Colourful Sadhus brighten up Shivaratri

By Meena Kaini

KATHMANDU - It might be a mere coincidence but the day of Shivaratri is almost always gloomy. Have you wondered why?

According to the devout, a chilly Shivaratri is an invitation to the devotees to light bonfires at night. You might argue why do you need bonfires? Isn’t Pashupati, the earthly abode of Lord Shiva, bursting with cremation pyres already? But it seems that there is a reason for the bonfires.

People say that the fire and its warmth is not for them but for Lord Shiva who quivers with cold in his abode somewhere up above. Lord Shiva, who many might say is the freakiest God in all of Hinduism, also happens to be one of the luckiest since devotees light thousands of bonfire all over the sub-continent to keep him warm, though only for one chilly night a year. The Lord might have slept well last night!

Shivaratri was more fun for the kids who sling a rope across the middle of the road and block off streets, often not knowing why they were harassing and blocking the commuters and vehicles. Small kids who couldn’t possibly stop one passerby seemed to enjoy the long wait for a man would finally turn up to give them some bucks.

Asked why they were blocking the way, a child ran to his gray haired grandfather and came back to reply that they were collecting money to buy wood for the fire to provide warmth to Lord Shiva.

Shivaratri day (Wednesday) saw throngs of people moving around with amused looks through the streets of Kathmandu. Shivaratri might not have been the only reason for the amusement in the capital where many amusing things occur at the same time. The large horde of Terai-based and Indian devotees in the capital speaks of Lord Shiva’s magnetism.

Groups of almost-naked sadhus, who enjoyed celebrating the festival by showing off their nakedness, attracted the attention of a good number of Pashupati-goers. Amused crowd staring at the naked figures for hours made the scene even more picturesque. I would not be surprised to hear people saying that they celebrated Shivaratri by watching naked Sadhus.

Photographers struggling to get the best positions to catch the right shots of naked Sadhus remind one of fashion shows that are frequently held in the capital. Photographers in similar poses, all angling to get the best shots. The difference is, in fashion shows the shots are aimed at the clothes, during Shivaratri, at the skin.

Whatever one’s impression, the sadhus, almost naked as they may be, do posess some eerie sort of elegance in their birthday suits.

For me, what was astonishing was their almost irksome capacity to stand incognizant to intense sounds and smells, the scrutinizing eyes and questioning looks of the huge mass surrounding them. Could it be the bhaang or simply their pure devotion to the lord Shiva? Or were they lost in religious thoughts?

On a different thought, the official holidays always offer relief to the commuters and others who run or own a vehicle on the streets of Kathmandu. But Shivaratri was different, where the Valley Traffic had to open alternate routes for the vehicles in order to manage traffic and crowds around the temple of Pashupatinath, where the thousands had converged.

But these occasions don’t just attract the devout. For some, Shivaratri was just an opportunity to keep themselves occupied and the crowds entertained - there was Laxman Singh Khadka in his latest reincarnation as a "Bagmati Cleaner." He has contested all the minor and major elections since 1990 (but has never won a single one) and was urging people and devotees not to take home water from the Bagmati River. Standing at the bus stop in New Baneshwor he was affixing his one-page appeal in all the buses that passed and to every passersby.

And for the gangs of teenagers huddled round bonfires as midnight approached, Shivaratri provided a legitimate excuse to smoke marijuana and swig beer and then crawling in the walls in order to walk, unable to balance themselves.

Shivaratri indeed made the streets unusually lively even till late at night with people and the fire in each corner. After all, all we need is a reason to celebrate and that we do with all our heart.

Health centre sans doctor in Baglung

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BAGLUNG, Feb 22 - People living in the western belt of the district need a doctor more for conducting post mortems than for treatment.

"We never hoped for doctors when there was no hospital in the district. Then, the clinic was constructed and the minister promised to send a doctor. Therefore, we expect doctors," said Jiv Lal Chhantyal Chairman of Adhikarichaur VDC remembering the inauguration of Burtibang Primary Health Centre.

Burtibang Primary Health Centre was established to meet the needs of two VDCs in 2053 BS. Inaugurating the health centre, Health Minister Arjun Narsingh KC had said he would send a doctor immediately. Many people have held the portfolio of Health Minister to date, but the health centre has never employed a doctor.

