Participant: Shamesh Joshi, Nishchal Shrestha, Rajendra Subedi, Puspa Raj Bhattarai, Prabin Chitrakar, and Manish Shakya
Place: Ason, Kathmandu
Date: 06th October 2007
Report: Shamesh Joshi
Creative Support: NishchalS
To walk through the streets of Kathmandu means to get lost in the spidery maze of narrow alleyways. You never know which Galli ends to which road. And being a local of Kathmandu, I feel like king of Gallis. Once told that if you are chased by police; running into gallis is the best was to be saved but the constrain is: you have to know the way, else you may get lost in dead end.
It was Saturday morning, and a bunch of enthusiastic people trying to blend in the morning crowd of city. As already predefined destination Ason was waiting for us with fresh green vegetables, colorful flowers and Annapurna Devi(Goddess of Fortune, food grains). We were literally dragging by the crowd. You can find no place to stand still. Whole way was full of ambitious entrepreneurs gathering around the temple steps and on street corners to set out their produce – in vivid patterns of color and design. Tomatoes and ginger, sweet bananas and raspberries in newspaper cones and so on.
The narrow road and full of people in different colors, it was like some kind of parade. Every body was busy, busy on their daily flow. Rikshas waiting for customer, Sweepers trying to clean the mesh of Kathmandu, Vehicles trying to squeeze through crowd and we the team busy capturing the moments, the moment of rush.
Being Saturday, it was the best day to capture the lifestyle of Kathmandu; you can find all kind of faces, from Mongolians to Aryans, form Bhramins to Surdras, from Bhotes to Madise. It was a great blend of culture and all representing the whole nation Nepal in their own way.
We visited JanaBahal (Machhendra Bahal), the home of Seto MachindraNath (White Machindra Nath), the golden temple guarded by mythical lions. It was built by Yaksha Malla in 1500 AD. This 2 story temple is always full of worshipers and the traditional music is always played in morning and evening at this temple.
Dragging with the crowd, we reached Indrachowk, a square, the courtyard of Indra named after an ancient Hindu deityis. There is a temple dedicated to Akash Bhairab, the god of Sky. The image of Akash Bhairav is displayed outside the temple for a week during Indrajatra, the festival of Indra the God of Rain.
We even visited the Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square, the place of great kings; it is easy to be over whelmed by the seemingly uncountable monuments over there. The round temple in the pagoda architectural style for lord Krishna, the temple of Goddess Taleju (who played dice with King Jaya Prakash Malla), the house of the Living Goddess Kumari, the ferocious Kal Bhairab, and an image of Shiva and Parbati sitting together are among the many monuments.
There’s always a hunger to get close to these monuments, the people and the culture they possess. It’s an amazing feeling of self contend. Though this city has to materialize many problems, this city is rich in its vivid colors of life, in tradition and in culture. We all need to consider our self blessed for being a part of this culture, and to save our self, our identity, we have to save our culture. Let Peace and Harmony prevail, let’s be a part of family.
01.Morning tea and make your day
02.Good for health
03.Fresh vegetables for health
04.Aji Ma, God from Bhadra Kali
05.BhadraKali
06.Aster for Annapurna, Ason
07.Jai Annapurna Matte, Ason
08.Fresh Fresh, 10 Rs only
09.Curd, sign of Good Luck, Ason
10.Fresh Vegitables for new day
11.Earning for living
12.Cleaning under process
13.Iron Craft
14.Metal Craft
15.One of the oldest Shop of Balkumari, Ason
16.Vitamin A
17.5.Variety
17.Leaf to sew decomposible plates (Tapari)
18.Way to Jana Bahal, home of White Machindra Nath
19.Bhajan Mandali of Jana Bahal
20.Bhagawan Sarana (Taking holy heat forbetter life)
21.Golden temple of kathmandu, Machhendra Bahal
22.One two Yhe!!
