Ghunsa
A Natural Hermitage

Rajendra Gurung

s the chartered plane of Yeti Airlines landed on 10-15 degree slope airfield in Suketar and off boarded us, we descended to Fungling, headquarters of Taplejung. After a brief halt at Fungling we walked down to Mitlung and spent a night there. Since the morning we left Mitlung, the trail followed the opposite course of Tamor river. The trail passed through Alnus Neoalensis forests and cardamom orchards, paddy fields on river valleys and typical Rai and Limbu settlements. Our next night stay was in Lelep, which is a meeting ground of the Tibeto-Nepali culture and Kirant culture.

The next day we said good bye to the Tamor from its confluence with the Ghunsa river in Sekathum, and our next companion was Ghunsa river for two days. The Ghunsa river cascaded down hurriedly with big roar dominating all her tributaries. Between Sekathum to Amgilessa, the trail was treacherous at many sections. Thinking every one has no luck of Kanakmani Dixit, I crawled on four limbs in many places. Numerous waterfalls cascading down to Ghunsa river quenched not only our biological thirst but aesthetic thirst too. From Gyabala, we could clearly sense the sharp variation in both vegetation and culture. At dusk a natural gateway made of boulders welcomed us to Phaley- a flat spur on the right bank of Ghunsa river.

At Phaley we were accommodated in a Tibetan’s house. Our landlord had fled to Nepal 34 years ago with his 12 companions after Chinese take over of Tibet. Currently, there are 18 refugee households in Phaley. Phaley is also winter settlement of Sherpas of Ghunsa. Sherpa farm economy is based on transhumance. Sherpas maintain the transhumance cycle through their typical settlement pattern of a permanent village, a winter settlement ‘Ghunsa’ below permanent village, and a temporary summer settlement years in highland pastures. In Sherpa dialect ‘Gun’ means winter and ‘Sa’ means land. Ghunsa was winter settlement in the past, while permanent village was in "Khambachen and Lohnak" above Ghunsa. Later, they permanently settled down in Ghunsa. Thereafter, Khambachen and Lohnak turned to be ‘years’ whereas winter settlement sifted further downward to Phaley. Sherpas spend two months in Phaley from mid December to mid February.

When our landlord’s grand daughter Nima entered into the room with tea at early morning, I peeped lazily through sleeping bag. The weather outside looked heavily overcastted through a small glass window. After tea, I got out from the room. Some sort of cotton like soft flakes was pouring, the landscape of the village was turned white, and juniper trees looked flowering white. I recovered from the mesmeric trance when our landlord’s Tibetan mastiff shook off the snow from his body near by my feet. It was snowing. In the state of ecstasy I picked a handful of snow and ran into the room to spray it over my friends. My friend’s eyes opened wide with wonder and delight. They hurried off the bed. The moments were, what Milton says, "Paradise gain" for us. White gleam of snow dominated the colorful prayer flags. White flowering juniper and pine and white bushes besides trail under thick mist looked like a black and white watercolour landscape painting. The moments awaked our aesthetic passion. We spent hours touching, feeling and playing with the snow without caring the freezing temperature outside.

Early in the morning on 20th January, we followed a track northward along with the opposite course of Ghunsa River through pine and juniper forest for a couple of hours. A little valley appeared before us. At first, Kagani, a religious gateway welcomed us and we got through, receiving blessing from beautiful Mandala painting on ceiling and frescos on wall. Then Tashi Chheding Gompa, a Ningmapa monastery, probably oldest in eastern Nepal, stood before us on a huge boulder. The monastery is situated under a huge rock cliff. The old section of the monastery is on a huge boulder. In the old section, there are frescos, terracotta idols and Thanka of high artistic and antiquity value. Frescos are being damaged due to deterioration of wall plaster. New section of the monastery has been renovated after fire casualty 45 years ago. The new section of the monastery serves as library and space for religious and cultural gatherings. In 1870 AD there were 80 Lamas and dozens of nuns. It is believed that the great Tibetan Lama introduced Lamaistic Buddhism to Sikkim via Ghunsa. Nowadays, there are only 3 Lamas, who perform religious rituals, but do not stay in the Monastery permanently.

