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

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