23.Mato ko Bhada, (Artistic Pottery), Bheda Singh
24.No entry
25.Colorful Morning, Indra Chowk
26.busy street of indra Chowk
27.Akash Bhairab temple, remaining afterIndra Jatra
28.Local Potatos
29.Narrow Road and busy street
30.Waiting for Sawari (Customers)
31.Work Load, Indra Chowk
32.hmmm looks good
33.Indra Chok to Makhhan, a part of life
34.On Sale
35.5.You can have anyone you like
35.Open Market
36.5.Give me way, Makhhan Mahadev
36.Galli of Kathmandu (Chokhache Galli)
37.5.My way
37.Rush Hour
38.Taleju Bhawani Temple, hanuman Dhoka
39.Way to Makhan, hanuman Dhoka
40.5.Gurju Ko Paltan (Army of Prithivi narayan Shah)
40.Darbar Square, Hanuman Dhoka
41.Hanuman Dhoka Darbar Square
42.hanuman Dhoka, another Look
43.Kal Bhairab, Hanuman Dhoka
44.Krishna Temple, Hanuman Dhoka
45.5.Big Bell, Hanuman Dhoka
45.Glimpse of Swet Bhairab, Hanuman Dhoka
46.5.Free of Tension
46.Lord Shiva and Parbati, Window view
47.5Looks Tasty
47.Kumari Temple, Basantapur
48.Nao Talle Darbar, Palace build by Prithvi Narayan Shah, Basantapur
49.Rikshas waiting for the customers
50.Garuda, Lord Vishnu’s Vahan
51.Maru and it’s Busy morning
52.Kastamandap, Its made of single Tree
53.Life goes on, Maru
54.Web of wires
55.part of History
56.Mind your Head, way to Itum Bahal
57.Renovating Itum Bahal
58.Renovated part
59.Gwal mari, local snack for morning
60.Comming thru
61.Nara Devi Temple, It’s said that Human blood is sacrificed once in 12 years
62.BhedaSing, its said that nailing a coin in this temple helps in tooth ache
63.Appreciating SLC graduates
64.Sei Gha (Named after Brass Gagri)
65.Stupa for peace, Sei Gha
66.Another view of Sei Gha
67.Network Admin in work
68.Wings of Peace, Sei Gha
Photo #62 is wrongly captioned. It should be “Bange Muda” not “Bheda sing”
At Ason Tole you’ll find a three storied temple dedicated to Annapurna, the goddess of abundance. It draws vast crowds.
Nice one Shameshcha…
Glad see your report. keep up the good work mate..
Network Admin in work, symbolize like heading to the direction in Great Depression; any way guys nice visualize of the blow – but be aware you could be the one practicing it in near futuer …
j bhaya pani mero des malai pyaro chha
Preety much same as mona dd n puja dd miss u dai n mero kathmandu….love u..n write sumthin bout maru as well ni its place to notice as well missin home
Yha Golmaris are my favourite too…. hehehe and what a coincident , i too learn to ride my bicycle in Hanuman Dhoka…
The Snaps reminded me my childhood.. Specially my elder brother with whom i used to roam here and there around those gallis… Hanuman Dhokha- the place where i first learned to ride bicycle. Gwalmari my favorite food too .
Very nice pictures Shamesh.I feel like being in Kathmandu when I saw those pics.I miss kathamandu . 🙁
Taking snap was exciting and enjoyable, but answering why we were photographing to local people was boring. They were amazed why Nepali tourists were taking photos. To describe posting on web site was tougher. But I enjoyed all those travelling around the narrow ways.
Great Post, Shamesh and the Gang. Peaceful area those. Very good message at the end considering the state the country is in. I remember the days I used to go for my evening walks around those gallis and alleys. These areas are what Kathmandu is all about.
You are great at your photography guys – keep it up.
“Free of tension” — nice!!
I spent my childhood near the Freak Street (Jhochen) and enjoyed Gwalmari breakfast. Nowadays I don’t get them where I live. I miss it!! I am sure you guys have more pictures, which should go in “Life in Nepal” section. Good job!!
(Y).
Yhe kathmandu lives different lives but one thing is sure, we all love our Kathmandu.
I have visisted the gallis of Ason on day time only but i didnt knew that that the gallis looked so different in the morning.The Team has done a great job by showing the real life of main part of Kathmandu.Each and every photo is so unique and feels really good while seeing it again and again.
Thank you Rudra dai. Its our pride, our culture and with you all we can atleast preserve some of it in our memory lane, our cameras.
Most of the photos have come out beautiful. Great Job!
Well done Samesh and team! I would say 50 years from now these photos will worth a lot. Little more cityscape capture would be even more valuable.
Rudra
Nice to see these snaps which explores the reality of Kathmandu. These are really great.
Yha .. it is one of the busy morning, the Saturday.
What a great remind of kathmandu. This picture will get more value after several years. Great picture.
What a life, and moreover what a Camera to make it Noticeable, Bottom line is GOOD JOB.
great photos…..