Festival of Elephants

Elephants are the largest and strongest mammal on earth. But have you ever wondered how intelligent they are?

As every December in Chitwan, they played football, participated in race and beauty contest and enjoyed the first ever day-off (picnic) in their life. World of elephant is really beautiful, that I closely observed for 4 days !

Elephants Playing Football

Elephant bath : Janakikali & Mahout Bishal Chaudhary

Participant of beauty contest with Mahout

Winner of Elephant beauty contest 2014 : Pinkikali

An evening view of Rapti River, Sauraha

Elephant Beauty Pageant :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUw7OTCwDdM

Elephant Picnic : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9NGx1pZIQE

Beautiful Far-West

Though I love travelling, I have traveled really very less. But this December remained special as I embarked my first trip to far-western Nepal. 

Name itself is enough, its far ! 
But unfortunately, this beautiful region has been untouched and unexplored. 
I just managed to step in two districts Kailali & Kanchanpur, but got stuck by the amazing beauty !

Welcome to Far-west airways :)

Dhangadi Airport

View seen from flight while travelling from KTM_Dhangadi

                            

Nepal's first aircraft museum

Rainy morning in Chadani Dodhara 

Asia's largest suspension bridge in Kanchanpur district

In the bank of Mohana River, that divides Nepal & India

Traditional Tharu dining experience 

Tharu attire

A typical Tharu house in Kailali

Way towards Indian border, Gauriphanta (Dhangadi)

Sukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve

Lets end the journey with a sweet cup of coffee (Bells Cafe, Dhangadi)

Thank you for travelling with me :)

Nepal's first Aircraft Museum

The opening of Nepal's first aircraft museum in Dhangadi in the far western part of the country, some 500 km from Kathmandu, has attracted local and foreign tourists to the much-neglected region.

Nepal's first aircraft museum, Dhangadi

Just three months after its opening, the aircraft museum has been the talk of the town and thousands of people have flocked to view the different miniature aircraft on display.

Me in Cockpit (Captain Shristi) 

In a talk with Xinhua, Captain Bed Upreti, aircraft museum director, said the Dhangadi museum is not only the first of its kind in Nepal, but also in the whole world for having a display of down-sized models of all kinds of aircraft.

Tharu women in path of empowerment

A few years back, women of Tharu community in the far western region of Nepal were without exception housewives and were confined to cooking, washing dishes, gazing cattle on top of childbearing and breeding.

The times are changing, however, as Tharu women of this region have asserted themselves and are slowly being empowered. Some of them are now self-employed, doing odd jobs in order to earn and help in running their families.

Me in Tharu women' attire during trip to Kailali, Far-western region

Most of these women are no longer content with just being plain housewives waiting for their husbands to come home at sundown after toiling in the fields the whole day.

This week, 42-year-old Nirama Chaudhary was seen selling the hand-made jute items such as purses, bags, hats, pen-stands, interior decorative items, baskets and similar items in a fair in Dhangadi of Kailali District, some 500 kilometers from the capital Kathmandu.

Nepal's disabled people seeking basic rights

Nepal, which has around 3 percent of its population of 27 million who are considered persons with disabilities (PWDs), has been lagging behind other countries in ensuring their rights and privileges.

This stark reality has been highlighted during the observation of the 23rd International Day of Persons with Disabilities on Wednesday as Nepal's PWDs demanded access to new technology to enjoy life despite some form of physical defects.

Appropriately, this year's theme of the International Day for PWDs is "Sustainable Development: The Promise of Technology." But unfortunately, for Nepal's PWDs, they still lack easy access to technical devices and equipment that could contribute to their living a normal life.

Gadhimai Festival: Mass Slaughter

Despite global protest against the mass slaughter of animals as part of the celebration of the Gadhimai Festival in Nepal, the Nepali people have continued to preserve their century-old Hindu tradition.

The festival, which calls for the mass killing of animals as offering to goddess Gadhima, kicked off on Friday in Bariyarpur of Bara District, a border town with India some 160 kilometers south of the capital. Hundreds of thousands of Hindu devotees from Nepal and India participated in the ritual.

Devotees from Nepal and India flocked to the town starting at the wee hours of Friday, most of whom brought with them their prized livestock to be sacrificed for the month-long festival. The ritual started almost at midnight with people killing their buffaloes, goats, chickens, pigs, pigeons or even rats.

More than 100 locals have slaughtered their animals using their sharp khukuris in a dry field protected by high walls. Buffaloes were being corralled in holding pens as they are being readied to be slaughtered during the festival.

