Submit your Article

Bharat Pariyar, 21, is a mahout (an elephant handler). He lives in Sauraha, Chitwan. His father works abroad as a driver in Saudi Arabia. Pariyar comes from a family of seven, with three brothers and two sisters. He started working at an early age to support his family. Now, he is a professional elephant handler, working for an American project that rescues wounded, old elephants that are forced to work despite their bad health. All elephants are kept unchained.

Every day, Pariyar starts his work by feeding the rescued elephants. Then he and his friends take their elephants, Maya Kali, Champa Kali, and Srijana Kali, to the riverside where they play with dirt and water. This happens twice in a day, from six to 10 in the morning and two to five in the evening.

Pariyar and his friends sit in an ancient Tharu structure known as ‘machan’ built to provide shade from the scorching Tarai heat. They watch their elephants from a distance. Tourists gather to take pictures near the elephants and that’s when they have to be alert. Pariyar says he makes sure to be by his elephant’s side at those times to prevent possible attacks.

Later, they clean the dirt off the elephant’s backs and ride back to Sauraha. Elephants need to be fed often, even late at night, so Pariyar manages food for the elephants before calling it a day.

In a stunning show of elegance, Bollywood star Jacqueline Fernandez seized the spotlight as she graced the ramp as the showstopper for RB Diamond Jewellery during a fashion show held in Kathmandu on Saturday evening. 

Adorned in resplendent diamonds and exquisite attire, Fernandez mesmerized the audience with her graceful strides and radiant charm. Her presence added an extra layer of allure to the event, showcasing RB Diamond Jewellery’s latest collection. The event attracted fashion enthusiasts, celebrities, and industry insiders alike, all eager to witness the fusion of haute couture and fine jewelry.

Alongside Bollywood star Fernandez, Nepali models Samir Shrestha and Wangdem Sherpa, as well as the brand ambassador of RB Diamond, also graced the ramp.

Fernandez arrived in Nepal on Friday evening upon an invitation from RB Diamond for the fashion show marking the 27th anniversary of RB Diamond Jewellery. She was warmly welcomed by Riken Maharjan, the chief executive of RB Diamond.

En route to Manang, after our layover at Syange (1,100m), we hopped onto our saddles early the next morning. We had to make it to the day’s stopover scheduled for Dharapani at 1,860 meters, some 25km away. If the ride to Syange was challenging, the pedaling subsequently proved more testing as we had to navigate the tricky, narrower dirt road, gnarly and riddled with rocks with debris left by the recent landslips—the elevation gain pushing us from the tropical to the subtropical zone.

The demanding ride had its typical chiseled charm, though, as we moved past cliffs, feasting our eyes on the greenery and the landscape with many a massive waterfall that stole our hearts. We learned we were still in Lamjung and would step on the Manang soil only after Dharapani.

And to our delight, we often stopped to regain our breath, take a respite and much-need cup of tea and light nibbles at fetching towns with rows of back-to-back tea shops and lodges with slanting colorful roofs, mostly two-storied, flanking the road. 

The notable quaint towns and scattered settlements included Ngadi, Bahun Danda, Ghermu, and others. The light began to fade as we got a bird’s eye view from a steep ridge of Tal way down across the Marsyangdi River—pretty as a picture.

In between, the crashing and tumbling Marshayngdi that had kept us company right from our kick-off spot from Beshisahar and the perpetual distant snow-clad mountains served as fascinating interludes. Darkness enveloped us by the time we struggled it to Dharapani—the chill in the air pronounced.

The Shiva Linga is a representation of the Hindu deity Lord Shiva. It symbolizes the formless and limitless nature of Shiva, representing both creation and dissolution. The Lingam is typically depicted as an elongated oval-shaped stone or pillar, often with a cylindrical base called the yoni, symbolizing the cosmic womb.

This past week, I came across Mithilesh Kumar Santra’s Murti Kala Kendra, a statue shop in front of the west gate of Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu. Upon entering, I saw many designs of Shiva Linga and statues of different Hindu deities. They also make statues of humans, with photos as references.

The statues are made of marble, black stone, or red stone. Black stone statues cost double as ones made in red stone or marble. Eighteen-year-old Aman, who is helping his father with the business, says “I often see Lord Shiva in my dreams. He tells me to work hard and concentrate more on my work without worrying about the result.”

Making statues of people is also popular. A single statue of a human that’s made with marble weighs around 200-250 kg. It’s designed in India. Making precise detailing on statues requires big machinery and that’s the reason such designs are made in India and then brought to Nepal. It costs a minimum of Rs 70,000 to make a human half-body statue.

There are five different designs of Shiva Linga found at this shop, the prices of which range from Rs 50,000 to 75,000. The worship of the Lingam is an ancient tradition that dates back thousands of years and continues to be an integral part of Hindu spirituality and rituals. It’s believed that the Lingam embodies the essence of Shiva’s energy. Devotees worship Shiva Linga as a symbol of the divine power of Lord Shiva and as a means to connect with the universal energy.