Dinesh Wagle's Commentaries

Latest stories – पछिल्ला टिप्पणीहरू

  • A Year in Delhi, India

    Dinesh Wagle in Delhi local train

    Fulfilling my year-long desire today I rode in a local train in Delhi.

    Yes, a year has passed. Today marks the first anniversary of my arrival in New Delhi. It was a year ago on this day I had landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport and arrived at B-19, Jangpura Extension to take charge of our one-man bureau. It’s been fun and interesting so far. Something I have learned from the lonely life in Delhi. At the same time there are quite a few things I missed. This is certainly not the first time I have lived away from my family for so long. Initial days of staying in hostel during my primary school days in Dorji School, Boudha were lonelier. It’s a pity there was no World wide Web at that time. (धेरै…)

  • In Guwahati, Assam: a Temple at the Hill

     

    kamakhya temple
    There's a small pond inside the Kamakhya Temple complex, Guwahati. (Photo gallery inside)

    I took a train to Guwahati from New Jalpaiguri. I had come there from Sikkim in a bus in a near-five hour journey. The bus ride wan’t very enjoyable as the road was curvy and I feel dizzying in such trip. Glad that I didn’t throw out. Waited for a couple of hours in the NJP train station eating and charging iPhone. A Nepali couple, just married I assumed, came to my table. Initially I thought that was just another Indian couple heading for honeymoon or something. I had to wait until they talked. I just listened to their conversation for a few minutes. There was no alternative in fact as my phone was plugged in and was being charged. And the food was there at the table. (धेरै…)

  • The Hills of Gangtok, Sikkim

    My Sikkim impression as published in Koseli: [PDF version]

    sikkim_india_ (8)Young Buddhist monks smile while their friends try to bring down walnut from a tall tree near their Gumba, the most important and oldest in Gangtok, Sikkim.

    The word Sikkim evokes a very different sort of image and emotion in us, Nepalis, that is anything but exotic and touristy. Sikkimization is a term often used in Nepali politics. For those of us who are in our 20s or early 30s, it is hard to believe that Sikkim was an independent nation state till 1975.  India attacked and annexed Sikkim in a broad day light April that year. [Here is the story about that] The same India that suffered under the British Raj (who reportedly puts signs such as ‘dogs and Indians not allowed’) and fought so heroically to gain independence in 1947.  That’s the story of Sikkim that lost its independence to the sinister conspiracy of Indian intelligence agencies and their political leadership. Here are photos from my tour there that portray the present day Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim.

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    Evening at Mahatma Gandhi Road in Gangtok, Sikkim. It seems every major city in India has this road called MG named after their father of nation.
    The capital city of Sikkim as seen from the top of a shopping complex
    Monks at the top of a shopping complex enjoying the view
    The oldest monastery of Gangtok
    At the top of Gangtok, this monastery is attached to the palace of the ex Chogyal (king) of Sikkim
    A young monk shows the walnut he collected
    Smiling Buddhas? Walnut is the secret. Their friends threw stones and sticks towards the tree
    He is making sticks that will be used for the affairs of Gumba later
    Once the Chogyal used to live in this palace that is now kind of abandoned. The followign story (below) tells how India masterminded the annexation of the independent state of Sikkim.
    A dad and his daughter pose for the camera as her mother clicks inside the flower garden of Gangtok, Sikkim
    Dear dad and his sweet daughter
    Flower garden
    A woman goes around the prayers wheels of Enchey monastery.
    His eyes fixed on the walnut

  • Chance Encounters (with Nepalis) In India

    “I don’t know what sins we committed in our previous life that we have to serve in a foreign army. It feels like we are going to all these dhams all over India to wash away our sins.”

    chandigarh chance encounter with a nepali lad
    Bhagiram Gharti didn’t want to be photographed

    By Dinesh Wagle
    This article first appeared in today’s Kathmandu Post Op-Ed

    It was his solitary lunch. Perhaps his time to think and reflect upon the life he had lived so far. He was slowly chewing rice from a small plate in front of him. Under a concrete shade in the middle of the wide courtyard at Chandigarh’s main marketplace, he was seated cross-legged on a concrete bench fully focused on the meal. He was hungry. I don’t know what exactly, but there was something familiar about him that prompted me to ask (in Hindi), “Where are you from?”

    In fact, I almost did that in Nepali. The reply, delivered in low but firm voice, confirmed my doubt. “Nepaaal,” he said, looking directly at my eyes. (धेरै…)

  • Life Around the Lake in Udaipur

    Lake Pichola, Udaipur, India
    No Phelps: At the Pichola lake, Udaipur.

