Nepali Award for a LANKAN

Cricket is a gentleman’s game. And if any cricketer had to get an award from the King, one couldn’t have found a better choice than Roy Dias, writes Somesh Verma

Not many go to a country other than that of their origin and get accolades for their work. Still fewer are those who get awarded for their work abroad. And if the award comes from the hand of the King himself, they have to be exceptional ones.

But that’s the case with him, Roy Dias. When he played test cricket for his country, he was considered among the best. When he became the coach of Sri Lankan cricket team, his side posted humiliating defeat to the originators of the game, the English. That too, at the mecca of cricket, the Lords.

Being regarded as one of the few is no new to this former Lankan batsman. However, when he received the Prabal Gorkha Dakshin Bahu (IV Class) he was moved. Moved to an extent that he described it almost equal to receiving knighthood or Order of British Empire (OBE) at the English Palace.

"I think it is an honour for every Sri Lankan," was what he said sitting in his hotel room after the ceremony. He admits that the King Gyanendra’s words ‘Thank You, Roy’ while presenting him with the medal will be making rounds in his ears time and again.

And why wouldn’t the King say so, when he learnt that the person receiving the award was the key behind Nepali teams reaching three finals in a row in consecutive international tournaments. Anyone who takes this as an mean achievement has to be either a lunatic or sports illiterate. For Nepal, under him - still minnows in world cricket - was able to beat the teams like Kenya, Bangladesh and Pakistan, all higher ranked than us in the Youth World Cup.

"This is the first time I shook hands with a King and nothing compares to a feeling like that," beamed the cricket guru who celebrated his 50th birthday just a week before the ceremony. "Any feeling close to that was when I shook hands with the English Queen in the 1999 World Cup." Dias was the Sri Lankan coach in the World Cup held in England then.

Success breeds confidence in one’s own capabilities. And with that, so many times, comes contempt for others. Strangely this is missing with this man, who has scored 5 international centuries at the highest level. For he shares his success with others as well.

"I share the award with the cricketers as well. For they were the ones who performed on the field and got Nepal honours," he says with utmost modesty. Not strange if you know the man. For inside a fighting cricketer lies a soft heart and a modest man.

And it hardly seems strange when he thanks a host of people for his achievement, in a so-called foreign land. "I should thank Binod Shanker Palikhe, member-secretary of National Sports Council, for this honor," appreciation of others, the sportsman way. "I also feel grateful to Binay Raj Pandey and Jay Kumar Nath Shah for their support." Pandey is the General Secretay of the Cricket Association of Nepal while Shah is the President.

A man, close to his family, and living thousands of kilometers away from them. Strange it seems, but they share his sense of responsibility towards Nepal. He says his family members were excited once they heard the news of him being nominated for the award. It was his wife, who had urged him to take the responsibility of Nepali cricket team. "They need you Roy," she had said.

Once, talking to this scribe Dias said that Nepal is his second home. And now, with the award, even we have acknowledged that!

From crude stones to work of art

Pragya RAJOURIA

A young man in leather pants enters the workshop. Earring in one ear, well gelled spiky hair, goggles casually dangling from his shirt pocket and a sleek mobile in one hand. The youngest scion of the Bajracharya family, the famous stone crafters of Bhinche Bahal is a regular young man except that he has skills uncommon for youngsters of his age.

His grandfather, Buddhi Ratna who is 83 no longer practices his profession. His father Lok Rak, now in his 50s is one of the best stone artists in Nepal. "Our family is into this profession since ages. I’ve seen my grandfather, father and elder brother working on stone. From them I have learnt and still learning how to handle stones," says Siddhi Raj.

A typical work day for him starts at 8 in the morning. "The first thing we do after unlocking our workshop is to do puja of Ganesh and Bhimsen. Bishwokarma, the caretakers of workmen is very important to us. We take his name, touch our hammer and chisel with our forehead and begin our work," he says.

This young man joined his family members in their trade at the age of 18. His first creations were small statues, which didn’t require minute works. Sometimes he was given the task to draw simple decorative patterns on statues made by others. Pointing at a beautiful statue of Radha Krishna which stood in one corner of the workshop he said, "Several people have worked on this statue including me. Some carve the crude form, some carve the hands and feet of the statue and the face part is chiseled by someone with real expertise because it’s the most difficult part to make," explained Siddhi Raj.

He also accompanies his father and brother to art exhibitions held in different parts of the world. "Religious sculpture predominate stone works in our country. Unlike in the Western world, modern art work on stone is rarely seen in Nepal. Other difference is the medium they work on. Marble is most commonly used there whereas in Nepal it is mostly used to make inscription tablets," he says.

When asked how he moulds stones into particular work of art he said, "When we make sculpture through our mind’s eye, we visualise what to make and then work step by step." "With practice comes perfection," says Siddhi Raj. "I have a long way to go and I can rarely satisfy my father," says the young artist.

The Bajracharyas are one of the few families in Nepal who’ve given continuity to the generation old tradition of putting life to stones. The beautiful and artistically superb statues of Hindu Gods and Goddesses, mythical figures and demigods in their Yatka workshop give testament to their skills and expertise. Many families in similar profession have already abandoned sculpting but this family is determined to keep their art alive. Even Siddhi Raj, the youngest in the family is all set pass his skills to younger generation.

"Stone crafts requires a lot of hard work and dedication like all works of art. Through our work, we are preserving the stone art heritage of our country. I really feel proud when we represent Nepal in art exhibition in foreign lands," says Siddhi Raj. " I will try my best to encourage the future generations in my family to pick the hammer and chisel and be experimental with stone work," he says.

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