Chitwan National Park, the Real thing

I had the opportunity to visit Disney World’s Animal Kingdom recently in Orlando, Florida, United States of America. The park has a lot of attractions spread out in various sections, viz Africa, Asia, Discovery Island, and Dinoland U.S.A. I began by going on the Kilimanjaro Safari Ride in the Africa section. I had to wait a pretty long time (about an hour or so) to board the ride, a train of wooden seats pulled by an ancient looking but sturdy truck. Almost immediately after we started off, we began to see wild animals, such as different types of deer, hippopotamuses, rhinoceroses, giraffes, zebras, elephants, crocodiles, etc., as well as a couple of lions resting majestically on a rocky outcrop. But, more than the animals, it was the track we were riding on that was really interesting. 

The track has presumably been made to look and feel like a genuine jungle track in Africa, with parts of it being water logged, and more than a few bumps along the way. The lady driver also served as the guide, giving a running commentary that was pretty informative and fascinating. The site is designed as a lush African savannah, with plenty of long grass and scattered trees. One tree, in particular, stood out from the rest: the Baobab, which is also called the upside-down tree because the branches, when bare of leaves, look like roots sticking up into the air. The ride took around half-an-hour, and was a good way to start the Animal Kingdom adventure. 

Now, here, I would like to compare this with our own jungle safari in Chitwan National Park in Chitwan, Narayani, Nepal. I have also taken that trip, and let me tell you, it was one of the best experiences of my life. Doubtless, unlike in in Animal Kingdom, where you get to see more animals, you get to see less wildlife in Chitwan. That’s because Chitwan’s wildlife is really in the wild, while Animal Kingdom is a well-designed and conceptualized park with wildlife in enclosures, cleverly concealed, to give the impression that they are in the wild. One cannot but be appreciative of the designers’ ingenuity. However, nothing can make up for going around real jungle tracks on top of a big elephant, as I did in Chitwan. Let me say this: the Chitwan safari is the real thing, while the Animal Kingdom thing is an enjoyable sojourn around a creatively designed wildlife park.

Definitely, the real thing has to be more thrilling. Riding a truck pales in comparison to riding an elephant that trudges onwards heavily on the narrow paths, and up and down muddy river banks, demonstrating fantastic balance; another thing is, you never know when you’ll be seeing some of the 700 species of exotic wildlife (68 of which are mammals), especially the magnificent royal Bengal tiger, the endangered one-horned rhino, and the rare snout-nosed gharials, a smaller, and much rarer, cousin of the crocodile. (By the way, some of the crocs in Animal Kingdom were pretty huge, fearsome creatures.) You’ll have to be indeed very lucky in Chitwan National Park to spot animals like leopard, sloth bear, wild boar, flying squirrel, smooth coated otter, honey badger, Bengal fox, striped hyena, golden jackal, jungle cat, civet, porcupine, and other such animals that are quite shy of public attention. 

As you travel deeper into the lush jungle, keeping a sharp lookout from your perch on top of the massive elephant, you begin to spot quite a few deer, and many varieties of birds (there are supposed to be almost 600 species inside the park). The flora also is pretty impressive; the jungle is thick with densely-leaved trees, and many a time your elephant will be making its way forcefully through thick shrubs and tall grass on paths unseen to you. It’s all a very exciting affair, the tall grass, known as elephant grass, may be hiding a fierce tiger or two; this is never far from your mind. At some points, your mahout (the elephant driver) will probably ask you to keep dead quiet, since he’s spotted some tiger tracks on the path, or fresh elephant dung that shows that there are wild elephants nearby. Your heart will start thumping, and you’ll keep quiet, I promise you!   

A trip around the jungle also includes a ride on a dugout canoe on the Narayani River that meanders through the large 360 sq km park that was established in 1973 and subsequently designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 1984. The canoes are small things, riding along very close to the river surface, and as you ride onwards, you may be lucky to see some snout-nosed gharials sunning on the banks. The average adult gharial is only 11 to 15 ft in size and has extremely long, thin jaws. The male has a distinctive boss at the end of the snout. You’ll also get to see the gharial breeding center inside the park, where you’ll learn about efforts to save this critically endangered animal from extinction. 

Oh yes, the Chitwan National Park in Chitwan, Nepal, is the real thing as far as a thrilling adventure in the wild is concerned. An experience that is sure to bring excitement into your life. And, yes, it must be noted that there is really nothing to rival a tall glass of ice cold beer after an exciting ride around the hot and humid jungle. Heavenly pleasure, indeed! 