Motilal Kushwaha, the secretary of Gadhimai Festival organizing committee, said that they cannot speculate as to the exact number of animals or livestock to be sacrificed on Friday and Saturday, but it might be lesser than the past years due to protests.

But he said that some 7,000 buffaloes have already been registered for the mass slaughter as of Thursday evening. He could not give an estimate of other fowls or livestock that are going to be slaughtered.

The festival is held every five years where buffaloes, pigs, goats ,chickens, sheep, pigeons, among others, are sacrificed in order to please the goddess Gadhimai.

Migrants and their spouses highest-risk HIV AIDS group in Nepal

As the people across the globe are commemorating World AIDS Day on December 1, the prevalence of the HIV virus is found highest among migrants and their spouses in Nepal.

According to the latest report released by the National Centre for AIDS and STD Control of Nepal, 16 percent of the total HIV infected population in Nepal are labor migrants and their spouses. It is estimated that 40,723 people are living with HIV AIDS in the country.

SAARC: Concern on climate change

Amid deep concerns over South Asia as one of the most vulnerable regions for climate change, most of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation ( SAARC) state heads have pledged to focus and tackle the issue of climate change.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony of SAARC in Nepal on Wednesday morning, leaders of the South Asian nations stressed the need of joint efforts to tackle this global issue.

They were of the view that increasing natural disasters in the region due to erratic weather patterns, as a result of climate change, have inflicted a huge loss to the region. The SAARC leaders also highlighted the challenges of environment pollution and natural disasters.

Prime Minister of Nepal, Sushil Koirala, who is also the chairman of the 18th SAARC summit, said in his inaugural speech that it's high time to work collectively to confront the challenges of climate change for the benefits of the people in the region. "We call for a climate justice mechanism guided by the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and for activating funding mechanisms for adaptation and mitigation measures. No one has the privilege to pollute the planet without accountability," Koirala said.

According to the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)'s report "Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability"released in March, flooding, food shortage and stagnating economic growth are some of the devastating impacts South Asia might experience due to advancing climate change. "Glaciers are retreating, crop yields are fluctuating, water levels in our rivers and streams have receded and we are experiencing more extreme weather,"said Prime Minister of Bhutan, TsheringTobgay. He added that flash floods and landslides have become recurring events, causing widespread damage and destruction.

In recent years, the melting of Himalayan glaciers and devastating floods and landslides, cyclones in the South Asian region have grown high, risking the lives of more than 1.6 billion.

In October, a snowstorm disaster occurred in Nepal, resulting in the deaths of at least 43 people, Nepal's worst trekking disaster under the impact of cyclone Hudhud in India.

Global Risk Data Platform, under United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), states that Nepal is also among the top 10 countries in terms of Mortality Risk Index (MRI) for landslides.

Emptiness

I feel impatient with no reasons
Walk here and there, there and here
A thunder hovers across my mind
Sparkle in my little eyes

Butterflies play around my belly
Sit, murmur, jump, fly
I smile with no reasons, feel shy
I feel spring everywhere, sense of joy

I whisper with breeze, I dance
I jump, aspire to fly
High and high
I feel like a dream, a paradise

Only colors, blue and bright
A magic, a fire, a power
Oh its divine, love, only love
Just you and me, me and you
Ignore the world to create a new

I question, what do you want my dear heart?
It keeps being busy, just beat
Fast and fast, to and fro, up and down
I wait, but no hints of answers



I wonder again, why this desperateness?
I ask to my sweet heart again
You in love no? Yea, I knew it
I smile, blush, keep my eyes closed
Feel of victory, completeness, total


It remains silent, makes me eager
I wait and wait, minutes and hours
Until all is calm, all is well
 Neither answer comes, nor it nods


Wait is over, I can't wait more
I open my eyes, look around
Pin drop silence, all alone
Gone are every feeling, everyone


Puzzle. Dark. Blur. Black.
Then, I notice little light, all answers in a word
Meaning in a single word, world within a word
Emptiness

Ancient narrative dance "Kartik Naach"

For the past 12 consecutive nights, Nepali youths converged in the historic Patan Durbar Square in this capital to join in the preservation of Kartik Naach, a unique dance-drama performed since ancient times.To the accompaniment of throbbing music, the youths are trying to safeguard the unique form of 17th century narrative dance and attune it to modern choreography.

It is believed that the narrative dance is based on stories from Hindu mythology. The dance-drama portrays different stories related to "Vishnu Puraan," a Hindu holy book. The underlying theme of the whole performance is the triumph of god over evil forces.

