Ladies of Kathmandu (Nepal 2017-03)

Hanging around at Asan Chowk, Kathmandu. Photograph with Leica IIIC camera on Tmax 400 film.

At the Asan Chowk, October 2017.

Dear readers, I have examined (so to speak) the ladies of Kathmandu before. But I could not resist another survey in case they had changed since my 2011 trip.

Taking in the view at Asan Chowk, Kathmandu

The ladies in question are (or were) almost exclusively European (or Western). (But many of these ladies may now be made in India.) Many of them have poofy hair, as if they stepped in from the 1970s. Well, some parts of Kathmandu do look like the 1970s, although the rapid rebuilding after the terrible 2015 earthquakes is changing the city rapidly. I concluded that for Kathmandu's lovelies, color photography really is more effective.

It is strange how lovely lingerie

Can affect a gal's false modesty

If she's wearing silk and satin,

Satin and silk.

Though she knows that boys are evil imps

Yet she yearns to give those boys a glimpse

If she's wearing silk and satin,

Satin and silk.

You cannot expect a lady to exert that certain pull

If she's wearing cotton stockings

And her bloomers are made of wool,

But a woman's woes are at an end

And she's all prepared to make a friend

If she's wearing silk and satin,

She's for pettin' and for pattin'

If she's wearing silk and satin, satin and silk.

It is strange what undergarments do

To convert a maiden's point of view

If she's wearing silk and satin,

Satin and silk.

She will never say her pride was hurt

Should a breeze blow by and lift her skirt

If she's wearing silk and satin,

Satin and silk.

"Satin and Silk" from Silk Stockings, Music: Cole Porter; Lyrics: Cole Porter; Premiere: Thursday, February 24, 1955

The roads near Chhetrapata and around Indra Chowk (square or intersection) are full of fabric and tailoring shops. This clustering of small industries is similar to what you see in many cities, like Athens. And to my untrained eye, the fashions look much alike, so I wonder how a customer chooses one shop over another?

To prove that I am an unbiased reviewer of fashions, here are the gentlemen of Kathmandu, all decked out in their latest dress. "Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy, But not express'd in fancy; rich, not gaudy; For the apparel oft proclaims the man," (Hamlet, William Shakespeare). In the top picture, I am not sure what the little kids are wearing; clothes for a party or wedding, perhaps?

Cloth vendor, near Chettrapati, Kathmandu (from Nexus 4 phone)

The two black and white photographs are from Kodak Tmax 400 film, exposed with a Leica IIIC camera with 5cm f/2.0 Summitar lens. The color frames are Kodak Ektar 100 film from a Yashica Electro 35CC compact rangefinder camera with 35mm f/1.8 lens.

Pashupatinath: Holy Nepal Hindi Site in Danger

We often think of Nepal as a profoundly Buddhist country, but the largest number of Nepalis (up to 83 percent according to the 2011 census as reported in Wikipedia) are Hindus. The most holy Hindu site in the Kathmandu valley is the Temple of Pashupatinath, located along the banks of the Bagmati River. The Pashupatinath Temple (Nepali: पशुपतिनाथ मन्दिर) is one of the seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Kathmandu Valley. According to Wikipedia, the area of Pashupatinath covers 264 hectres (652 acres), within which are 518 temples and monuments.

The Bagmati River (in Nepali: बागमती नदी) flows through the Kathmandu valley, separating the Kathmandu from Lalitpur regions. Both Hindus and Buddhists consider it a profoundly holy river. It eventually joins the equally-holy Ganges River. Unfortunately, the Bagmati is badly polluted from raw sewage and industrial waste that pours into it.

As a first-time visitor, it is hard to get a sense of the scale of the temple complex. It seems to extend indefinitely over a jumble of buildings, terraces, alleys, and walls.

 

 

The Bagmati is sacred to Hindus because the dead are cremated on the banks of the river. From Wikipedia: "According to the Nepalese Hindu tradition, the dead body must be dipped three times into the Bagmati River before cremation. The chief mourner (usually the first son) who lights the funeral pyre must take a holy river-water bath immediately after cremation. Many relatives who join the funeral procession also take a bath in the Bagmati River or sprinkle the holy water on their bodies at the end of cremation. The Bagmati River purifies the people spiritually."

But in the aftermath of the April 25, 2015 earthquake, thousands of families brought their dead here for traditional cleansing and cremation. But a cremation requires 300-500kg of wood and has led to massive deforestation in the Katmandu area as well as air pollution. A 2009 BBC article described the installation of an electric furnace, but I do not know if was ever put into operation.

 

 

Before and during a cremation, family members gather along the river with food offerings. Rice is put in boats made of woven leaves and floated down the river.

These bright powders are used in the ceremonies, but I am not sure exactly how.

 

Monkeys wander around the grounds. I suppose they are skilled at stealing food scraps.

 

Vendors sell garlands of flowers, coconuts, and other supplies.

