Nepal is winning on Conservation
Nepal’s biodiversity is threatened by a host of issues, including habitat degradation, encroachment, exploitation, pollution, and poaching. However, all is not lost!
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
Fire is His head, the Sun and Moon His eyes, space His ears, the Vedas His speech, the wind His breath, the universe His heart. From His feet the Earth has originated. Verily, He is the inner self of all beings.” –The Upanishads: translation from the Sanskrit.
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.
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
Get out of the city’s pollution-laden environment and mind-jangling traffic to spend some blissful hours in the peaceful 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
Among the many different milestones through the year, this is one that is really down-to-earth, besides being downright basic to Nepali life.
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
Fruits are said to be the food of the gods, and if so, Nepal is a blessed country, what with a large variety of delicious fruits available throughout the year.
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
It’s an art that’s more ancient than the Ramayana and Mahabharata, and a part of the culture and lifestyle of the Indian subcontinent since the ages.
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 era of the Malla kings was a long one, about 550 years, and a period of prosperity in all spheres, including art, architecture, and culture.
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
Holi, the festival of colors, is celebrated with great enthusiasm all over the country, and it is a time when one forgets and forgives.
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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Discover the Real Kathmandu in Ason Bazaar
Ason Bazaar portrays a large slice of what Kathmandu is all about, and the tourist would be well rewarded by a leisurely stroll down its many streets and alleyways.
How many times have you crossed Ranipokhari (Queen’s Pond) in central Kathmandu without giving much of a thought to the historical landmarks abounding all over the area? If you are a tourist, chances are that you have set residence in or around Thamel, the tourist hub of the capital, and so you must have passed by Ranipokhari many times on your way to Thamel.
In fact, if you are a savvy tourist, you should enquire about the short cut through Ason Bazaar, a stone’s throw away from Ranipokhari. The ancient bazaar has a myriad of alleyways leading to the tourist center, and I promise you, strolling through these alleys is bound to give you a keener insight to the local lifestyle, besides making you aware of the boundless number of products, a good part of them being foodstuff, that are sold in the numerous shops of the bazaar. It is also a fact that, although the capital has become such an expansive city, there are still quite a few things that are to be found only in the shops here, especially ritual items used in many religious and celebratory occasions.
Ason is where six different streets (Bhotahiti, Kamalachi, Nhai: katwa, Teuda, Balkumari, and Makhan: Galli) converge on a spacious square full of little shops selling everything imaginable. Take it from me, Ason Bazaar is heady stuff, what with the swarms of pedestrians, the pleasant smell of all kinds of vegetables, fruits, meat, and other food, as well as the constant chatter of bargaining throughout the day, and the pealing sound of bells ringing in temples, big and small, all over the place. Fittingly, the major shrine of the bazaar is the Annapurna Temple (Asonmaru Ajima), dedicated to the goddess of plenty.
‘Ason’ is a derivative of the word ansaa, which literally means ‘just there’ in Newari. There’s a funny story about how the name was given to the bazaar. Myth has it that a fish fell out of the sky during a heavy rainfall, and soon, all over the city, people were talking about “fish falling out of the sky”. People began asking each other, “Where did it fall, where did it fall?” The usual reply was a succinct, “Ansaa”. In other words, “Just there.” There’s said to be a stone shrine in the bazaar built to mark the place where the fish landed.
At most times of the day and evening, Ason Bazaar and its many streets are full of people, some who have come here to buy necessities, some using the convenience of its inter-connecting streets and alleys, and avoiding the traffic-heavy main streets, to get somewhere sooner, and some just walking to their homes in and around this great bazaar. If you go in the early morning, the scenario is quite different, however. You’ll find vegetable sellers who’ve already set up their shops around the square, their produce fresh from the fields, The cauliflowers large, white, and wholesome; the beans, red and green, looking lusciously nutritious; the potatoes, newly dug out from the ground; and the large bunches of dark green spinach of many varieties beckoning one and all with promises of well-being and good health. The meat shops also open early, and are well attended by many eager beavers looking for freshly butchered meat. By morning, Ason is a vegetable and meat market, but as the day goes on, the little shops all around begin to open their doors, and shopkeepers start displaying their wares outside, near their doors. Soon, the entire area is a vibrant and crowded Nepali bazaar.
A bazaar where you’ll find everything from spices, condiments, Khokana-ko-tel (renowned mustard oil of Khokana village), and ghyao- chaku (clarified butter and molasses), to vegetables, fruits, and flowers; buff, mutton, pork, and chicken, to fish and eggs; milkshake and ice cream, to thwon (local beer) and ai:la (homemade liquor); traditional sweetmeats, egg pancakes, and samosas to piping hot tea, chilled cold lassi, and delicious juju dhau (famous Bhaktapur curd); freshly baked puffs and pastries, to chocolate, cup, and fruit cakes; kurta salwars, sarees, and readymade garments, to rolled swathes of many kinds of fabric; gaudy rubber slippers and shiny leather shoes, to imitations of branded sportswear; sparkling glass bangles, colorful pote ( glass beads) necklaces, and dangling earrings, to glittering gold and silver jewelry; solid-looking aluminum, copper, and brass ware, to colorful plastic utensils; etc. etc.
