I experienced the magic while watching the sun rising
It was really challenging for me to wake up at 6:30 in the morning to observe the sunrise. I was determined. I set the alarm on my cell for 6 AM (Friday, December 21). The alarm inside me was also working and I was awake several times in the night. Finally, the cell’s alarm went off and I threw sirak off. After muting the phone, I came back to bed and stayed inside sirak for a few minutes. Then I woke up and in a few minutes I was ready to go at the top of the hotel, the tallest in Nagarkot, to get the better view. There were already a few people and we waited for a few minutes.
It was magical. I don’t remember witnessing a sunrise before with that much of focused attention. It happened for only a few seconds. Probably 20 to 30 seconds. I just kept my eyes focused at the colorful rays of light that were coming from behind the mountain on the east.
The bright and yellowish figure appeared slowly. As it started to appear, it appeared fast. It came out like a cute yolk- first it was small portion of the yolk, then 10 percent, then 20, then 30 then 50. Ultimately it was 100 percent. I didn’t move my eyes from it. When I concluded that the sun had appeared above the mountain ridge hundred percent and felt a strange strain on my eyes, I closed them. After a few seconds, I opened and tried to look directly at the sun. It was now difficult but I saw that the sun hadn’t appeared above the mountain completely. It was half sun. After about a minute probably, full sun appeared and the power of the rays became stronger.
As per our plan, Girish and I descended from the top of the building to go for a walk down the village. As we were going down, Girish wrinkled his forehead, partially closed his eyes and brought his right hand in front of his nose with all fingers coming together.
What he said then made be go into the rollercoaster of laughter: Yesto sunrise ke hernu. Baru gham ko suruka kiran euti ramri keti ko anuhar ma thokkiyeko bela tyo anuhar chai herna maja aaucha! Udaudo ghamlai matra ke hernu, ankha matrai dukchha!
[Why see this kind of sunrise? Instead, it would be really enjoyable to see the face of a girl on whose face those initial rays of sun hit. Why see this kind of sunrise. You only strain your eyes!]
We went down the village, came back and Girish interviewed some participants of the workshop while I took shower. At the breakfast table, we met the other girl who was also going to Changu Narayan. This American girl had come to Nepal four years ago and worked for six months. She was again here to do the same job.
After a brief photo session of the participants of the workshop (I somehow managed to give life to the batteries by rubbing them against my chest!) we came back to the city (stopping briefly in Bhaktapur) and ate plateful of dal-bhat-khukura ko masu in Thakali, New Baneshwor. I was tired.
Dinesh Wagle on Nepali Society 