 

 

 

The architecture at Pashupatinath has evolved and been rebuilt over 400 years. According to Wikipedia, the original 5th century temple was largely destroyed by Islamic invaders in the 14th century. The subsequent temple was consumed by termites and then rebuilt by King Bhupatindra Malla ain the 17th century.

 

The stonework and carving is intricate, and some of it reminds me of carving in Ankor (Cambodia).

Pashupatinath survived the 2015 earthquake largely intact, but has been witness to immense sorrow among the grieving families who brought their dead her to this sacred site.

Photographs taken with an Olympus E330 digital camera.

Royal City, Bhaktapur, Nepal

On April 25, 2015, at 06:11:26 (UTC), central Nepal was struck by a earthquake of Magnitude 7.8, about 34 km ESE of the town of Lamjung. From the U.S. Geological Survey:

Tectonic Summary

The April 25, 2015 M 7.8 Nepal earthquake occurred as the result of thrust faulting on or near the main frontal thrust between the subducting India plate and the overriding Eurasia plate to the north. At the location of this earthquake, approximately 80 km to the northwest of the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu, the India plate is converging with Eurasia at a rate of 45 mm/yr towards the north-northeast, driving the uplift of the Himalayan mountain range. The preliminary location, size and focal mechanism of the April 25 earthquake are consistent with its occurrence on the main subduction thrust interface between the India and Eurasia plates.

Kathmandu has suffered devastating damage and at least 4000 deaths have been recorded around the country as of the writing of this post. In Kathmandu, the part of  the city known as Bhaktapur suffered damage to many historic buildings. I will post some photographs from a 2007 visit to Kathmandu in memory of the many kind and friendly people I met on that trip.

According to Wikipedia, Bhaktapur (Nepali: भक्तपुर Bhaktapur) is in the east end of the Kathmandu valley. Historically, it was on the trade route between Tibet and India, which contributed to the town's wealth and cultural achievements. It was the largest of the three Newa kingdoms of the Kathmandu Valley, and was the capital of Nepal during the second half of the 15th century.

The city is known for its monuments and architectural heritage, appreciated by both local schoolgirls and dorky western tourists. This may be the Vatsala Durga temple.

 

Bhaktapur was also well known for its ceramic industry, with clay coming from pits and deposits in the valley.

Puppets of great complexity are carved and painted here.

In October, we saw the rice being dried on rooftops and platforms. This is a common sight throughout Nepal.

 The scene from a rooftop restaurant.

 

This is (or was) a rewarding place for urban photography. I hope the Nepalis can restore the historic building with time and hard work.

Photographs taken with an Olympus E-330 digital camera.

Historic Temples, Patan, Nepal

I want to follow-up on the previous post of hidden courtyards of Patan with some photographs of temples and more common tourist sights. Patan is a visual delight in every way. Most tourists are dropped off on Mangaal Bazaar in front of the ticket booth at Durbar Square and proceed north past a series of temples and the palace complex.

Note that in Nepal, temples are not just sterile monuments visited by tourists, but are used by local residents in their every day lives. Old folks sit and watch the view, younger folks play games or chat.

One of the first temples on the left is the Hari Shankar Mandir, dedicated to both Vishnu and Shiva. Note the fantastic carved doorways and lintels, and the unusual "ears" off the doors. Most of these temples needed major rebuilding after a powerful earthquake in 1934.

The young ladies are taking portraits of each other at the Jagan Narayan Mandir, built in 1565.

The next one north, with an old lady enjoying a cig, was the Bishwanath Mandir.

I did not take many photographs in the Palace, but many of the architectural details showed interesting shadows and patterns. The wall by the main entrance is a popular place for the local gents to sit and watch the local scene. The Palace was mainly constructed in the second half of the seventeenth century and substantially rebuilt after an invasion in 1769 and the 1934 earthquake

Many visitors go to the Hiranyavarna Mahavihara, popularly known as the "Golden Temple". It may be one of the most opulent small temples in Patan and occupies a cramped courtyard of the 12th century Kwa Bahal Buddhist monastery. Tourists are not allowed to take any leather inside, but modern synthetic running shoes are all right. I am not sure about the symbolism of the monkeys sitting next to the prayer wheels, or the purpose of the chains draped over one of the monkeys. Possibly a reader can enlighten me. The monastery is active, and upstairs, I saw a European gent chanting and leading a group in prayer.

Again, I want to emphasize that Patan is a living city, not some dead architectural site. People, shops, traffic, noise, and smells are everywhere. It's a bit run-down, but from constant use, not abandonment and neglect.

Another theme that impressed me about Nepal is the commerce being carried out everywhere. The jolly bald gent sells singing bowls. Amazingly (or diplomatically) he remembered me after an absence of four years. He even convinced me to buy another bowl!

The gent with the flowers threads them on long strings.

If you don't want brass bowls or flowers, why not buy a chicken?

This petite mother was taking her children to school. This was another theme that impressed me about Nepal: the strong education ethic. Families believe strongly that education will help their children achieve better lives. We in USA could learn from the Nepalis.

Photographs taken with Olympus E-330, Panasonic G1, and Fujifilm F31fd digital cameras.