In other words, you’ll get whatever it is you’re looking for, that’s for sure. This might make you assume that Ason Bazaar is simply a bazaar teeming with goods, but actually, it’s more than that. It is the historical, cultural, and commercial center of Kathmandu Valley. This is where you get to experience the real Kathmandu. So, make a beeline for the bazaar that’s ‘just there’!
The Pokhara Dhampus Trek
Plan your Pokhara trip to include a few days of trekking to picturesque little villages, hiking through fabulous scenery on great hilly trails.
Now that you are in Nepal, of course you’ll be visiting the lovely city of the lakes, Pokhara, to spend some idyllic days there. Having got a feel of the place, it’s a safe bet that you’ll end up wishing you could actually stay for a longer time, so serene are the surroundings, and so healthful is the environment. Know also that there are quite a few scenic treks from here that are, for the most part, of quite short duration.
One such trek is the one to the beautiful Gurung village of Dhampus that’s around 26 km from Pokhara. A most charming place, it is a gateway to the Annapurna Conservation Area, and on the route of the famous Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) trek, the most popular trek in Nepal, second only to the renowned ‘must-do-in-a-lifetime’ Everest Base Camp trek.
The trek’s starting point is the village of Phedi, which is a 15-minute drive from Pokhara. The trek as a whole is a moderate one, and suitable for most folks. However, initially, as you start off from Phedi, the trail goes uphill quite steeply for about ten minutes, then it meanders out of the woods, and you find yourself hiking on a narrow path. Gradually, you come to a small village called Chandrakot that’s surrounded by millet fields and rhododendron groves. Since the trek is of short duration, no need to hurry. Walk on at a leisurely place, and take a breather whenever you feel like it beneath the welcoming shade of one tree or the other.
You’ll come across teashops on the way, where you can get light refreshments. The cool and soothing buttermilk is a good recommendation, as are the succulent guavas. If you are trekking in November-December, you will certainly meet many groups out on a picnic in the area. Adds to the cheerful ambience of your experience trekking on such a naturally beautiful locale.
By and by, in about three hours or so, you’ll arrive at Dhampus. It’s considered to be a vantage point from where to view the interesting range of Himalayan peaks on the horizon. These include Tukuche (6,920 m) and Dhaulagiri (8,167 m), the two closest peaks from here. The sight of the magnificent Annapurna range and the massive Macchapucchre (6,900 m) is sure to dazzle your eyes, as well. It’s not just these regal peaks that captivate your eyes, the spectacular view of the Pokhara valley below is just as wonderful.
Dhampus is inhabited mostly by people of the Gurung community. One of the village’s highlights is a lake that offers an excellent reflection of a picture perfect setting of Macchapucchre Himal, popularly known as Fishtail Mountain. Some distance from the village center is a lovely lodge called Tsukinoie, designed in such a way as to provide guests with panoramic views of peaks like Annapurna, Macchapucchre, and Hiunculi from every window, as well as from the terrace.
The lodge is small, with only five rooms, but very well facilitated, offering great food and service, besides comfortable accommodation. It’s a Japanese-style lodge, and you get to soak in an interesting Japanese soaking tub that’s quite heavy, called a ‘goemonburo’. Nothing better to relax in, that’s for sure!
About ten minutes away from the lodge is a view tower that’s worth the steep climb to the top, for the view all around is pretty mesmerizing, with Annapurna South, Annapurna II and IV, Macchapucchre, and Hiunchuli all towering majestically in the distance. The sunrise is bewitching, as you can imagine, so get up before dawn breaks, and make it to the view tower while the stars are still twinkling in the sky. Sunrise is generally around 6-6:30 a.m., with the sun first casting its rays over Macchapucchre, followed by Hiunchuli and the rest. The horizon becomes fiery red for some moments. A most inspiring sight!
There’s another interesting place you could hike to that’s about one hour’s walk from the lodge. It’s called the Australian Camp, a name derived from the fact that sometime in the past (about forty years ago) a group of Aussies had camped there. Simple. Its original name is Thulo Kharka. This hike takes you on a flat trail for some time, before going uphill, going through a forest. From the Camp, the Annapurna range appears to be a bit closer, and you also get to see Manaslu and Peak 29.
All in all, the Pokhara Dhampus trek is ideal for those on a short visit, as also for the less-than-perfectly-fit folks, unlike the more strenuous ones that require loads of stamina and tons of endurance.
