Dinesh Wagle's Commentaries

Latest stories – पछिल्ला टिप्पणीहरू

  • A Hindu Festival in a Buddhist Monastery

    An example of religious harmony in Nepal. [But some people want to differ. That is why this post has an update below on 28 October.]

    Hindu Festival Dashain Celebrations in a Buddhist Monastery

    This Padmasambhava idol of lord Buddha is taken out of the Tarke Gyang monastery only once in a year, on the day of Dashami (10th and most important day of Dashain festival), according to the head monk (lama). [Related article in Nepali: पदयात्राका पात्रहरू Below is the video of the ceremony.]

    Oct 21 [Tarke Gyang]: They say traveling is learning. I feel that’s right. You learn about so many things while traveling new places. About cultures and people. When we reached Tarke Gyang, village in Helambu region, we saw a ceremony in the Monastery there. What’s that about? We wanted to know. “It’s our Dashain,” said the main monk (Lama) who was performing the ceremony. “You guys celebrate Dashain in your own ways and we celebrate it in our own way.” He was taking us as Hindu. Dashain is the biggest festival of Hindus and is considered national festival in Nepal though many would like to counter this “consideration”. I had always known that Hindu and Buddhist religions are so interrelated in Nepali society that their followers live in harmony. Buddha was born in Nepal and Hindu religion considers him an incarnation of lord Vishnu. Hindus celebrate Buddha Purnima (full moon day, the day Buddha was born and got enlightenment) and Buddhists also celebrate many Hindu traditions. I used to think not until long ago that there was actually no difference in these two religions because of the way followers of these two religions enjoy such a nice relationship. As I have mentioned in my Interests page, I am religiously secular person and I respect all religions equally. So the Dashain celebration in the Tarke Gyang monastery was an example of religious harmony for me. “Hindus sacrifice many animals during the two days of Maha Astami and Maha Nawami (eighth and ninth day of 15-day long Dashain),” said Kanchha Lama, the head monk of the monastery. “And we fast on those two days and prey for the soul of those animals killed in those two days.” And a young man added: “Hindus put tika from their seniors. We receive tika in the evening from head Lama.” (धेरै…)

  • Playing Ping While Trekking Helambu [Day 2 of 6]

    Because it was Dashain time we played ping in at three places in this journey: Kunta Beshi, Keyul and Golfu Bhyanjyang. When I played after almost a decade, it was quite an exhilarating experience. But after playing, I felt difficult in walking properly. Something similar happens when you ride bicycle in a long time.

    playing ping while doing helambu trek

    Yea, that’s Wagle, playing Ping for the first time in almost a decade! Kunta Beshi (धेरै…)

  • After Shopping, Night in Kunta Beshi [Helambu Trek Day 1 of 6]

    Dinesh Wagle at the top of a bus heading to Kunta Beshi. Driking water.

    Dinesh Wagle at the top of a bus in Banepa heading to Kunta Beshi. Driking water.

    19 Oct [Kunta Beshi]: So the journey began. I checked my shoes in the house and found them wearable. “There is no need to buy a new pair for this trip,” I told myself while inspecting the shoes that I had bought for the Karnali trip. “So I can go right now. No need to come back here after doing the shopping in the afternoon once I left the home.” I quickly packed, in about 10 minutes, and get out of home telling bhauju that I was going out for a few days. I wasn’t completely sure where I was going but the plan was to go to Helambu. I thought it would take about three days.

    I didn’t need new shoes but I certainly needed a new camera. And a new backpack as well. I didn’t want to take my laptop bag in the trekking. After checking emails, posting blogs about Dashain and notification about this journey, Suraj Kunwar, a reporter with Kantipur daily, and I went to New Road for the grand shopping of the year.

    An One Polar backpack= Rs. 900.00
    A pair of ‘duplicate’ North Face shocks= Rs. 100.00

    Then there was the grand shopping of the year as I mentioned earlier. A Canon A570 digital camera= Rs. 19,000.000. A blog will be posted next with more information and background on my second Canon Digital Camera in almost four years. (धेरै…)

  • Soltini Ko Syau Jasto Gala!!!

