Trek of a Lifetime in Nepal

The Great Himalaya Trail (GHT) was launched in 2011, most fittingly, on the occasion of the 32nd World Tourism Day. This most challenging 2,800-km trail of many different interconnecting trails goes across Nepal, India, China (Tibet), Bhutan, and Myanmar—quite the international route! Completing the trail means you get to see all of the world’s ‘eight-thousanders’, that is, all fourteen of the highest peaks in the world. These are: Mount Everest (8,848 m), K2 (8,611 m), Kanchenjunga (8,586 m), Lhotse (8,516 m), Makalu (8,462 m), Cho Oyu (8,201 m), Dhaulagiri (8,167 m), Manaslu (8,163 m), Nanga Parbat (8,126 m), Annapurna (8,091 m), Gasherbrum I (8,080 m), Broad Peak (8,051 m), Gasherbrum II (8, 035 m), and Shishapangma (8,027 m). Eight of these peaks are in Nepal, including of course, Everest, five are in Pakistan, and one is in China. The Nepal section of the GHT is some 1,700 km long, begins near Kanchenjunga in eastern Nepal, and carries on west along the shadows of the country’s eight eight-thousanders (ranging from Makalu to Everest). It is indeed a long stretch by any means, and all the more grueling because of the high altitude, but you get to witness fantastic diversity, both ecologically and culturally, along the route. It takes you to places like Taplejung in far-east Nepal to Humla and Darchula in the far-west. Needless to say, you’ll be amazed at the many different kinds of culture and lifestyle you see on the way, since Nepal has a hundred and more ethnicities and a similar number of languages! No doubt, rare is the individual who can complete this trail at one go; thus, the Nepal GHT is divided into ten connecting treks, meaning, you can trek one or more at a time. Your fitness level, the time at your disposal, and of course, your desire, are the deciding factors. On average, one can complete a section in about two to three weeks, and you also have a choice between the high route (traversing 3,000 to 5,000 m) and the lower route. The latter brings you up-close with villages and their inhabitants, which means experiencing first-hand local lifestyles of various ethnic groups. An outstanding highlight of your trek will certainly be the great views on the way as you trek through areas like the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area, with its alpine meadows, pristine forests, and high-altitude wetlands, and towering over all, the majestic Kanchenjunga, the third highest peak in the world. Rich in flora that includes over 2,000 plant species, if you are there around April, you’ll see the hills turn red with the blossoming of the rhododendron, Nepal’s national flower. Starting from Tumlingtar, you’ll be passing through villages of the Rai and Limbu clans, who are renowned for their martial prowess, followed by Sherpa, Tamang, and Bhutia villages. Another outstanding area is the Makalu Barun National Park, where the climate ranges from tropical to alpine zones, thus promising great diversity in its ecology, including its forests. There are 25 rhododendron and 47 orchid species to be found here, along with 75 animal species and 440 kinds of birds. This is the habitat of the rare red panda, the clouded leopard, and the Asian golden cat, so keep a sharp eye out! The Sagarmatha National Park is, of course, one of the most exciting areas you will be trekking through; it is after all the highest national park in the world! And, a World Heritage Site, too! You’ll be meeting a lot of Sherpas, so famous for their fantastic climbing skills that no Himalayan expedition is complete without their guidance. This is where you will also see the tallest peak on Earth—Mount Everest, of course! In addition to all these riches, the park has tranquil turquoise lakes and exotic monasteries. And, now, on to the region of sacred valleys and holy lakes, meaning Helambu, one among the 108 beyuls (sacred valleys) of the Himalayas. You get to visit Langtang National Park, and you get awesome views of the vast Tibetan plateau from the Tilman Pass (5,308 m). On the way, you’ll get a chance to take holy dips in a number of sacred lakes, Gosainkunda being the most sacred. It is a really popular pilgrimage destination for Nepalis and foreigners alike, and you’ll find them in their thousands there during the full moon of August, a day when Brahmins change their janai (sacred thread). A holy bath beforehand is, of course, called for, and what could be holier than a dip in Gosainkunda? Paanch Pokhari (Five Lakes) is a group of lakes that are also in this area, and sacred, too. The GHT also entails a visit to the Tsum Valley, where a strict code of non-violence is followed by its inhabitants; no animals can be killed. Among the villages in this area is one that provides great succor to tired muscles, that is, Tatopani (‘Hot Water’), which is famous for its hot spring water gushing out from stone spouts. This is predominantly Tamang country. Another great region is where you will be walking on one of the world’s most popular treks, the Annapurna Circuit. The views are stupendous, and include large glaciers and deep valleys and the mysterious kingdom of Lo Manthang in Mustang. You’ll also see the Kali Gandaki Valley, which is said to be the deepest gorge in the world.

Nepal’s Living Museum, Lalitpur

There’s much that you’ll find in Lalitpur (a.k.a. Patan), besides what it is world famous for—its renowned art, craft, and architecture. Here is where you’ll find the Patan Durbar Square, a world heritage monument, the Golden Temple and many other equally impressive shrines, and narrow alleyways and side streets full of workshops making statues in metal, stone, and wood

You could say that the durbar square is the soul of Lalitpur. It perfectly gives meaning to the phrase, ‘living museum’. From early morning to late night, it is a busy center full of thriving activities. If you visit its many temples at the crack of dawn, what you’ll find are throngs of devotees joining the morning prayers, the surroundings shimmering with a thousand butter lamps, and the air heavy with the scent of burning incense. The alleyways and the streets outside may be serenely quiet, with nary a soul in sight, the shutters down in the numerous shops lining the streets, with even the mongrels deep in slumber, but the temples are where the action is, a different world altogether! The Golden Temple (Hiranaya Varna Mahavihar) is where you should go if you want to be a part of this deeply spiritual experience.