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The Many Abodes of Lord Shiva
Lord Shiva, one of the three main deities of Hinduism, has numerous devotees all over Nepal and the Indian subcontinent. He also has many temples all over the country.
Come February 24 this coming year, Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu will be crowded with throngs of devotees lining up in long queues to pay homage to the Lord of Creation and Destruction, Shiva, on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri, one of the biggest festivals in Nepal. Shiva, ‘The Auspicious One’ who goes by more than one thousand names, Pashupatinath (Lord of the Animals) being one such name. He is also known as Omkara (creator of ‘Om’ the sacred Hindu chant), Trilokpati (supreme ruler of the three realms), and Mahadev (greatest among the gods).
Pashupatinath Temple is a World Heritage Site monument zone, and exemplary of the pagoda style temples in the country. The complex, located on the banks of the holy Bagmati River, has numerous smaller temples as well as the cremation ghats, where all Hindus wish to have their last rites done. The main temple has silver-embossed doors, two gilded roofs, and a magnificent gold-plated bull facing the main entrance. The bull, Nandi, is the vehicle of Lord Shiva. Although it is believed that a temple stood at the site as far back as the 5th century, the present day temple dates to A.D. 1653.
Shiva is worshipped in his aniconic form of the Lingam (a phallic symbol representing divine generative energy), and inside the temple is six-foot-tall lingam with four faces. Besides Maha Shivaratri (the night of Shiva), Pashupatinath Temple is the focal point of religious occasions such as Teej, Sankranti, Ekadasi, Rakshabandhan, etc. Maha Shivartri is obviously the biggest occasion, and during this time, one will find a large contingent of ash-covered and dreadlocked sadhus who congregate from within and outside the country, especially India, to celebrate the night dedicated to the veneration of their lord, Shiva.
Similar will be the scenario, of course on a smaller scale, in the many Shiva temples throughout the land, of which there are some that are more famous than the others. One is Haleshi Mahadev in Khotang of eastern Nepal, which is popular as the Pashupatinath of the east. It is located within a cave in which Shiva is said to have hidden once during a battle with the demon Bhasmashur.
Nearer the capital, in Sipadol of Bhaktapur, is Doleshwor Mahadev, the deity of which is believed to be the head of the divine bull, a subterfuge Shiva had taken recourse to, to avoid the Pandavas who had come to him to seek his forgiveness for the large number of killings during the epic Kurukshetra War (as described in the Mahabharata). The Pandavas, on recognizing the bull as Shiva, had tried to stop him by pulling his tail, upon which the head had been severed, and lost for the next 4,000 years.
Further up in Panauti, some 32 km from Kathmandu, is located one of the tallest and largest of Nepal’s pagoda temples, the Indreshwor Mahadev Temple, dedicated to Shiva. It is situated in a large brick paved courtyard that also has some other temples. In addition to its magnificent three-story roof, the temple has fine woodcraft on its doors, windows, doors, and struts. The lingum inside the temple is said to have been created by the Lord himself.
Similarly, in Kirtipur, is another splendid shrine of Shiva called the Uma Maheshwor Temple. It is dedicated to both Shiva and his wife Parvati, and is also called Bhawani Shanker Temple. Two massive stone elephants with spiked backs stand guard on two sides of the stairway leading up to the three-roofed 17th century temple.
About 10 km from Kathmandu city center is a newly formed municipality called Gokarneswor, wherein is located the Gokarna Mahadev Temple, said to have been built in the 16th century. The temple has a beautiful golden torana above the main doorway, with Uma-Maheswor as the central figure. A large number of pilgrims make their way to the temple in late August or early September on the occasion of Gokarna Aunsi to honor their fathers, either deceased or living.
Up on Chandragiri Hill (2,251 m), some kilometers from Thankot of Kathmandu, is located the Bhaleshwor Mahadev Temple. Behind its founding, as is the case with many other temples, lies an interesting piece of mythology. Shiva’s favorite consort, Sati Devi, commits suicide by jumping into the sacred ritual fire of the yagna being conducted by her father, because he insults Shiva in the presence of those present, which includes many kings and princes. Shiva, in his wrath, embarks on a journey of destruction, carrying Sati’s corpse on his back. Where parts of her corpse falls, become venerated as ‘shakti-piths’ (power centers), and the place where her forehead falls, Chandragiri Hill, the Bhaleswor Temple is built.
One of the most recent additions to Shiva centers is the Kailashnath Mahadev statue at Sanga, some 20 km from the capital. This is no ordinary statue, being 144 ft in height, making it among the tallest statues in the world, and probably the tallest Shiva statue anywhere. Finished in 2014, it’s quite a tourist attraction today.
This trek is specially designed to reach the Everest Base Camp including Kala Pattar which is the best view point to view the sunrise over the high Himalayas including the Mt. Everest. This trek requires 13 days.
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