Excerpts from Nepal (2024)

07/05/2020

‪Buddha Jayanti, a day that commemorates the ’s birth, enlightenment and death in many parts of Nepal🇳🇵and the world.‬

‪Around 2,400 years ago, the Shakyamuni Buddha (then Siddhartha) was the son of King Suddhodana and crown prince of Kapilavastu. At the ripe old age of 29, after observing the "Four Sights", Siddhartha walked out of his home in the dead of the night and left his palace gates.‬

‪Pictured is the site where the palace grounds in Tilaurakot, the capital of Kapilavastu once stood and the life-altering "Eastern Gate": The gate believed to be the one he walked out of when he left the palace walls for good. And then his path ultimate led towards Bodh Gaya in India where he attained Buddhahood, Enlightenment (aka Nirvana)‬

‪Unlike Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha, the areas surrounding Tilaurakot are still in ruins and in need of development. Although equally or more important since the Buddha spent 29 years of his life there (instead of Lumbini where he was born - And left immediately after), the preservation and development activities still seem a lot more focused towards Lumbini than on the palace in Tilaurakot and other parts of Kapilavastu.‬

@ Tilaurakot Gautam Buddha Palace

20/04/2020

Himalayan “Chorten” or prayer stupas.

Considered among the world’s best treks by international media forums such as CNN and Condé Nast, for many, the life altering Annapurna Circuit trek starts from Besisahar in Lamjung district. From there, a bumpy SUV ride to Brathang, 2,840 meters or 9,300 feet above sea level sets one off towards the 10-12 day journey on foot. On the 8th day, one crosses over the Thorongla Pass, 5,416 meters or 17,800 feet above sea level from where the downward descent to Muktinath begins, 3,710 meters or 12,200 feet above sea level. A total of 125,000+ steps as per Fitness App. The breakdown: 100,000+ uphill and 25,000+ downhill.

“Chorten” or small Buddhist prayer houses are constructed by the village locals with guidance from a Spiritual Guru of high standing. These Chorten have prayer wheels at the Base and a stupa on the top and serve as an entry to every village in the Upper Himalayan belt, be it in Dolpa, Manang or even Solukhumbu. In the photos are some Chorten one comes across in the seven villages that comprises of Upper Manang. The locals believe that anytime an individual passes through a Chorten, the mantras inside the Chorten and it’s resident spirits and deities will ward off any evil spirits that could enter the village along with the individual.

Contrary to Buddhism elsewhere, the one followed by Nepalis living on the Himalayan belt have its origins in Tibetan Buddhism, a type of Buddhism that over centuries has evolved and infused itself with the original Bon religion prevalent in Tibet. Historians believe that in the 7th Century AD when the legendary Nepali Princess Bhrikuti married the Tibetan Warrior-Emperor, Songtsen Gampo, she brought along Buddhism from Kathmandu into Tibet. And the rest is history as the compassionate, empathetic and non-violent teachings of the Buddha ended up becoming the official religion of the court - And until today, this Tibetan version of Buddhism infused with Bon still shows its colors in the various ceremonies around Nepal and India via the traditions of chanting prayers with horns and drums, nature worship, prayer-flags and a healthy dose of Tantrism.

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13/04/2020

This is how is done on .

Karma Tenzing maintaining a 20-30 feet distance from the legendary Jangbu Sherpa on May 15th 2019, at the of Everest (around 8,400 meters or ~27,500 feet above sea level) and on the upper right hand side of the photo, you can see the of Everest (8,749 meters or 28,704 feet above sea level) and the main summit of Everest on the extreme upper right in the photo (8,848 meters or 29,029 feet above sea level).

In these times of Global Duress due to , stay safe, practice Physical Distancing, wash hands regularly and most importantly, continue maintaining your positive attitude.

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09/04/2020

“Kyi Kyi So So Lha Gyal Lo” or “Victory To The Spirit” - A prayer called out loud by Himalayan Buddhists anytime they cross a mountain pass. And in this case, it is also the name of the masterpiece in the photos: An artwork by Himalayan artist Ang Tsherin Sherpa that leads into the “South Asia” section at the majestic Victoria and Albert Museum in London. This painting was inspired by Mr. Sherpa’s time at the V&A Museum. For those in Kathmandu in search of the painting, there is lithograph of the same artwork at MOMO KARMA restaurant along with his other signed lithographs - Previously, he had his art exhibition there as well.

Ang Tsherin Sherpa is an internationally acclaimed artist based in San Francisco and Kathmandu. Growing up in Kathmandu he was trained in the world of “Thangkas” but with an opportunity to attend Art School in California, his works infused the Himalayan Buddhist world with that of Modern Art. This versatility has helped him create incredible pieces that infuse the struggle of the Himalayan people with the clever and delicate aesthetics of the West. And in recent years, his works have been showcased everywhere from Museums in San Francisco to an entire section on the 4th Floor at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City. For those insterested in purchasing his works, they have recently sold at Sotheby’s and at other auction houses around the world where buyers have paid US$30,000+ for his paintings.

