When you hear of Nepal, you may imagine Mount Everest and the majestic Himalayan landscapes, the epic trekking trails, the super-human sherpas, the monasteries, the monks, the birthplace of Buddhism, and let's face it, the coolest flag ever! But there is one common thing we all experience and forever cherish upon leaving this land and returning to our homes: the smiles and genuine kindness of the Nepali - the people alone are enough to make your travels through Nepal worthwhile.
This is the reason why I started a series of posts entitled Faces and Places a couple of months ago. To share with you, a few glimpses into these beautiful souls.
Some of you may be asking yourself why I am compiling my previous posts into one.
Two reasons.
The initial one being that these posts were the very first ones in my Steemit journey. I am hoping they will now be seen by a larger audience and inspire more to travel to Nepal - or anywhere else you haven't been - to meet, to interact, to find the beauty in humanity.
The second yet most important reason being that for some strange reason, the original photos disappeared off random posts after 7 days - apparently my coding used to display the photos wasn't good enough. Thanks Steemit, lesson learnt!
So here we are:
On my walk to Boudhanath, one early morning, I came across Mina’s sister and her grandmother whom I’d never met. They were on their way back to the orphanage after spending some time praying at the temple nearby. Intrigued by this older lady’s smile and the way we both seemed to “study” each other, I was overcome with the desire to capture her beauty. Naturally, as I often do, I asked her if I could take a photo (my heart always skips a beat when I ask this make-or-break question). She smiled and nodded in acceptance. And although she was fighting the sun shining in her eyes, she gifted me with a shy but beautiful smile.
You can almost see the wisdom piercing through her eyes… so many lines/paths to follow, so many stories to tell.
For those of you who would like to know more about the Tikka placed on her forehead:
Tikka is a red powder used by Hindus in various practices. Most commonly people put it on one another’s foreheads as a blessing. Sometimes it is just a dry powder and sometimes it’s a wet gunk mixed with rice before being put on your head. Tikka high on the forehead in the hair parting is a sign of marriage for Hindu women. source
Every child is born a naturalist. His eyes are, by nature, open to the glories of the stars, the beauty of the flowers, and the mystery of life. - Ritu Ghatourey
Photo of a little girl in her Montessori classroom. A reserved child, who seldom spoke, but was mainly focused on exploring and discovering the world around her.
Meet Pauravi! My friend Prakash’s first daughter. She is a little beauty and is growing up faster than the speed of light. This photo was taken on her first rice feeding day, which is celebrated through a ceremony known as Pasni.
Namaste
My soul honors your soul
I honor the place in you where the entire universe resides.
I honor the light, love, truth, beauty and peace within you,
Because it is also within me.
In sharing these things we are united, we are the same,
We are one.
Touring around her new school, Ayesha peeked curiously into the Montessori classroom from the outdoor terrace. She seemed to be captivated by all these little busy bees independently working on various activities in their environment. By the time I had taken my camera out and pointed it towards her, she had noticed me standing on her left, lost her focus, and gazed at me with a cheeky smile.
There's something about "moving windows" that have always attracted me like a magnet. As we move forward, we get a sense of the outside world being left behind. Melancholy appears, nostalgia sets in. Motion reminds me of the impermanence of the universe. That things change, that everything is only temporary, that we are so infinitely small among this vast array of landscapes, not standing still but rather observing the outside world while contemplating our inside world.
Nepali woman wearing golden earrings
Little girl watching the rain fall.
School girl smiling after being discovered during a game of Hide and Seek
Sweet neighbor lady I often found talking with friends in the street leading back to the children's home. We laughed a lot one day when she explained to me the polite Nepali way of pointing at someone: simply extend your hand upwards, or lift your chin in a quick motion and say "Ooh"!
Learning to adapt to the culture in Nepal is a lot of fun. Nepali are unbelievably welcoming and generous people - always up for a good laugh.
Nepali woman walking in one of the many side streets of Bhaktapur, an ancient Newar city located in the east corner of the Kathmandu valley. The name Bhaktapur literally translates to "Place of devotees" and was the capital of Nepal during the great 'Malla Kingdom' until the 15th century. It is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for its rich culture, temples, and wood/metal/stone artworks.