As the day progresses, the square becomes busier, it is after all a thoroughfare, too, linking half a dozen or so streets. Early morning joggers and walkers stop for a while to have a glass of hot tea at one of the teashops in the area and exchange pleasantries with friends and acquaintances. There’s one particular teashop near the Narsing building, where the Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust is located, that is extremely popular with tea aficionados. It’s full of customers throughout the day, and well into the evening, a hangout for the locals, as well. 

Early mornings are also when you’ll find the hiti (watering place) next to the palace, and opposite the Bhimsen Temple, full of chattering women, who’ve come there to fill their brass vessels with water from the dhunge dharas (stone spouts). Some will be washing clothes, and it’s all a very homely sight. This hiti is famous, since it is also part of the Patan Durbar Square. For your information, there is a royal bath in one of the palace’s three courtyards that underwent quite a bit of restoration some years back, and that is also very famous. It is surrounded by numerous deity figures, a fact that made the chief restoration architect question its status as a royal bath. “I don’t believe a king would be naked in front of the gods,” was his observation. 

Anyway, with the morning light becoming stronger, the square is now a proper city center, with lots of school kids crossing it to go to their schools, or bus stops, old folks taking up their usual vantage points to warm their rickety old bones, and while away the hours sightseeing. The most interesting of which, for them, will be the groups of tourists moving through the square, giving a keen eye to the temples, before entering the palace to explore and discover. The museum inside on the first and second floors of one wing could be a must-visit for some, while others may just like to amble around, clicking away a few up-close shots of the carvings on the windows and doors and struts, as well as the metalwork evident everywhere. It’s all a treat for those with an artistic bent, one can assume. 

That’s how the day goes by in the square, but now that evening is falling, let’s see what happens in and around the famous square. If you walk through the side streets at around this time, you could well espy pretty young girls coming out of doors and doorways leading to smaller squares inside around which are situated many houses. They are dressed in all their finery, and looking fresh and vibrant. It’s their time for a stroll around the square, to meet friends and check out the boys, and have a taste of the delicious tongue tingling pani puris (small puffed up fried dough balls filled with a spicy mixture of boiled potatoes, peas, and what not, and a spicier liquid concoction) at the stands around the square that also serve other equally delicious stuff like chaats (mix of many edibles, including samosas, curd, tamarind water, spices, etc.) and so on. 

The place is actually a foodies’ delight. There’s an eatery near the above-mentioned popular teashop known as Honacha’s that is famed for its wholesome baras (lentil patties topped with either minced meat, egg, or both) and its thwon (rice beer) that you can order by the jug or by the glass. You get other Newari delicacies, too, and this place, which has deliberately been kept as it has been down the years (that is, humble-looking, with well-worn wooden tables, chairs, and small stools, in case the tables are full). The highlight, besides the baras, are the women making them in the open kitchen. There they sit, cross-legged, these amply endowed ladies, their hands continuously pouring the lentil mixture on the extra-large wok on a big stove, shaping them with ladles into neat round shapes, then breaking an egg over them, or placing minced meat on them, flipping them over and cooking both sides till just done. A couple of men and boys take the orders and serve the food. I took a Chinese friend there once, and she exclaimed that it was the best restaurant she had visited in Kathmandu. She had taken a few glasses of thwon!  

One could go on talking about the many attractions of this renowned square, but for this piece, suffice it to say that it lives up to the phrase, ‘living museum’.

Nepal Flag will Fly High Again

“Nepal Airlines seals deal to buy two Airbus A330 jets for $209.6m.” This headline in a national daily on April 7, 2017, brought much cheer to those in Nepal’s tourism sector, which has been crying hoarse about Nepal’s tourism suffering terribly due to lack of direct flights from potential countries, a result of the national carrier’s constant depletion in its fleet down the years. 

The two new jets are expected to arrive here sometime in the second quarter of 2018, and Nepal Airlines plans to resume its London service, a most profitable destination, aside from launching four new long-haul routes with the two wide body planes with seating capacity of 280 each. The new destinations will be Seoul (South Korea), Tokyo (Japan), Daman (Saudi Arabia), and Sydney Australia). The new additions to its fleet will also enable the airlines to increase flights to other prime destinations like Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, and Doha.

No surprises there, since these have a heavy traffic of Nepali migrant workers, which practically guarantees very high occupancy on every flight, what with about 1,500 Nepali youth flying out daily to make whatever fortune they can in these countries. Australia, of course, is where the majority of Nepali students are flocking to for college studies, the attraction obviously all the more because of better chances of getting the coveted PR (permanent residency) after their studies are over.  

However, there’s a catch, as well. Nepal is one of the countries on the air safety list of the European Commission, and the London flight can only happen if Nepal airlines get the all clear from them. Europe is a very potential market, no doubt about that. According to a report of 2014, there were 163,058 Europeans one-way travelers between Nepal and Europe. Getting a share of that sure is a hefty prize! At the present time, Turkey, India, and Middle East airports are the major hubs for this traffic.

Direct flights to Japan is a priority that has been missed for years now. Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, is a favorite pilgrimage destination for the rich Japanese tourists. Currently, the Kathmandu-Japan route is extremely expensive, as Japanese tourists have to take a longer route to reach here. With the lowering of travel costs, due to direct flights by Nepal Airlines, one can be fairly sure of getting a lot more Japanese tourists than what we are getting right now. 