As a pioneer in the Nepalese artworld, Mr. Sherpa has made art-lovers from all over Earth embrace him and fill themselves with awe towards his paintings. It would be an ideal scenario to one day see many more of our Himalayan youth foray into the Fine Arts for a career instead of other normative professions that society may have planned for them.

@ Victoria and Albert Museum

07/04/2020

Day 5 on the trek to Everest Base Camp (5,365 meters or 17,300 feet above sea level) - Most climbers who plan on summiting Mount Everest take the half hour detour towards Pangboche Monastery (3,985 meters or 13,074 feet above sea level) to receive blessings from the revered Pangboche Lama, Nawang Paljor. His blessing are considered essential before any ascent of Mount Everest since the Pangboche Lama’s powerful prayers and mantras appease Goddess Miyolang Sangma and the many female deities and spiteful spirits who live up on Mount Everest.

Once back on the dirt trail, in 20 minutes, the path converged with the main trail towards Dingboche (4,410 meters or 14,470 feet above sea level). Right then, the fog breathing down our necks gave way and revealed a majestic sight...And immediately, with a 1% battery charge showing on the iPhone along with bare minimum WiFi and phone access, this incredible view of Ama Dablam standing at 6,812 meters or 22,350 feet above sea level was captured. As soon as the photo was taken, the fog swept right back in - The Pangboche Lama’s blessings worked miracles.

Ama Dablam means “Mother’s Necklace” and among all mountains in the Himalayas, this mountain’s aesthetics are considered the most beautiful by the climbing community, including the porters and clients. Often called the “Matterhorn of the East” by novice climbers and some European climbers, it was first summited on March 13th 1961 and 36 years later, in September 1997, Bear Grylls became the youngest Briton to summit Ama Dablam. Unfortunately, barely 4 months ago in December 2019, Grylls’ record was broken. And as we climbers believe, in mountaineering, all records are meant to be broken...It’s only a matter of time.

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06/04/2020

Stories from Manang - Traders Extraordinaire 🏔🇳🇵

In 1956, SC Gurung was returning to Ngawal (3,680 meters or 12,075 feet above sea level) in Manang, Nepal after a year long trading spree spanning across India, Burma and Thailand. Although a Nepali citizen, Nepal had not yet allowed its citizens to travel abroad unless they were royalty or the British Gurkhas or individuals with travel exemptions from the King. And in Gurung’ case, he wasn’t any!

Previously, people from Manang had settled in Shillong, India. This allowed other Mananges to receive an Indian passport using the addresses of their relatives. Gurung’s case was no different and wielding an Indian passport, he traveled across South Asia, a distant dream for Nepali citizens of the 1940s.

With earnings of Indian Rupees 2,500 (equivalent to US$ 625 then), on his journey home, while crossing Assam in India, he was confronted by traders from a larger village of Manang who beat and robbed him of everything. After weeks of negotiations, the robber-traders returned a paltry Rs. 700!

Unable to come to terms with returning home with no money to pay off his creditors nor feed his family of 6 children, Gurung made the harsh decision to turn around and repeat the steps as in his last sojourn: In Calcutta, Gurung sold herbal products amassed in the hills of Nepal and India. He headed to Burma to purchase rubies, jade and precious stones. Those stones were then sold in Thailand and the left overs made into jewelry. The jewelry were then taken to HongKong, Singapore and Brunei and sold at a premium.

6 months later, Gurung, still distraught, ended up in Brunei after his trading endeavors took him across South Asia. One warm evening in 1957, after hawking his products all day, he went to a park and exercised vigorously. That night, while sleeping on the streets as every Manange trader did in order to save money, due to health complications arising from years of extreme stress accumulated from his hardy mountain life, Gurung suffered a massive heart attack and passed away at the tender age of 39 in Ba**er Seri Begawan, Brunei. His body left unclaimed in a public morgue.
..And Gurung was my grandfather.

05/04/2020

On the Manaslu Circuit, in Samagaun, 3,550 meters or 11,647 feet above sea level, a unique jail exists. Here the perpetrators and criminals are not humans, rather they’re yaks, mules and horses. And the only way out is via paying a fine of around Rs. 200-500 depending on the nature and severity of the crime. And what constitutes a “crime”? It varies from the animals being on the trekking trails at certain times of the day during Tourist season. Or if these animals wander into the fields and homes of other villagers. And also, if it trespasses into the village community/cooperative fields - It doesn’t matter if any damage was caused to the crops or property, the sole act of trespassing constitutes a crime where the animal is sent to “jail” and unless bond is posted, it will remain there indefinitely. Unlike jails anywhere else on the planet, there is no food being served to the inmates here.

