Peculiarity of  Kathmandu Valley

By Bom P Shrestha

The magnificent valley of Kathmandu, with its amaranthine beauty, touches not only the heart of the tourists but also amazes the forest specialists with its peculiar forest characteristics. Though situated on an elevation of about 1312 metres above the sea level, it possesses successful growth of the species which are supposed to grow naturally in low land and also in high land. For instance, both Sissau (Dalbergia sissoo), which is supposed to grow below 300 m. and Dayer, also called Cedar (Cedrus deodara), which has the natural order above 2000 m. grow here in a good condition.

May be it is due to the presence of pull frost and hot waves which roll again and again within the valley itself and become more hotter in summer and more colder in winter than any other places at the same altitude. Hence, in this valley the atmosphere is quite different from that in any other place at the same altitude throughout the country. The temperature varies here from 33oC to 3oC whereas in other places of the same altitude it does not go beyond 29oC and 0oC at the most. Another amazing thing is that it does not give natural growth of sal, although in all directions outside the valley, good crop of hill sal forests are found. For example, Trisuli, Likhu and Tandi valley in the north, Panchkhal valley in the east, Ipa and Malta in the south and Khanikhola, Galchay and Gajury in the west of Kathmandu valley are all covered with sal forest.

To speak of other species, Castanopsis hystrix and C. tribuloides, Quercus glauca and Q. lanata are also found in places as low as 1400 m. within this valley whereas in the outer part they are normally found in higher elevations than this. The dwarf variety of Juniperus recurva and Juniperus wallichiana, which are alpine scrubs found above the tree-line, that is, an altitude above 4000 m, can also be easily raised here.

Expanded Italian menu at Radisson

By Sanchita

The Olive Garden’s exclusive, mouth-watering menu features delicious Herb Crusted Rack of New Zealand Lamb on a Sage and Shallot Rosti, Salsa Verdi and Balsamic. On the Pizza menu comes roasted vegetable, garlic and goat cheese.

Patrons of Radisson’s Olive Garden Italian Restaurant will be delighted to learn that a new Italian menu is now on offer - the culmination of successful recent efforts of Chef Nabhojit Ghosh.

Refurbished Italian restaurant and menu also has been expanded on the concept of "ingredient-based cookery". As the chef explained, "Our principles are simple. We have taken the very best local organic ingredients" for that purpose.

Competing to international standards, Prerna Rai, public relations of Radisson said, the Olive Garden offers world-class cuisine based on the doctrine that "only the best is good enough." The popular Radisson restaurant caters to every individual taste, including health-conscious customers turned vegetarians.

The Olive Garden’s exclusive, mouth-watering menu features delicious Herb Crusted Rack of New Zealand Lamb on a Sage and Shallot Rosti, Salsa Verdi and Balsamic.

On the Pizza menu comes roasted vegetable, garlic and goat cheese which amounts to just Rs 450 and chicken, roast green pepper, feta cheese & chilli costs Rs 450. Four seasons: sausage, mushrooms, spinach and mozzarella which are also available amounting to rupees 400.

Margherita with tomatoes, basil, olives & mozzarella, Ai funghi with an assortment of mushrooms and garlic slivers and Salami Proscuitto, salami, ham & gherkins are also delicasies of the garden.

The menu which was offered, with tasteful white and red table wine, to the group of scribes were Herb-crusted Roast lamb rack with honey gratin potatoes, Char-grilled New Zealand Sirloin with mint & red wine sauce, Sauted King prawn tails with a rich tomato garlic sauce & garden salad, Roast fillet of Norwegian Salmon and spinach with white wine sauce, Pan-fried tenderloin on wilted spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, rosemary, Stuffed breast of chicken with a wild mushroom mousse, tagletelle finished with cream and wine,

Italian Pork tenderloin rubbed with rosemary, garlic and fennel baked with parma ham.

Here comes the paddy plantation!

By Ganesh Khaniya

In eastern Nepal, Dhan Naach is very famous which is carried out by the tribal Kirats, mainly by the Limbus whereas western Tharus have their own peculiar traditions in connection with the rice plantation. Though plantation is an indispensable part of farmers, it is accomplished according to their own culture and tradition.

The month of Asad is almost at its end. This month has a connotative reference to paddy plantation. Plantation is in full swing all around the country-be it Terai or Hill or Mountain. This is the most precious moment in the peasants life. They have been highly busy since they are fervently engaged to ensure the solid foundation for ample harvest in future. Their hard work during this month will bear sweet fruits once it brings reliable foodstuff for round the year.