Ravi Krishna Shrestha, a 45-year-old resident of Patan, played the role of Varaha, the god, during a performance on Tuesday evening. He played his role with artistic finesse. Shrestha has been playing the role of Varaha Avatar for the past eight years.

Increasing DV lottery craze in Nepal

E-zone, a computer institute in Kathmandu, was filled with more than 100 young Nepalese on Sunday evening, all of whom trying to get a U.S. visa through a lottery program called Diversity Visa (DV) being initiated by United States each fiscal year.

According to the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu, the Diversity Visa Program is administered on an annual basis, providing a maximum of 55,000 visas for countries with low rates of immigration to the United States.

As many Nepalese want to pursue their American dream, the number of young Nepalese who filled up forms for the 2016 Diversity Visa Lottery Program has increased.

Rita Baidhya, a 21-year-old resident of the capital, said that this was the third consecutive year that she tried her luck to get a U.S. visa through the lottery scheme of the U.S. Embassy. "I am again trying my luck by filling up this form. If I get lucky, I will work and live in the U.S. next year. If not, I will try again," Baidhya said while filling up her form.

As the lottery is simply based on the luck, there are no fixed criteria for the selection process. The lottery is conducted electronically on the official website of the U.S Embassy here.

The form consists of basic information about the applicant such as his or her name, date of birth, address, qualifications, marital status, a passport size photo and contact number.

Bubina Giri, a counselor hired by E-zone, said that they are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. with no lunch breaks. She said that there are around 500 applicants a day, adding that on weekends, the number of applicants usually increase.

Seeking brightness in cricket

When 22-year-old Nima BC appeared in a cricket ground of Kathmandu, there was no any single sign of gloom or frustration for not being able to see the world. Rather, she was filled with enthusiasm as she was playing the world's first ever Twenty20 International Blind Women cricket tournament. This girl from western Nepal did not enter school until 10, when she realized that she was visually impaired or in general blind. In the initial days of realization, she faced a lot of difficulties while adjusting with the sighted parents and friends in schools.

Nima, who was born blind, told Xinhua, "I love cricket a lot. I want to complete my study and want to be in teaching profession." Now, she is enrolled in a university for bachelors in education in the capital. 

Besides her, 13 other visually impaired girls from across the nation are in Kathmandu to play cricket tournament against similar team of Britain. The three-day tournament that ended Tuesday is being organized by the Cricket Association of Blind Nepal (CABN).

With a spirit to show the world that physically challenged people can have great achievements in life, they are busy in showing their best skills with bat and ball.

The bat is the same with the normal players, but the ball is different, which is made of hard plastic and filled with tiny ball bearings. Also, the bowling they perform is not as similar to the professionals. Bowling is underarm, which creates some kind of sound helping batsman to get ready for batting.

Before bowling, the bowler gives an audible signal and thus the batsman too gives an audible signal in return indicating the readiness.

According to the CABN, the Nepali blind women cricket team comprises 3 categories of visually impaired people. First are completely blind, the second group consists of partially blind players or who can see till 5 meters and the third, partially sighted players who can see till 20 meters distance.

Though they had a very limited time and opportunities for practice, the team clinched victory in all three days match against the Britons. Kirtan Duwal Shrestha, the team coach, said, "There are many difficulties to train the blind team as they are from different districts and need proper support from family as well. We don't have any opportunity to practice in both regional and national level."

Mind it

When the whole world was celebrating World Mental Health Day on October 10 with the theme, “Living with Schizophrenia”, there was no formal celebration of the day in Nepal. 

Upon inquiry, I found just one or two programs held by international organizations. This lack of celebration made me curious about the mental health status in Nepal. It was depressing to know that around 20-30 percent of Nepal’s population suffers from some sort of mental illness. It’s more unfortunate to know that maximum number of these people even don’t know about their own mental state or illness. 

Since no exact statistics on the number of people suffering from mental illness in Nepal is available, it’s clear that mental health is a neglected sector. Major mental diseases observed in Nepal are depression, bipolar affective disorder, and schizophrenia among others. Seventeen percent are suffering from depression and the victims are mostly females. Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Study 2008/2009 conducted by Family Health Division (FHD) of the Department of Health reveals that suicide is the number one cause of death for Nepali women. Depression generates suicidal tendencies in people. One percent lives with schizophrenia.