P.S. I’ll be describing the Everest Expedition in Disney World in the coming blog. It’s famous as the Everest Ride, and it’s thrilling to the extreme.

Nepal, the Intrepid Traveler’s Delight Part II

Having had your first experience of what’s it like being in Nepal, your taxi ride having given you an up-close contact with a knowledgeable Nepali taxi driver, you reach Thamel after driving down half of Kathmandu. You would probably have noticed that the traffic seems to be not that good, and that there seems to be a lot of people walking on the sidewalks. This is a constant of less developed countries, cities may seem to be sprawling and quite large, but most of the commercial places are located within certain specific areas. So, you’ll see many more people around than in cities back home, where buying groceries means visiting a superstore, probably a 15-minute-drive from your home. And of course, roads are not that wide, so traffic, which is growing in leaps and bounds, tends to be somewhat bogged down most of the time. In short, speed limits are not necessary here!

In due time, you reach Thamel, the tourist heart of Kathmandu, which is full of hotels lodges, restaurants and bars and cafes, shops selling all kinds of stuff, yoga, reiki, massage, and other health centers, and so on and so forth. And yes, plenty of tourists strolling around the narrow lanes and alleys. The interesting thing about Thamel is that it is located smack bang in the middle of the city, which means getting anywhere from here is a breeze. The restaurants serve all kinds of cuisine, local and international; the hotels are of all sorts, classy and economy. In other words, it’s a pretty convenient place. 

Of course, you can expect the locality to be a bit of a strain, what with all that hustle and bustle all day, all night long, So, if you are looking for more peace and serenity, there are excellent hotels nearby that are safe, comfortable, and convenient, such as Hotel Shanker in Lazimpat, a stone’s throw away from Thamel. It’s actually a 120-year-old royal durbar that has been converted into a fantastic hotel with a sprawling landscaped garden with a great swimming pool and health club. Once, it used to be the favorite haunt of mountaineers bent on conquering Everest; their base in Kathmandu. Reinhold Messner lived here, as did Tenzing Sherpa. For the really intrepid traveler, this is the kind of hotel to look for, because it’s quite an experience living in an ancient palace, let me tell you! Once-in-a-lifetime, all right.

Actually, the whole locality of Thamel, Lazimpat, Durbar Marg, and so on are all situated around the central iconic structure that was once the royal palace, now known as the Narayanhiti Museum. While Thamel is the preferred watering hole of most tourists, Lazimpat is more upscale, with quite a few important embassies, and Durbar Marg (Kingsway) is an upper-end commercial center full of branded stores. Thamel, being most familiar with tourists, deserves a bigger description here. 

On May 16, 2013, a fire raged through the famous Pilgrims Book House in the heart of Thamel. It claimed to have the largest collection of publications on the Himalayas in Asia, and was one of the capital’s important landmarks. A visitor’s words on a Lonely Planet site is pretty compelling: “Pilgrims was an incredible source of knowledge about Nepal as well as all things about the Himalaya…their own publishing outlet made available out-of-copyright books on the history of Nepal, Tibet, India, the British Raj, exploration, etc. What they had was irreplaceable.” Thankfully, although the main store is gone, there’s a Pilgrims nearby, also in Thamel. The locality is a magnet for tourists not only for such landmarks; there are many other places that are also quite well known. In addition to hotels, restaurants, travel and trekking agencies, and shops, Thamel also has quite a few stores selling and renting trekking and mountaineering supplies, as well as some places where you can rent high quality bikes. You’ll also be able to avail of some much needed healing done the traditional way at one of the natural healing centers here, and rejuvenate your flagging spirits with a couple of yoga lessons at a yoga school. 

No doubt, Thamel offers much that the tourist seeks, and the fact that you are likely to make some good friends from around the world makes it indeed a tourist haven. 

Nepal, the Intrepid Traveler’s Delight Part I

Remember your first experience in Nepal? If you were one of the lucky ones, without a prearranged itinerary, probably a backpacker, then your first experience of this quixotic country must have started at the international airport itself. Of course, you are lucky you’re traveling light; for those with lots of baggage, there will be probably quite a bit of longer waiting period than international travelers are generally used to. As for you, the what-will-I-do-with-so much-baggage tourist, you are just raring to get out of the airport to inhale the fresh Himalayan air you’ve heard so much about, and get your first look of this one-time Shangri-La that has sometimes been touted as one of the most beautiful tourist destinations in the whole wide world. 