The damage done to the city during the 2015 earthquake can still be seen all around buildings in the Kathmandu valley. Despite the overwhelming $4.1bn raised to aid the reconstruction of homes, hundreds of thousands of Nepali are still homeless to this day. Only 12% of the total amount raised and donated had been distributed as of last April, 2 YEARS after the quake devastated the city.
Makes you think twice about donating money directly to charities doesn't it?
If you wish to know more about this controversial situation, here is a link to further information: Nepal earthquake disaster
Another interesting and almost eye-opening read on "Why we shouldn't reflexively send 10$ to the Red Cross": Your Red Cross donations
School girl on her recess break, making faces at the camera - a common pastime shared by children around the world :)
Nepali woman drawing water from a well in Bhaktapur
The child has a different relation to his environment from ours... the child absorbs it. The things he sees are not just remembered; they form part of his soul. He incarnates in himself all in the world about him that his eyes see and his ears hear.
Maria Montessori
Shop lady selling scarves and candles at Pashupatinath Temple.
Built in the 5th century, this temple is one of the four most important religious sites in Asia for devotees of Shiva, and stretches on both sides of the Bagmati River, considered holy by Hindus.
They say that every year, hundreds of elderly followers end up here to find shelter for the last weeks of their lives. Once death occurs, they are cremated on the banks of the river and travel their final journey through the waters of the sacred Bagmati river. Regardless of any wrongdoings which could have altered their karma, it is thought that those who die in Pashupatinath Temple are reincarnated as humans.
Open-air cremations on funeral pyres can be observed from afar by tourists and non-Hindus alike. Word of warning: this is not for the faint of heart. Death being such a taboo in many of our "western" cultures, witnessing such ceremonies can leave you feeling quite perturbed. At least, that's how I felt.
Cremation ceremony at Pashupatinath Temple
One of my favourite things in life is getting lost in a foreign land. Learning to overcome all apprehensions of the unknown, discovering, taming, finding a way, adapting, slowly connecting the dots to create a bigger picture and finding comfort within my new "home".
Nepal is one of those lands - my travels there have been filled with unpredictable beauty, warmth, compassion and connection.
Your face carries all your memories. It is the testimony of a life well spent.
If wrinkles must be written upon our brows, let them not be written upon the heart. The spirit should never grow old. - James A. Garfield
For those of you who enjoyed following me through this Faces and Places - NEPAL series, here is a collage of a few more Nepali faces who didn't quite make the cut this time around:
All photos in this post were taken with my CANON EOS 500D and Samsung Galaxy S4 during my visit to Kathmandu, Nepal in May and June of last year.
Please don't hesitate to leave comments, share ideas, upvote/resteem. I have lived/worked in multiple Asian countries for over 13 years and enjoy meeting other expats and locals, as well as travel enthusiasts.
To check out some of my previous posts, click on the links below:
 Gateways to the World |  DOORS contest |
|---|---|
 Impressions of HONG KONG 6 |  Autumn in Burgundy |
“Learning is not a race for information, it is a walk of discovery” - Jane Healy
These are beautiful faces, not in the modern catwalk or glossy magazine cover ways as we are used to, but the beauty of content, peace and trust in the photography. Great post as always
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Thank you so much. It means a lot to me to hear about your perspective, as sharing my photos with you is like sharing a part of me.
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such a beautiful post with all of these shining bright faces! your photography is excellent and writing too...you're creating such great posts @osmOsis, so glad to be introduced to you through steemcraze discord!
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Thank you so much and likewise for discord 😎
My posts take me ages to make (I'm a slight perfectionist), but all your words of encouragement make it worthwhile. And what a great way to make albums that I can share and keep forever.
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Lol, my posts take me forever too....it's ridiculous actually!
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I know just how long it took you to create these posts. To have such amazing photos to add makes it worth the effort I think. Lovely faces captured forever 😁
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Thank you Asher 💓
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Hey it's very beautiful to see your post you had representing the various phases of life of different person and their real picture and it's true that there are a large variety and diversity in Nepal and also you can find it in India and their the culture is very rich and I understand why you like it.
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Hi and thanks for the lovely comment @funatoz. In all my travels, I still have not found the time to visit India, but I must, and will. I may need a giant battery for my camera and a few more SD cards though!
