physical qualities one could possess to be considered an outstanding human being.&nbsp; Says Vajrācharya, “Observing how the chariot is built helps one learn the fundamental pillars of the Buddha’s teachings, and find an easier path to Nirvana.” The structural design of the nearly 15m wooden chariot is not only awe-inspiring but also gravity-defying. It leverages the pliancy of the materials used in its construction -- flexible joints tied with cane soaked in water for several days. The precise proportions of the chariot ensure great manoeuverability in the narrow streets along the route of the chariot procession that include some 90° bends, without colliding into houses.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240418130432_9f5c2943f5d6b3f0010d3d5213697549945e87a6f7d3d8cbadd69f0dea6c6e2c.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20240418130432_9f5c2943f5d6b3f0010d3d5213697549945e87a6f7d3d8cbadd69f0dea6c6e2c" data-rendition-name="original" width="2500" height="3750" loading="lazy" alt="Seto Machhindranath"> </figure>  Driving and steering the chariot with brute muscle power of the mirthful crowd is a seemingly impossible task. But this has been achieved year after year, despite the fact that the devotees who tug wildly at the ropes lassoed to the two front wheels, are most likely in high-spirits (pun intended). Sanjay Manandhar, a US-based technology entrepreneur, recounts how his high school physics teacher from Canada asked his students to go observe the locals build the chariots of Karunāmaya if they were interested in becoming engineers in the future.&nbsp; “That made no sense to me then, but, after all these decades, I now see clearly how the structural design of the chariot, adopted early on by our ancestors is full of earthquake-resilient properties that need to be applied in building houses in an earthquake-prone zone like Nepal,” says Manandhar. A highlight of the chariot festival is that human goddess Kumari makes an appearance at the final destination in Lagan, usually on the third day. This is only one of the 13 times that people get to see the Kumari outside her temple abode.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240418130432_08aa39f3f004a212b33c60a2840d6013110de15dd34a0288f699dd5fda8957ab.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20240418130432_08aa39f3f004a212b33c60a2840d6013110de15dd34a0288f699dd5fda8957ab" data-rendition-name="original" width="2500" height="1667" loading="lazy" alt="Seto Machhindranath"> </figure>  On the last day of the festival (Saturday), the image of lord Karunāmaya is carried on a palanquin by priests from Janabahā in a gala procession and brought back to his permanent residence at the temple in Kel Tol.&nbsp; The chariot festival is thought to have started during the reign of King Pratap Malla of Kantipur in the 17th century CE. For close to four centuries, the construction of the chariot and its operation has proven to be a phenomenal engineering feat, and the people’s faith in divinity means the tradition is alive.&nbsp; The essence of the colourful rituals and the religious beliefs of this ancient chariot festival is now all but lost. The logic, technology and practicality must be brought back to light, as they reflect the high civilisation and wisdom of our ancestors that we can leverage in modern times and into the future. &nbsp; Alok Tuladhar is a culture and heritage documentarian.