And then there is China, perhaps the country with the highest potential for Nepal’s tourism sector, as well as for most other countries, I guess! Being fully aware of this potential, Nepal has put in the necessary applications for landing permission at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, the third busiest airport in China.

Well, if one were to recall Nepal Airlines of the decades gone by (then Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation), the national flag carrier was sure flying high, what with direct flights to Colombo, Dhaka, Karachi, Osaka, Shanghai, Singapore, London, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam, along with Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, and Patna in India. Compare that with its present situation, with flights to Hong Kong, Bangkok, Dubai, Doha, and Kuala Lumpur, along with Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore in India. Lack of planes.

It’s been quite a bumpy ride for Nepal Airlines, and the going has been a tough one, doubtless. Well, the blame for such a come-down surely cannot be placed on anybody else’s shoulders other than its own. One can only hope that the future will see the airline flying as high and as further as before, and bring in visitors from all over the world to experience the great natural beauty, age-old culture, and great hospitality of this country. And, bring smiles on the lips of the countless number of Nepalis involved in Nepal tourism. 

Nepal is winning on Conservation

Admittedly, much still needs to be done in many sectors in Nepal, but there are also fronts that seem to be on the right track today. For instance, a recent report has shown that there has been an increase in forest coverage in the last decade or so. Contrast that to news reports of the those years that regularly highlighted rampant encroachment, felling of large tracts of trees by timber smuggling gangs, and the dwindling number of endangered animal species.  

According to a five-year survey done by the Department of Forest Research and Survey and National Forest Products Survey Project between 2010 and 2014, the forest area of Nepal covers 44.74% (40.36% forest, and 4.38% scrubland) of the total 147,181 sq km area of Nepal. A similar survey done between 1987 and 1998 had showed the forest coverage in Nepal to be 39.6 percent. Great going! However, there are still some areas, especially in the Terai, bordering India, where timber smuggling continues quite unabated, and vigilance needs to be increased. One can understand that it can be a dangerous task, keeping determined and well-organized timber smugglers at bay, but what needs to be done has to be done. The gains cannot be allowed to diminish again. 

Now, coming to the protected areas, 17.32% of the total forest area lies inside them. Nepal npow has 20 protected areas, covering about 23% of the country’s landmass, after the designation of Gaurishanker Conservation Area and Api-Nampa Conservation Area, in central and far-western region, respectively, by the historic cabinet meeting held at Everest Base Camp on December 4, 2009. The protected areas include 10 national parks, three wildlife reserves, one hunting reserve, six conservation areas, and 12 buffer zones.

Obviously, all this increase in forest and protected areas means more safe areas for various animal species, included many that have been listed as endangered, chief among them, the one-horned rhino, royal Bengal tiger, wild arna, gharial, etc. (in the Terai forests), red panda, snow leopard, cloud leopard, etc. (in the Himalayan region), and a variety of bird wildlife throughout the country. 

Chitwan National Park, habitat to a large number of animals, including the above-mentioned endangered Terai species, has seen a rise in the number of the rare one-horned rhinoceros. The number had drastically reduced from 800 (when the park was set up in 1950) to just 100 in 1966. Conservation efforts resulted in gradual increases through the years: 310 in 1978, 358 in 1988, 446 in 1998, and 544 in 2000, before again drastically reducing to 372 in 2005. In 2015, 605 was the recorded number. 

There’s also good news regarding the highly endangered, royal Bengal tigers. A census carried out in 2013 recorded 120 of these magnificent beasts in Chitwan, 50 in Bardiya, 17 in Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve, seven in Parsa Wildlife Reserve, and four in Banke National Park. In 2009, there were just 21 royal Bengal tigers in the country. In particular, their number in Bardiya National Park rose from just 18 in 2009 to 50 in 2013.

Well, looks like Nepal is doing well on the conservation front. 

Nepal's Principal Deity, Jai Shree Pashupatinath

Shiva (Śiva in Sanskrit) means "The Auspicious One". According to the Linga Purana, he has one thousand names, among which some of the more popular ones are: Ashutosh (one who is easily pleased), Bholenath (the innocent one), Bhairav (deity of annihilation), Nataraja (the king of dance), Neelkantha (the blue-necked one), Lingaraja (the phallic king), Pashupatinath (lord of animals), Gangadhar (one who controls the flow of the Ganges River), Trilochana (the three-eyed lord), Omkara (creator of the Hindu chant, “Om”), Trilokpati (supreme ruler of Earth, heaven, and hell), etc. 

Shiva is one of the three most influential deities in Hinduism, the other two being Brahma and Vishnu. At the highest level, he is regarded as formless, limitless, transcendent, and unchanging. He has both benevolent and wrathful forms. As a benevolent deity, he is depicted as an all-knowing yogi living an ascetic life on the sacred Mount Kailash, and as a family man, with wife Parvati and their two children, Ganesha and Kartikeya. As a wrathful god, he is often depicted as killing many different kinds of demons. In addition, Shiva is considered to be the patron divinity of yoga, meditation, and the arts.

The third eye on his forehead and the snake (Vasuki) coiled around his neck, are unique iconographical features of Shiva, as is the crescent moon on his head, and the Ganga River flowing from his matted hair. In one hand he holds a trishul, his weapon of choice, while the other has a damaru, his favorite musical instrument. Devotees worship him in his aniconic form of the Lingam (a phallic object representing divine generative energy). The Lingam ("shaft of light” in Sanskrit) is usually found in conjunction with the Yoni (vulva), symbolizing Goddess Shakti, who is regarded as the ultimate source of creative energy. Together, the Lingam and the Yoni constitute Brahma, that is, the Universe. So, there you have it—the Trilogy—Creator, Destroyer, and the One. 