    Time for me to go to yet another trekking. This is more hiking than trekking actually. For about four days because there is no work for me in the city as the office of my newspaper is closed for that many days. Feels good to return back to one of my favorite domains: trekking on the high hills of Nepal. This not only gives me a great excuse to get away from the city life but also takes me nearer to the ground reality of my society that is poor but honest and kind. The best thing about the village life is: WYSIWYG. I haven’t been there before but hope the Helambu lives up to my expectation. Apples and soltini ko syau jasto gala!!! [Soltini’s aka brother’s wife’s sister’s apple-like cheeks!) For those who will be emailing me or trying to contact me: I am not carrying laptop so no chance of getting connected. Thanks to Suraj for accompanying me. We will definitely have fun 🙂

  • Life in the City: Traffic Mess in Kathmandu

    It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that there is complete anarchy on the streets of Kathmandu when it comes to traffic. I hear some people quipping that the real loktantra (democracy) has come to the drivers of this country who are happy to ignore the traffic rules and act on their own terms.

    As I was going to office in a Nepal Yatayat bus this afternoon, I decided to go to Kumari Cinema for Bourne Ultimatum instead. Then I witnessed and experienced the fierce competition between the two drivers of the Nepali Yatayat bus service in a chaotic traffic system in the busy roads of Kathmandu. I got off in New Baneshwor, left the Pepsicola-Kalimati-Jawalakhel Nepal Yatayat and hurriedly entered into a moving Koteshwor-Putali Sadak-Baluwataar Nepal Yatayat. I was getting late for the 3:15 PM show but it appeared that the driver of the Nepal Yatayat understood my anxiety.

    As the bus approached the other side of New Baneshwor (western gate of international convention center) there was another Nepal Yatayat and the driver of my NY started honking tirelessly. He wanted to literally push the other NY aside and go ahead of that so that he could have more passengers in his bus. The other NY immediately provided space to my NY and my NY immediately overtook. Then it was turn of the other NY to honk, continuously. My NY driver took out his hand and signaled the driver behind to overtake if he wants. This honking, chasing and overtaking continued for about 10 minutes and my driver got about dozen passengers in Ghattekulo. Sad that the other driver, whose bus was already packed with many other passengers, couldn’t get them! (धेरै…)

  • On ‘Happy Dashain Mass Emails’ and Ram Ravan Dilemma

    Theme of the blog: I have put an auto response message to the senders of Happy Dashain mass emails requesting them not to send any such emails next time. Plus, questions on loneliness and on Ram Ravan dilemma.

    Once I had read a news report about a website called tired.com that talked about people’s responses to the only question posed by the site on the middle of the page: “Are you tired? Tell us why.” The answers, according to the report, aren’t published on the site and the report was based on the journalist’s interview with the owner of the site and samplings of the emails that were sent to the site. I haven’t visited the site since the day I read that news but today I am posing similar questions here: What do you do: When you don’t want to talk to anyone? When feel lonely but don’t want to mingle with anyone? If you want to answer, feel free to use the form below though I must assert that I completely retain the right to publish or reject the response(s). Or, may be I will write a news story based on ‘em! [Okay, I just visited the site and found that it’s same: there are only two lines on the home page that I have already mentioned and the word “us” links to the email address tired@tired.com] (धेरै…)

  • On “Happy Dashain Mass Emails” and Ram Ravan Dilemma

    Theme of the blog: I have put an auto response message to the senders of Happy Dashain mass emails requesting them not to send any such emails next time. Plus, questions on loneliness and on Ram Ravan dilemma.

    Once I had read a news report about a website called tired.com that talked about people’s responses to the only question posed by the site on the middle of the page: “Are you tired? Tell us why.” The answers, according to the report, aren’t published on the site and the report was based on the journalist’s interview with the owner of the site and samplings of the emails that were sent to the site. I haven’t visited the site since the day I read that news but today I am posing similar questions here: What do you do: When you don’t want to talk to anyone? When feel lonely but don’t want to mingle with anyone? If you want to answer, feel free to use the form below though I must assert that I completely retain the right to publish or reject the response(s). Or, may be I will write a news story based on ‘em! [Okay, I just visited the site and found that it’s same: there are only two lines on the home page that I have already mentioned and the word “us” links to the email address tired@tired.com] (धेरै…)

  • Politics of Music Video in Nepali Television

    After the South Asian Film Festival, there was the festival of South Asian Music Videos (from Nepal, India and Pakistan) in Kathmandu today. I didn’t attend the event but I am very much aware of the politics of favoritism in playing Music Video in Nepali TV stations.