With a landscape of small flat valley at 3400-meter altitude extended narrowly north to south on the left bank of Ghunsa river, surrounded by small peaks, and intact juniper, pine and rhododendron forests around, Ghunsa looked like a natural hermitage. The natural grandeur of the valley became more vivid with the rhythmic flapping of prayer flags with breeze. Bushes beside the trail with its leaves and stems covered by snow looked like snow orchard. 45 Sherpa households inhabit the valley. Typical wooden houses with small square glass windows, painted colorful, prayer flag on tall pine pole in the courtyard and fenced by logs stand in row along the trail. Some houses had signboards of hotel and lodges. Houses were closed and locked. No single man could be meet throughout two months in Ghunsa. A huge Chhyorten as old as Tashi Chheding monastery, with Mane wall and water powered leather wrapped prayer wheel asides, was standing calmly at the end of village.

Sherpas of Ghunsa are primarily pastoralists and trans-Himalayan traders, and only then agriculturists. Traders from Ghunsa set out in trading journey with Yak caravan across Nangola and Yangma passes to Tibet in July. The trading journey takes 8 days to get into Tibet. Yak butter and calves are main exportable goods, Tibetan tea, wool etc. Previously, traders used to pay tax to Gova of Olangchung Gola, the tax contractor, alike the Thakali Subbas of Kali Gandaki valley. Nowadays, there are no tax collection functionaries at the trading route. Currently, Ghunsa is emerging as a significant transit point for trekkers to the Kanchenjunga base camp.

The area was declared Kanchendzonga Conservation Area in 1997, which encompasses four VDCs of northeastern Taplejung namely, Tapethok, Lelep, Olangchung Gola and Yamphudin. The project is undertaking community-based conservation along with community development activities in the area.

The Ama Samuha of Ghunsa organized a Dhijyang dance in the evening as our farewell ceremony. We were offered Tongba with butter mark in four corner of typical wooden pot in our honour. Chaining of hands and harmonic movement of steps producing a rhythmic sound in Dhijyang dance manifested symbolic meaning of social values of unity and harmony among the Sherpas of Ghunsa. A local schoolteacher sang a Sherpa native song Thahlu in honour of Khangjejong (Janu peak- 7710) describing its mystic and majestic features.

"A couple of golden cock and hen dances on the shoulders of Khangjejong. Every morning golden cock sings cock-a-doodle-doo. Snow on Khangjejong is Torma (flour cooked to make image of Gods) water in ponds and streams at its foot, is holy nectar and cloud on its head is Khada (white cloth offered to some one in honor). By virtue of Khangjejong’s facing posture to Sikkim, people over there are prosperous and clever with good looks. But Ghunsa lies at the back of Khangjejong. People here are poor, ignorant and not good looking too."

I murmured myself "Khangjejong’s natural shape would never turn back to bless you, but your generosity, unity and culture to face and fight with hardship will certainly bring fate and prosperity to you".

Story of Encounter with Snowman

Tashi Sherpa 21, is inhabitant of Yangma-9, Olangchung Gola VDC. He is a yak herder. He has a house in Phaley also. Tashi grazes his yak in highland pastures of Ghunsa area. In October 1999 Tashi went to Mirgen La (4300 meter) above Selele (on the way to Ghunsa Yamphudin trekking route) to look after his herd. There was thick mist. He saw six creatures on a boulder. The creatures had golden hair over the whole body. As he saw them from a long distance he thought they were monkeys and was surprised how monkeys appeared in that altitude. But when the distance shortened between him and the creatures, they looked like men but were short like pigmies. The hair below elbow on wrist was turned downward and above elbow on limb was turned upward. The part uncovered by hair around elbow looked like a ring. Likewise, hair on body above waist was turned upward and below waist was turned downward. The part on the waist uncovered by hair looked like ring. One of the creatures among the six came very near to Tashi. Thinking the creature was intending to kill him, Tashi pulled his knife and tried to stab. But his hand froze. He could not move his hand an inch forward. The creatures had long Golden hair and shook hair sometimes back and some times above forehead. Tashi felt that the creature was trying to speak to him, but he could not understand language. The creature moved here and there trying to speak to him. That creature also spoke something to his group, which could not be understood. Tashi neither could move nor understand their language. Tashi gathered all his physical and mental strength and somehow moved few steps back. Then shocked Tashi ran down with all his physical strength without turning back.