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Yaaa you are right well if you do visit to Gwalior in India plz tell me I will be coming there to meet you my friend .
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Thank you @funatoz 😊
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What wonderful photos of some very beautiful people. I went to Pokhara a few years ago, and whenever I think of Nepal, I think of my time there, and the fine and decent people I met. I was living in India at the time, and I found the Nepalis to be a bit more laid back than the average Indian.
Interestingly, Nepal is the only country where Hinduism is the official religion. But, like Indians, they seem to have retained a somewhat Buddhist flavor to their Hinduism. Like the Indians, many of the Nepalis are quite poor, but I believe the caste system is less stifling in Nepal (if it even exists there).
Thanks for posting these great images. I've just started a 3-part series on The Colorful People of India, which you can check out at this link ... https://steemit.com/photography/@majes.tytyty/the-colorful-people-of-india-individuals-images-and-reality
My photos are basically snapshots, nothing like your fine portraits, but I hope you find them interesting.
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Hi @majes.tytyty and thanks for your comments. I've actually not been to India (yet), but will check out your post as I find it interesting to learn about other expat's viewpoints and experiences in countries I have never set foot in.
My experience of religions in Nepal was similar to yours - everyone seems very tolerant of one another's beliefs. I mainly hung out with Newar people on my previous journey. They practice Tibetan Buddhism which has strong influences of Hinduism. I found the line between Hinduism and Buddhism to be quite blurred as well, not just within the individuals' ideologies but also in architectural structures. They seem to have understood the concept of harmony in their every day lives far better than us "westerners" have.
As for the caste system, it does exist, but I believe it is only followed by Hindus (which is the main part of the population). I did not dig deep enough into the caste subject as anything I ever learn about it makes me pull the hair out of my scalp! It is such a paradox to me. I find it hard to understand how such beautiful religions (and I'm not even religious) and philosophies can incorporate such aberrations.
I do believe there are some differences between the caste systems in India and Nepal. I am just hoping that these practices will slowly disappear into oblivion, never to return. Actually, not slowly, let's get that s*** out of here now!
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In India, while most people are tolerant of others' beliefs, there are elements in power who use the differences to their advantage. (One such reprehensible man is Narendra Modi, who became PM about 2 years ago.)
So, as often happens in such situations, the people of various ethnicities and religions get along fine, until their leaders start screaming and instigating action. Then some of the people start acting, and then mob rule takes over.
I agree with your observation re Nepalis (and many Asians) understanding of the concept of harmony. Often when I meet Westerners nowadays, I find that their ego is so dominant that they cannot even realize that maybe the other person wants to say something, or needs to be heard, or needs some compassion, or just some space. Instead, it's just "ME," "ME."
When I first arrived in India, some Indian colleagues essentially told me that the caste system is history, but I soon saw / discovered / confirmed that that is not so. It's still there, and even though there are now laws against discrimination and there are certain "affirmative action" programs, caste remains a major issue in Indian society.
Let's hope that loathsome s***ty system is soon thrown onto the dustheap of history.
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Interesting. So would you say that even though laws are being applied, the system has existed for so long and affected generation after generation that the general behaviours/"reflexes" of the people are to perpetuate these discriminations? As if it were engraved in their minds?
Where were you exactly in India? I hear the traditions vary greatly from South, North, East, West and am wondering if this neanderthalic caste system is followed in all parts of this vast country. Or is that maybe just for landscapes and dialects?
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Yes, exactly. Such ingrained thoughts and behavior are not easily changed, and a few laws do not end the age-old discrimination and disparities. There has to be a concerted effort to overcome those horrors. And in India, there is NO such effort. Most people accept the situation cuz "That's the way it is, and always has been."
I was in Gurgaon, just 1 hour from New Delhi. The very wide central (West-to-East) corridor from Mumbai, thru Delhi, and on to Kolkata is largely Hindu-dominated, and yes, that's where the caste system seems to be worst. Just my observations, of course, but that's after living there for close to 4 years.
The people in the Himalayas and those way down south seemed less concerned with any caste differences, and I always enjoyed my travels there because of their more easy-going attitudes.