भिन्डीको अचार

Sometimes, we get bored of having same pickles (Achaar) every morning and evening, especially when its tomato & timoor. So, to change the taste of your tongue, here is a simple recipe of 'Bhindi ko Achaar'. Try this at your kitchen, you will love it as I do :)

Ingredients:

Ladies Finger

Black Teel

Ginger-Garlic

Oil

Salt

Lemon

Chilly

Dhaniya leaves

                                                                                     

           

Youth power

Last month we celebrated International Youth Day. The potentiality of youths and their contribution to national development hasn’t got the attention it deserves. It’s much necessary to enable youths to be active to fulfill their responsibilities. For that, it’s necessary to discuss the challenged faced by youths. 

The definition of youth may differ in different parts of the world. But generally, the population on the age group 15-30 is considered as youth, some claim it till 40 as well. Referring to the data of 2011, 28 percent of total population of Nepal comprises youths. This number has certainly risen now, with half of the youth covered by girls. 

Youths have high energy and potentiality. They have the zeal to challenge any obstacle and to rule the world. With the support of youths, any nation can attain a greater height in development and prosperity. So, it’s quite necessary to utilize their potentiality in right place. But in Nepal they are not even regarded as a crucial component for the development. Nepali youths are capable enough to join hands for national development, but their energy and potentiality are disregarded and being wasted in different unnecessary stuffs. Moreover, many youths affiliated with different political organizations and parties are busy in fulfilling vested interests of parties and leaders. 

बाबालाई हृदयाघात भएको त्यो रात

त्यो रात आइपिएलको फाइनल खेल हुँदै थियो। भाइ टिभी हेर्नमा मस्त थियो। यस्तै रातको साढे दस बजेको हुँदो हो। मेरो मोबाइलमा घण्टी बज्यो। यस्सो हेरें, ल्यान्डलाइन र एनसेलका नयाँ नम्बरहरु देखिए। त्यही कोठामा टिभी भएका कारण म आधा निद्रा र आधा ब्युझिँएको अवस्थामा थिएँ। हेर्दाहेर्दै ५ पटक मिस्ड कल आइसकेछन्। तर मलाई उठाउने जाँगरै चलेन।

सोचेँ, यति राति मलाई कसैले नयाँ नम्बरबाट किन कल गर्नु? त्यस्तो जरुरी के नै पर्‍यो होला र?

एकैछिनमा अर्को कोठाबाट ममी केही डराएजस्तो गरी मोबाइल बोकेर आइपुग्नुभयो। ‘बुनु, भाइको फोन छ हस्पिटलबाट।’ झसंग भएँ, निद्रा त एकैछिनमा गायब। उताबाट आवाज आयो, ‘तपाईँ अहिले नै हस्पिटल आइहाल्नुपर्यो। अङ्कलले तपाईँलाई नै बोलाइदे भन्दै हुनुहुन्छ। केही नसोध्नू अरु, आन्टीलाई केही नभन्नू, छिटो निस्किनू प्लिज।’ फोन गर्ने भाइ मेरो ठूलोबुवाको छोरा थियो जो केही दिन देखि हामीसँगै बसिरहेको थियो। पछाडि बाबाकै केही गुनगुन आवाज आइरहेको थियो। बुनु भन्ने शब्द कताकता सुनेझैं लाग्थ्यो। म अवाक भएँ, मुखबाट बोली फुटेन। एकैछिन अगाडि साढे आठ बजेतिर बाबालाई खाना खुवाएर हस्पिटलबाट घर आएको थिएँ। फोन राखेँ। सानोभाइलाई ‘स्कुटर स्टार्ट गर, हामी हस्पिटल जानुपर्छ’ भनेँ। ऊ पनि केही बोल्न सकेन। तल झरिहाल्यो। मैले दराजबाट स्वेटर र सल झिकेँ। ममीलाई भनेँ, ‘औषधी ल्याउनुपर्यो रे, अर्कै ठाउँबाट, म आइहाल्छु हजुर टेन्सन नलिई सुत्नू।’ सधैं प्यारो लाग्ने घर भूतबङगलाजस्तै लाग्दै थियो त्यो रात। कोही थिएनन् अरु। तल भाडामा बस्ने दाइहरु झापातिर गएका थिए।

Me with Baba during Mustang trip, 2070 Baisakh

Not just seats

Whenever we take any public transportation, we see that some seats have been set aside for women. It’s been many years since reservation seats for women have been allocated; however, nobody seems to respect the reservation. Most people clearly notice the text or sticker over the reserved seats but simply ignore or disregard it. However, things seem to be changing. 