The paddy plantation is an event of full enjoyment. During plantation season, farmers either exchange labour called Parma or they pay wages for the labourers. At the day of plantation, the field which is already watered is ploughed first and then tilled.

During the tillage, local ploughmen enthrall all with the swift pace of the oxen. This very scene reminds us of the famous song Ho Ho Male Ho Ho, Ho Ho Tare Ho Ho sung by renowned folk singer, Dharma Raj Thapa. Before the very start of plantation, the housewife is greeted with the Tika of the mud.

There is a great competition between the ploughmen and the planters. The female planters start singing mellifluously while planting. The songs are related to the planting season, women's grievances and other common subjects and cover the field with them. They take green and grown seedling in their hands.

The lush scenario of the planted field really charms all. To avoid the threat of heavy downpour, they hold Ghum on their forehead and back. As the dusk draws near, they are enthralled a lot and there starts a fair competition of mud- slinging among them.

One quarter of peasants called Bauses seem busy tiding up the undulating land prepared for planting. All of them are working in the field with much fervour and in unison. All are served sumptuous course of lunch at mid day.

The last day of plantation of an individual farmer is called Maijaro. On this very day, much enjoyment is done coupled with dancing and singing. Even today, the well-off peasants conclude their plantation with a wild celebration calling a horde of drummers and singers.

But such practice is on the decline. The activities associated with plantation vary from place to place as well as from one ethnic group to another. In the eastern part of Nepal, Dhan Naach is very famous which is carried out by the tribal Kirats, mainly by the Limbus whereas western Tharus have their own peculiar traditions in connection with the rice plantation. Though plantation is an indispensable part of farmers, it is accomplished according to their own culture and tradition.

One thing is common though. Every terrain in hill, mountain as well as Terai echoes with melodious Asare Geet. In the middle of this month, planting is at the peak, hence 15 Asad is synonymous to the business period in the farmers life. They really enjoy eating Dahi-Chiura this day which is a traditional practice.

Even with changing wheel of time, there seem very little changes in the patterns of plantation and its procedure. In this modern era too, our farmers are compelled to adopt the age-old traditional patterns. Introduction of use of tractors instead of ox-driven ploughs can be seen as the modern equipment in place.

However, owning to steep and undulating terraces of our land in the hills and mountains, this innovative mechanism is confined only in the Terai and plains.

With no conspicuous changes in the farming systems, Nepalese farmers are facing enormous hardships unlike their counterparts elsewhere around the globe. Despite being an agrarian country where almost 90% people rely on agriculture, Nepal has not been able to provide irrigation facility in an effective way.

Most of the farmers have their indigenous ways of irrigation. Some of them solely depend upon rain water. They even fail to plant their fields and are bound to leave them land barren in case monsoon delays.

Heritage tour
People around Pashupatinath

By Razen Manandhar

Lord Pashupatinath is the master of entire living creatures in the whole universe, so the Hindus of Nepal believe. In the eyes of the Lord, the human beings are also species of the living creatures, the Pashu. And thus he is named Pashupatinath, the master of the species of living beings.

Long before people from other provinces drain in the valley, it was like an self-dependent state. Depending on chronicles or legends, we proudly announce that Lord Pashupatinath was established long before Christ was born in the west. And looking at the nature of the people living around the temple and their relation to Lord Pashupatinath, we can assert that their tradition as well as the settlement must be as old as the shrine. It is not the temple of Pashupatinath alone that has made it a zone of UNESCO World Heritage Site, but the indigenous people, living with the Lord in complex social setting have also been a living heritage.

Some of the local communities living in the ancient settlement of Pashupatinath are described briefly below:

Rajopadhyay: They are the Vedic priests of the Pashupati area. They conduct social rituals like marriages and death anniversary for the locals. None others than they should be appointed for conducting such rituals in the locality. They are the priests of Dakshinamurti, Rajrajeshwori, Nrivaneshwor and many other Shiva temples of the complex. They play a vital role in festivals related with Bajreshwori, Jayabageshwori and many others.

Karmacharya: They are the tantric priests. In Nepali tradition, Lord Shiva does not live without his consort Parvati and other family members. All they comprise a Gana that needs mysterious tantric treatment in worshipping. The Karmacharyas do this here. They are the priests of Bachhaleshowri, Bhubaneshwori, Jayabageshwori, Manmaneshwori, Rajrajeshwori, Guheshwori, Jhankeshwori and some other Devi temples. They are "learned" with mysterious poojas for those Devis, who are at times quite wrathful and need help of trantric tranquilizer.

Joshi: They are the astrologers of the Pashupati area. They determine at what time or which day certain rituals are to be observed. They must take part in "urn erecting ceremony" of Arunodaya Devi of 12 year festivals of some temples in the area.

