Few hours at Pashupati Bridhashram

At a time when two powerful earthquakes followed by hundreds of aftershocks have terrified everyone in the Himalayan nation, there are also examples of some fearless souls who have no signs of fear to face death.

Among 230 seniors living at the only government's old-age home (Pashupati Briddhashram) located in Kathmandu, maximum looked calm as they are not anxious to face the deadly disaster.

Though the energetic youths leave their hopes at such moments, these people with wrinkle over all faces have accepted 'death as inevitable'.

Most of these personalities were kids when the powerful quake of 8.4 Richter scale occurred in 1934, whereas they have already experienced life till the latest quake.

88 years old Tirtha Maya Rai, originally from eastern region of Nepal, is among one of those fearless who did not run out of her bed located in a cozy and dark room during the quake.

Tirtha Maya Rai

"Everyone should die once in life. Why to get scared? Rather, I enjoyed the tremors as my bed was shaking left and right", Rai with a big smile on her wrinkled face shared at the old-age home on Monday noon.

Talkative and cheerful Rai has been living in the Briddhashram since childhood. She says her life has been beautiful till date though there is no affection or contact of parents or families.

On April 25 when the quake occurred, many of these old people were in the yard queued up with plates for curd and beaten-rice, as favorite of all.

Staffs at the old-age home informed that nobody was injured as nobody tried to run and protect themselves.

Mystery of 'Huey'

Two days have been passed since the discovery of the US military chopper, which went missing in Nepal since May 12 on its way to deliver the humanitarian aid to quake ravaged districts.

There are various speculations at the moment however the exact reason behind the crash of chopper UH-1Y 'Huey' is yet to be ascertained as the experts regard it as a highly sensitive issue.

The Home Ministry refused to talk about reason of the crash citing that the Nepal Army is responsible for the investigation into the matter.

"We don’t have any information. Nepal Army shall probe and come out with the exact details", Spokesperson of Home Ministry Laxmi Prasad Dhakal told on Sunday morning.

Dolakha Diary

On the third day of the powerful quake of May 12 that shattered beautiful Nepal, the situation of Charikot, district headquarters of Dolakha, some 130 kilometers away from the capital was totally depressing and barren.

The small city with tall and bright colored buildings had already turned into rubbles with the terrifying faces of locals, who have been witnessing the aftershocks for several times in a single day.

Exactly at a time when the Prime Minister and Home Minister along with other few leaders had reached the small city, the locals with tears on their eyes were preparing to participate in a funeral procession of 19 years old Anjila Poudel.

She was buried under the rubbles of five-storey Paradise hotel, located in the centre of the city while trying to escape the powerful disaster.

While the whole city was mourning, 39 years old Mingma Sherpa, the owner of Paradise hotel was weeping just behind the debris of her sweet-home, which is no more a home now.

"I and my husband worked very hard for years and constructed this hotel three and half years back with the life-long earning. And in front of our eyes, it has turned to rubbles now. My family members are safe but everything has been finished along with the quake", Sherpa with a heavy voice and tear son her eyes shared.

Tragedy upon Tragedy: Sindhupalchowk

(May 3 2015 )

Sindhupalchowk district had already suffered enough due to landslide in August, 2014 where 156 people were confirmed dead while hundreds of houses had swept away. It has just been few months, people were returning to their normal life forgetting the pain of loss of loved ones and rebuilding their collapsed and swept houses. 

They were trying to smile again gathering the broken and scattered parts.

But once again, the cruel nature snatched their smiles by taking away everything from them. Either its loss of family members or relatives, home, cattle or crops. Their strength, patience and hope, everything has been scattered once again. 

Saturday's earthquake is a doom to all Nepalese, but to the locals of Sindhupalchowk, it’s a bit more.

This district has recorded the highest death toll in the massive earthquake that jolted Nepal on Saturday noon as more than 2500 people have already lost their lives and the number is still in rise. Devastation of Sindhupalchowk can make anyone numb.

When I visited the place two days ago, the situation was quite terrific as people are still struggling to get some packet of biscuits or noodles and tent from the state side. 

It's already been more than a week, but the people are still waiting to have a single presence of the state, whose responsibility is to protect its citizens. 

Yes, we could notice hundreds of vehicles on the way with relief distribution programs written on the banner, but the locals have common plea, "when we will get some relief?" Either it was Sukute, Khaadi Chaur, Barhabise, Saaga Chowk or Chautara, the situation is similar. 

There are thousands of people but only few hundreds of tent so it's no way the relief program has been effective.

Barhabise has something different story, as it has tragedy upon a tragedy.