    Udaipur’s the destination of our tour. We are taking train to Delhi in the evening. We went around the city. I liked the place as it was small, cozy and vibrant.

    City at the bank of the artificial lake. The palace in the middle of the lake has been turned into a luxary hotel
    Parts of the lake as seen from the rooftop of the hotel where we stayed.
    Xu Jie, the Chinese traveller, at the rooftop restaurant of the hotel
    Kids plunge at the Pichola lake
    Not far from lake Pichola is a Thamel like tourist lane. We stayed at the other side of the lake.
    A woman tries to fix a postcard while her husband and father-in-law in a family run shop near lake Pichola
    An artist who makes postcards and other paintings and sells to tourists at his shop near lake Pichola
    Xu Jie, the Chinese tourist, writes at the wall of the postcard shop after buying postcards. He said he wrote something good about the shop and the art!
    Xu Jie explains the postcard shop owner what he just scribbled
    Ren shi nin hen gao xing? That’s Mandarian for ‘nice to meet you’ accordign to a site. But not sure what Xu wrote on the wall there. Seems like some piece of art to me though!
    Xu Jie calls his home
    There are several hills like this one around Udaipur
    Like all other major palaces of the region, this is huge
    As seen from the front of the City palace
    It was very hot when we were in Udaipur
    So many tourists visit Udaipur that these kids are used to with cameras
    A sadhu washes out
    Rooftop of the hotel where we stayed. It’s comfortale over there and folks spend hours to enjoying the view and some okay type food.
    We arrived in Jodhpur early in the morning from Jaisalmer. Xu Jie is having tea in a chai shop near the railway station.
    At a tea shop at the Jodhpur railway station. The touts, autowallas and agents working for hotels make visitors go crazy by their offers
    A traveller awaits bus in Jodhpur to go to Udaipur
    Xu Jie takes nap in the bus on way to Udaipur
    Near the Pichola lake, Udaipur

  • Riding Camels in Jaisalmer

    jaisalmer_camel_safari (8)Tied to Graze: They carry full loads of human and other items during the duty hours. During the off hour, their legs are tied and left to graze. The life of camel.

    Tweets (in reverse order):
    6.  @snkr It’s ramailo bt camel daudida chai afulai bado pida n kasta hune! Same 4 sand-sleeping. But now, thinking after doing it, feels good! [Riding camel’s an enjoyable experince but when they run you feel the pain in your butt]
    5.  Leaving Jaisalmer in train (which’ll move in few mins-@11:10) ll reach Jodhpur @ 5am 2 catch bus 2 Udaipur. Jaisalmer fort’s like old city

    Videos from the desert


    Riding Camel, Video

    (धेरै…)

  • Jodhpur: the Blue City and Forts

    jodhpur_fort_pink_city (3)@ the Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Sept 2009

    Here are some of the tweets from the journey to Jodhpur from Chandigarh.

    1. After making a round of Chandigarh, heading 2 railway station 2 catch train 2 Jodhpur, Rajasthan. A Chinese n a Nepali exploring India

    2. @ d upper berth of d train 2 Jodhpur. It’s 18 hr journey. Expected arivl tym 16:30 hrs tom. Verdict on Chandigarh: beautifully made city

    3. This berth’s pain in my neck, v low, can’t sit. Thankfully long enough 2 stretch legs but 1 in Bombay-Gorakhpur train in Oct was torturous

    4. Tryin 2 sleep, missing pillow. 2 days ago, in Jammu-Amritsar train, my shoulder had kindly become pillow 4 a man!http://twitpic.com/gc1ui

    5. The rail journey to Rajasthan. Smile from the berth. Co-travelers including Xu Jie are sleeping 🙂 http://twitpic.com/gc0vh

    6. As I switched on phone, got dis SMS: Airtel Welcomes you to Rajasthan. We wish you a pleasant stay here…[it’s mornin, train’s still movin]

    7. Feeling unbelievably sleepy. Train moving smwhere in Rajasthan. Desert like scene frm windows. Dust particles flowing in, can c em on phone

    8. Arrived @ Bikaner Jn. leaving Lalgarh station behind. It’s not the same Maoist hotbed Lalgarh of West Bengal. I am in Rajastan.

