East meets West at Hyatt

The last time I had a nice, aromatic spicy Hyderabadi biryani was in Delhi. Then it was history. From then on, the Biryanis I had in various places inKathmandu were some kind of furiously beaten rice with lots of masala and a huge chunk of meat, improperly cooked, buried inside the heap of a turmeric spilled rice. I had dreaded ordering biryanis since then. But then I recently tried somekebabs and biryani at The Cafe in Hyatt Regency, as part of a festival there. The biryanis were a specialty there in real Nawabi style, offering variations in meat, sea- food and vegetables, but I had the usual Nepali tendency to try the biryani with chicken and mutton.

Master chefs of Indian cuisine have recreated the magical aroma and flavorsof the northern frontier. Exquisite kebabs were plated with different lip smacking achars cooked with attention to the finest of spices and marinades. So this weekend take a break at The Cafe in Hyatt Regency with steaming spicy hot Indian delicacy near the refreshing pool.

Also in the evening, at the Rox Bar, one could enjoy perfect and beautiful little spears of selected baby white asparagus brought all the way from Holland and real black forest ham imported from Germany for the occasion. These are combined to give delicacies like jumbo prawns wrapped in black forest ham served with fresh white asparagus and basil hollandaise. Not only that, they even invite you to make your own selection with the Chef’s recommendation.

It was indeed a great production that came right out Holland and Germany,a delight to everybody who could not resist the temptations of eating more inspite of being full. According to Sanjay Keswani, the new chef at Hyatt, this white delicacy is easier to prepare than to harvest. White asparagus is "gourmet" food, thicker, tenderer and much tastier. He adds in, for many of you, asparagus is an accompaniment, used in salads, soups, or quiches. But in the "white asparagus" areas of Holland, and for seven short weeks, it is a main meal in itself and is served warm, with potatoes, slices of ham orpieces of salmon, and hard-boiled eggs with lots of melted butter. If you can make it to Hyatt, then the whole spread is ideal even if you are looking for something quick or if you have time on your hands,something more of the leisurely type. But hurry its open till the 27th of this month.

Brick kilns on health

It is estimated that the brick kilns in Kathmandu valley are using approximately 500 hectors of fertile land for brick making.

By Anil K. Raut

Brick making is one of the traditional crafts in the Kathmandu Valley. Evidence indicates that brick making was in practice as early as the Lichchhavi Period. Today, with rapid urbanization brick making has become more widespread and profitable, as brick is the main building material in Kathmandu. However, the growth of Kathmandu’s brick industry has brought with it significant environmental and health problems because the industry is using poor quality fuel and very inefficient technology.

According to a study conducted by Environment and Public Health Organization (ENPHO) in 2001, there are around 125 brick kilns in Kathmandu valley alone. Of these, over 90 per cent are of Bull’s Trench type kilns, which supply 87 per cent of the total brick demand of the Kathmandu Valley. As the Bull’s, Trench Kiln runs seasonally and many of the kilns are operating illegally, the actual numbers of kilns under operation vary by year.

The Bulls Trench Kiln is an old and inefficient technology, which has been banned in India, the place of its origin. The main problem associated with this technology is the excessive air pollution it causes. A World Bank study conducted over five years ago estimates that the brick kilns in Kathmandu Valley are responsible for about 31 per cent of the total suspended particulate matter (dust) in Kathmandu’s air. As most of these kilns are operating in the southern and south-eastern belt of the Kathmandu Valley, the prevailing south-west wind blows the pollutants to urban areas.

Recent studies done by Clean Energy Nepal in Tikathali VDC in Lalitpur and Jhaukhel VDC in Bhaktapur indicate the air pollution in brick kiln affected areas three times higher than normal. In Tikathali the concentration of PM10 (particulate matter less than 10 micron) during the brick-making season was found to be 602.16 microgram per cubic meter while in the off-season it was only 217.95 microgram per cubic meter. Similarly, in Jhaukhel PM10 concentration in an area with brick kilns was found to be 568.78 microgram per cubic meter while it was only 158.33 microgram per cubic meter at Sipadol area, a valley background.

PM10 has direct relation to the human health, as these particulates are small enough to pass through the nose and go into the respiratory system causing problems such as asthma and bronchitis.

A recent medical check-up programme conducted by Clean Energy Nepal and Pro-Public at two schools showed that young children studying at High View School, located next to the kilns in Tikathali, suffer more from respiratory problems than students at Valley Public School in Lamatar, which does not have brick kilns in its immediate vicinity. When a doctor examined over 100 children, under the age of five, in these schools, only 3.85 per cent of the examined children at Valley Public School showed signs of abnormality of Lower Respiratory Tract (LRT), where as in High View School, this number was 50.85 per cent. Similarly, a look at the attendance record showed that the absentee rate at these two schools, were very different. On an average, a student was absent 3.6 days per month at the school located near brick kilns, while the figure is only 1.9 days per month at the school located away from the kilns. As ill-health is normally the main cause of children being absent in school, this also indicates that the kilns are having an adverse impact on the health of local people, particularly young children.