Well, hold your horses, dude. You’re falling into a common tourist-disappointment trap. Don’t have too high expectations in the beginning, but certainly, you can expect more as you go. The airport must have looked pretty quaint to you; you who have strolled through fantastic steel and chrome structures like Abu Dhabu or Dubai International, or even the gigantic, if less grandiose, JFK in New York. Sure, Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport isn’t big in any sense of the word, and sure, it isn’t as shiny, but it surely looks quite homely, don’t you think? Hope you didn’t have to wait too long in the immigration desk line, and even you did, surely you must have received a lot of welcoming smiles. So, that’s the first thing you may have noticed; people smile easily here. 

Now, hope you have been warned of what to expect next. As you exit the main entrance gates, you’ll be assailed by the small multitude waiting outside. You don’t have to look for your moniker among all the name cards bobbing among the crowd; you are the intrepid traveler, right? No advance bookings. So, you keep on walking to the taxi stand that’s a little way ahead. But you won’t have to walk long; you’ll soon have a couple of drivers by your side, asking if you want a ride. Here, you should know that you can always avail of a pre-paid taxi service, but that’s going to cut into your unique experience. So, you go with the flow, and soon find that one of the drivers is trying to grab your bag, with the other doing likewise. A minor scuffle ensues, not serious. You’ll eventually be ensconced inside a small taxi, and with a big grin, the driver gets going. That’s when you have an uneasy feeling. Hey, did we agree on a price? You ask yourself. No, you didn’t.

So, as the taxi rolls onwards, you glance at the meter. It’s not running; hasn’t been flagged. So, how much to Thamel, you want to know. Thamel’s where you want to go to; you already know that from friends back home, and from online blogs. That’s where the action is supposed to be. Cheap hotels, great restaurants, lots of tourists. How much, you repeat. You may well have a driver who may not come to that straight away, instead charming you with a bit of chit chat.  He’ll regale you with stories of how he had to wait the whole day at the airport, not a single passenger; and that too after waiting in line the whole night to fill up at the gas station. You’ve heard about the political strikes, the gas shortages due to the India’s economic blockade, etc., haven’t you? And, of course, last year’s great earthquake that killed more than 8000 people. 

He sounds rueful, and soon you’ll be expressing genuine sympathy for not only him, but the plight of all Nepalis. So, when he names a figure, finally, you agree wholeheartedly, deciding to give a tip, as well. You do a quick calculation on your smartphone; the fare looks ridiculously low in dollars. So, you’ll certainly give him a generous tip. Poor chap. But, surprising that even with so many problems, he seems to be pretty cheery!

How to Experience Nepal Adventure

Surely you must have been excited to see the slogan, “Welcome to Nepal, Land of Adventure,” in some travel brochure or the other, and surely that must have nudged you towards visiting Nepal.  Well, let me assure that you made a good decision. Plenty of high adventure stuff to do around here—trekking, hiking, rafting, paragliding, abseiling, canyoning, ultra flight, bungee jumping, high altitude marathons, et al.

As if that wasn’t enough, you also get adventure at every twist and turn of the bustling cities and sleepy villages all over the country. Adventures of exploration and discovery, of knowing that there’s a completely different kind of life that’s as good in its own way as is those of cities back home, with the added attraction of a lot more humanity here. You probably have forgotten how it was in the old days, when you could walk to a variety of grocery and general stores at a leisurely pace, get a doctor at your convenience, and pretty cheaply, be trusting of others, enjoy nature indoors with the windows wide open to receive natural air and sunlight, be cold in winter and sweat in summer even when indoors, pay a lot less tax, work under less undue stress, enjoy what you have and make do with what you don’t, etc. etc. You get the drift.

For all this, you’ll have to spend more than just a week or two, because imbibing such a lifestyle entails that you are here for at least a month or two. Me, I never go anywhere relatively far planning to return soon. That’s because I want to be a part of things, and not just a spectator. This is what makes travel such an adventure. And if you believe that you are an adventurer (actually, who doesn’t?), then plan for a long stay when in Nepal. It’s one of the most economical destinations in the world. Just the fact that a dollar gets you more than a hundred Nepali rupees should make this clear.

What’s more, you get all sorts of rebates and discounts at most hotels if you’re staying for a longer period of time. A dollar goes a long way, let me tell you. What to say about the pound? On the lower side, lunch at plenty of local places can be had for a dollar and a half, so too dinner. Breakfast, in many hotels, is complimentary, as is a trip to and from the airport, which isn’t far off anyway. Add to this the fact that local transportation is actually, in one way, pretty good. Stand on the curb anywhere on the streets of a place like Kathmandu, and a three wheeler, micro bus, minibus, or a bus, will within a few seconds, stop right beside you asking you where you want to go to. Fares are cheap; 15 rupees will get you almost anywhere in the city. Of course, you’ll have to make allowance for the fact that the vehicle may be a bit on the crowded side, but that’s okay, isn’t it, since distances anywhere are quite short, hardly a few kilometers, if that.