Ageing with Grace in Centre

With change in Nepali family structure characterised by declining numbers of children and their working mothers, capital’s aged people are coming out of shell to live creative way with their fellow ones in the center, writes Usha Shrestha

Being a social animal, man lives in a society and living lonely life thus is unimaginable. But he feels lonely particularly at the old age. In youth, he remains occupied with various activities, hence feeling of loneliness rarely comes to one while young. However, with advancing age, these activities reduced, feeling of loneliness began to take hold of his mind. Instead of boon, longevity, for him, becomes a curse and ageing burden.

Change in family structure, declining numbers of children and women going to work have forced capital’s aged people to lead lonely existence. Unable to understand cut-throat competitive life of young people, they feel isolated and unwanted sometimes humiliated. With the opening of some day care centres here for them, these people have found meaning in their lives. Mingling, sharing feelings and doing new things with fellow colleagues have broaden their mental horizons. Every evenings, they go home like school children, refreshed and happy.

Sita Chhetri 80, (name changed) once used to curse her longevity for her loneliness every day. She was often lodged inside her house, lonely and depressed particularly in the daytime when her son and daughter-in laws go to house and their children to school. The old lady felt herself an additional burden to the family, the kind of life she had rarely expected at the old age. Having been brought up and married off into big family, she had never experienced loneliness. She still remembers the heyday when she used to have fun and cheers with in-laws. But after she joined the Day Care Centre for Aged people, she has begun to feel that her happier days have returned. Talking and sharing with fellows are really relaxing for her. And it has been already four years that she has been enjoying new life in the day care centre at Thapathali. No surprise, her aged body sometimes troubles her but she has gained enormous will power to face life ahead. Walking from Kopundole to Thapathali on foot for the class has become her daily routine. Upon arrival at the centre, she lays down on the floor for a brief rest and continues her daily activities.

Her 84 year old friend, Buddhi Maya’s (name changed) has been inspiring example for other aged people. Despite being a heart patient, she is rarely absent from the class. Slowly but definitely she comes to the centre. Only sickness can hold her back.

A good number of aged women in the vicinity of Thapathali today have joined the Day Care Centre set up at the initiative of Women wing of Jan Kalayan Sewa Samittee

Started in 2050 B.S. with four aged at first, the centre has now more than 50 old people. This is the first kind of day care centre ever established for the aged in the country.

Visiting the centre is a wonderful experience. The class normally starts at 11. But there is no tight time schedule. While they wait for others to come, they engage themselves in such activities as making thread lamps and incenses, leaves’ plates or watching religious programmes on video.

The class bursts into a sudden joy once everybody gathers. Seeing their brightness in their wrinkled faces, it feels like seeing happy kids in the schools.

Class begins with laughing exercise with the belief that it will energize their mind and spirit that usually droop with the advancing age. Shanta Shrestha (name changed) young among the others, comes forward, holds mike, then loudly laughs. Others follow her. It lasts for 5- 10 minutes. Then rest for a while. Second comes the Yoga class. Upma Sharma, a member of the centre, stands on the dais, shows various body postures of yoga movement. This lasts for 15 minute.

Third comes music class. One plays Tabala while the other play Harmonium. Still others clap. Together they recite Bhajan (religious songs) to offer prayers to the god.

The class lasts till 3 clock. After noon tiffen they leave for home at 3.30.

Hindu Gurus or priests visit the centre time to time to deliver religious speech.

The aged students have become more attached to the centre. They rarely miss the class except when they fall sick Sita Chhetri hates holidays. She wishes Saturdays never come for on this day she has to stay home idle.

. "As there is no place to go at this age, this sort of day care centre has become a mecca for them where they enjoy joy and peace." says Upama Sharma. " Look into their eyes. You’ll see happiness there; this is what the centre wants " she adds. As Shakespeare says, ageing is like second childhood, There you see it -in the centre. Revival of interest in life and end of loneliness, they have found their own world at last. About 4 such centres are presently operating in the capital, according to the sources.

The importance of more such centres is increasingly being felt with the growing numbers of the aged people. The aged population constitutes five percent of the country’s total.

However, a number of individual day care centres are in the offing. According to Usha Khadka, vice chairman of Jestha Nagarik Sewa Kendra (Senior Citizens Service Centre), two such centres are set to open in Dhudikhel and Lalitpur. A day care centre set up in Biratnager by her office is running very successfully, she says. Mata Pita Sewa Sadan set up in Kutubahal Chabel in 2053, has today 100 students, 65 are regulars, according to chairman of Sadan, Nirmala Acharya. Set up purely out of social service, Acharya manages to run it with fund raised through membership and with cooperation of local people. No fees have been charged to aged people. She expresses a serious concern over misappropriation of national budget allotted for the welfare of the ignored group and growing commercialisation of such day care centres looking for foreign donation than service.

