Terrorism: Terror of Today

The day will come when we have to answer the inevitable question from children all over the world "Is this the future that you are building for us?" and that day we will have no answer.

By Deepanjali Moktan

Every morning as I wake up and switch on the radio or the television I end up saying "not again". Never has a day passed by without the monotonous news that greet my ears...... 15 terrorists killed in an encounter with the security........ a bomb blast in middle east......... a riot has broken between the Hindus and the Muslims.....a gunman opened fire in a primary school killing innocent children....... a suicide bomber has blown himself to pieces along with other innocent citizens in a busy bus station.......... It just goes on and on. What a way to start one’s day with.

This is all like a big dark cloud cast not only over our country but the world as a whole. It seems as though we’ve lost our right of living. The motto "LIVE AND LET LIVE" has long been forgotten. Bloodshed every where, murdering the innocent. Isn’t it the time to wonder "What man has made of man?" The only animal blessed with an advanced brain, the only animal capable of harnessing nature’s power, the only animal who can use science for it’s own benefit and yes the only animal who is degraded enough to kill his own brothers, kill his own type that is man.

Sometimes I really wonder if our heavenly father is in a deep slumber. Well for that matter ‘it’s been a long one’. Doesn’t he see from his ‘bird’s view’ seat from high above all that is happening here? Isn’t he moved by the fact that his beautiful earth is being destroyed? The scenes are mind churning dead bodies lying everywhere, streams of blood flowing, people running with the injured in their arms, houses on fire and universal destruction, and the horrifying scene of the injured victims ailing and crying with pain. The howling and crying of people seem to be reaching out. It is all a sickening scene. I ask God to wake up from his reverie, to wake up and see what his children are doing. I ask him to stop this. I pray to him to bless the people with good thoughts, to evoke in them the feeling of universal fraternity.

Several questions pop into my mind and they hover one word "why?" Why is there so much hatred, agony, grudge and destruction everywhere? Why have people become so cruel, so mean and so bloodthirsty. Have we human beings become so selfish and mean that we have totally forgotten what love is? Today the word "love" sounds alien. It seems the human heart has forgotten to love. Seems as if people derive happiness from hatred, jealousy, and cruelty. People only think about themselves and no one else. Selfishness seems to run in our blood. I wonder where the preachings of Lord Buddha has gone. What about the services of Mother Teresa and Florence Nightingale? Gandhiji’s preaching of ahimsa is now extinct. They all seem to be facts now limited to the books and not to be followed by anyone. Their history of peace is truly ‘history’ and this history, as is seen today, is not going to repeat itself.

There is a saying "there are two faces of a coin". In the same way this modern science itself has it’s positive as well as negative aspects. But looking at the present situation it looks as though the negative by far outweighs the positive. Today the world, the place where we live, has become a hotbed of terrorism and science has also greatly contributed to this fact. With the help of science man has made atom bombs, machine guns, missiles and now even nuclear weapons. The horrifying attack of September 11th 2001 in the World Trade Center has proved beyond doubt that men have become bloodthirsty and that killing innocent lives does not prick their conscience anymore. This event has startled the entire world. It has forced us to consider about what will happen to our future, our children’s future, if our present is this horrifying. Is this a right example to set before our children?

The day will come when we will have to answer the inevitable question from children all over the world "Is this the future that you are building for us?" and that day we will have no answer and we will have no other choice than to bend our heads in shame.

So let us join hands and try to bring an end to this chain of brutal acts and try to make a better present for us and a better future for our children.

Shake of those monsoon blues at Le Meridien

Many a new golfer was inspired to take up the sport after visiting Gokarna Forest Golf Resort and seeing the impressive quality of facilities available. What is inspiring for the growth of golf in Nepal is the number of young players who have started playing.

By Sanchita

Just 20 minutes drive from downtown is possibly the only preserved areas that showcases the original forested vegetation of Kathmandu valley. Within this spectacular 700 acre temperate forest lies the Gokarna Forest Golf Resort, the perfect getaway for indulging yourself in culinary delights, for magical forest walks and time close to nature.

This is truly an inspired venture that magically transformed the grassed valleys of Rajnikunj Gokarna, the traditional hunting grounds of the Kings of Nepal, into the country’s only international standard golf course. Nestled above ,on a plateau overlooking the forest, existing old buildings were either restored or recreated, and merged with Malla style architectural designs. One end of this plateau is graced by sixteen spacious rooms surrounded by century old trees. Adjacent to this is a hundred and twenty year old Hunter’s Lodge that once housed the Shikhars that accompanied the Royal families on their hunts. It has been carefully restored and houses a quaint restaurant and bar. Just a hundred meters away, a further 68 Le Meridien hotel rooms have been built and await completion.

Close to the huge ancient trees that were used as a backdrop in the film "The Little Buddha," will, before the end of this year, be a Spa with a large gymnasium, steam, sauna, Jacuzzi, and an indoor heated swimming pool that opens up to the forest. This luxury complex will bring a new dimension to the recreational facilities of the valley, and is available for residents of Nepal through a friendly and affordable membership installment scheme.