    9. Dis lil Bhanjo was makin his Mama (maternal uncle) go crazy by all his lil fundas. Almst jumped off (halted) train http://twitpic.com/gej5v

    10. This train makes it’s passengers hungry! No chaiwallah, food vendors in sight since morning. Amazed. N will soon be starved : (

    11. It’s bin 20 mins since dis train (Barmer-Kalka) stopped @ Badwasi station aprntly waitin 4 signal. startin 2 fil hungr. Jodhpur’s 3 hrs away

    12. @abishadh yea, got pakauda like things in a station n water n some juice. After eatin Slept and Xu had to wake me up @ d Jodhpur station

    13. @peterfrancon Dal Bhat’s paramount. God, hail d almighty, can wait. Jst had nice dinner @ Shivam paying gst house near Clock Tower, Jodhpur

    14.  The itinerary. Tom: Jodhpur, night: head to Jaisalmer (desert). Next: Udaipur via Jodhpur. From there, back to Delhi on 10th

    15. @peterfrancon it was a nice day 2de. Can hear 9 PM dhamakas nw, coming frm Fort. Will reach Jaisalmer tom morn. Hoping 2 c desert 1st time!

    It’s huge.
    The whole hill is occupied by the palace (fort)
    His job is to, first play the music and then sell the instrument.
    Visitors of all kinds reach there. This palace is the top tourist destination of the city.
    Goddess of the palace
    …and fashion inspiration for the locals
    For the secuirty of the palace during those those days of history when Jodhpur was a separate country.
    Finally, the view of the city from the Mehrangarh Fort.
    Where kings used to meet their ‘subjects’ and disccuss matters of world importance!
    His job is to provide musical aroma to the visitors and sell the insturments
    Peaceful time
    Nothing serious, this thing doesn’t function anymore. Only a showpiece
    Imagine…what will happen if it actually worked..
    Xu Jie, the Chinese. Now, he is not afraid a bit because he knows its harmless!!
    There are several caoonons all pointed towards the city.
    It was terribly hot when we were there at the fort and Jodhpur
    The city of Jodhpur
    Inside the fort compound, this temple was built for the royal convinence
    Our Xu Jie from China
    Women exit from the main gate of the palace
    And there were lot of ponies too. Tweets: 2. Jodhpur seems 2’ve more cow/oxen on streets then any cities in India (perhaps barring Banaras). No, @peterfrancon? http://twitpic.com/gkd3c7:15 AM Sep 5th from Echofon
    Tweet: 1. Jodhpur transportation dilemma: Horse-cart environment friendly but slow n painful 2 animal. Auto: fast bt pollutive n terribly noisy#India5:22 AM Sep 5th from Echofon
    An old clock in Umaid Bhawan Palace museum.. to keep time for the royals.
    “time immemorial”. LOL.
    The City.

  • Roses of Chandigarh

    The Tweet: On my way to Chandigarh, with my Chinese friend, in a bus. Good bye Amritsar! Stay @ Golden Temple was great experience.#IndiaTour #India 7:58 PM Sep 2nd from Echofon

    Rose of Chandirarh

    In Chandigarh, where we came from Amritsar in a bus, Xu Jie was my guide. He had been there the previous week. He took me to the Rose Garden, Rock Garden, a museum (which was closed by the time we reached) and a beautiful lake (where we couldn’t boat though as we were late by half an hour or so.) But it was fun all day long and I found the city of Chandigarh, ‘first planned city’ of India, beautiful and organized. Before venturing out, we had booked our rail tickets to Jodhpur. In fact, I wasn’t sure about getting tickets and was planning to head back to Delhi in the evening. But Xu managed to get one for me. [Tweet: @snkr LOL @ Chandigarh n in railway reservation center. Lookin 4 train ticket 2 Jodhpur. If I get, will go, if nt bak 2 Delhi 🙂 1:30 AM Sep 3rd from Echofon in reply to snkr (disppalyed time in tweets is incoherent but so what!)]

    Some of the flowers, like this one, were beautiful.
    Same flower, different colors
    A Single Rose for You! Sending you a single rose to show how much I care 🙂
    Women at work
    Not all varieties of roses could be found in the garden as it asks for more attention from its managers.
    Two unidentifed girls and Xu Jie, the Chinese tourist who took me to the garden.
    Inside the Rock Garden was this place
    Rock Monkies
    Their faces say it all
    Time for some exercise
    Performance Measurement Architecture? LOL!
    Completely fitting into it
    Coming back from a lake, we took a rickshaw ride to the city center, Chandigarh. The rickshaw puller asked quite a few tough questions to the Chinese passengers- Xu Jie who is looking from above my head and another girl who is peeking from above my shoulder.
    He was more interested in talking to the Chinese and knowing about Chinese perspective and views than actually ridign us to the destination. Full of questions and curiosity.
    ….in a train with the rose as iPhone wallpaper.
    Mr. Xu Jie…it’s for you 🙂 🙂