Loss of soil fertility is another environmental cost of these kilns. It is estimated that the brick kilns in Kathmandu valley are using approximately 500 hectors of fertile land for brick making. Studies have shown that concentrations of essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are very low in the fields that have been used by the brick industry as the kilns use fertile topsoil. Farmers say that the production in their fields drops significantly once brick kilns use the fields. Many farmers often use chemical fertilisers to improve the soil, but these causes further environmental problems. Areas that have been used by brick kilns also suffer from other problems such as small landslides and drying of water wells.

Despite its environmental problems, there is need of brick as construction material in Kathmandu. Therefore, although it may not be possible to close down all kilns the problems of poor quality fuel and inefficient technology must be addressed immediately. Most of the kilns in Kathmandu valley have been found to be using poor quality coal, sawdust, fuel-wood, rice husk and sometimes even old tires as fuel. A study conducted by Tata Energy Research Institute in India indicated that improvements in this Bull’s Trench Kilns can save energy consumption by 20 per cent and reduce dust particle by 10 times. Similarly, other technologies such as Vertical Shaft Kilns and Fixed Chimney Kilns are also available which are more efficient and environment friendly. Introduction to these technologies in Nepal can also save both economy and ecology.

Heritage tour  
Ranamukteshowr : Running away from Guthi Sansthan

By Razen Manandhar

We Nepalis now and then boast of our heritage, the gift of the past for the future generation. But, it is a tragedy that a 175 year old temple of Lord Shiva in the heart of the capital is on the verge of extinction, mainly because of a government body that earns money out of such priceless monuments. The two-storeyed temple of Ranamukteshwor, which is a representative of Shah architecture of Nepal, lies just behind New Road.

The temple does not have any written inscription now. According to ‘Devmala Chronicle’, it was built by Commander-in-Chief General Bhimsen Thapa in 1827 in memory of King Rana Bahadur Shah, who was assassinated at the same place by his younger brother.

It is constructed in Rajput style that was new to Nepal in those days. That is why a chronicle narrates that it was constructed in "foreign style". This indicates that it must be one among those which introduced new type of religious architecture to Nepal (that later became an icon of Rana architecture). This type of temple hides brick walls and covers it with a coat of plaster, making the temple more eye-catching.

The temple stands on square-shaped stone plinths, and looks like a set of cubes, added one on another. There is a stone staircase at the southern side to reach the temple entrance. Four artistic stone doors with Kheppus on their top are there but only the southern one welcomes pilgrims. Wooden panes are added on the doors that have relief figures of Mahadev, Parvati and bulls. The first floor has lattice windows with porch structures around them and four temple structures are made of gilded pinnacles. A big dome is made on the top that has a glistening pinnacle and a small Trishul, protected by four snakes’ figures.

There are small but beautiful temples of different Hindu deities around the main temple. The temple of Ranamukteshwor was established according to Panchayan system, that is, the Shiva is worshipped along with Ganesh, Surya, Devi and Vishnu. Altogether, the courtyard is enriched with 18 stone idols of Bhringi, Kuber, Indra, Ganesh, Brahma, Kamdev, Dharmashila, Ramraj, Birbhadra, Niriti, Nandi, Barun, Basuki and Bayu.

The maker of the Ranamukteshwor temple also constructed an elegant octagonal sattal (rest house), circulating the temple premises. The facade facing the street and each of the inner facades of the sattal have beautifully carved windows and doors.

But the temple has been a constant victim of encroachment, both from the public and the government sides since long. The broadening of the Jhochhen-Khichapokahri road has made the northern part of the circulating sattal lopsided. Half of the circulating sattal, of southern and eastern side, has been completely destroyed. And the northern and eastern portion is now surviving somehow, though the woodworks, walls, veranda and tiled roof have been destroyed or deformed very much.

The northern part of the historical sattal is now used as Nirmal Lower-Secondary School. Obviously, it has distorted most of the windows and doors and also has occupied a veranda of the eastern side. The sattal was meant for the temple’s pilgrims and caretakers. Now, caretaking lacks but still, only their families occupy the beautiful houses and consume it in a way irrespective of its significance.

Apart from that, there is a Kumari Pith temple outside the courtyard. The local shopkeepers have covered it with a fake temple structure, full of bathroom-tiles and also added a couple of "idols" on it.

The temple belongs to a government body called Guthi Sansthan that was set up to conserve the religious heritage. But rather than saving the poor monument from the hands of encroaches, The Sansthan is destroying and omitting the traces of the historical monument.

The temple of Ranamukteshwor is one among the richest temple of the Kathmandu Valley. It has around 400 ropani of land outside and the temple premises make 10 ropani. Moreover, the Sansthan also had leased its 7 ropani of land to an RB Complex in December 1996 to a private company that will give the Sansthan as much as Rs 103 million in 27 years. That is, it earns 3.8 million rupees from the complex and 480 thousand rupees from the 17 shops annually. It is strange, other government bodies are silent though there is a strong law to control misuse and deformation of ancient monuments.

The Sansthan might have benefited a treasure out of it but two giant buildings from two sides have overshadowed the temple. And, it has not spent a single penny to renovate the temple, say the locals - a sorry story indeed. The latest development is that the owners of the complex are now waiting to capture the sattals and the temple itself very soon.

HEADLINE | RECOLLECTIONS