Visit Gokarna on almost any day of the week, and find the golf clubhouse restaurant busy with not only golfers, but also those who take the short drive past Boudhnath for a languorous lunch, peaceful afternoon tea, or dinner in this most scenic and serene venue. From the verandah of the clubhouse watch a troop of monkeys nonchalantly walk by in the valley below, and if you’re lucky, a group of spotted deer will emerge shyly from the forest.

The weekends are full of activity, with members and guests enjoying what is considered to be one of the best golf courses in South Asia. The par 72, eighteen hole golf course was designed by the renowned Gleneagles Golf Developments of Scotland, and blends perfectly with the forested surroundings. The undulating greens are covered with beautifully soft and smooth cool season Bent Grass imported from the USA, and the fairways are covered with lush local Bermuda grass. Many a new golfer was inspired to take up the sport after visiting Gokarna Forest Golf Resort and seeing the impressive quality of facilities available. What is inspiring for the growth of golf in Nepal is the number of young players who have started playing. A practice range finds both new and seasoned golfers honing their skills, often with the guidance of one of Nepal’s top professional golfers, Deepak Acharya. With the recent arrival of Samira Warda all the way from Jordan, as Resort Manager, a variety of food festivals have been successfully held, with many more planned. The personalized service, five star standards she maintains, her innovative ideas and upbeat energy, all contribute to a positive experience for all those who visit.

Heritage tour
Pancha Deval

By Razen Manandhar

Among the hundreds of temples found in the World Heritage Zone of Pashupatinath, the ‘Pancha Devel’ or that literally means five temples, located south of the main shrine is one among the well planned temples.

This set of glistening white-washed temple was made "only" 132 ago by the royal family. But for historian, this complex is an example of the rights of the kings to contribute in building public monuments, before the power had gone to the prime ministers. This is the time when Prime Minister Bhimsen Thapa had already constructed the temple of Ranamukteshwor, that was made in 1870 AD.

Though the Pancha Deval is not so old, the area it covers is quite ancient. A Shiva Linga found at the courtyard, that dates back to the sixth century proves that it might have been a sacred place before the temples were made.

This temple was built by King Surendra Bikram Shah, queens Dev Rajya Laxmi, Sur Rajya Laxmi, his father Rajendra Bikram Shah and his son Prince Trailokya Bikram Shah in 1870. Though no inscription describes the construction of the temple, the five bells offered to each of the temples tell a story of the temple building. This is a unique example of the collective contribution of the royal family to the common people, specially from the persons belonging to three generations.

The central temple is dedicated by King Surendra, thus called Surendreshwor Mahadev. Thus, the north-western temple is called Dev Rajya Laxmi Mahadev, north-eastern is Trailokyeshowr, south-western is Sur-Rajya Laxmi Devi Mahadev and south-eastern is Rajendreshwor. The temples are constructed on a square size four-step plinths, at four corners and one at the middle. The central one is slightly bigger than the others but made on the same structural design. Each temple has stone door with stone torana and flanked by two false windows. The temple is surrounded by a pair of stone serpents with human figures up to their waists. The second floor is made with porch-like structures over small latticed windows on all sides. Small temple figures are made on each corner. Comparatively, this floor is more decorative and the dome on the top is also more conical than other contemporary structures. Golden finials with umbrellas are on the top of the conical domes with four serpents protecting them on each. The only difference one can see among the temples are the false windows, wall decorations and other minor changes in the ornaments in the top finials.

On four corners of the common plinths, there are small temples of Surya, Ganesh, Vishnu and Bhagwai. Having the temples of those means following a special sect of Hinduism, named Panchayana. The difference here is that the sets of accompanying deities are not kept separately on each of the five temples but the makers considered the cluster of five temples as one. In addition, there are small shrines of Narayan, Shiva Linga and a standing Shiva in the courtyard.

The temple is surrounded by a courtyard of two-storey building, which was supposed to be a free accommodation for the pilgrims for a day or two. The building has usual carved windows and doors on both outer and inner facades. Among others, the set of windows on the first floor just above the main entrance is the most exclusive. Some believe that the middle part is made of ivory but there are no such clues to believe it. But the time changed its proper use and turned it into semi permanent residence for old people. As early as in 1919, the open rest-house was turned into a dormitory for aged people. The whole building is being used as a shelter home for elderly people, presently being run under the Social Welfare Council of the government. Around a hundred elderly men and women live there, where they are provided with food and lodging. Donors frequently visit that courtyard to donate fruits and biscuits to the aged residents.

But many of the carved wooden structures have changed into ordinary ones and nobody knows where have the original ones gone. For the dwellers, that historic monument is only a temporary residence so they never generate a feeling of ownership. And the government body that run the old age home never realised the importance of the historic quadrangle. That is why activities like partition, turning the verandah into rooms, etc. went on unabashed. Some have added flower vases on the plinths, that does not match the environment. Further, the Pashupati Area Development Trust is planning to convernt it into a museums, plucking out the idols from the periphery.