    When I woke up in the morning, well that was actually afternoon, I realized that I was tired courtesy of the marathon watching of non fiction films from around South Asia in the past four days. Waking up at around 8 AM, one day it was at 7 AM (can you believe?), and driving up to Kumari Cinema in crowded public vehicles, talking to so many people just for the shake of nothing but formality, watching films (as well as noting down a few dialogues and verbatim etc.), going back to office and writing the news stories under the pressure to meet the deadline. After that, you are home (sometime at around 10 PM), eat the food that has been kindly made ready and put into a hot case, try to briefly catch up to the late night headlines on news channels, log on to blogs and emails because, one, you are addicted to them and, two, you can’t just go to sleep however you try to without doing that. (धेरै…)

  • यातनाको कालभैरव

    दिनेश वाग्ले

    काठमाडौं- भारतीय सूचना प्रविधि सेन्टरमा काम गर्ने युवतीहरूको रोचक जीवनी, जुँगे बंगालीहरूको हँसाउने विवरण तथा प्रेम, सहिष्णुता र मस्तीको शिक्षा दिने सुफी सन्तहरूको मस्त कलन्दर कथाले दक्षिण एसियाली वृत्तचित्र महोत्सवअन्तर्गत शनिबार दर्शकहरूलाई भावनाका उकाली-आरोली हिँडाए । तर एउटा नेपाली वृत्तचित्रले कुमारी हलबाहिर चियापसलसम्म परस्पर विरोधी तर्कयुक्त चर्चा बटुल्यो ।

    वृत्तचित्र ‘क्षमा देऊ ! तर नबिर्स !’ मा तत्कालीन शाही नेपाली सेनाले थुनेर अमानवीय यातना दिएका एक पत्रकारले घटनाको बेलिविस्तार लाउँछन् । एक माओवादीसँग अन्तर्वार्ता गरेपछि मोटरसाइकलमा राखेर हिँडिरहेका ‘समदृष्टि’ साप्ताहिकका भाइकाजी घिमिरेलाई सेनाले छापामार शैलीमा पक्रिई १५ महिनासम्म भैरवनाथ गुल्म र शिवपुरी ब्यारेकका कालकोठरीमा थुनेको थियो । निर्दयी र दिमाग पूरै धोइएका जस्ता लाग्ने सैनिकले उनी र ब्यारेकमा थुनिएका अन्यलाई चरम यातना दिएका थिए । सत्य कथाको विषयवस्तु (हिरासतमा यातना) कम्ती महत्त्वपूर्ण र हृदयविदारक छैन तर प्रयोगवादी दाबी गरिएको वृत्तचित्र आफैमा चाहिँ धेरैलाई उति आकर्षक नलाग्न सक्छ । कथा कालोपट्टी लगाएका भाइकाजीको दृष्टिकोणबाट भनिएको छ र सहयोगी दृश्यहरू खोज्न वृत्तचित्रनिर्माता प्रणय लिम्बूले गर्नुसम्मको अल्छी गरेका छन् । केही दर्शकले त्यस’bout हलमै र बाहिर चियापसलसम्ममा कुरा उठाए भने बाँकीले भन्नैपर्ने यातनाको कथा भनेकामा निर्माता लिम्बूको सराहना गरे । (धेरै…)

  • डकुमेन्ट्री हिम्मत र वृत्तचित्र फेसन

    दिनेश वाग्ले
    (यो लेख पहिलो पल्ट शनिवारको कान्तिपुरमा प्रकाशित भएको हो ।)

