Kathmandu : One Year Hence

It was nearing end of first quarter, which for a lot of us in the banking industry just means impending truck loads of submissions and excels and more submissions which stretch on till you can possibly imagine. Also it was nearing Holi and a lot of my colleagues, flatmates and friends had gone off to meet family, just meant impounding the drudgery at work.

So just like that with no plans in mind I booked plane tickets for a quick getaway to Kathmandu. A lot of people asked why Kathmandu? And my answer, like to most why’s was; why not?!

For Indian passport holder, picking out random trips to other countries is really not the most straightforward thing. The countless documents, proofs and harrowing waits, then the expensive tickets, converting your currency etc etc just add up to a lot of headache which I was n’t willing to go through to get away from the aforementioned drudgery!

So Kathmandu is easy. Cheap flights, no Visa hassles for Indians, no problem for currency, no worries for language or food or clothes. Going to Kathmandu was tantamount to packing your bags for a night stay at a friend’s place you have n’t met for ages.

Also not to forget the view before one lands in Kathmandu. It is dreamy. Yes that is the word. To wake up mid air, glance out of your window and your eyes are locked by snow capped peaks perfectly offsetting the cyan sky.

Just the kind of come-hither I was looking for!

After a hopping flight via Delhi I landed in Kathmandu a little after noon. And the scene outside the airport, just as home. The cacophony, the haggling, the colours, the people, the send offs. don’t get me wrong, this is not a critique, just a re-affirmation that probably us Asians derive comfort out of chaos.

I quickly took a cab to my Airbnb hosts’ house and probably the second thing that struck me about Kathmandu was the dust. It was all over the place and it seemed really hard to figure if it was still from the aftermath of the earthquake or just urban planning gone woefully wrong.

The first that struck me was the hospitality, which would end up being one of my favourite aspects of the trip. Right from the airport where strangers helped me pick out the correct bus and then later haggle with taxi drivers, to my hosts Maya and Dipak who are one of the most charming and warm people I have come across!

Now since I was only going to stay for a couple of days so I decided to just focus on the Kathmandu valley and prepared to get charmed.

First up was the Swyambhunath Temple. Perched on top of a hill this place perfectly captured the essence of peace in chaos. Most of the temple area is covered with debris and construction material, yet the Buddhist chant “Om Mani Padme Hun” wafts through the air as you watch the sun go down on Kathmandu city amidst the fluttering, colourful prayer flags. The temple is made of thirteen spires which represent the phases of life and on top is the Nepali digit one which signifies unity.

My first day in Kathmandu ended with heaps of steaming dal-bhaath, sharing stories with Maya and Deepak and their two lovely daughters and finally dropping into a long ten hour slumber!

First morning in Nepal was waking up to lush green fields, steaming black coffee and three humongous pancakes! This was already turning out to be one of my favourite Airbnb stays thanks to Maya and Deepak. Plus I raked up some massive backpacking points by being able to use the Indian toilet without cramping my legs and also using a gas geyser without setting anything on fire! I’ve been travelling for more than three years now and it is fantastic how there is always something new to learn, always so much to grateful for that we usually take for granted.

To start off with I walked up to Thamel, the backpacking district of Kathmandu. I was told that Nepal imported most of it’s food items from India, but roaming around Thamel made me think if they also import their souvenirs! Most of the teas, the decorative masks and clothes all seemed like the same stuff I had seen in local markets in Shillong and Darjeeling.But then again considering how free the movement is across the border it should n’t come as such a surprise! My hosts would joke as to how the peanut butter and Nutella I had with my pancakes were bought from India on a shopping trip a few days ago! But Thamel like all backpacking districts across the world is bustling at all times with people from all nationalities, though here it is mostly trekkers buying their supplies before they set off. After a few hours of loitering around the alleys of Thamel i proceeded towards the Narayanhiti Museum. After the People’s Republic of Nepal was formed the royal palace was converted into a museum and was inaugurated by the then Prime Minister. the museum from outside looks desolate and eerie, but once you’re inside it is one of the most well maintained museums I have ever visited! From the wallpaper to the carpets, everything is absolutely immaculately maintained and really does take to back to a bygone era. The museum showcases the different ways the dignitaries of several states were wined and dined on their official visits. In the same complex as the Narayanhiti Palace is the Tribhuvan Sadan where in 2001 the royal family was massacred by the crown prince himself. The entire structure is demolished now, but a few walls still remain bearing bullet marks.