Local transportation is really a wonder of a city like Kathmandu. So many choices without having to wait long. If you are a bit more fastidious, you can get a taxi anytime, anywhere. You might have heard some unsavory stuff about taxi drivers ripping tourists off with exorbitant fares; well, take it from me, all Nepalis are a very honest lot, and if the driver is asking for something extra, most probably that’s because he thinks he’s entitled to, seeing as to how he had to stay the whole night at the petrol pump to fill up. Other times, too, give some leeway if he’s taking it as an opportunity to earn a little extra, you can regard the extra as the tip that you would have to give anyway, back in your own country.

Well, the long and short of all this is to try and convince you to stay longer when in Nepal, so that you really go back sated with adventure, exploration, and discovery; thus asking your long trip, your time, and your money, well worth it.

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Nepal Homestays

It was during Nepal Tourism Year 2011 that the idea of launching homestay programs was put forward by the Nepal Tourism Board, which was pretty confident of a dramatic increase in the number of tourist arrivals for whom more accommodation facilities had to be prepared. Alongside, homestay programs would involve people from all walks of life in all corners of the country, and make tourism a more all-encompassing, comprehensive industry. ‘Tourism for all’ was the new battle cry. In other words, the aim of homestay programs was to engage the participation of more of the populace in tourism-related activities, besides augmenting their income, as well.

About Rs.30 million was spent by the board on training those who were interested in participating in the homestay program. The board’s efforts resulted in the development of two types of homestays: private homestays and community homestays. In most cases, village development committees, district development committees, local co-operatives, and some NGOs (cultural exchange programs, volunteerism) manage the programs. A set of rules and regulations were devised. 

All participating families have to register with their local homestay management committee, and they have to follow some very stringent guidelines, which emphasize cleanliness, hygiene, well furnished rooms, adequate services, and security. An added responsibility is that, participating families have to give their guests a taste of the local culture and cuisine. The families are serve whatever food they themselves eat daily to their guests. As far as rates and other charges are concerned, they are set by the respective management committees.

There are rules also for the guests, who are asked to dress appropriately, and requested to promote the culture and tradition that they have experienced. Guests are furthermore advised to enter and leave their ‘home’ within the given times. Drug use is, of course, totally prohibited.

The first two villages to adopt homestay programs were Sirubari and Ghalegaon; they were followed in rapid succession by many others.

The program has been a successful one, and now you can avail of homestays in many districts, including Bagmati, Chitwan,  Makwanpur, Gorkha, Palpa, Kavrepalanchok, Ilam, Syangja, Kailali, Kalikot, etc., with some having more than a dozen or so homestays. Homestays are an excellent means of providing tourists a better local experience, giving them a chance to learn about local culture and lifestyle firsthand, and so is popular worldwide. Here, homestays are mostly based in rural areas, where life moves on at an uninterrupted and leisurely pace, and so provides tourists a refreshing change from the hustle and bustle of everyday city life. 

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World’s Highest Marathon

The 14th Edition of the Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon was held on May 29 this year. The first such marathon was organized in May 19, 2003, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first successful ascent of Mt. Everest by Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Edmund Hillary in 1953. The next edition is scheduled for May 29, 2017. 

This year, the first three places of the full marathon were won by Bed Bahadur Sunuwar, Bhim Bhadur Gurung, and Suman Kulung. There were 146 runners participating. The half marathon was won by Tenzing Christopher Dolmans of Holland, while the 60 kilometer ultra marathon was won by Tirtha Bahadur Tamang. 

The Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon is a unique event, organized at the foot of the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest. It starts at Gorakshep (5,184 m) and ends at Namche Bazaar (3,446 m), thus it is the highest marathon in the world. The highest elevation of the race is at Kalapattha (5,545 m). The rough terrain of the high Himalayas adds to the rigors of running at such high altitudes. 

Participants are advised to be in Nepal three weeks before the start of the race, so that they get enough time for acclimatization to the high altitudes. Even though the marathon is mostly downhill, there are two steep uphill sections that can challenge the fittest runner, and the chances of there being snow and ice on the upper part are high, so participants should have some knowledge and experience of trekking at high altitudes. 