Kids day out at Hyatt

By Yesjav

Gone are those days when kids were happy with the occasional visit to the zoo, an amusement park, and the theatre or to a restaurant. The child today is more aware, more knowledgeable and more in sync with what he/she wishes to do with their free time.

Pizzas, pastas, ice-cream parlours, burger joints, French fry stands, roller coaster rides, wall climbing, bungee jumping, tennis, video games, bowling, shopping, fishing, swimming, video cartoons... the choices are unlimited. How much of it can you pack into a fun filled day to satisfy your little devil and how much of it is actually good? Would you rather not spend your singular holiday catching up with a little bit of sleep, tiding your wardrobe, getting that well deserved haircut or massage, catching up with friends but with duty calls and you are off chasing your energetic six year old all around town reliving your childhood but in the body of a thirty year old. Hard work assured and before you know it, its Monday morning blues.

Last weekend was very different for forty parents who enrolled their kids into an innovative weekend with the Hyatt. Kids day out organised by the Club At The Hyatt (CATH), was a successful loyalty programme run by Hyatt Regency Kathmandu. Kids were the stars of the day- a special welcome was accorded with Camp Hyatt of T-shirts and name batches.

A special bus carried the children lunch boxes, lots of soft beverages, games and prizes, etc all to the Millennium Gateway. Here children were welcomed to unlimited fun- bowling, games and competitions, video games, meeting with the clowns act, lunch break and many more games. But the most important aspect of this entire day was that children spent it with their peer group making new friendships, finding common interests and having a ball.

Laughter came in unlimited doses as the clowns entertained; food was all the hot favourites of any ten-year-old from the Hyatt kitchens and entertainment unbounded.

"It’s good to have my child mix with other kids of similar age on a weekend otherwise she ends up with grownups," said one parent. Another added, "I was a little concerned initially about sending my kid out on her own, but once at the Hyatt lobby my fears were dispelled. I knew my child would be well taken care of just by the ways things were organised. This is the first time my son was out on his own and he enjoyed himself thoroughly. I would recommend it to anyone.

"Just a little of everything and loads of friends is what makes kids happy", says Noor Joshy, Club At The Hyatt Manager, adding "and parents too. I know I never slept so well before...kids have an amazing amount of energy. For most of them, it was their first time out alone, yet they behaved as though they did this all the time making friends easily and out to have a good time".

Hyatt Regency also has the Saturday brunch at the Cafe, which is a great gateway on weekends. Kids are looked after and swimming is a complimentary with the brunch.

At Hyatt, one will find that their commitment to quality will show in everything they do. We know that selecting this type of a one day day-care or one day provider can be an overwhelming task. It will be one of the most important decisions you’ll make, because the early years of child care is critical to your child’s long-term development, according to Charu Rizal, Public Relations Manager at the Hotel. " On that day, the child received the personal attention that we believe is necessary to enhance a trusting relationship. As a parent, you will receive the highest quality care for your child in a setting where your child’s social, physical, emotional and intellectual development will be nurtured gradually".

We had a charming state-of-the-art day care for the children that not only looked like a home, but also had an atmosphere that helped the children feel safe and welcome. As a customer-oriented business Hyatt took care about the little things that meant so much to all of us.

Overlooking the magnificent Boudhanath stupa, traditional architecture blends with touches of modern sensibility to distinguish Hyatt in its stately ambience. Set on 37 acres of artistically landscaped grounds, the hotel is bathed in natural light and tranquil beauty.

Hyatt Regency offers distinct dining options in its restaurants and bars. The Lounge located at the lobby level, with its earthen hues, captures the vibrancy of Kathmandu valley serving beverages along with spectacular views. Not only that, one can enjoy taking beer as you relish the taste. Every Monday, get the first mug of beer and the first round of snacks ON THE HOUSE enrolments and you will receive a membership at discounted rate of rupees 500 only.

The Cafe overlooking the Poolside and gardens offer all day dining featuring Continental, Indian and ethnic Nepalese cuisine. For a taste of Europe in Nepal, Rox Bar offers gourmet selections from its wood-fired ovens. Rox Bar is Kathmandu’s premier social scene featuring live entertainment, sensational cocktails and palate tingling snacks.

SECOND-PAGE | RECOLLECTIONS