Chhantyal said that they did not mind much if they did not have a doctor for the treatment of living people, but he lamented the fact that they did not have a doctor to carry out the post-mortems of their dead. They were therefore compelled to carry rotting bodies to the district headquarters for post mortems.

He said locals only saw doctors during the mobile camps. Otherwise, they considered their AHWs or peons as "doctors".

A maternity home and X-ray building are under construction with the active initiative of local women. Local women are convinced that doctors will come to the area after these buildings are completed.

Liquor-related diseases, crimes on rise in Morang

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MORANG, Feb 22 - Social crimes and liver and kidney-related illnesses have increased recently in the district due to uncontrolled brewing and selling of illegal liquor, experts here said Thursday.

Addressing a one-day district-level seminar on Illegal Liquor Control organised by the Biratnagar-based Value Added Tax (VAT) office, Superintendent of Police, Krishna Bahadur Thapa, said that social crimes were increasing at an alarming rate due to the heavy use of alcohol.

SP Thapa said that on average 500 crimes a year, (more than 75 percent of total crimes) were entirely related to alcohol. He further added that teetotallers felt insecure due to the growing rate of alcohol-related social crimes.

Likewise, Dr Gyanendra Giri, from the Kosi Zonal Hospital, said that more and more patients were suffering from liver and kidney damage. Dr Giri said that main reason behind the liver and kidney damage is alcohol abuse.

VAT Director, Rammani Dawadi, said that unless illegal liquor brewing and its selling were curbed, the nation would lose millions of rupees in its revenue.

According to the existing law, a person brewing and selling illegal liquor is liable for six months imprisonment plus a fine of Rs 100,000.

General Secretary of Industry Association Morang, Shyam Poudel, said that his organisation was ready to cooperate in the control of home-brewed liquor. Poudel also claimed that such banned brands are still on sale in the local markets and he also alleged that political parties were backing liquor brewers.

Chief District Officer, Binod Gyawali, urged people from all walks of life to extend their cooperation to the administration for alcohol control.

Chairman of the Hotel Association, Morang, Rajan Shrestha, expressed confidence that the hoteliers would only sell those brands registered in the VAT office.

Chief of the Biratnagar-based VAT office, Madhu Kumar Marasini, said that more than 15,000 litres of illegal liquor were destroyed and a total of 967 people were charged with brewing or selling illegal liquor last year.

SLC exam centres to be located in municipality areas

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NUWAKOT, Feb 22 - SLC examination centres will now be located only in municipality areas for security reasons and due to growing indiscipline and unhealthy trends seen during the SLC examinations over the past few years in the district.

Earlier, nine SLC examination centres were run in different VDCs, including the centres in Tribhuvan Trishuli higher secondary school, Khadi secondary school and Bhairabi secondary school for the convenience of the SLC students.

However, it has been recommended to close down the six new examination centres located in the VDCs and to add other centres to different schools located in the district headquarters. The recommendations were made by the District Examination Implementation Committee to the Office of the Controller of Examinations.

About 5,000 students are expected to sit in the SLC examinations this year from the 52 schools of Nuwakot district, including three private English boarding schools and 49 government secondary schools.

Scholarships to students

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NUWAKOT, Feb 22 - Nepal Bal Sangathan (Children’s Association) Nuwakot distributed scholarships to ten poor but talented students of Nuwakot district at a function here on Thursday.

The scholarship was provided to them by German national, Elizabeth Golden. Each of the ten students will receive Rs 7,000 per year, for three years.

Recipients of the scholarship were awarded half a year’s scholarship jointly by Central President of Nepal Bal Sangathan (Nepal Children’s Association) Rita Singh Vaidya, Elizabeth Golden and compatriot Sylvia Lyner.

On the occasion, Golden, who offered the scholarship, said her country was known the world over for its high standard of education.

Students receiving the scholarships are Sangeeta Tamang (Bhimsen lower secondary school), Rama Devi Khatri (Mahalaxmi primary school), Santoshi Adhikari (BP Memorial primary school), Jiv Kumari Devkota (United primary school), Laxmi Nepali (Chwadi secondary school), Neeta Shrestha (Prithvi lower secondary school), Ful Maya Biswokarma (Batuk Bhairabi primary school), Jyoti Thapa (Narayandevi secondary school), Jenny Gajurel (Panchanya lower secondary school) and Gyani Tamang (Mangaladevi lower secondary school).

On the occasion, the foreign guests were presented with gifts.