TRAVELENDURA: nepal

Dear Readers,

For my first attempt in blogging, I choose to share with you, my personal and most spiritual experience in the majestic, kingly country of Nepal.

For as long as I remember, I have always wanted to travel but the opportunities and the likelihood of meeting kindred spirits always seemed to evade me. So here I am now, in the bustling city of Bangalore, married to a speed junkie/wanderlust, penning, rather, typing about one of over 25 trips made in the last year.

I have had, in my life, the good fortune of having close friends from various states, countries & cultural backgrounds. The wedding ceremony of one such best pal from Nepal gave me an insight into a culture & place, unique in many ways. In the rest of this blog, I have made a sincere attempt in describing the trip factually and spiritually. The facts about Nepal have been borrowed and verified by a tourism company owned by a close friend of mine in Kathmandu. I shall give details of said travel company later in this blog. I assure you though, that the experiences have not been borrowed or stolen J So I pray you find in you the patience to read through the length of this novice’s blog.

Nepal is a land of scenic beauty & splendor set in the Himalayan foothills, bordering the Tibetan plateau. It’s a mixture of ancient history, vibrant culture & a very grounded people. You will see, when you enter the valley of Kathmandu, that the people there are living a life transitioning from a deeply traditional setup to a more modern, democratic way of life and the result is a society living with both old & new value systems, not very different from ours. It is evident, that the place is in a phase that almost all countries have been through during its growth & development, including ours.

It is a big country and given my constraint for time, I could visit Kathmandu and Bhairahawa in a span of 5 days. I assure you that 5 days is not enough in any way to do justice to a land like Nepal, nevertheless it was attempted. It is land meant purely for the nature revelers and for those in search of relaxation, meditation & pleasure in a non-luxurious way.

Facts:

Capital: Kathmandu

Geography: The country is divided into 3 geographical regions. Located between the Tibetan Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China in the North and, India in the East, West & South.

Language: Nepali is widely spoken. Newari, Tibeto-Burmeese & Indic language sparsely spoken.

Currency: Nepali Rupee

Seasons: Autumn- September through November

Winter- December through February

Spring- March through May

Monsoon- June through August

History:

From time immemorial, Nepal has been an independent & sovereign country with glorious history & tradition. King Prithvi Narayan Shah, the founder of modern Nepal launched a campaign for its national unification. Before the campaign, the Kathmandu valley was ruled by the Malla kings whose contributions to the art & culture is evident to this day. In 1768 AD, the Shah dynasty ascended the throne of the unified kingdom. The recently ousted monarch, his Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev is the 12^th king of the Shah Dynasty.

Bhairahawa:

Bhairahawa is a small village/town that’s 1 hour by flight from kathmandu & 7 hours by road. Its called Bhairahawa for its windy climate (Bhaira-intense & Hawa-wind). You will find yourself being pushed by the winds at ALL times. The town is predominantly agri-based, not well equipped with hotels or restaurants, though there are many road-side inns and eateries run by the locals. I must caution you that the place caters only to the rugged. Hotels are not entirely absent, but one will have to deal with 10-16 hour power-cuts & generator noise. The place is dry with heat in the month of April (It was 45 degree Centigrade in the shade when I landed), but dawn & dusk are very pleasant and you would not want to miss the sun rise or set.

The major attraction in Bhairahawa is the Lumbini Gardens, the birthplace of Lord Buddha. It houses the very spot where he was born and is marked by a pillar erected later in 249 BC, by the emperor Ashoka. It also houses ruins of monasteries and the temple of Mayadevi-the mother of lord Buddha. It’s a heritage site protected by the archeological department and the ruins are kept intact by scaffolding and you’ll seem to enter a small building. At first glance the bricks used will seem like they’re made of gold, but in actual fact, they’re pasted by gold foil that is brought as offering by Buddhists from all over the world. It is every staunch buddhist’s wish to make a pilgrimage to this sacred spot.

Also in the vicinity are the monasteries constructed by other countries like Japan, Thailand, Germany, Burma, Korea, Sri Lanka & India. These have been gifted by the respective governments and each monastery has the characteristic architecture and culture of the country that built it. One stupa is dedicated especially, to world peace, and attracts many tourists.

Remember to buy your ticket upon the very entry of the premises or you will not be permitted into the sites. Also the trek back to the entrance for tickets under a very unforgiving sun, is not pleasant. Have a vehicle at your disposal & a trusted local for guidance & company.

Kapilavasthu, the Kingdom of Gautama Buddha’s father is not very far from Lumbini. But I could not visit the place as I had a flight to catch back to Kathmandu.

So there ended my stay in Bhairahawa.

