Artist who writes with light

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KATHMANDU, Oct 11 - It took young, Kishor Kayastha seven years to bring out his exclusive collection of forty photographs in front of the public. His collection is on display in his first solo exhibition being held at the Park Gallery in Phulchowk.

His photos are exclusive because they possess not only pictures taken blankly from a camera but also carry his feelings and his artistic views combined with great technical ideas. Any layman once laying their eyes on his works cannot help but pour out their appreciation for his magical works. And this was proved when eleven of his works were sold out in the first day of the exhibition.

" I want to do something different than the others. Each of my photographs is a rare piece. To complete one piece, I sometimes take even two to three years to capture the vision that I want. I compare my photography to paintings, the camera is my brush and the colours are my light", says this young photographer who has been gifted with an amazing skill in the art of photography.

Born in 1978 in Bhaktapur, Kishor has been involved in the world of photography since the very young age of 9 where he started his career working in his family studio in his hometown.

Kishor’s strong love and adoration for photography reflects childhood upbringing well grounded in the same field. His father, mother, sister and grandfather all have same interests and his parents and grandfather have taken it up professionally. They have all been a real source for his leaning towards this creative field.

He shares his earlier experiences in Kathmandu when he came here in search of help to be able to display his works. "I remember the times when none of the artists of Nepal were ready to help me get a break. They would only feed me with heavy lectures, which were all worthless for me", he says.

"I was a nobody till three days back and suddenly it is so unbelievable to see that this exhibition has given me such a good exposure and a good number of people are seeing my works and have come to realise and recognise my efforts," he adds.

Kishor has been able to reveal a mastering sense and accurate ability to capture the dramatic light within the beautiful and somewhat timeless historical settings of Bhaktapur. His theme for the exhibition "Images of Bhaktapur" explains his collection.

According to Thomas L. Kelly, a worldwide famous photographer, "Kishor knows how to write with light". Mani Lama and Nick Dawson, two of Nepal’s renowned photographers have also expressed their sincerest appreciation for Kishor’s exquisite works.

Kishor has captured the moods and the amazing environment of his native place Bhaktapur and its environs. He has played very well with the light in all his photos. His pictures are all technically, superbly vast.

"My happiest moment was when my first photograph was the only photograph sold in the entire exhibition held by the Photographic Society in 1999. The German Ambassador was my first customer. I was very happy because he was so impressed with my work that he paid 5000 rupees instead of the tagged price 2000,"he said.

"My next progressive step would be to take a picture of the historical Taj Mahal and bring it to the level of comparison with the famous photographer’s abroad. I am even interested in doing abstract photography", he says.

His works presently on display in the exhibition at The Park Gallery, Phulchowk, will continue till Oct 21.

Teachers’ role in promoting peace highlighted

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KATHMANDU, Oct 11 - Speakers at a talk programme entitled The Role of Teachers in Promoting Peace shed light on the role of teachers in creating a peaceful world on yesterday.

At the function, they also expressed their grave concern over the present education system which failed to impart "peace education" to students.

The programme was organised by the National Federation of UNESCO Associations of Nepal (NAFUAN) on the occasion of International Teachers’ Day.

Deputy Speaker Chitra Lekha Yadav, who was also the chief guest, speaking on the occasion, said that the objective of education must be to impart non-violence to recipients. " Unless teachers impart ‘education of non-violence to students, the purpose of education will not be fulfilled," the Deputy Speaker said.

She also criticised the government for not allocating sufficient budget in the education sector. She further said, " It is the responsibility of the State to keep the education sector in a good situation".

Other speakers at the programme said that education alone is the only means to transmit peace in the minds of students and thus bring peace in the present world which is full of violence.

Those speaking on the occasion were Khagendra Basnyat, Secretary General of Nepal National Commission for UNESCO, Ramesh Prasad Gautam, President of UASCC, Dhruba Bahadur Shrestha, Member of NAFUAN, L. Dorje Lama, Vice-President of NAFUAN, Krishna Bahadur Manandhar, a senior headmaster, Dambar Bahadur Thapa, President of NAFUAN and Pitamber Dahal of Padma Kanya Campus.