The full marathon is 42.195 km long. A half-marathon is 21 km long, and the ultra marathon is 60 kilometers. The marathon runs through some of the highest glaciers and moraines in the world for a stretch of about 10-15 km, and across the historical route to Everest taken by Hillary and Tenzing in 1953. 

Marathoners will come across monasteries, chortens, suspension bridges, and of course, jaw dropping landscape that includes beautiful natural scenery, rhododendron forests, and orchid groves. The rhododendron is the national flower of Nepal. They bloom from early March till April and May, so you may be lucky to see entire hills of red. What’s more, the trail meanders along pristine Sherpa villages, such as Lobuje, Pheriche, Dingboche, Thyangboche, Khumjung, Khunde, and Namche Bazaar. 

Organizers generally plan a three-week itinerary that includes sightseeing in Kathmandu Valley, and a trek at high altitude, which ensures that all participants are adequately acclimatized. They could also combine all this with a climb of Island Peak (6,189 m). 

Hunting for Wild Bee Honey in Nepal

With at least five different species, Nepal is rich in honeybee diversity. Honey hunters of Nepal risk their life and limbs to collect honey of wild honey bees from their nests located high up on craggy cliffs. For the aboriginal tribes involved in honey hunting, it is a vocation that is ancient in origin. Communities of different regions of the country apply different techniques, and practice their own kind of cultural-religious rituals before honey hunting, in which, usually, a dozen or so men are involved. A sacrifice, along with prayers, is offered to the gods before embarking on their hunt.

They carry age-old equipment devised from local materials, mostly bamboo and fiber of bamboo. These include long bamboo ladders (prang); lengthy bamboo stick, one end of which has a sickle attached (tango); a notched bamboo stick (saaton); basket made of bamboo (tokari); basket lining (chhyakhal); wooden knife (dabilo); filter (chcora); wax pot of wood (donga); and various types of ropes for different functions made of bamboo fiber (koili cho,  koho cho, uab, pechowhibe, and tuju).

The first step is to light a fire of wood and foliage at the cliff base having the nests of wild bees, which compels the bees out of their combs and they fly upwards. The brood and honey sections are now revealed. A long rope ladder is then thrown down from the cliff top, and it is tied securely to trees on the top and at the bottom. One of the hunters fastens himself to this ladder and descends inch by inch, his safety and coordination ensured by his colleagues, who keep a sharp eye out. One of them, the primary coordinator, perches himself on an overhanging tree, and sends signals, as needed, to the others. 

Using another rope, a large basket is lowered to the site of the nest, which is balanced under the comb by the honey hunter using a long stick. The brood portion of the comb is separated next, and a hole is pierced in the brood comb area. Then, the bamboo stick with the sickle is used to cut the comb. He then guides the collecting basket to catch the cut-away honey chunks. In this task, those holding the rope at the lower end also help. Once it is full, the basket is lowered, and sent up empty again. Anything from two to three hours may be needed to harvest one site. All this has been documented in Eric Vialli’s documentary, The Honey Hunters of Nepal, which captures the drama of a honey hunt by west-central Nepal’s Gurung honey hunters. 

Certain superstitions are attached to wild bee honey hunting in Nepal. According to one such belief, Tuesdays are good days to go honey hunting, while Wednesdays are not. Another belief is that one shouldn’t honey hunt on the 8th, 11th, 23rd, 26th, and 30th day of the moon cycle. Similarly, mornings and evenings are the best times for honey hunting. Some communities believe that the presence of women aggravates the behavior of wild bees, making them quite dangerous; so women are prohibited from even watching the activity of honey hunting. As far as the men are concerned, the group shouldn’t have someone with a wife who is over six months’ pregnant, or in her period. Another interesting aspect of honey hunting in Nepal is that, most of the honey is collected from the world’s largest honeybee, Apis laboriosa, of which as many as two million may be present in one giant honeycomb. 

The Teachings of Buddha

The Majjhima Nikāya, which consists of 152 discourses of Buddha and his chief disciples, states, “A monk called Gotama, it seems, a son of the Sakyans, who went forth into homelessness from a Sakyan clan, has come...He teaches a True Idea that is good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end…” 

The anointed prince of a rich kingdom, Siddhartha Gautam had everything a person could conceivably want and desire. But, after realizing the reality of the real world outside the palace walls, he chose the path of renunciation so as to discover answers to the three questions uppermost in his mind: Why does suffering exist? What causes suffering? What will end suffering? 