On revisiting the photos, it reeks of a Dickensian Orphange where the pathetic and weary animals are in a situation due to no fault of theirs. When the owners of these magnificent beasts neglect their duties in securing and training these animals, these incarcerations will continue to exist. And in the end, it only ends up enriching the Village Development Committee through the suffering of these innocent animals.

@ Mt. Manaslu in Gorkha, Nepal

04/04/2020

Along with physical training and preparation, little is known to the non-climbing community about another age-old tradition before one goes climbing Mt. Everest: A detour towards the village of Pangboche (3,985 meters or 13,074 feet above sea level) on the way to Everest Base Camp to pay homage to the most revered of all Lamas when it comes to Mt. Everest, the Pangboche Lama. Over the decades, his prayers and blessing have helped generations of climbers in assuring their safety and achieving their dreams of summiting Mt. Everest.

Buddhists believe the Goddess Miyolang Sangma resides on the summit of Mt. Everest along with many other powerful female deities all over the mountains. Most of these spirits and deities have virtuous Goddess like qualities while a few are assumed to be spiteful and evil. And the Pangboche Lama’s powerful mantras are geared towards appeasing the Goddess, the various female spirits and to curb their wrath - Even Tenzing Norgay, the first man to Summit Mt. Everest often said that the Goddess Miyolang Sangma guided him to the top of the world in May 29th 1953.

In February 2018, the previous Pangboche Lama, Lama Geshe passed away and since then Lama Nawang Paljor has taken over the reins and he now continues the important tradition of blessing climbers on their journey to the summit of Mt. Everest. And as with any Lama or Holy-man harboring love and compassion, he asks all climbers who come to receive his blessings to refrain from any harm towards insects and animals along the way (and also the occasional, “quit smoking” message if he finds out that the individual smokes ci******es).

03/04/2020

In Bhaktapur, shooting the multiple award winning documentary, "Good Karma: An Immigrant Story" and Rajan then stops to show his home that was grazed to the ground during the Great Earthquake of 2015. He was guiding tourists around the old city of Bhaktapur that fateful day of April 25th 2015 when the earthquake struck. Immediately after which he bolted back to his home amidst an ancient city that then lay in ruins...Little knowing that his home too had become another solitary statistic in a sea of casualties.

03/04/2020

Along the Annapurna Circuit at a Tea Shop in Deurali (4,400 meters or 14,450 feet above sea level) on the way to Thorong Phedi (4,540 meters or 14,900 feet above sea level) after leaving Yak Kharka (4,035 meters or 13,250 feet above sea level), the owner, Pasang Gurung sells tea, coffee and snacks to weary trekkers.

Her story went viral on social media where a British woman, Gemma Wilson and her step son were chased down the Himalayas after an altercation over the price of a cup of tea - A paltry $1.50 that Ms. Wilson haggled over and “threw” the money at Ms. Gurung after yelling profanities! Although the worldwide media and keyboard activists went along with Ms. Wilson’s one sided story and crucified Ms. Gurung with venomous words, once the truth came out, Ms. Wilson surely was no angel and was the sole instigator behind the entire incident aka “The Manang Tea Party”.

If you’re a tourist visiting Nepal and looking to bargain over what seems like peanuts over the High Himalayas, please see the previous post on how food items and necessities are hauled over the Himalayas - On the back of humans and horses from Manang Village to Yak Kharka, a 5 hour uphill trek that starts at 3,500 meters and ends at 4,035 meters above sea level. Then from Yak Kharka to Ms. Gurung’s Tea Stall, another 4 hour uphill trek that ends at 4,400 meters above sea level.

03/04/2020

Along the Annapurna Circuit, on a 9 hour trek from Ngawal (3,680 meters or 12,075 feet above seal level) to Yak Kharka (4035 meters or 13,260 feet above sea level), a solitary porter hauls food supplies and necessities for a hotel he works for in Yak Kharka. His ordeal begins with hauling heavy duty supplies on his back from Manang Village to Yak Kharka, a 5 hour uphill trek that starts at 3,500 meters (11,485 feet) above sea level and ends at 4,035 meters above sea level.

If they charge you an arm and a leg for food in the hotels in the high Himalayas along the various trekking routes, think about this particular post and photo...And pay them generously.

03/04/2020

On the Manaslu Circuit, in Samagaun, 3,550 meters or 11,647 feet above sea level, this little girls spends her entire day following tourists and yelling, “Chocolate”. The sign over her head reads, “Female empowerment equals infrastructural development”. Fitting words to end a system of patriarchy that for eons has existed without objection in Nepal and many other countries all around the world.

Excerpts from Nepal

07/05/2020

20/04/2020

13/04/2020

09/04/2020

07/04/2020

06/04/2020

05/04/2020

04/04/2020

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