The programme was held under the chairmanship of Manorama Rana, Vice-Chairman of NAFUAN.

Nation observes World Vision Day

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KATHMANDU, Oct 11 - The World Vision Day was observed with various programmes and awareness activities, states a press release issued here today.

According to the release issued by BP Koirala Lions Centre for Ophthalmic Studies, the Day was observed with the theme "Let’s All Join Together for Vision".

This day is observed on the second Thursday of October every year with the aim of creating awareness about blindness, states the release.

In Nepal, around 180 thousand people are blind among whom 130 thousand have been suffering from blindness due to cataract. It can be cured through minor surgery but unawareness in the society has been termed as the impediment to the solution of the problem. In Nepal, eye injuries caused due to agricultural occupation have been seen as the major reason leading to blindness.

According to WHO estimation, there are around 40 million blind people and the other 13 million people are found to be suffering from poor sightedness in the world. Within this context, more than 80 per cent of the causes of blindness or poor sightedness can either be prevented or cured by treatment.

With the help of Nepal Ophthalmic Society summoned awareness programmes in various eye hospitals of the country,B.P. Koirala Lions Centre for Ophthalmic Studies conducted free treatment campaign, the release adds.

Strategy against child trafficking discussed

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KATHMANDU, Oct 11 - A two-day national consultative workshop to review the national working plan against child trafficking for sexual exploitation is being held in the capital. The workshop is being participated by children from 21 districts of Nepal and will discuss major issues concerning child labour, exploitation and trafficking in children during the workshop.

Speaking at the workshop, Gauri Pradhan of Child Workers’ In Nepal, CWIN, said, "Children of this country have participated in all areas of development, be it in industrial or private sector at home. But it is high time they make decision for themselves so that every child in Nepal is not deprived of education."

Pradhan also said that the development of a nation depends largely on the children of the nation. These children participating in the workshop will take the message to their schools, homes and villages.

‘NTV Unplugged’ goes on air tonight

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KATHMANDU, Oct 11 – NTV Unplugged, something producers say is a new and different musical entertainment programme created with a digital technology sound, is going on air on Nepal Television from Friday.

The musical programme, featuring Nepali pop, rock and other forms of modern songs and music, will be on air after the English news bulletin that is transmitted at 9:15 p.m., producers of the programme said at a press conference held here Thursday.

"We will be promoting young talents, who will be provided with an opportunity to present themselves through this half an hour programme," said Diwakar Pande, Chairman of the House of Entertainment (P) Ltd, the producer of the programme.

He added, "The programme will also feature famous artistes presenting their creations along with the memories of their past struggle to their present status and will also provide a chance to relatively new and unknown but promising singers, musicians and musical bands to present their talents to the public."

The chief producer of the state-owned television, Prakash Jung Karki, commenting on the programme said, "Ever since the NTV has gone satellite we have been making efforts to increase the quality of all our programmes, and it looks like this programme is going to make a difference."

According to the organisers, the programme’s first few episodes will be presenting such popular and upcoming artistes like Sanjeev Pradhan, Nalina Chitrakar, Dhiraj Rai among others. Prabhat Rimal, the Radio Jockey of the Kantipur FM will be hosting the show.

Festival raises hopes of tourism boom in Mugu

By Yagya Bikram Shahi

GAMGADI (Mugu), Oct 11 - Preparations for the three-day Rara Fair, which is being celebrated for the first time on the shore of the country’s largest Rara Lake, is almost complete.

Rara lake is located about two hours trek from here, the district headquarters. The fair will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba amidst a decked function.

Hundreds of people from different walks of life, including foreigners, have already thronged on the lake to observe the gala beginning on Friday.

The fair is organised by the Mugu District Development Committee (DDC) in cooperation with Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), a body promoting Nepal’s tourism industry within and outside the country.

Earlier, the cherished fair had been scheduled to be celebrated on June 6-8 but it had to be postponed for indefinite period due to the June 1 Royal Palace massacre.