    ट्राफिक व्यवस्था खलबल्याउनेगरी माओवादीले बिहीबार काठमाडौंको केन्द्रमा गरेको र्‍याली छल्दै दक्षिण एसियाली वृत्तचित्र महोत्सव हेर्न कुमारी हल पुग्दा पर्दाका दृश्यले तिनै बाहिरी खैलाबैला सम्झाउलान् भन्ने मैले सोचेको थिइन । भक्तपुरकी कुमारीको जीवनीमा आधारित ‘लिभिङ गडेस’ फिल्मले सडकमा गणतन्त्रको माग घन्किँदै जाँदा राजालाई शक्ति दिने भनिएकी जीवित देवीप्रति नेपाली समाजमा घटिरहेको विश्वासलाई चित्रण गरेको छ । कतिपय भक्तजनले सम्मानका साथ पूजा गर्ने फुच्ची सजनी शाक्यको जिन्दगीका विरल दृश्यहरू फिल्मका सबैभन्दा प्रभावी पक्ष भए पनि बेलायती इजावेल ह्विटकरले फिल्मको विषयवस्तुका लागिभन्दा विदेशीलाई मनमा राखेर वृत्तचित्र बनाएजस्तो लाग्छ ।
    महोत्सवमा आइतबार प्रदर्शन गरिने फिल्मको समीक्षा गर्नेभन्दा अहिले मलाई नेपाली (सहरी) समाजमा लोकप्रिय भइरहेको वृत्तचित्र संस्कृति र फिल्म हेर्ने किताब पढ्ने सम्बन्ध’bout कुरा गर्न मन छ । ‘फिल्म साउथ एसिया’लाई धन्यवाद दिनुपर्छ, यसले सहरी नेपाली समाज (कम्तीमा काठमाडौंमा) वृत्तचित्र हेर्न बानी बसालिदिएको छ, वृत्तचित्र हेन फेसनेबल भएको छ । काठमाडौंमा वर्षा अनेकौं खाले वृत्तचित्र महोत्सव हुन्छन्, जहाँ अनेकौं थिममा केन्द्रित गैरआख्यान फिल्महरू देखाइन्छन् । तीमध्ये दुइ-दुइ वर्षमा हुने यो र ‘काठमाडौं अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय माउन्टेन फिल्म फेस्टिबल’ले बढी विषयवस्तु समेट्ने धेरै वृत्तचित्र प्रस्तुत गर्ने भएकाले बढी दर्शक आकषिर्त गर्छन् । यी महोत्सवको रमाइलो पक्षचाहिँ सुपरमार्केटसँग तुलना गर्न सकिन्छ- एउटै छानामुनि धेरैथोक । जस्तै- बिहीबार मैले कुमारीको भित्री कथाबाहेक लन्डनमा हुर्केका दुइ व्रिद्रोही बंगाली दिदी-बहिनीको बिहा व्यथासम्म हेरेँ । शुक्रबार एउटी बलात्कृत पाकिस्तानी महिला विश्वभरि संघर्षकी प्रतीक बनेको प्रेरणादायी कथा आँखा झिमिक्कै नगरी हेरेँ । दोलखाको एउटा विकट गाउँका थामी जातिले जिउनका लागि अक्करे पहरामा पुगेर घर छाउने ढुङ्गा निकालेको संघर्षपुर्ण कथाले ‘आम्मै हामी अझै अठारौं शताब्दीको दुःखदायी अवस्थामा छौं है’ भन्न बाध्य तुल्यायो ।
    महोत्सवको माहोल कस्तो हुन्छ भने सिट नपाए भुइँमै बसेर हेर्न कत्ति असजिलो र नरमाइलो लाग्दैन । सिनेमा सकिएपछि दर्शकले महोत्सवमा उपस्थित फिल्म निर्माताहरूसँग प्रश्नोत्तर गर्न पाउनु अर्को रमाइलो हो । सबैभन्दा महत्त्वपूर्ण कुराचाहिँ यस्ता महोत्सवमा सामेल वृत्तचित्रले हाम्रै या विदेशी समाजमा भइरहेका तर मूलधारको मिडियामा हत्तपत्त ठाउँ नपाएका, पाए पनि हाम्रो ध्यान नपुगेका विषयलाई खितित्त हँसाउने र तप्प आँसु झार्नेगरी भन्छन् । (धेरै…)