Kathmandu:

The locals believe that the goddess Manjushree, an incarnate of lord Buddha was responsible for the existence of the Kathmandu valley. It is said that she created it in one swipe of her sword. True or not, the valley today holds some of the best sights to see & is quintessentially Nepali. With the hustle & bustle characteristic of an emerging economy, am quite sure that the goddess might find it a tad bit difficult to recognize it now J

The harmonious amalgamation of Hinduism & Buddhism has given rise to a rich mixture of beliefs & tradition. Its filled, literally, with prayers, chanting, gods & legends that every street in Kathmandu has a story behind it.

I had the fortune to live with a local family who also run a tourism company, quite well known in Nepal. One gets a different perspective about a place and its ways when one gets to be part of the general neighborhood. So off we went to delve into more history & culture.

We went to the Kathmandu Durbar square which is a long street running parallel to the royal palace. Entry to the palace is restricted and is now occupied by the Nepali army. The street was once known to have been filled with people who came to catch a glimpse of the royal family and also to gather gifts distributed by the king. It is now an open shopping area, offering traditional Nepalese art and trinkets, a flea market if you will. I found interesting bits and also some amazing woodwork which I bought from a local carpenter carving away in the street.

Opposite the palace & running parallel to it, you’d find a very intricately carved woodden building known as the Kumari Ghar or the house of the Living Goddess. In it stays a little girl of 4 years (if my memory serves right) who is believed to be a goddess. The building is thronged by devotees waiting to have a ‘Darshan’ of the Kumari. Every once in few years, high priests go all over the country in search of girl children aged 3. The baby is chosen based on certain signs known only to the priests & brought to Kathmandu for her blessings. She is schooled and tutored on scriptures in the Kumari Ghar until the age of 6 or 7 & then sent back to her mother’s while another baby takes her place. It is believed she offers protection and retains goodwill among the people.

Other sites around the Kathmandu square is the Kal Bhairab-Hanuman, a big stone carving of the monkey god. And you will find that there is no derth for traditional Nepalese architecture around there with a legend accompanying it.

Swayambhunath, or the ‘Self-existent’ is a gigantic stupa located on one of the hill-tops. It holds images & statues of deities important to both Hindus & Buddhists and is perhaps the best place to observe the religious harmony in Nepal. One can see the entire city from a particular point and the view is breath-taking. As an artist, I couldn’t help but be awestruck by the handiwork exhibited by the statues of Buddha, Vishnu & Hanuman. Even for those fluent in Buddhism or the Hindu mythology, nothing there would seem out of place.

Pashupathinath of the 16^th century, considered one of the holiest for the Hindus, is an ancient plinth standing on the banks of the river Bagmathi. She runs through the valley and by the temple and is considered one of the holiest rivers, but a word of caution. The water is now very highly polluted by the city’s waste. While it was once pure and clear, it is now not recommended to touch the waters. The temple is dedicated to Shiva, lord of all creatures, and the ‘lingam’ (Phallus symbolic of Lord Shiva) is housed in a golden sanctum sanctorum. Once every week a grand ‘Aarathi’ (offering of light) is performed on the banks of the river. I was lucky enough to have been there that day. The whole temple gathers on the steps leading to the river on either side and while the priests perform the Aarathi, the entire throng of people burst into devotional songs in one voice. The head priest of Pashupathinath is from the south of India and is changed every once in few years. It was truly a sort of surreal experience. If at any point you find flames soaring in the sky, you may want to know that that those are the flames of funeral pyres. Old people who wish to breathe their last are bought to another part of the river’s banks and wait until they pass away. It was a sight I’d never seen before and not in the danger of forgetting soon. While it was a tad bit unnerving for me, the people there seemed accustomed to it. It made me understand that we have to make our peace with what is and what will be.

Other places to see in Nepal:

I’ve not scraped through even 1/10^th of the country. There’s a ton more to see & experience there. On my next visit I intend to see the famous Chitwan National park to spot tigers on an elephant. There’s also pokhra, patan, bhaktapur etc. And more of kathmandu itself to see.

Important tips for travel in Nepal:

Always keep your documents with you.
Kathmandu is chilly throughout the year. Have a sweater handy.
Carry a mosquito repellant always.
Keep emergency light & medicines at hand.
Keep Nepali Rupees & Indian Rupees. Rs.1000 & Rs.500 Indian Rupee currency notes are not accepted anywhere in Nepal.
Use the help of trusted locals for sight-seeing & accommodation.
Public transport is expensive. Work out a package with a cab agency.
Chalk out a solid itinerary & keep folks back home informed of plans.
Find out the best season to travel.
Shift to international roaming or buy local number. Be available via phone.
Travel light. Travel smart.