The main objective of the festival is to boost up tourism in the difficult-to-reach-district that is proud of having such a magnificient lake at a fairly high altitude. Mugu is the least developed district in the country in terms of human development index.

"Thousands of tourists would love to visit the lake and experience the pristine beauty of the area provided that it is well publicised in national and international tourism maps," said Purilal Sawad, a member of the fair organising committee.

Considering the natural beauty of Rara lake and its periphery, the government decided to develop 106 square km of area as the Rara National Park about 26 years ago. Mugu DDC chairman Mohan Baniya, however, said the government has neglected the area despite its potential of developing it as the country’s one of the major tourism destinations.

"The entire district is not connected with road. But construction of the Talcha airport that began about 24 years ago has not been completed yet," Baniya said. He also criticised the government for not allocating a single penny for the district under the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation during the current fiscal year.

The Rara Fair has invigorated new life in the entire district. People are fascinated with the news that a large number of people, including some foreign guests, are going to visit the lake.

"We will see foreigners as well. It is the happiest moment for us," said a priest of a local temple laying on the way to Rara Lake. Members of the Rara Fair organising committee are busy in arranging for a convenient travel of the tourists from Surkhet airport from where private airlines will fly in the lake at discount fares. "We have a good flow of tourists this time," said Prem Bahadur Malla, a member of the organising committee, assigned at the Surkhet airport to make sure for the air travel. Other tourists who prefer two to three-day trek to Rara Lake can also begin their journey from Jumla and Bajura airports.

The organising committee has expected that around 5,000 people will take part in the three-day fair. Local culture, landscape and herb will be the major features of the festival. DDC chairman Baniya said there will be 13 display stalls in the festival being celebrated for the first time on the lakeside. Preparations for holding Rara Festival on the bank of Rara lake, the biggest lake in Nepal, have been completed. Foreign tourists have started to converge here to participate in the three-day festival being organised for the first time.

The festival to be held in collaboration with Mugu District Development committee and Tourism Development Board will be kicked off on Friday. This festival was originally scheduled for June but it was postponed after the Royal Palace massacre.

Although the district has been regarded as backward from the view point of human resources development index, Rara lake is the best ornament of this district. However, Rara lake and the beautiful landscape in the district are not adequately popularised. The main thrust of the festival therefore, is to popularise this beautiful destination , publicity committee member Puri Lal Sawad said.

Tourist destinations , such as Rara National Parks, Murmatop, Hayanath temple, Chhayanath and Gadulnali have remained unknown due to lack of publicity. Mugu DDC president Mohan Baniya, who is also chairman of the festival organising committee, said the government had not paid attention to the development of tourism sector in this district.

Even the airport which the government started to construct in Mugu 24 years ago has not been completed, he added.

People of Mugu have been encouraged with the arrival of tourists for the festival. Prem Bahadur Malla, convenor of transport committee of the festival, said tourists were sent to the festival at 20 percent discount fare through the helicopters of Gorkha, Ananya, Manang and Asian Airlines. "There is a good flow of tourists", he added.

Necessary arrangements have also been made to help the tourists to reach the festival site from Jumla and Bajura airports by trekking two to three days, Baniya said.

The target of the festival is to draw around 5,000 tourists in the festival which is expected to be inaugurated by the Prime Minister .Apart from holding sports and cultural programmes and showing a documentary, exhibitions of photos, medicinal herbs, local food items and handicrafts are some of the highlights of the programme.

Cow urine therapy camp in the offing

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MORANG, Oct 11 - A resident of Biratnagar-18 was cured of jaundice after regularly taking cow’s urine for 40 days.

Lattu Yadav, who was seriously ill after he was attacked by jaundice reached local hospital where the doctor declared that his disease was incurable.

Yadav said, " When the doctor said treatment is not possible for the disease, I started taking cow’s urine.I continuously drank this medicine for 40 days under the supervision of Shreekrishna Go Sewa Sadan Biratnager and I have completely recovered now."

He took this medication every morning in his empty stomach with 50 ml in one dose and he fully recovered.