After a long period of sacrifice and meditation, he gained enlightenment and became the Buddha, or The Awakened One, and came to the conclusion that suffering is universal; that everyone suffers from birth, sickness, old age, death, and grief; that ignorance and greed are the causes of suffering; and that it can only be ended by denouncing greed and ignorance, and by following the noble eightfold path of right view, right thought, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.

Indeed, the ideas of Buddha brought about a great change in the world, with millions being influenced by them. It was soon after his enlightenment that he started giving his earliest discourses, which have been narrated in great detail in the sutras. Among his first discourses, four stand out:  “Setting Rolling the Wheel of Truth”, “The Not-self Characteristic”, “The Fire Sermon”, and “The Discourse on Arising and Ceasing”, because they were the foundations of all his later teachings.

In “Setting Rolling the Wheel of Truth”, he talks about the impermanence of anything of conditioned origin, and lists the Four Noble Truths, that is, suffering, arising of suffering, cessation of suffering, and the practice that results in cessation of suffering. He emphasizes that it is essential for seekers to realize the Four Noble Truths by themselves, and that too in the present moment. This is a basic tenet of all of Buddha’s teachings.  

In “The Not-self Characteristic”, he discusses the idea of not-self. According to him, not-self means that anything, whether animate or inanimate, cannot be permanent or remain unchanged. He describes the three characteristics of existence as not-self, impermanence, and dissatisfaction, which he says are inter-related. To realize this better, he urges seekers to understand that only five aggregates (material form, feeling, perceptions, volitional states, and consciousness) make up the sentient being.

The three evils afflicting all beings are passion, anger, and delusion, which he reveals in “The Fire Sermon”. These, he says, traps them in the vicious cycle of birth, death, and suffering. This sermon was given to a group of fire-worshippers, hence the name, and he declared to them, “…The eye, the forms, the eye-consciousness, the impressions, and whatever sensation…they are all on fire…And with what are they on fire? I say with the fire of lust, of aversion, and passion; with birth, with old age, with death, lamentation, misery, grief, and despair…”

In his fourth discourse, “The Discourse on Arising and Ceasing”, Buddha discloses the chain of events leading to sorrow and despair. Ignorance leads to volitional processes to consciousness of mind and body and the six sense spheres, resulting in contact, which leads to feeling, craving, and attachment. This, in turn, leads to continuation, birth, old age, death, sorrow, and pain. 

The Netherworld of Shamans

The shaman had been reciting his mantra for the past two hours, accompanied by the precise tempo of hard slim bones beating a hand-held drum. The bells across his gaunt naked torso rang in cadence, as he hopped up and down on his haunches. His gaze was focused on the middle-aged woman dressed in a cotton nightgown, who sat cross legged, her hands on her knees. Her face and neck were puffed up, and her eyes were clamped shut. She trembled continuously, and her body swayed from side to side. 

The emaciated-looking shaman threw fistfuls of rice at her. She continued to shiver. He then held a broom over her head, and commanded, “Who hides within this woman’s body? Tell me! What do you want?” Opening her eyes at last, and staring at the shaman with protruding eyeballs, she hissed back garbled words. The shaman then touched the woman’s forehead with a thin bone and a human skull, and again commanded, “In Mahakali’s name, I command you to reveal yourself!” flinging some more rice at her. The woman trembled, and then, suddenly, with a simpering smile, hissed, “I am Bhagawati.” 

“Where are you from?” the shaman asked. “From Dolpa,” came her reply. “What are you doing here?” asked the shaman. The woman glanced slyly at him, and said, “I was murdered and woke up in this body.” “In the name of all powerful Kali, I set you free. Leave her body,” ordered the shaman. The woman stopped trembling, her head hung down heavily. The shaman stood up, and beating his drum, circled the woman three times, throwing fistfuls of rice on her. Then, he carried on out of the room. Now, he held a live rooster in one hand and a naked khukuri in the other. On reaching the crossroads of an adjoining street outside, he sliced off the rooster’s head with one swipe of the khukuri, thus concluding another triumphant victory over the spirits of the netherworld. 

Thirty years down the line, I can vouchsafe that the woman never again had another ethereal episode.  How do I know all this? Well, that woman was a neighbor, and I was witness to the entire drama of that intriguing night, a night when an emaciated looking shaman held sway over things ungodly. Welcome to the baffling world of shamans. 