Lord Shiva’s temple, Pashupatinath, is the most sacred of Shiva’s shrines, as also the finest example of the famous pagoda-style temples of Nepal. It has a two-tiered gold plated roof with a golden gajur (pinnacle) on top, its four main doors are silver-embossed, and the wood carvings on the tundals (roof struts) have intricate carvings. A massive 300-year-old gold-plated figure of Shiva’s vehicle, Nandi the bull, sits on a platform facing the doors. Inside the temple stands a 14th century six-foot-tall Lingam with four faces (thus known as Chaturmukhi: four-faced). 

Situated on the banks of the Bagmati River, the entire complex covers about 281 hectares. An inscription discovered here shows that another temple dating to the 5th century initially stood where the main temple now stands. The temple as it is now is believed to have been built in 1653. There are numerous smaller temples on the complex’s premises, as well as the ghats (cremation sites) on the banks of the Bagmati River. Till about a decade ago, one section (Arya Ghat) was reserved for royalty. The doors of the main temple are open for worship only at specific hours on regular days, but are kept open through the night during Maha Shivaratri, the biggest celebration of Pashupatinath. This, ‘The Night of Lord Shiva’, is held on the 14th night of the new moon during the dark half of Falgun (Feb/March) every year. On the day, you’ll see swarms of devotees taking a ritual bath in the Bagmati River. You’ll see long lines of other devotees standing patiently for hours with offerings for worship in their hands, both in front and at the back of the temple. You’ll also see hundreds of monkeys in the precincts, busily moving among the crowds, picking up anything edible that can be found. 

But, most colorful will be the sight of numerous sadhus (ascetics) with ash smeared all over their faces and bodies. While most will have some sort of clothing covering their private parts, you will probably come across some who are stark naked, their privates smeared with ash, as well. The sadhus come mostly from neighboring India, Pashupatinath being one of their regular annual pilgrimage sites, and there will obviously be many from around Nepal. They are, to say the least, as weirdly colorful a tribe as can be imagined, and you’ll no doubt observe that, more than anything else, it is their hairdo that is the most exotic part of their persona. 

Many will be dreadlocked, not cleanly as is the case with the urban stylish, but really rough and unkempt. You might also notice that most of these sadhus are pretty solid looking, and this, along with their dreadlocks and the trishuls (tridents) they carry, make them a frightening sight for children.  Indeed, Maha Shivaratri is what it is—an exotic festival—largely due to the presence of these particular denizens of the Hindu world, and also, a most fitting tribute to one of Hinduism’s most intriguing gods, Lord Shiva, who goes by more than a thousand names, Pashupatinath being one.  

Heavenly Bodies

Right from the time a child is born, parents make haste to have an astrological chart (janam patra: birth chart; horoscope) made of the child by a priest accomplished in astrology. This is a Hindu tradition followed in Nepal by those of the Hindu faith, of which there is a majority. The janam patra shows the position of different astrological bodies in the heavens at the time of the child’s birth, the reading of which is believed to foretell the coming circumstances in a person’s life.

On a more general note, the janam patra is clear proof of the date of birth of an individual (in the absence of official records, as is the case in many rural areas of poorly developed countries). On a lighter note, perhaps Barack Obama should have had one made; would have saved him all the troublehe had to go through in getting a birth certificate acceptable to Donald Trump and the ‘birther’ brigade in America!

The janam patra comes in handy on many occasions of an in individual’s life, including for determining the suitability of an individual with his/her prospective marriage partner. The couple’s charts are matched to see if they complement each other, and if they do, then the marriage can go ahead without any hindrances. However, if they do not, then the priest usually suggests conducting some special pujas to align the unmatched grahas (planets).

Of course, with modernity, this, the matching of the astrological charts, is not as essential as before, what with people marrying for love, or if not for love, then for convenience. In which case, there’s no reason take additional risks like matching horoscopes, which can lead to unnecessary complications to be faced even before the complexities that are sure to come once the honeymoon is over! On a more graven note, the janam patra is burned on the person’s cremation fire after his/her death.

Having said all that, let’s talk a bit about the heavenly bodies. They are called the Navagrahas, and they consist of the Sun (Surya/Ravi) and the Moon (Chandra/Soma), and the planets Mars (Mangal), Mercury (Budha), Jupiter (Brihaspati), Venus (Sukra), and Saturn (Sani), along with the ascending and descending lunar nodes, namely, Rahu and Ketu. It is to be noted that the days of the week in the Nepali calendar are named after the first seven heavenly bodies mentioned above (Sunday: Ravibar, Monday: Sombar, Tuesday: Mangalbar, Wednesday: Budhabar, Thursday: Brihaspatibar, Friday: Sukrabar, and Saturday: Sanibar.)

These celestial bodies have fired the imagination of astrologers and scientists since ancient times, and have been the very stuff of countless numbers of fantastic mythical stories. Tall tales? Oh yeah, and so intriguing that you’ll probably have to sit down with a soothsayer to discover the inherent and extremely complicated divinity behind them. The astral bodies occupy their own particular spaces in the vast and unlimited ocean of the universe, exerting their own specific influences on the Earth and its primary inhabitants, mankind. But the Navagrahas cannot, by any means, be the only heavenly entities to be present in a universe that has no beginning and no end.