These days, all public vehicles must strictly abide by the rules. Of late, implementation of reservation seats has been strictly monitored by traffic police at different check points. It’s a bitter truth that we Nepalis need traffic vigilance to follow a simple rule. However, as a result of rigorous monitoring these days, women are seen seated in the front seats with a feeling of pride, utilizing and fully enjoying their rights. 

There are also reservations for senior citizens and people with disabilities, but the biggest concern is undoubtedly regarding women’s seats. As a part of their campaign, traffic police have started taking actions against those who fail to follow the reserved seats rule. Drivers and vehicle assistants are encouraged to let women be seated in their respective seats. Now, men who used to seat in reservation seats have started leaving their seats for women. Since this regulation is being followed, either as out of compulsion or of own volition, it’s definitely a welcome sign.

Fish Curry : Saturday Special

You love fish curry, right?  But I am sure, you find cooking quite boring !! 

                       Here is the simple recipe :) Enjoy Cooking

Ingredients:

Fish

Onions

Tomato

Chilly

Sarsyu

Garam masala

Oil

Salt

Lemon

Paste of Ginger & Garlic

दालको फुलौरा

Fulaura is just a perfect menu for any rainy day, when you are inside home and watching your favorite soap-opera being inside warm blanket ! Great, if with Tea :) Here is the simple recipe:

Ingredients:

Maash ko Daal

Flour

Chilly

Salt

Oil

Paste of ginger-garlic
Tomato pickle

Process:

·         Wet Maash ko daal for few hours

·         Remove water and grind it in Mixture

·         Add salt, paste of ginger & garlic, chilly and few spoons of flour

·         Mix them well

·         Make small round shapes

·         Heat oil in pan and deep fry the round shapes of Maash, till its color is turned to red

·         Fulaura is ready

·         Eat it as snacks with tomato and timoor pickle

Awhhh...Delicious ! :)

Wake up

Few photographs of Constituent Assembly members, recently published in different newspapers, grabbed my attention. These photos clearly depicted the passive day-to-day functioning of the CA and the lawmakers. The most suitable caption for those pictures would be “sleepy and lazy lawmakers”. The purpose of the CA is to promulgate the constitution. That is why the representatives were chosen by the people in the first place. 

                                    
It is disappointing to see the same lawmakers dozing, yawning and playing with mobile phones during their office hours. They are in the CA to fulfill the dreams of general people by drafting the inclusive and people-oriented constitution. They were not forced to work against their will; rather they voluntarily came to people’s doors and committed to gift the people with the constitution. Were they chosen to relax, pass their time sleeping or playing candy crush in CA hall? 

सुन्यतामा हराएं

सपनामा डुबेँ
रहरहरु सजाएं
जब कल्पनामा रमाएं, तिम्रो प्रेमको स्पर्शमा बिलाएं
जब रङहरुसँग खेलें,  जीवन नै भुलाएं

आँखा खोल्दा तिमीलाई मात्र देख्न चाहें
जब ति मिठा पलबाट झसकिये
आफुलाई एक्लो पाएं,
सबै फिक्का फिक्का पाएं

जब संसार नियालें, आफुलाई रित्तो पाएं

सबैबाट भागन खोजे तर सुन्यतामा हराएं

Season of green

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when someone mentions ‘Shrawan’? If someone  sks this question to a Hindu woman, the answer would most likely be lord Shiva, fasting, a yellow dress, green bangles and mehendi. Shrawan marks the beginning of the festive season as major Hindu festivals like Teej, Dashain and Tihar follow and as such, the fourth month of the Nepali calendar has religious significance. It is regarded as the month of lord Shiva in Hindu mythology.

Throughout the month, Hindus avoid eating meat, onions and garlic, and some even fast every Monday as it is considered Shiva’s day. There is a myth that Prabati, Shiva’s consort, underwent a tough fast to get Shiva as her husband. Additionally, the month’s full moon (poornima) is considered auspicious as the star ‘Shrawan’ rules the sky. There is also a tradition of going on a barefoot ‘Bolbam’ pilgrimage for good health, wealth and prosperity. Apart from its religious importance, Shrawan holds special attraction for Nepali women.

Blatant loot

The results of School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examinations published few weeks ago, opening the door for higher education for a large number of students. Daily newspapers are filled with colorful and eye-catchy college advertisements. Students are confused about choosing the best college. Going through almost all the advertisements and word of mouth promotion by friends and relatives, an SLC graduate finds it tough to get admitted in the right college. 

Moreover, it is not only the students’ sole choice but parents; best friends and financial status also determine things. Because of it, a SLC graduate has to appear for entrance examinations in different colleges in hope of getting admitted in the most suitable one, fitting all criteria or standards.