Like Yadav, there are around 200 people here taking cow’s urine regularly to cure themselves of various diseases. Shreekrishna Go Sewa Sadan based in Biratnagar-18 has been providing cow’s urine to people suffering from various diseases.

That cow’s urine can cure various diseases has been proved in course of a study conducted at Indore Gomutra Chikitsa Ebam Anusandhan Kendra (Indore Cow’s Urine Therapy and Research Centre), according to Din Dayal Agrawal, chairman of Go Sewa Sadan.

As the study conducted by Birendra Kumar Jain, chief of Indore Research Centre proved that various diseases could be cured by using cow’s urine, about 200 people are taking cow’s urine regularly over the last six months to cure themselves of various curable and incurable diseases such as indigestion, acidity, epilepsy, dizziness, cancer, piles, prostate, diabetes, ulcer, constipation, gastic, anemia, eczema , spleen disease, liver disease, blood pressure, ear disease, bacteria, cough, dental disease, insomnia, nose and eye diseases, stone, skin disease etc., chairman Agrawal said.

As the urine of hybrid cows is not useful, patients are provided with the urine of local breeds of cows. About 10 to 12 litres of local cow’s urine is used as medicine every day in Biratnagar.

A resident of Biratnagar-12, Kanta Maru, got rid of stomach pain and thyroid disease of the throat, which were afflicting her over the last 10 years, after she took cow’s urine regularly for eight months. When doctor’s medicine failed after she used it repeatedly for so many years, she started using this therapy on the advice of the Sadan. "Now I don’t have stomach pain and throat problem," she said.

Similarly, Haricharan Sharma of Biratnagar-8 who is suffering from cancer has found that there is no pain in his cancer wound and the wound is also getting well. Although he had been visiting B.P.Koirala hospital in Dharan over the last two years, he has been taking cow’s urine over the last five months and he has stopped going to the hospital now.

"The doctor was surprised when I visited him once after taking cow’s urine for two months," Sharma said .

In the light of these positive developments, Shreekrishna Go Sewa Sadan Biratnagar has decided to run a cow’s urine therapy camp to cure people of various diseases using this wondrous drug named "Gaunt" (cow’s urine) in an attempt to popularise this therapy and make it more practical.

The camp will start from coming Saturday and will continue for 10 days. Talking to the press here on Thursday, the Sadan informed that Birendra Kumar Jain, founder of Cow’s Urine Therapy and Research Centre, Indore, will provide training on this therapy at the 10-day-long camp free of cost.

Birendranagar faces drinking water shortage

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SURKHET, Oct 11 - The problem of drinking water has become acute in Birendranagar Municipality due to the increasing pressure of population as a result of migration from the hilly districts of Mid-Western Region.

The drinking water project was launched in this municipality keeping in view the needs of people for two decades. However, since the increase in population exceeded the estimated rate of population increase, there has been shortage of drinking water in Birendranagar, according to Surkhet Drinking Water Office.

The water supply started 27 years ago and a total of 1,200 water taps have been distributed. under the system, but applications from more than 5,000 individual customers and 40 applications for collective water taps are pending due to shortage of water to be supplied to them, technician of the office Purna Poudel said.

The source of the water has been declining gradually and the capacity of the water has also declined from 30 litres of water per second to 21 litres of water per second. In the dry season, the capacity declines further to 15 litres per second. As the existing drinking water project was unable to cope with the needs of the fast growing population, another drinking water project has been initiated at Jhupra khola since last year.

The municipality needs 2.7 million litres of water per day and 1.2 million litres of water is currently being supplied in the morning and the evening, according to the user committee of Jhupra Drinking Water Project.

The project aims to fulfil the drinking water needs of Birendranagar Municipality and Uttarganga, Latikoili and Jarbuta VDCs after the water is brought from Jhupra Khola, about five kilometres north of Birendranagar under the project, but the project has not kicked off as yet.

Even the detailed survey is yet to be conducted for the project which is to be completed in three years at a cost of an estimated Rs 13 million.The social impact study of the project has also started only recently, months after the agreement was signed.

The drinking water needs of the local people will be met only after the completion of the drinking water project at Jhupra khola with the capacity of 80 litres of water per second.