And so, besides the Navagrahas, there also the Nakhshatras, consisting of twenty-seven or twenty-eight constellations, twelve Adityas (Sun gods), and the twelve Rashis (Zodiac signs). Obviously, all are part and parcel of astrological charts, and each plays a role in the correct reading of these charts. Additionally, some of the astral bodies have a more negative influence than others, but there are ways and means (through special pujas as decreed by the priests) to appease their effects.

More than any other heavenly bodies, it is the Sun and the Moon that are most highly regarded. The most popular author on astrology in the West, the late Linda Goodman, is famous for her two books: Sun Signs and Moon Signs. Both have become almost a part of life’s curriculum, since not only are they very interestingly written, they give an amazingly accurate account of the personalities of various signs of the Zodiac.  

The Sun and the Moon rule over all other celestial bodies. In fact, the kings of yore prided themselves on being either a Suryabanshi (having lineage of the Sun) or a Chandrabanshi (having lineage of the Moon). Surya is the king of the planets, dispelling darkness and shedding light (metaphorical depiction of knowledge). The image of the Sun god is interesting—he rides a chariot with seven flying horses, the driver is a god named Aruna, while the two attendants, Dandi and Pingala, are also called Usa (dawn) and Pratiusa (pre-dawn). Chandra is the lord of the night, and he brightens up the entire Earth. He holds two lotus stalks, and his chariot is pulled by seven geese, while his two attendants are called Sandhya (dusk) and Godhuli (twilight).

The Fascinating Garden of Godawari

In the Terai (lowlands), the indigenous Tharus call it ‘Pagalbuti” (pagal: madness, buti: medicinal herb) because it is supposed to cure disorders of the mind. In common parlance, it is known as ‘Sarpagandha’. Its English name is ‘Black Snakeroot’, and its biological nomenclature is Rauvolfia serpentina. The root of this intriguingly named plant is supposed to cure many diseases, including snake bite, and so has suffered due to over collection. The result of this is that it is now listed as ‘endangered’, and is thus a protected species. It should be noted that this plant contains powerful alkaloids like reserpine and serpentine, which can induce serious side effects.

More benign a species is the Elaeocarpus sphaericus, but it has vast significance in another way. It is commonly known as the Rudraksha, whose place of origin is the Himalaya, and which is sacred to Hindus and Buddhists alike. For the former, the dried herbal fruits of this tree are the ‘tears of Lord Shiva’. On a more earthly level, herbalists claim Rudraksha to be the king of herbal medicine, with both preventive and curative powers over many ailments.

Interesting stuff, huh? What’s more, you can easily see these fascinating plants in the National Botanical Garden in Godawari, just ten kilometers away from Satdobato near Lagankhel of Patan. Just to whet your botanical appetite a little more, you can also see the Cinnamomum tamala. Yes, the very same tree whose dried leaves (tejpatta) and powdered bark are used so frequently in our everyday cooking here, especially in meat curries, for the marvelous flavor they impart to the dish. Now, if you go visit this premier garden of Nepal, you’ll also get to know that the tejpatta tree was first described in 1802 by Dr. Francis Buchanan-Hamilton, a Scottish surgeon who also excelled as a naturalist, and is considered to be the father of Nepal botany.

The lovely garden of Godawari sprawls over 84 hectares, and has various sections devoted to the different regions of the country, demonstrating its great ecological diversity, ranging from alpine to sub-tropic, as well as different groups of plants. As you enter the gates, you immediately come across the educational section, which is sure to engross you if you have even a tiny bit of the nature-lover in you. Strolling on, you reach the Japanese garden, full of rocks and boulders of varying sizes, a burbling brook and a small waterfall (everyone, but everyone, who comes to the garden has their photo taken in front of it !), a few wooden bridges, including felled tree trunks in places, and of course many different kinds of plants. Adjoining this part of Japanese paradise is the section for endangered plants.

There are many dirt paths that meander all over the park; one goes up to the greenhouse that’s located on a hill. Similarly, on the opposite hill, separated by an asphalted road, is a neatly landscaped and flower-laden garden featuring a wonderful fountain and some greenhouses containing various kinds of plants, including many varieties of orchids. With so much to see, it is no wonder that the National Botanical Garden is a favorite haunt for photographers, both the would-be-photographers and the professional ones. The garden is also a haven for a large variety of birds; you can hear chirping all over the area throughout the day. All in all, it is a very nice place to visit on a weekend, keeping in mind its proximity to the capital and the serenity of its surroundings that is sure to calm your traffic-jams-agitated mind, soothe your city-hustle bustle-jangled nerves, and provide succor for your urban-living-polluted lungs.

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Ropai, Nepal’s Season of Rice

Well, the paddy fields are green once again. The rains are pouring down dutifully most nights, and often in the evenings. A few women can be seen in the fields, completing unfinished business after the week before, when they, along with many other women, stood in ankle-deep muddy water planting fresh new saplings in the wet earth. Sometime before they took over the vast spaces, their menfolk were busy tilling the dry fields, leaving behind them long, neat rows of newly dug up earth. 

Then came Ashad 15 (I think, July 30), the ‘National Paddy Day’ as declared by the government, also known as “Dahi-Chiura Khane Din” (day to eat curd and beaten rice). It’s an important date in the Nepali calendar, since the country’s populace is mostly involved in agriculture (more than seventy percent, I believe), and of course, everyone, but everyone, eats rice as their staple food in Nepal. There’s a phrase that has made its way onto most guide books on Nepal—“Daal, Bhaat, Tarkari”—that’s the national staple meal wherever you go in the country, something that our Nepali diaspora, those in the Western hemisphere, miss most oh so terribly!

