ARRIVAL IN KATMANDU

 

After the arrival at the airport of Katmandu around 6 pm, a Nepali – around forty years old – caught me and found a taxi for me. I was wondering what he wanted in exchange. He told me about one of his friend's guest house that could be very nice, clean and quiet for me. I told him that I just wanted to go to Thamel (touristic quarter of Katmandu), but still he took the taxi with me and brought me to his friend's guest house in Thamel (hehehehe).

 

I think he needed also a lift from the airport to Thamel. It was quite alright for a cheap price. But, at the end they convinced me, very kindly, to stay there for one night. I accepted. I remembered a guest house in Thamel in which I have already stayed five years ago. And I wanted to find this one for memories.

 

Still in this evening I wanted to search the guest house I knew. So I went outside in the direction where I supposed the guest house was. I went to a place to eat, and found free wi-fi at that place (very convenient). I discovered a Thamel quarter very different from what I remembered, some changes had occurred since five years. This place is more touristic than what I remembered, full of Foreigners, full of restaurants, bars, shops, and even some supermarkets, such as in Europe – even though in the Nepali style.

 

So, after my dinner, I was to give up my seeking of the guest house, while in the way back I saw a little street in the darkness. I went there and found finally the guest house. I was quite happy (youpie) to have found it. In the next morning I shifted.

 

 

MEETING WITH FRIEND

 

The next morning, a Nepali friend, Ram, had to meet me in front of the guest house, at the Om Restaurant. We had not seen each other since five years. After one or two coffees, he arrived. We recognized each other directly. We hugged. That moment was full of emotions. Then, we spent two hours to discuss. Half Hindi half French and another half English.

 

 

 

DASAIN : FESTIVAL OF GODDESS DURGA...

.... IN KATMANDOU

 

 

Coming in Nepal at that time was for me a way to assist to some ceremonies of the Dasain festival, as well to understand it better. In brief, Dasain celebrates the feminine goddess Durga and her different forms. It occurs from the new moon of October and lasts for the next fifteen days, that are the fifteen days of the waxing moon. I actually arrived only in the middle of this festival.

 

Ram near the royal palace, Durbar Square, Katmandu

 

So, we went to the Durbar Square of Katmandu to see the ceremony of Phulpati for Dasain. Phulpati consist of several kinds of plants which are brought from Gorkha to the Durbar Square of Katmandu, then to Jamal (quarter of Katmandu) and finally again to the Durbar Square of Katmandu to penetrate in the ancient Royal Palace.

 

Entrance of the Royal Palace

 

This happen specially on the saptami of month of ashvina, for the Dasain festival. The saptami of ashvina means in Nepali on the seventh day of the waxing moon during the month of October.

 

People go on this procession with musical accompaniment of the army's and police's bands. It is very formal and official. This day is always the seventh of the waxing moon, while the time in the day changes. The auspicious time for arriving to the Durbar Square is chosen by the astrologers. A lot of people are waiting for this. With Ram, we thought that the astrologers have a lot of power, they make wait so many people !

Katmandu, Durbar Square

 

 

.... IN BHAKTAPUR

In the next morning, that means the ashtami or eighth day of the waxing moon, we went to Bhaktapur. There, eight temples dedicated each to one particular form of Durga (Durga is the Godess par excellence who have a multitude of aspects) encircle the city, in order to protect the population. Four of them are situated on the four cardinal points of the city, while four other are situated between this four cardinal points. So, we visited some of these temples. First, the temple of Bahari, then of Mahakali, and finally Mahalaksmi.

 

 

Barahi temple                                      and around it, some shelters and houses

 

During this day, the ashtami (eighth), sacrifices are done by devotees, as sacrifices are often performed for the goddess, and rarely for the god. People perform sacrifices in front of temples, in the street as well as in front of their vehicles, specially to get luck in their future and no accident. The animals sacrificed are buffaloes, he-goats, chickens, ducks and sheep, but mainly we saw the he-goats and chickens in front of the temples.

 

 

 

However, coming from the temple of Bahari, in the street there was a crowd. They were all watching to what seemed as an improvised sacrifice of a buffalo. This buffalo was big and strong, and when it was struck the first time by the ax on its neck, it went on his behind-feet, and the crowd moved away. It was scary. And after few strikes the buffalo finally lied down in the street. It is believed that killing the buffalo by the first struck is a good omen, Ram told me. At that time definitely it was not the case.

 

That was the way one buffalo was sacrificed, and as for the he-goats and the chickens, they are first worshiped with water, flowers and rice put on them, then the devotees cut their necks from the front, pulling their head behind. The head is then completely detached from the body. Priests keep the head, while the devotees take the body to their houses.