Baidhya: They are the traditional Ayurvedic healers. They have four sections - Rawan (who cured the Ravan of Ramayan), Bagh (who cured a tiger), Nag (who cared a serpent) and Ghat (who takes care of the patients breathing their last). Ravan Baidhya has Rawan Pati, Bagh Baidhya has Agam Dyo in Kutubahal, Nag Baidhyas take responsibility of worshipping the serpents and Ghat Baidhyas are the saviors or freedom-givers of the critical patients. A ghat service centre is in operation at Bagmati of Pashupati.

Sanghat: They used to be businessmen but now they work in the fields. Once, a king fell in love with a Sanghat woman and married her. When she died, the people from her community took the body for cremation but kept her head safe. Now, people believe they still have the head in a secret chamber and they worship it as a goddess. The historians believe they are the Lichhavi Sangha members and a Ratna Sangha was there at Nawali in 578 AD. They take part actively in different local festivals.

Bhandari: They are the helpers of the Pashupatinath’s main priests, brought to Pashupati area in 1144 AD for taking care of the main temple. They take care of the holy chamber, clear it, open the doors and manage the income of the Lord. To keep the blood "pure", it was decided only those who were born in the temple periphery could become a Bhandari of the temple.

Bishet: They are accountants of "Dukabirta" property at Tahabil, the controlling office of expenditure for different temples and festivals. Like, Bhandaris at Pashupatinath temple, they take care of the land property and income and manage the expenditure. They must worship at Rajrajeshwori, Bachhaleshwori, Bhuwaneshwori and others during the festival seasons.

Maharjan and Dangol: They broadly belong to farmers community though they have separate duties. Dangols were the land surveyors who used to measure lands. They have their roles to play in almost all the local festivals. They are expert in making chariots and preparing ritual objects for poojas. They participate in nine guthis of the area: Sindur, Chandan, Dhon, Pigan, Akas Bhairav, Kochhen, Koteshwor and Baldaitya Guthi. Dr Govinda Tondon says Maharjans have been there since 1657 AD.

Manandhar: Legends state that one from Manandhar clan saved the Pashupati area from a demon called Baldaitya, pretending to be the demon’s friend. They offer Nisalaa snacks to the souls of Baldaitya on Pishach Caturdashi, that falls on March. They have Koteshwor, Kochhen and Balguthis in the periphery.

Napit: They are the the shavers and manicures of the locality. They have right to protest if some of the area had it done from anybody out of the periphery.

Khadgi: They sacrifice animals to various gods and goddesses in the area. They play Nay-kin drums on auspicious and ominous occasions. Some temples of the area are also under their caring. They also offer ritual objects to certain temples during festivals, specially, they offer a buffalo sacrifice to Jaya Bageshwori. Some of them help when a baby is born and for this only they must be employed in the area.

Pode: They are the caretakers of Pigan-Dyo and also the Aryaghat. They levy certain tax from those who bring dead bodies to the ghat for cremation. Against this, they offer ritual objects like Picha, Lampicha, Baacha, Tappa Dhaki, Kalaa at the temples of Pgan-Dyo, Bachhaleshwori and Bhuwaneshwori. They used to live at core Itapakha, but so called upper-class people drove them away from their original residence as early as 1888 AD, calling them "untouchable".

Kushle/Darshandhari/ Kapali : They play drums and Shanai (clarinets) during daily prayer to Lord Pashupatinath. They take care of temples of Bhimsen, Hanuman and some other temples. They have the rights over the piles of cooked rice offered to the Lord during Mahsnan pooja. They also sweep the courtyard of the Pashupatinath.

Dr Govinda Tandan in his book "Pashupatinathko Sanskritik Adhyayan" states that the ancient residents of the area are Rajopadhyaya, Karmacharya, Baidhya, Bhandari, Biset, Shakya, Shrestha, Dangol, Maharjhan, Manandhar, Darshandhari, Napit, Sanghat, Gaine, Kusle, Kasai, Pode.

According to his study, they lived in Naawali, Pancha, Jyuna and Laganlachhi in 1853 AD. He adds that new settlements were added in the Devpatan area after unification of the country but the newcomers show less interest to the idols, temples and festivals of the area.

All these people take part in common festivals of the area. Missing of even one component of the Pashupati will be an irrecoverable loss to the tangible heritage. Their being next to the temple is as important as the idol of Pashupatinath itself. The government should spend money to keep them there, by providing incentives to those who want to flee away to city lives to keep the area "living".

(Courtsey: The locals of the Pashupatinath area)

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