For those still not familiar with the land of the Himalaya (there could be plenty; in my view, in countries with people who are not at all interested in knowing more about the world, even in this world of the internet, and of globalization, because they are so securely cocooned in the womb of their own countries), well, so just you know, daal is lentil soup, bhaat is steamed rice, and tarkari is a curry. The first and the last are accompaniments (but essential) while bhaat is what fills the stomach and sustains you through the day, packed as it is with rich energy giving carbohydrate. 

Now, some of you know that Nepal may be a small country (though with a bigger population than many EU nation-states, and many times larger than its insignificantly tiny neighbor, Bhutan) but it has more than one hundred ethnicities and languages among its three regions: mountainous, hilly, and lowlands (terai). The elevation ranges from 70 meters above sea level in the terai, bordering India, to 8,848 meters above sea level (that’s the highest point on earth, by the way; for those mystified still, that’s Mount Everest!), and there’s a distance of just about 300 kilometers separating them. Meaning, you can be in the swelteringly hot terai one moment, and in minus many degrees arctic weather within a few hours. That’s Nepal for you!

Anyway, wherever you go in this really-not-so-small country, you are likely to find everyone eating “daal, bhaat, tarkari” for lunch and dinner, the two main meals of the day, and for many, the only two meals of the day. Well, yes, people generally are on the poorer side here, what with the Nepali rupee hardly worth anything against other currencies. Just think about it—a dollar is equal to more than a hundred rupees—is it any wonder, then, that we are poor?  I mean, in this age of globalization, and so on. 

Leaving such disconcerting subjects aside, let’s talk a bit more about rice, the food that sustains about 30 million Nepalis of all hues and colors and languages and cultures. I remember an eminent agronomist saying, “People eat what they grow, or people grow what they like to eat.” Well, in our case, both are one and the same, in my view. By the way, the man who said the above, a certain Wayne Freeman, a seed specialist in the Rockefeller Foundation’s Agricultural Program in India (1976-1982, or thereabouts), is also credited with introducing “Mansuli” rice to the country, which is undoubtedly the most commonly eaten type here. He describes “Mansuli” as having a nice taste and pleasant aroma. 

The classes, however, go for the more exotic, and of course, many time more expensive, “Basmati” and such, but for the masses, it’s “Mansuli” all the way. Day and night, night and day, week after week, month after month, year after year, ad infinitum. Remembering that it’s some 30 million people we’re talking about (less one percent), and man, that’s a helluva lot rice, don’t you agree? So, do you now think it kind of unusual to have so much fanfare regarding the season of planting rice? There’s a name in Nepali for it, “Ropai”, which translates simply to “planting”. Now, there’s a lot more stuff that’s planted through the year, but this particular word is reserved only for the planting of rice. That’s how much importance rice holds in all Nepali hearts!

Enjoy Fruity Nepal

Winter, spring, summer, or autumn, Nepal is never lacking in delicious fruits, with a wide and diverse variety available as per season. Winter is the season ruled by tangy, sweet, and citrusy suntala (oranges), which you’ll find being sold everywhere, including heaped on four-wheeled wooden platforms (you could say, mobile shops). In some places you may see them being sold from vans that have a sign above, reading, “Jumla ko suntala’. That means the oranges have come from the remote far-western district of Jumla, which is renowned for its tasty oranges and apples, besides its nutritious red rice. Winter is also the season for pomelo and apples. 

Spring is when everybody looks forward to the first arrivals of the ‘king (or queen) of fruits’. Yes, you guessed right—it’s the gorgeous aanp (mango). One can safely say that it is the most popular fruit in the country, and it’s a fact that all foreigners living here, or on a visit, find it simply irresistible. There are quite a few types of mangoes, among which ‘Malda’ is the most popular. That’s not to say that other varieties like ‘Bombay’ and ‘Dusshera’ are not tasty, it’s just that Malda has a definite edge in both taste and lasting for a longer time. In fact, real mango lovers buy a considerable quantity of yet-to-ripen Malda, and wait for it ripen naturally, which takes a few days or even a week, according to the stage it’s in. You can eat them at any stage, even if not fully ripe, they simply taste great. 

In my younger years, we used to have hard green Malda mangoes strewn all over the floor beneath our beds, they were so inexpensive! Especially in cities in the plains, where nearby villages had huge mango orchards, in which branches of the magnificently foliaged trees bowed low because of generous profusion of the heavy fruits. Cheaper still was the cost of mangoes in towns bordering India, due to the fact that the neighboring Indian states, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, were (still are) prolific producers of many varieties of mango. Anyway, gone are the days when one could buy Malda by the sack-load without batting an eyelid, nowadays you’re lucky if you can buy a couple of kilos at a time!  A side note: Malda mangoes come from West Bengal, where there is a district called Malda.

This is also the season for mewa (papaya), the large yellow fruit with a nicely rounded sweet taste. What’s more, they are a great aid for digestion, and thus is a prized food for patients suffering from jaundice, when the liver takes a hit, affecting digestion and absorption. The next most eagerly anticipated fruit to make its presence felt, after the mango, is the juicy lychee. You’ll find plenty of this fantastic fruit, with its red blistered skin, being sold in clumps during mid-May and June. The corrugated red skin hides a treasure—the temptingly sweet white fruit—the lychee is practically the prince among fruits. 