In Goa (which was ruled by the Portuguese until 1961!!), the people and culture are noticeably different. Great food and port wine, too. Also, the people from the far Northeast (Assam and surrounding regions) hardly even seem Indian. They look more oriental. And for some unknown reason, the seem to be better educated and more open to the outside world also. And they love music.
One more note. After 4 years in India, I spent 5 years in Singapore, which has a diverse population of Chinese, Malays, Tamil Indians, whiteys, and various other ethnicities and religions. But while racial tension and inequality remain in India (and the USA and other countries), they are virtually nonexistent in Singapore.
Singapore's founding father / leader Lee Kuan Yew essentially dictated, "Sorry, no discrimination, no fighting, and let's not just TRY to get along, let's make a special effort to get along and ensure that nothing and nobody stands in the way of a harmonious, multi-ethnic, multi-faith society."
Whereas India passed a few laws and then made little effort to overcome caste and other travesties, Singapore made a concerted, ongoing effort ... Oh, and passed a few laws to support that effort.
The result is that Singapore is the peak of civilization. It aint perfect, but it's closer to ideal than anywhere else I've ever been to or heard of.
Peace.
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HA! PEACE OUT! *drops mic
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Fabulous photos and wonderful stories! This is an incredible effort and must have taken you a considerable amount of time to create. You make me want to meet each and every one of these people! upped and steemed
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Thank you so much Melinda. Such a beautiful compliment - I am sure they would enjoy meeting you too. And yes, my posts usually take me much too long to make. It's a bit embarrassing really...
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I read your article and saw your beautiful pictures. I also read the comments and the replies and they are also very interesting to read. You can tell people really love your pictures and most of them provide really substantive comments. I think that's because you can see that you spend a lot of time and attention on your post. It's a gift to see the pictures you made.
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Another amazing comment that means a lot to me. Thank you @clio 😍
I hope you are beginning to feel better, healing well, and back to being fully independent again soon.
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Love it, thank you. One of the best posts I have seen here so far. I will keep an eye on your future posts too. Great, keep on the fantastic work.
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Beautiful compliment 😊Happy you like it. Off to check out your posts.
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Wow! Pleasure seeing your article. Lovely visit to our country. Glad to hear such warm compliments from you. Beautiful pictures clicked too.
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Thank you Bindu! Happy to share them with you.
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Such a beautiful faces in this post!!! I love so much these portrait and yes, a face can say many many things and tell many many stories. The first faces that I painted in the past was faces with many wrinkles, because I'm really fascinated by the sign of life on a face! Thanks for share ^_^
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So happy you like them Silvia. And I agree with your choice of inspiration... wrinkles tell so many stories. Except for mine. My wrinkles are just ugly face lines hahaha!
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Your portraits are awesome!
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:-D thank you
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you got some beautiful shots here.. thanks for posting, a great idea compiling posts .. this way you can reach a greater audience.. when did you travel in Nepal?
We went back in the late 1980's before the era of computers. I like to compare Nepal to Disney Land..what fun. Nice to meet you
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Hi @rebeccabe and thanks for dropping by. I was there last year for 2 months. When you say DisneyLand do you mean it is so because of the tourists? Or because of how much it has changed since the late 80's?
I'd love to see photos of what the streets and people looked like in the 80's, and even before that...
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Beautiful faces photographed by beautiful heart, make these pictures are beautifully get inside to the deepeat heart of all. I love it.
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😊
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you had show all the faces ... i live in nepal i have been known about here culture and traditions like this ☺
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Namaste 😊
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Namaste u too ☺
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nice
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@osm0sis, your post was Resteemed by @OCD!
Congratulations!
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Brilliant!!
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Congratulations @osm0sis! You have completed some achievement on Steemit and have been rewarded with new badge(s) :
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Congratulations @osm0sis! You have completed some achievement on Steemit and have been rewarded with new badge(s) :
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Beautiful faces.
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😊
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This post has received a 15.20 % upvote from @booster thanks to: @osm0sis.
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Hi, osm0sis
Nice to read about valuable post.
I'm stjons from Bangladesh.I also steemit members.
I also followed you, so i requested you to follow me.
Thanks a loot
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You are explorer dear ! Awesome photos !! You bring the real face of Nepal ! Fall in love !😍📷👍👏👌🌹
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Thanks @akkha
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You are welcome ! Waiting more real face of Nepal !
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