When the temple was constructed, a guthi was established and particular priests were appointed so that the temple may not lack daily worshipping and caring. But as time passed, the responsibility shifted form the concerned groups to the government’s Guthi Sansthan after the latter took hold of the temple's land property. The locals say, the priests are not sufficiently paid, so they do not practice regular worshipping due to lack of fund these days.

Why don’t I feel good?

Our brain has many different chemical messengers called "neurotransmitters". They send signals from one part of the brain to another, which direct our thoughts and actions. During depression, there is an imbalance with these neurotransmitters.

By Kiran Aryal and Ujjwal Aryal

Why do my attempts end in failure whenever I desperately need to succeed? Why don’t I feel confident in life situations? Why do I feel guilty, weaker and unfortunate than others? Why can’t I get along with people as well as he/she does? These are some of the most common questions we often ask ourselves. Have we ever tried to find the right answer or solution to get over it? We convince ourselves that these are personal failures and we feel, sooner or later will snap out of it. Some think that they should be able to handle on their own.

As millions of people around the world, we were looking for an answer, would there be any way that we can live happy, confident and strong? Of course we can, we have been suffering from "depression" which is a medical illness, just as asthama or diabetes which can be successfully treated in most people by using a combination of medication and counseling.

Our brain has many different chemical messengers called "neurotransmitters". They send signals from one part of the brain to another, which direct our thoughts and actions. During depression, there is an imbalance with these neurotransmitters. Anti depressants have been developed to correct their imbalance and help recover from depression.

So they can’t do their job properly, one of these neurotransmitters. Everyone goes through periods of feelings sad, lonely or unhappy. But these feelings usually pass with time. When such feelings don’t go away no matter how hard we try, they could signal "depression". The illness exhibits an assortment of symptoms including changes in a person’s thoughts, feelings, body and behaviour. Depression is generally a common and treatable mental illness, however, without treatment, the symptoms can last for months, years or even a lifetime. Depression is not simply "the blues", which are low moods that occur occasionally or result from grief after a loss of loved one.

There are many sorts of symptoms that may occur in depression depending on what kind, how long he/she is suffering from. It varies from person to person but the most common symptoms are:

A. Changes in mood

1. Low interest or pleasure in all or almost all activities most of the day.

2. Depressed mood most of the day, nearly everyday.

3. Decreased interest in sex or decreased sexual pleasure.

4. Feeling irritable.

5. Tearfulness or frequent crying.

6. Feeling helpless and without hope.

B. Physical symptoms

1. Weight loss or gain or having a bigger or smaller appetite than usual.

2. Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep or too much sleeping.

3. Feeling slowed down.

4. Physical symptoms that don’t get better with treatment, such as headache, constipation, nausea or other body symptoms.

C. Changes in thinking

1. Feeling of worthlessness.

2. Excessive or inappropriate guilt.

3. Difficulty thinking, concentrating or making decisions.

4. Recurring thoughts of death or suicide.

5. Previous suicide.

Studies have found out that 80% of the suicide occures because of "clinical depression".

D. Other symptoms

1. Anxiety and worrying

2. Low self-esteem

3. Alcohol and drug abuse

E. In the workplace

1. Decreased productivity

2. Morale problems

3. Lack of cooperation

4. Absenteeism

5. Complaints of unexplained aches or pains

According to the World Health Organizations, people suffering from depression are often:

- rejected by friends, relatives, neighbours and employees, which increases feelings of rejection, loneliness and sadness.

- left out of normal social activities with family and friends, leading to further isolation and humiliation.

- denied chances for employment

What could be the reason being attacked from the "clinical depression". It is believed to be the end result of a combination of factors including:

a) genetic-it runs in your family

b) childhood circumstances-the loss of a family member, expericing traumatic events or suppressed anger

c) biological causes-changes in body chemistry

d) prolonged period of stress

Even though "depression" sometimes becomes a serious illness, it can be treated with various methods. Usually depression is treated with medication, talk therapy (Hypericam perforatum) the scientific evidence supporting their use is not as strong as that supporting antidepressant use.

In developed countries, people are consciously aware of the symptoms and treatment of depression. In the U S 15 million people are affected by depression each year and multi-million dollar companies have been established for research and treatment to overcome the illness. On the other hand, in underdeveloped countries like ours, people barely know what depression is and most of the time misunderstood. In some cases, depression is considered as psychiatric problem and denied to accept as any other common disease by the society. A barrier in getting the right treatment and compulsion in hiding it from family and friends might result in living with lingering guilt, frustration for extended period of time or even suicidal attempts.

By consulting the doctor, people will be giving themselves an opportunity to recover from depression. And once you state your problem you will get help and support necessary to begin enjoying your life again.

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