Kathmandu’s gravity-defying chariot festival

In the run-up to the third Nepal Investment Summit this weekend, there have been seminars, conferences and workshops where the discourse has revolved around the economy and the investment climate.
The consensus that Nepal needs foreign direct investments (FDI) to grow was repeated, and the familiar litany of reasons about why it has not been able to was discussed.&nbsp;
Policy advocates and regulators have understood that the lack of urgency is compounded by procedural inconsistencies, on top of the already deficient investment environment in the country.
It is a welcome change from what used to be flippantly accepting matters as given. There now seems to be a sense of urgency, with procedural inconsistencies and lack of harmonisation between various Acts and regulations openly discussed.&nbsp;
Government stakeholders also appear more willing to learn and attempt to be part of the solution. Whatever policy changes have been introduced in the past have been piecemeal and address the few rather than the entire industry. This left dual regulatory approaches aimed at similar players.&nbsp;
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/killing-investment-in-nepal-in-10-easy-steps">Killing investment in Nepal in 10 easy steps</a>, Dibesh Karmacharya
This time, unlike in the past two Summits, the government seems to be committed to amending 9 Acts, a positive step towards showing commitment to change. However, the deadline to do so during the winter session of Parliament is over. The option mooted has been to have it passed through ordinance, a lesser appealing step; albeit, a positive one moving forward.&nbsp;
To attract FDI in a competitive global market means that Nepal has to demonstrate that it is serious about bringing in investments with a more consultative and collaborative approach with investors. A departure from procedural to a result-oriented focus is needed.&nbsp;
To put issues in perspective, Nepal needs US$20 billion in investments to meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets by 2030. If net-zero decarbonisation targets are to be met by 2045, another US$7 billion will be required annually.&nbsp;
Looking at our investment history and poor government capital expenditure, the gap is long and wide. In fiscal year 2022-23 Nepal booked a lamentable ~$59 million in FDI (equity). Nepal is in fact the lowest market in South Asia for FDI with 0.3% of the regional average.&nbsp;
What is it that we can do to fill the gap?&nbsp;
First, we need to move away from the notion that Nepal only needs large investments. This has proven to be a mistake, and time series data have proven that smaller investments, in aggregate, make a larger impact on economies.&nbsp;
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/poor-cash-rich-nepal">Poor cash-rich Nepal</a>, Sonia Awale
We talk about an ‘enabling environment’ but without the right tools. We place restrictions on interest on debt ceiling (SOFR +5.5), without risk premium adjustments, we do not have an active secondary market for bond trading, nor do we have a yield curve, an integral part of the bond market, which is inhibiting us from tapping into the trillion dollar green bond market.&nbsp;
In order to attract green financing, Nepal needs to develop its bond market. Sovereign risk rating has been mooted and was expected to be operationalised before the Investment Summit.&nbsp;
However, to be rated in an adverse economic environment could further deteriorate investment potential due to a lesser-than-expected rating.&nbsp;
Hedging is another instrument that needs further research on. A commercial bank last year showcased the first risk-hedging mechanism for an investment of $8 million. This can be the beginning to expand on its modality. &nbsp;
Subordinated debt instruments have been introduced, but on a special nod basis, this now needs to be institutionalised as it is the most applicable form of investment after equity in a market that has volatile forex reserves.&nbsp;
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/invest-in-investment">Invest in investment</a>, Nepali Times
Viability Gap Funding has been introduced by multilateral development agencies implemented in solar installations. It is a tool to incentivise the private sector to invest in projects that are not financially lucrative initially, but have potential for profitability in the long run. This needs to be scaled up and replicated in sectors like infrastructure, where returns may not be immediate.
Moving forward, to attract FDI, Nepal needs to tap into the funds that are available for the growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and climate change. Alternative investments such as Private Equity Venture Capital (PEVC) have been around in a structured manner in Nepal for nearly a decade now.
These funds have blended finance components and have attracted climate funding as well. PEVC is a new asset class and can address the issues of penetrating into SME financing by incorporating environment, social and governance issues into their investment process.&nbsp;
SMEs are the backbone of any economy, PEVC comes with the ability not only to scale up the enterprise with risk capital, but with the ability to bring technical knowhow to enhance not only the enterprise but also the entrepreneur.&nbsp;
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/success-in-nepal-means-not-having-to-work">Success in Nepal means not having to work</a>, Anil Chitrakar
A differentiator from all other forms of financing available till date in Nepal. Blended finance is a way of de-risking investments, especially in frontier markets. Business Oxygen (BO2) is an example of blended finance with subordinated debt investments of IFC (World Bank Group) taking the lead and Climate Investment Funds along with FCDO as co-investors.&nbsp;
On a larger scale, the 216MW Upper Trisuli 1 is another example of blended finance with IFC, a Korean consortium and local investments. So far, we see that development finance Institutions have been taking the lead in Nepal as their risk appetite is greater than commercial investors and they are eager to help develop the financial markets.&nbsp;
In order to be sustainable, we need to step on this and attract commercial capital from all over the world. To do this there has to be political will to make that pivot.&nbsp;
Instead of being a means to an end, the two previous Investment Summits turned out to be intermittent and cosmetic, providing hardly any results. The third one’s success will depend on how the event will be implemented as a platform for continuous marketing for the country and facilitation for investors in future.&nbsp;
Nepal has outdone many countries in its macro-economic indicators, with sound forex reserves and a stellar history of debt payments to its creditors. This story needs to be propagated along with the drive for change to attract potential investors.
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/comment/alternative-investments-to-attract-fdi">Alternative investments to attract FDI</a>, Siddhant Raj Pandey

festivals