Gorge yourself on these delicious fruits—mango and lychee—for they will not be here long, and you’ll have to wait another year to do so. Now, along with the monsoon at its pouring best (August-September) also comes the yellow-skinned amba (guava). It is not regarded very highly, sad to say, because one can find tree-loads of these fruits in the front or backyard of many houses, and as they say, familiarity brings contempt (or, at least, less respect). Anyway, many folks may not know that guavas contain more vitamin C than oranges, so they are excellent for your health. At the same time, keep in mind that too many guavas can give you constipation because of the high fiber content that’s hard to digest. 

Come the fall, and you can now enjoy the brown naspati (pear) a pretty humble fruit that’s not at all expensive, costing far less than mangoes and lychees. The naspati, though, may be a notch above the even humbler guava in the ‘respect’ aspect. They taste really great with a little salt and chili. As will the bimiras, a somewhat strange citrus that looks like a large deformed orange, which is available during the great festival season of Dashain and Tihar in October-November, along with bhogates (palmellos), tear-drop shaped citrus fruits of large size, with yellow-green skin. Beneath the inch-thick pith is deep red flesh with the sweetness of orange and sourness of grapefruit. These are festival fruits, and make for an incredibly tasty salad-like dish when concocted with tangy spices, salt, sugar, and chili, with lots of the last. 

Now, by now you may be thinking, “What about kera (banana)?” Well, you can get bananas throughout the year, and you have a choice of at least seven varieties. Besides all the fruits mentioned above, there are plenty more kinds of fruits in Nepal, and that’s why Nepal is a fruit lover’s paradise.

The Allure of Ayurveda

The definite roots of the ancient art of Ayurveda are hidden in obscurity, but it certainly originated in the Indian subcontinent, perhaps even in the Himalayan region, where rishis (sages) were known to have lived for many years meditating. At the same time, they also spent time seeking cures to the ills of humanity. The unique aspect of their quest lay in the fact that they searched for a holistic way of treatment, since they believed that for an individual to be fully healed, all three aspects of the individual had to be taken into account, that is, physical, physical, mental, and spiritual. 

Ayurveda has deep roots in Nepal, and is a part of the country’s culture. One can notice quite a few Ayurveda healing centers all over Kathmandu, and with the advent of more widespread media outlets and budding new entrepreneurs, Ayurveda is surely making a strong comeback today. Add to this the fact that the worldwide trend now is geared towards disseminating the Eastern way of life, including things like Yoga. Tao, Zen, and martial arts, to a global audience that seems to be searching for alternatives to long established aspects of the Western way of doing things in matters regarding, especially, holistic health and wellbeing. 

Ayurveda, too, is making great inroads into more Western nations; however, it being a method of healing, its journey could take longer, keeping in mind their stringent laws regarding all things to do with medicine. Thus, the added attraction of Ayurveda for tourists coming to the Indian subcontinent, including Nepal. Thus, the popularity of the capital’s many spas that use the methods of Ayurveda in their treatments, including massages, to provide a sense of glowing good health and wellbeing to their clients. Moreover, numerous healing centers run by well-qualified Ayurveda doctors abound throughout the valley, offering various types of Ayurveda treatments for many kinds of ailments.  

Besides its attraction, for many, as an esoteric art, the Ayurveda mode of treatment is also valued due to its use of natural products in its therapies, thus doing away with the danger of side effects that may be a risk when using modern allopathic medicine. Nepal has a large number of medicinal plants, many of them endemic to the country, and this fact further adds to the allure of Ayurveda here. The ‘natural way of healing’ is a popular byline of many spas and Ayurveda centers, and it is indeed an attractive one, considering the vast increase in awareness among the general populace about health and wellbeing. 

Some experts describe Ayurveda as a ‘cultural life science’, in that the means and methods are passed down through generations of families practicing the art since ancient times. Of course, now Ayurveda is also taught in colleges, and there are many practitioners involved whose families may not have been in the business before. Ayurveda is also said to be a part of the lifestyle, in that many of its methods and products are a part of daily life. 

And, while Ayurveda products have always been popular, with some producers marketing their brand quite aggressively, one sees a new impetus in today’s times, with more new brands becoming household names. However, as said before, since Western laws may prevent many Ayurveda medicines from gaining a bigger market abroad, it would be a good idea to plan ahead and take out time to avail of the opportunity when traveling to Nepal to have a treatment done at one of the centers of natural health and wellbeing in and around Kathmandu Valley. Who knows, it may be the best part of your vacation! 

Kathmandu Valley's Era of Great Achievements

The period between A.D. 1200 and A.D. 1769, when Kathmandu Valley was under the long and prosperous reign of the Malla kings, was a golden period in the history of the valley, especially with regard to art, architecture, and culture. In A.D. 1482, the valley was divided by King Yaksha Malla’s sons into the three kingdoms of Kantipur (Kathmandu), Bhadgaon (Bhaktapur), and Lalitpur (Patan). It wasn’t a bad thing to happen, considering that successive kings of the three kingdoms would vie with one another to build the most beautiful temples and monuments in their respective domains. 

Thus, the Malla era succeeded in bestowing the valley with a unique and distinct identity, due to the artistic and architectural marvels created during the period. So prolific was their patronage, that UNESCO, in 1990, listed the entire Kathmandu Valley as a World Heritage Site, based primarily on seven groups of heritage monument zones, namely, Swoyambhunath Stupa, Boudhanath Stupa, Pashupatinath Temple, Changunarayan Temple, and the durbar squares of the three kingdoms. The Malla period also saw the initiation of many of the valley’s festivals, among which the chariot festivals of Indra Jatra and Machhendranath Jatra are especially spectacular.