Finally I walked a few more kilometers further to the south of the capital to reach Kathmandu Durbar Square, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The entire site has numerous temples in varied but equally marvelous architectural styles amidst several open courtyards. Out of the three Durbar Squares (Bhaktapur, Patan and Kathmandu) this one is said to have seen the most damage in the 2015 earthquake and it was all quite evident. The site was predominantly either about debris or logs supporting whatever was left of the constructions or reconstructions going on. Most of the temples and structures are only partially standing and the entrance to the Palace was completely strewn with debris and is now flocked by hundreds of pigeons, which again undeniably does make a photogenic site, sad but photogenic. Very interesting to see though was the wooden carving on a lot of temples; in fact a few made completely of temples. Inside the palace premises, the floor was covered with wooden artifacts and carvings which once adorned the walls and will hopefully soon resume their rightful places. One of the tour guides was heard saying that post the earthquake all the art smugglers of the world were concentrated in Nepal and a lot of precious sculptures and artworks were lost during the same.

But even their half dilapidated state, one can easily make out the intricacies and delicateness of the beauty that once existed and how fantastic the entire square would have looked in its heydays and before the earthquake.

One of the most interesting sights in the Kathmandu Durbar Square is the Kumari Ghar. This is where the Kumari – the living reincarnation of Goddess Taleju lives. Maya and Deepak were telling me that from the Newari caste a young girl is selected to be the kumari who then with her family moves into the temple. And till she gets her first period she remains the Goddess and post that to being an ordinary mortal! One can get a sight of her every day at 4pm and several come to the temple to worship her. Interestingly the Kumari still continues with her education, only writes all exams from the temple itself!

Next day I decided to go to Bhaktapur, another ancient site, about an hour away from Kathmandu city. As usual there are several cars converted to public transport vehicles, rickety buses, spanking new buses, all sorts of vehicles available at intervals of a few minutes and most importantly there are friendly locals always available who help you board a bus in case they spot you looking all confused! But in general Asian sense and Hindi knowledge did take me a long way here.

I got off somewhere on the highway and with the help of directions from friendly locals and Google maps I walked a few winding lanes to enter the Bhaktapur Durbar Square from the Potter’s Quarter. This is the centre of Bhaktapur’s ceramic industry and as you walk around you can see houses, courtyards, windows lined with rows of finished and unfinished pots set out to dry in the sun.

As one starts moving around the other squares, the devastation from the earthquake is only much to visible. One of the most impressive and relatively well preserved structures was the 17th century Siddhi Laksmi temple. With huge steps leading to the temple, flanked by lions and horses, the top of the temple provides a reasonably good panoramic view of the courtyard.

Rest of the complex houses the remnants of the Royal Palace, the Taleju Bell, a broze statue of king Bhupendra Malla, the Char Dham temples and several tiny souvenir shops.

Post Bhaktapur I took a quick detour to Changu Narayan. This small temple perched on top of a hill is another UNESCO World Heritage site. A short walk, and a 30 minute ride in a bus cramped till every last inch, we reached the historic site which is a living museum of the cravings from the Lichhavi period.

My final destination in the Kathmandu valley was Patan which also happened to be my favourite of all the three durbar squares. Patan is supposed to be the oldest city in Nepal and its name means the city of art. I reached much before the inflow of the tourists groups started so I had sufficient time to meander around the alleys, soak in the remnants of a kingdom long lost, and just sit on a roof top cafe, write, sip on my coffee (probably from India) and watch people take selfies with the debris.

Lastly, after much heartbreak over the historic sites being in ruins, I almost broke down when I saw Bodhnath. Once Asia’s largest stupa, white washed to perfection with its gilded tower and the all seeing eyes on Buddha painted on top, was now just another of the sites under reconstruction. However in spite of its current state, it was by far one of the most peaceful sites which prayer flags fluttering and monks and pilgrims circling the stupa, and chants wafting in the air.