Trek -Places to Visit

Places to visit - A distinctly Tibetan trek in the Nepal Himalaya, from Upper Dolpa to Mustang

                                                                  

Dolpa is one of the remote tourist destinations of Nepal. The land of yak and salted yak butter tea, turquoise lakes, colorfully woven blankets, and ancient monasteries with age-old rituals. Camping in the dolpa is adventurous, the morning of incense and dung-smoke shining through the sun’s first rays. People wonder leisurely through traditional, white-washed villages.

The route from Upper Dolpa to Mustang we pass yak caravans laden with gunny sacks of salt, heading to trade their goods in lower Nepal or Tibet, often over high Himalayan passes. Dolpo is a land of Tibetan Buddhist rituals and festivals, and we often wander into a smoke-filled monastery where Buddhist monks chant timeless prayers in deep voices. The cymbals and drums beating a rhyme. The Himalaya is covered with snow mark the border with Tibet. It looks beautiful. The life of people is very hard in Dolpa. Dolpa is a rural area. The movie caravan is unique and adventurous. It all shows the Dolpa. Dolpa is still shrouded in an aura of mystique and mystery; it is the naturally beautiful and unique region of Nepal. 

Lord - Lord Shiva

                                                   The Hindu Deity

                                                                 

Lord Shiva is the Hindu Deity. Concurring to the Hindu mythology, He is a creator, preserver, and the destroyer. Pashupatinath Temple (ancient temple) located at Kathmandu. The biggest temple of Lord Shiva. The month of Shrawan (July-August) is the month of Shiva. The month is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Hindu people used to worship regular Shiva in this month. Monday is the special day of this month to worship Shiva.

Shivaratri is one of the great festivals of Hindu. Shiva Ratri is a night of contradiction. Religiously, not much to say, every Hindu knew well about it. Culturally, however, we still have places we can go to. Bundled in one blanket, friends gather around the fire at Pasupati enjoying the chill of the night. The night of Lord Shiva is here. Considered the “Simple” God in Hindu mythology, Shiva enjoys weed with aplomb most earth dwellers can only dream about. He is magnificently flawed in the virginal Himalayas with his scantily-clad body, snake around the neck and a fountain running down his hair. He is the Destroyer. And it is night.

Then there are the fruits. The Bears and shimkhadas that we very rarely talk about. These seasonal and local fruits are as much a part of Shivaratri's memory as are the roads that children block for petty money from passers-by.  The fruits during the day and the mystery at night speak volumes of the cultural rather than the religious part of Shivaratri and it got me thinking. He did the dark night of the Lord land amidst the beauty of the spring?.  How in fact did we manage to enjoy the ganja along with the delicious shimkhadas?. We remember an incident.  People gathered around the fire and danced during Shivaratri enjoying the cool breeze and warm heat from the fire. There was something surreal about the way they looked- intoxicated and aware at the same time. And maybe that is what Shivaratri is all about. We eat fruits during the day and we get intoxicated at night. Like Shiva, the day is brimming with disagreement. Also, that is the place whose beauty lies. People flock to the temples, fast and feast during the festival. 

The way we celebrate this day is greatly affected by the way we are brought up. It is enjoyed by almost everyone in Nepal for it signifies the end of the cold winter. It is the day of the mighty God we all secretly fear and respect. And most importantly, it is a big part of the culture of Nepal. We fight in the queue outside the temple during the day and we dance around the fire at night. We eat and we fast. Either way, the dark night of the Lord is never ignored. Shivaratri exists very much like the feeling of God, thick in the spring air amidst the smoke that comes from a newly loaded ganja and the sweet taste of spring fruits.