So, what exactly is a shaman? While shamanism exists all over the world in different variations, the basic presumption is that spirits exist, they can be good or evil, and shamans can communicate with them. For some Nepali ethnic groups, especially in the eastern and western hills, it is a widely practiced religion. Known as jhañkris, or dhāmīs, a typical shaman wears a jama (long skirt-like white garment), a headdress of peacock feathers, a belt of bells around the waist, long malas (necklaces) of rudracche and ritho seeds, and he carries a dhyangro (double-sided hand held drum).

They are regarded as faith healers, soothsayers, and spiritual protectors. In their role as faith healers, they collect medicinal plants, examine entrails of animals for signs, chant mantras to invoke ghosts and deities, perform animal sacrifices, exorcize and counter the spells of evil spirits, etc. They determine the nature of the spirit, and then either pacify it, or drive it away. They recognize and treat many disorders, usually concerning the respiratory and alimentary systems, with medicinal herbs, of which they know a lot about. As soothsayers, they go into a trance and predict things, and as spiritual sentries, they ward off spirits through strength or trickery. Shamans also conduct funeral rites, and dispense protective amulets. 

Surprisingly, even in a city like Kathmandu with its many hospitals, there are lots of people who believe in the power of shamans and jyotishis (astrologers) to alleviate their ailments. Although they are different, jyotishis also deal with common ailments. According to one jyotishi of Lalitpur, if the ailment is of minor nature, he takes care of it, but if it’s complicated, then he advises the patient to go to a shaman.

Miracle Mushroom Yarsagumba

Thousands of villagers begin to swarm the alpine pastures of Nepal’s far western region near the Himalayan peaks as the snows start to melt. Despite the harsh environment, they come all set for a long eight weeks of foraging, and pitch up camps. The daylight hours are spent crawling all over shrub lands, as they search for an unusual kind of mushroom called yarsagumba, which they dig out with great care. The yarsagumba is then gently brushed with a toothbrush, and kept in a basket. 

Their catch promises high returns, and the more experienced pickers may earn about US$2,500 dollars if the collection is good. Yarsagumba is an expensive herb with a global demand; in the international market, one kilogram can fetch about US$10,000 dollars. The pickers get about a dollar for one piece, which goes up to about 30 dollars in the cities. It is not only the present day market; even in older times, yarsagumba commanded premium prices. According to some researchers, even rotten specimens fetched pretty good prices way back in 1892. According to another researcher, in 1990, the price was US$700/kg in China.  

Yarsagumba (Ophiocordyceps sinensis) is best described by its Chinese term dong chong xia cao (winter insect, summer grass). It is also known as Chinese caterpillar fungus. Before metamorphosing into a pupa, the caterpillar of a moth (Thitarodes hepialus) lives below the ground in shrub lands at altitudes of 2,000m to 5,000m on the Tibetan plateau and Himalayas for around five years. It is attacked by a fungus (Ophiocordycipitaceae) while still in its larva state, and the insect’s body is filled with mycelium, and ultimately dies. Mushrooms begin to grow out of its forehead, and these become visible on the ground surface when the weather gets warmer, and the snows begin to melt.  

The health benefits of this peculiar herb were known since ancient times, when it was consumed as a potent tonic by royalty. It is believed to relieve stress by rejuvenating a system under stress. It is a cure-all in Chinese traditional medicine, potent against many ailments, besides enhancing energy and vitality, strengthening the lungs and kidneys, increasing longevity, stopping hemorrhaging, etc. But, of course, it is best known as a powerful aphrodisiac.  Another additional benefit of yarsagumba is that it is a natural product, and so, side effects are almost non-existent. 

Yarsagumba gained popularity in the West in the 1990s, when everybody started talking about ‘Ma Junren’s Army’ and their record breaking feats in athletics. Chinese coach Ma Junren’s women runners did fantastically well in middle and long distance running, breaking some long-standing world records. He confided that, to relive the stress of rigorous training at high altitudes, his athletes took yarsagumba thrice daily. And, thereafter, yarsagumba began to be known as the ‘miracle mushroom’. 

Kali’s Valley

The black river under the brooding sky, gushing its way mightily from far off Muktinath, and cutting its way through Baglung district, seemed to be holding many a black secret. The heavy black clouds, the black silt and sand, and the blackness of the Kaligandaki River reminded one of black hearts, black promises, and black death.

However, the abundant green mountains encasing the immediate vicinity managed to salvage some of the foreboding picture. There were some gold diggers on the banks, as hopeful as the Californian gold diggers of the 1800s, and as dirty. Gold and copper and fossils were to be found in the deep confines of the Kaligandaki. But, if one looked into its black viscera, one got the eerie feeling that the murky depths must be hiding many black and mysterious secrets. 

