Tuesday 5 May 2015

Oh, Nepal!

169th Post :

Oh, Nepal!

Peeping into the past, memories crowd my mind when I look back and recollect the wonderful moments that Nepal has presented me always. When I visited Nepal for the 1st time - forty years ago, in 1975, I found it nothing short of a slice of paradise - majestic, colorful and picturesque. This Himalayan kingdom introduced me to its people, its marketplaces and thoroughfares and also with its royal heritage spread across its length and breadth. The Pasupatinath Temple by the river Bagmati, the temple of Swawambhunath and the Bouddhanath Stupa, the Hanumandhoka Square, the Budhanilkantha have been ever alluring with their respective attractions.

Every time I visited Kathmandu, its Royal Palace, the famous Durbar Marg, Kanti Path, Ganesh Path and other lanes and markets were in my 'must see' list. The Durbar Squares of Bhaktapur, Patan and the city itself mesmerised me with their heritage looks. The pagoda like structures, the pillars, lanes and the iconic buildings and the monastries ever introduced me to their centuries old histories and traditions. The Dharahara Tower was simply majestic! I also remember having visited Pokhra, Dhulikhel, the Gurkha and other villages nearby, only to receive warm hospitality from their wonderful people. I still remember the cordial welcome addresses of 'aanus, aanus, bosnus' (come & be seated) by my local friends in Nepal and can not forget the warmth of their hospitality even today. I even purchased my 1st ever camera, an analogue, a twin reflex Russian, Lubitel 2 from a market in Kathmandu in 1975.

Memories crowd my mind when I look back into the past and recollect the memories I had in Nepal. Its exotic landscapes, incredible heritages and the smiling faces I came across - all added to my mind's canvas whenever I visited the royal Himalayan kingdom.  And to tell you the truth, Kathmandu and Nepal have been always too close to my heart!

The devastating earthquake dated 25th April 2015 changed the world of the Nepalis overnight. I sympathize with their agonies and woes and pray for peace of the 7000+ departed souls. I feel sorry for them and pray that normalcy be back to their lives as soon as possible.  When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure.

Robin Banerjee.
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P.S. : None of the pics below (except Pic No. 4 of Durbar Square, Kathmandu taken by me in 1984. Sorry for the poor quality of the old 'transparency'.) are owned by me and have been collected from Internet.