Adventures in India, Part 42 -- Leaving the Subcontinent

Winding up our visit to the Indian Subcontinent.We left the monuments and royal parks behind and walked through the streets of Kathmandu.

Through the "Peoples Plaza" a reminder that the Maoist movement is still strong in Nepal.

Boarded our bus and were taken to a local restaurant for dinner and a show.

There were several singers and dancers and at one point several members of our party got up on stage and stumbled around.

One interesting feature of the night was the presence of a group of mountaineers who had just returned from Everest. One of our party was himself a climber and he joined them for a while. He learned that, although they displayed medals celebrating their climb of Everest, they had actually gotten no higher than the base camp.

Our Program Director, patiently waiting for us outside.

Then it was back to the hotel to rest and pack, and then on to the airport where we took a plane to Delhi.

Then a long, long flight back to the USA. And finally, at dawn I was able to look out the window and see the familiar sights of the harbor.

Adventures in India, Part 41 -- Durbar Square, Kathmandu

Durbar means "palace" and these squares were highly significant manifestations of royal power back in the days when Nepal was divided into several small kingdoms. The Kathmandu square is one of the most impressive of these. As we approached the square we found a lot of activity in the area. It seems that there was a rock concert scheduled for a nearby venue and the police were out in force to forestall any trouble that might emerge.

The vendors were setting up too. 

Balls!

Inside the square things were a lot quieter.

There were a lot of references to Kali, death the annihilator, in the local iconography. 

And all around were extraordinarily elaborate wood carvings. These windows are in a courtyard where the Kumari Deva, a prepubescent girl who is believed to be the manifestation of divine female energy, occasionally makes an appearance. She didn't show herself the day we were there which is probably a good thing because large throngs of worshipers show up to see her when she does. 

 

One of the reasons the police are so edgy -- the youth unemployment rate is estimated at around 40 percent. The squares are filled with young men simply sitting around and watching the world go by. 

This is the Pratap Malla column, honoring a king who ruled Kathmandu back in the seventeenth century. He is surrounded by servants and protected by a hooded cobra.

Pigeons everywhere.

Just hanging out at the temple.

 Sleeping in the sun, young love in the shade of the temples.

Appeasing the annihilator. 

Adventures in India, Part 40 -- The Boudhantha Stupa

Our next destination was the famous Boudhanath Stupa, one of the main centers of Buddhist worship in Nepal.

Here is the stupa itself. Its origins are obscure. Varying traditions date it to the fourth, sixth, and eighth centuries and to a number of different monarchs. There are additionally a couple of competing myths [Nepalese and Tibetan] concerning its construction. Whatever the case, it is an impressive and important religious site.

Masks.

The stupa is surrounded by prayer wheels.

I don't know what this is, and I'm not sure I want to know.

Another texting monk.

Monks at the stupa getting ready to have their picture taken.

Back on the streets of Kathmandu.

Then it was back onto the bus to visit another Durbar Square.

Adventures in India, Part 39 -- Return to Kathmandu

We headed to the airport where we boarded a plane [Yeti Airlines, I'm not kidding] and flew back to Kathmandu

Back to the protests.

Back to the squalor of what had once been considered an exotic paradise.

And the bustle of the city.

To view the remnants of past glories, Patan Durbar Square, once a royal park, in Lalitpur City just outside Kathmandu.

Sometimes it's better not to look too closely at the icons, the details can be quite horrifying.

Young people hanging out in the park, watching the tourists.

A quiet corner. Nothing important, I just liked the colors.