 

Beside the temple of Bahari was also a place where some people cut and prepared the body such as butchers. To see this, was instructing, but also full of strange emotions. In the middle of the Durbar Square of Bhaktapur, some people sacrificed a he-goats in front of their vehicle, as well. At the end I had the impression it was as a game for people, and killing the animal was something to be proud of, such as a victory.

 

Mahakali temple                                              Mahalakshmi temple

 

Old woman, looking at the buffalo sacrifice and streets of Bhaktapur

 

Streets and Durbar Square of Bhaktapur

 

 

DHABA 1

After all these visions, we entered in a dhaba (little local bar-restaurant), with blue little doors. And as most of the time in Nepal you have to bend your body to enter. We had some snacks and some glasses of chang, a local alcohol made of millet. It is white, a little thick, acid and without gas. There was an old man there, who seemed to have drank to much chang ! The other clients of the dhaba were boys, young men, women, families.

 

After few hours in this dhaba, we decided to take the bus to Nagarkot. The chang made me sleep in this bus, and just few minutes before arriving I woke up. Nagarkot is a famous place to see the mountains in the sunset and sunrise. We did so. The moment past admiring the Katmandu Valley darkened while the little lights from houses began to light, filled me with peace and strength.

 

We had another beer, the tumba, the Tibetan beer. In a pint filled of millet and another substance, marja, they put hot water, and you drink this with a pipe. You can refill it three or four times before no taste come any more. This place smelt the mountains, with the hot drink and the perfume of the pines, and we could just hear the rain falling, nothing more...

 

 

NAGARKOT TO JAUKHEL

The next day we walked from Nagarkot to Shangu Narayan, through Khelkot, where a sanctuary is built and a statue of Dattrateya.

 

Dattrateya statue

 

 

DHABA 2

 

In Shangu Narayan again we stopped in a dhaba. Here was few people enjoying the Dasain by sharing some drinks. During Dasain people celebrate by drinking, so we had already began to celebrate Dasain few days ago...

 

JAUKHEL

Then we went to the house of Ram in Jaukhel. Night was already coming. You never know when you go out the dhabas. We arrived there in the night, so seeing something was difficult but it seemed like a small village with traditional houses, in the middle of which you could find some mustard seed fields, some fruit trees such as lime trees (these limes was the size of the oranges in Switzerland...).

We went to Jyotirlingasu, a little sanctuary dedicated to Shiva. Beside the several temples, where devotees come to perform their different rituals, there are places for the cremation of the bodies, there are 64 shiva linga (symbol of phallus of Shiva), a pati (shelter), and a little shop where it is possible to have tea.

When we went back from this sanctuary, I was invited very kindly to share meal in the main kitchen, with Ram and his wife, Saraswati. It was very small, very nice, the walls painted in blue and red (specially for Dasain). The floor seemed to me to be in clay, near the entrance was to pot of water, one fireplace on the other side, little stairs in the middle leading to rooms. Besides this room who looked very traditional for me, Saraswati offered me one glass of Fanta.

Dinner was very good and very impressive to eat in such a place, Saraswati was there and we couldn't communicate very well, because of the differences of languages. Still, she was always smiling at me. I was very embarrassed that she invited me and fed me, without being able to communicate really with her.

Then sleeping. Morning first again to Jyotirlingasu have a tea and cigarettes. After having come back Saraswati gave us breakfast and later also Dal Bat (rice with lentles and pickles). Afterwards, Ram accompanied me to the bus station and I waited for sometime for the bus.

 

Views of Katmanu Valley, from Jaukhel

 

KATMANDU : KUMARI

 

During the night, I went to the Durbar square of Katmandu again, and saw a very lively area there, with people walking, some for the worship, some just like that, some sleeping on the stairs of the temples, some selling fruits, as well as other merchandises. A line of people was taken place in front of the Kumari house, probably people wanted to receive blessing (tikka) from her.

 

The Kumari is a little girl worshiped as a living goddess, as a reincarnation of Taleju. Taleju is a form of Durga, as the tutelary goddess of the royal families of Nepal. She was used to come to play dice with the king, but once she was offended. After this, she told that she would not show herself to the kind, except in the shape of young girl under the age of the puberty, the Kumari. This little girl is still worshiped as the reincarnation of Taleju. And different cities have their own Kumari.

 

The Kumari of Katmandu, at least, is chosen according to her family and some rituals. The candidate have to go through a room with 108 heads of buffalo. The one who does not cry, who does not show any signs of fear will be chosen. When she is a Kumari, she lives in a special house in the Durbar Square of Katmandu, and devotees come for some special occasions to receive her blessing (Dasain). At the first drop of blood, wound or menstruation, she has to quit this role and go back in her family. The tradition say that, if she will get married, her husband won't have long live.