As the bus rolled along the sides of the Kaligandaki, the big green and brown rocky mountains appeared to be desperately seeking our attention as well. Nevertheless, for the duration of the journey that the smooth road paralleled the black river, one’s attention was completely absorbed by it. And why not? For this is the valley ruled by the mysterious Kaligandaki. 

It was certainly not so before Kaligandaki had come into view. For a major part of the 72-km journey from Pokhara to Baglung, picturesque scenes of burbling brooks, scattered white frothy waterfalls, lush greenery, high hills, and compact and picture postcard villages constantly brought out sighs of wonder from the soul. Often, one had to forcefully remind oneself that this magnificence of nature’s bounty was in Nepal, and not in some exotic foreign locale.

The soul had already been stirred the night before in Pokhara, when a full two hours had been given to gazing at the gentle and serene Fewa Tal. I had not been able to pull myself away until the last boats had come ashore, their bellies disgorging sated nature lovers, and the lights had started to twinkle in far away hills.

The soul had been so stirred that I had taken the five-kilometer walk from Baidam in Lakeside to Mahendrapul in town. My decision to do so was proven to be devastatingly wise when I came across all sorts of lovely resting houses (calling them simply hotels would be doing them injustice), and equally lovely eating places (again, not restaurants, for the same reason), with their designer lights and manicured gardens, all of which I would probably have missed if I had taken a taxi. The lovelier ones were nestled in tiny gardens in the side streets. 

Baidam and Pardi in Lakeside reminded me at once of a bride in all her bridal finery, glowing and expectant, awaiting the arrival of the groom’s procession. Pray she is not disappointed. The atmosphere was not exactly one of joy, however, the season still not having taken off. 

Two Valuable Meditations of Buddhism

In Buddhism, the threefold path to enlightenment and nirvana consists of meditation (samadhi), virtue (sila), and wisdom (panna). As far as meditation is concerned, Mindfulness of Breathing (Anapanasati) and Loving Kindness Meditation (Metta Bhavana) are believed to be two of the most valuable among the different types of meditation taught by the Buddha. 

Good posture, practice, and problems are the three parts of Anapanasati. The meditating person sits with straight back and folded legs on a cushion, with the eyes closed and hands nestled in the lap. This is what goes to make a good posture. Conscious counting of each breath taken during the meditation, where attention is focused on inhalation and exhalation of each breath, is what is meant by practice. As expected, after a certain time of doing the above, the meditating person will start to have problems, such as discomfort or pain in the knees and other joints, itches on different parts of the body, and so on. 

Despite all this, concentration must be absolute. There should be no movement, and the meditating person must continue to count the ins and outs of each of his/her breath. Now, it is natural for the mind to begin wandering here and there, and generally get distracted, with many different thoughts coming to mind. But, the breathing must continue as before. One will have to have lots of patience, and keep on trying to bring back one’s attention to the breath. Gradually, the distracting thoughts will start to disappear one by one, the discomfort to various parts of the body will begin to be forgotten, and the meditating person will experience periods of mental calm and inner peace. 

Wakeful Mindfulness and Mindfulness in Everyday Activities are also forms of Anapanasati. Monks of the Theravada tradition, especially, practice the first (Wakeful Mindfulness and Mindfulness) in their monasteries and retreats. They first seek out a quiet place for long walks, and then, while walking, concentrate on movements and sensations. They try to consistently make the mind free from interfering thoughts. Their aim is to lose the self, which will help in gaining deeper insight into ‘no-self’ and impermanence. Mindfulness in Everyday Activities, on the other hand, is simply being mindful of everyday activities by concentrating on all activities, whether big or small. This is believed to help in making one live in the present moment, besides making one more effective and efficient.

Metta Bhavana is an additional meditation technique to Anapanasati, and its objective is to develop universal love, which is done through a three-stage process—specific pervasion, directional pervasion, and non-specific pervasion. Specific pervasion is the process of conveying love and kindness to yourself, to a respected individual, to somebody cherished, to some stranger, and finally, to someone you don’t like, hate, abhor, or fear. Visualization (imagining that ‘someone’ to be joyful), reflection (on that someone’s positive qualities), and mantra (repeating positive words like, ‘May I be calm and peaceful; may my mind be free from hate; may my heart be full of love.’) are part and parcel of specific pervasion. Emanating love and kindness in all directions, by thinking of friends, well-wishers, and like-minded communities around the world, is directional pervasion. Radiating love and kindness in daily life (throughout the day) is non-specific pervasion, which is, in fact, an outcome of the first two stages.