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  • Three Nights in Golden Temple, Amritsar

    a kid runs after taking dip in the sacred pond at the golden temple, amritsar

    I reached the Golden Temple in the evening and a receptionist-cum-security guard at the international dorm said no beds were available there. As I was about to move away, he said: “Will you sleep on the floor?” After a few seconds of hesitation, I said “yes”. He put a thin mattress on the floor as I could see all beds were occupied by colorful people assembled there from different parts of the world. As evening passed by I started talking to some of them. By the time everyone slept, there appeared to have one empty bed. I quietly jumped over that in the darkness and occupied the same for the next two nights. It was a pleasant stay in the Golden Temple compound. Food, the Langar, was served to anyone for free. So was the dorm (this one for international tourists). But you can’t eat that food daily, you want something different to taste in Punjab. So I tired some other varieties in restaurants in the market not very far from the temple. Clicking on a photo will bring descriptions in some cases. [Related post:

    As I reach the Golden Temple, the rickshaw-wallah ties rumāl, that I bought from a vender on the street for Rs. 10, on my head to cover my head.
    As one rickshaw-wallah ties the rumāl, another rather awkwardly clicks from my camera. I thanked both of them.
    A girl from Hong Kong, with Mehndi on her hands, shows her and her mainland-Chinese and Taiwanese friends passports in the international dorm of Golden Temple.
    Depending upon how you count, you will see two to three countries represented in this photo. Clockwise from left: Hong Kong, Taiwan, China and Nepal
    As I was roaming around the temple compound, I saw this family of pilgrims who wanted to be photographed with me for they found me strange.
    At Golden Temple
    They were attracted to my camera than anything else..
    Using tripod and self-timer, I take my own photo with the Golden Temple at the background.
    As I was taking photos of myself using tripod, this security guard came to tell me that I wasn’t allowed to use tripod to take pictures inside the temple complex. Then I asked him to pose for me. He did.
    Golden Temple, Amritsar
    Felt good while touring around the temple compound
    A kid runs after taking a dip into the sacred pond
    A bowl-full of tea being served at a langar venue in the temple compound
    Here comes Mr. Xu Jie, the Chinese traveller I met in the international tourist dorm inside the Golden Temple complex. We would travel to Rajasthan together for a week before going back to Delhi.
    Dinesh Wagle
    Tea @ the Golden Temple
    People from all faiths and geography come for Langar
    Langar is also an amazing work of volunteerism.
    And the fact that people are so much willing to volunteer and the perception, I assume, that volunteerism is also a form of devotion makes the Langar process even more beautiful.
    The process of cleaning is managed to well and efficiently.
    A pilgrim at the Golden Temple smiles for my camera
    Look at his eyes! Gurdev seems to be happy 🙂

  • Wagah Border of India and Pakistan

    Indian Side, agah
    The spectacle at the Wagah border crossing point between India and Pakistan is an opportunity for the nationals of the two countries to show their patriotism. Some do that by screaming slogans against each others while others, like an Indian girl above, by dancing in the tunes of Bollywood numbers. Here I present photos and video from one such occasion. All pics by DW

    Indians have fenced the border with Pakistant pretty thoroughly. An armed guard was heard as saying this to a visitor: “We will shoot anyone if we see them approaching the fenses.”
    Spectators have to pass through frisking. The list of things not allowed is long.
    You can scream against Pakistan as much as you want but don’t carry plastic bags!
    A Hong Kong tourist heads for the spactacle at the boder
    Wagah is also a broder crossing point between India and Pakistan.
    The crowd on the Indian side is huge while there were only handful of people on the pakistani side.
    Apart from the spactatle itself, these guards with colorful caps are the major attraction
    This spactatle at the Indo-Pak border attracts a lot of toursts visiting Amritsar.
    The absurdity of the whole event could be felt when people from both sides display their flags as if they were challenging the other side and scream slogans lionizing and demonizing each others countries.
    But for tourists who don’t understand Hindi or Urdu the whole thing is a total fun. For me who understood Hindi and Urdu but couldn’t associate with both sides it was a fake event created to generate unnecessary nationalistic feeling among citizenry
    It was very hot but that didn’t discourage this guard from performing his duty
    He is tall so he is qualified for the job 🙂
    Security guards are photo-materials for tourists
    People on the Indian side were seen dancing in the tunes of Bollywood nationalistic numbers played loudly on the Indian side. Pakistanis also played loud music. It was confusing.
    Dance is a way of expressing nationalistic feeling here at Wagah.
    On the Pakistani side was a small crowd, mostly of men. I didn’t see woman on that side. Or may be I did…wearing burqa
    And silly scream?
    Border guards from two countires exchange polite-yet-agressive kicks as part of the ceremony!
    An important part of the event includes taking flags off the poles.
    On the Indian side
    A paradox perhaps. They organize a ceremony daily hoping to increase harmony between two countries but these fences are the reality.