So, that evening, the evening of the dasami or the tenth day of the waxing moon, people were waiting to receive the blessing from this little prepubere girl.

 

 

KATMANDU : STREETS

The next morning, I walked around some places of Katmandu.

 

Various images of Katmandu : streets, Durbar Square, Thamel...

 

 

KATMANDU : BUDDHIST STUPA

Afterwards, I decided to go to Bodhnath. I took a little local bus (6-10 persons), which brought me throughout the streets of Katmandu to this place. It is a very famous Buddhist stupa. Stupa is a white round mound with two levels where people can walk, surmounted by a tour painted with golden color and with the eye of Buddha on it. It is believed to contain the relic of Buddha. This place is very peaceful, people just turn around this stupa gently, either in the ground either in the first level. The Stupa is surrounded by Tibetan shops, restaurants and guest houses. You have to enter a gate to go inside this “Tibetan” enclave, which contrasts with the noisy, crowded and lively streets outside.

View of Swayambunath (another big stupa of Katmandu)

A boy from India came to me when I was seating on stairs, enjoying this peace. We talked together and I learned that he repaired shoe. He told me that actually a lot of people came from India to Nepal to do this kind of works (barbers, … ) and that a slum was settled just behind the Buddhist Stupa, inhabited mostly by Indian people.

 

 

JIRI

Sometimes later in the evening, I met Ram again. We decided to go to Jiri in the next morning. Jiri was, according to a travel guide, 143 km far away from Katmandu (5 hours by bus).

 

So we took one local bus in the morning. It is an experience to live. There were so many people, that some had to stand up in the middle of the range of seats, while other had to go on the roof and will spend all the travel being shaken according to the mountains roads. In and outside these buses, you can see a lot of different people. Families, couples from upper class or low classes, peasants...

 

There was an old woman with three children, one teenager and two little boys. The old woman was wearing a red sari, she looked in a very traditional way. The combination of this woman traveling with these three children was very interesting. There was also a drunk man, who had some difficulty to stand up properly. Both the drunk man and the old woman did not have any seats. So the old man was trying during all the way to stay straight between the seats. And the old woman sat on bags in the middle of the range of the seats (that kinds of things that old women in our country are not able to do...). In brief, even without understanding nothing it was amazing to observe and hear all this life in the bus.

 

We stopped to eat lunch in a sort of hills station. A lot of buses were doing the lunch break, and in both sides of the road was a vast amount of dhabas to receive and feed the travelers. We halted there, hurried to take lunch thinking that we did not have a lot of time, but at the end the bus left...only two hours later, because of some technical problems...

 

By this bus, we went through 4 different districts, through valleys and hills, this travel was endless. Then it when dark it was 7-8 hours that we left Katmandu, we thought at that time to write to the editor of the guidebooks, in which it was written 5 hours travel...We did not know exactly where the bus were bringing us...We just felt the movements of the mountain road under his wheels...And tiredness also.

 

Lastly, when we arrived, it was around 8-9 pm. We could not see anything because the night was already there since a while. We walked in Jiri without knowing how the village was disposed...And found one guest house open. It was very nice actually. After having putting our staff in the room we went to the restaurant of the guest house. It was quite a small room, two sides have cushions and low tables which were joined together, in a manner which encouraged discussion and contact with everybody coming here and eating. The other side had an open kitchen and work plane, while the last side a large cupboard with every utensils for eating. There was also two big bowls in bronze decorated with swastikas. This house, as well as a lot of houses in this village, as we would discover the next day, was built with a lot of wood. And in this restaurant some of wood were painting in dark green, so that three colours dominated the room were white (walls), pure brown of the wood, and this warm dark green. After a deserved night, we discovered lastly the village. Not big, only one main road.

View of Jiri : houes, stupa

 

DHABA 3

We walked a little around, to finish in a little local dhaba, where we celebrated (again) Dasain with tumba. This was very good. Here also, seeing people talking, coming in and out of this dhaba was such as a movie. After few hours, we went out and walked again in the village. At the end, we bought some roxy (other type of Nepali alcohol) and drunk it in the middle of a river. We came back to the same restaurant and guest house, had dinner, and slept.

 

Tumba in dhaba                                      In the middle of a river                  Sunset

 

Next day : return back to Katmandu probably around 10 hours bus again...But still interesting scenes inside it. Indeed, around 9-10 hours later, we were back to Katmandu, had a last night there and my flight the next day. So that was my travel in Nepal, very entertaining, powerful and peaceful.

 

....END