Among the Malla kings of the era, a few were particularly successful in leaving an indelible mark in the valley’s art, architectural, and cultural history. Among these luminaries was the ninth king of Kantipur, Pratap Malla (r. 1641-1674), whose statue sits on top of a square stone pillar called Pratap Dhyaja in front of the famous Taleju Temple in Kathmandu Durbar Square that he built, along with the Hanuman Dhoka palace. 

Another of his celebrated creations is Ranipokhari (Queen’s Pond), the original Newari name of which is 'Nhu Pukhu' (New Pond). New, because at that time of its construction, the valley already had plenty of ornamental ponds. Nevertheless, Ranipokhari became by far the most beautiful of all the ponds. The king had it built in an effort to console his queen, Anantapriya, who was deeply bereaved by the death of Chakrawatendra, her youngest son. 

Located in the center of Kathmandu city, this remarkable pond is rectangular in shape. It and its premises occupy some three and a half hectares, and in the middle of the pond is the Balgopaleshwar Mahadev Temple. This temple’s uniqueness lies in the fact that it is open to the public once a year only, on the day of Bhai Tika (when sisters worship their brothers), the final day of the festival of lights, that is, Tihar. People with no siblings visit the temple on this day. Smaller temples of Ganesh, Bhairab, Narayan, and Saraswati are situated at the four corners of Ranipokhari. Also on the premises is a white marble statue portraying King Pratap Malla and his two sons on elephant back. 

King Pratap Malla is also credited with the famous Mahakali dance that is the highlight of Indra Jatra festival held in Kathmandu Durbar Square in September/October every year. Legend goes that one night he had a dream in which he saw the three goddesses, Mahakali, Mahalaxmi, and Kumari, battle demonic figures. So vivid was the dream that he wanted to have it recorded for posterity through a dance to be performed every year. This vigorous masked dance enacts the battle between the goddesses and the demons that the king saw in his dream. 

Indeed, King Pratap Malla’s contribution to the valley’s arts, architecture, and culture, has to be applauded. His reign, a peaceful and prosperous one, is widely regarded as the high point of the Malla dynasty. This king, who also fancied himself a poet, and carried the title of Kavindra (king of poets), is rightly renowned for building numerous temples and monuments throughout Kathmandu, and thus contributing significantly in giving the city its unique identity. 

Boisterous Festivals of Spring

With the waning of winter, arrives many enjoyable festivals. one will witness people of all ages and walks of life throwing color at each other, and friends and acquaintances, sometimes even strangers, exuberantly rubbing color powder on one another’s face. Many young men are likely to be high on the day from drinking ‘bhang’ and eating ‘bhang-ko-laddu’ (drink and sweet containing marijuana). Much ahead of the festival, government authorities put out notices through various media warning that unruly behavior will not be condoned on the day of Holi. Security will be high, since brawls often break out between groups of intoxicated revelers.

Till recently (not so much now), you could deduce that Holi was around the corner due to kids throwing small water-filled balloons (lolas) at passersby, particularly young girls, almost a week before the festival day. ‘Anything goes,’ seems to be the watchword of Holi, and in fact, the favorite cry on the day is in Hindi, “Bura na mano, Holi hai!” especially in the Terai, where Holi is celebrated one day after the one in the hills. The phrase means, “Don’t mind, it’s after all Holi!” In other words, it is a festival that permits you to let out steam, within limits, of course.

The story of a female demon “Holika”

Here is the story behind the festival of colors: It is to celebrate the death of a female demon named Holika, who had been ordered by her brother Hiranyakashyapu to kill his son Prahalad. Hiranyakashyapu, through severe meditation, had won the gods’ blessings that he couldn’t be killed by anybody on earth, water, or sky, using whatsoever means, and thus he considered himself to be immortal, above all beings.

So, when he discovers his son worshipping Lord Vishnu, he gets enraged.  He orders his sister Holika, who herself has won a blessing to be immune from fire, to grasp Prahalad and jump into an inferno. However, somehow or the other, it is Holika who gets immolated, while the boy remains unharmed. There’s another reason for Holi. It is to celebrate Lord Rama’s return to Ayodhaya after his epic victory over the 10-headed King Ravana of Ceylon, who had abducted his wife Sita, thus starting a war.

Raising ceremonial bamboo

The beginning of the festival, in Kathmandu, is marked by raising the Chir pole (a ceremonial bamboo pole having cloth strips of various colors) at Kathmandu Durbar Square. The story behind this is pretty interesting. Lord Krishna, in his heydays, had a flock of adoring women always around him. They were known as Gopinis (Krishna is also known as Gopi). One day, while the women are taking a bath in a river, he steals their clothes and hangs them on a tree. Well, the chirs (cloth strips) represent the Gopinis’ clothes. The naughty Krishna then declares that he won’t be returning the clothes until they remain submerged for some time, offering prayers to the Sun god.

Oil wicks on a cow dung base are kept lighted at the bottom of the Chir, and ceremonial threads tied around it. The setting up of the Chir heralds the start of the Holi festival. In the same way, its lowering announces the end of Holi. Once lowered, the waiting crowd rushes forward to grab the cloth strips, which are regarded as lucky charms. The Chir pole is then dragged to Tundikhel and burnt. Women throw coconut shells into the bonfire, and people collect the glowing coals and ash, which will be used for purifying their homes. In the Terai, Holi is celebrated as boisterously as in the hills, and in many areas, more so. People invite friends to their homes to enjoy special delicacies. All said and done, Holi is the most colorful festival of all festivals in Nepal, and a time when old grievances are forgotten and forgiven.

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