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Pashupati crematorium is located in the Pashupatinath temple premises in Kathmandu, Nepal. It’s a sacred Hindu site where cremations take place along the Bagmati River. Near the crematorium is the shop where you can find everything that is required for a traditional cremation—Paddy, straw shoes, ghee, wooden logs and sticks, green bamboo stretchers specially used to carry dead bodies from ambulances into the landing stairs (ghat) of the Bagmati river.

This shop fixes the prices of goods that are delivered and unloaded at the banks of Bagmati. The staff carry them and store them in the shop’s warehouse. Green bamboo is often used to carry dead bodies in some cultures due to its easy availability, strength, and symbolism. Bamboo is lightweight, flexible, and abundant in certain regions, making it practical for constructing a simple stretcher or carrier. Additionally, in some cultures, bamboo holds cultural or religious significance, and the use of green bamboo may be tied to symbolism related to life, renewal, or nature. The exact reason varies based on local traditions and beliefs.

I came across a middle-aged man selecting bamboo meticulously. His name was Rajkumar Tandukar. He told me he was preparing to make a ladder-shaped structure just behind the shop. It has been a decade since he has been doing this. He has made as many as over 25 bamboo stretchers in just a single day. Even though Pashupati now has an electric crematorium, the traditional method of cremation is still preferred over it. I saw many funerals being carried out along the banks of the river.

Thirty-eight-year-old Dawa Lama is known as the silver man. He has been standing as a statue at Buddha Park in Swayambhu, Pashupati Nath, and other areas of Kathmandu for the past three years. He changes into his gear and puts on makeup near the performance site, in a narrow street where he tries to make sure no one can spot him.

Earlier, he used to wear a silver-colored suit and hence he was known as the silver man. But since most people are attracted to the golden color, he has now transitioned into wearing a golden suit. He uses chemical-free golden makeup for his face.

Born in Sindhuli in Bagmati Province, Lama lives alone in a rented room in Lalitpur. His wife and three children are back in Sindhuli, with Lama’s parents. He uses ride-sharing apps to travel to his desired location. During festivals, he has taken his act to various parts of Nepal. He plans to perform at the Sali Nadi festival before thousands of people.

“I was fascinated by this act after I saw videos of people doing it in China and other countries,” he says. However, it wasn’t as easy as he thought it would be. He couldn’t stand for long. One and a half hours were the longest he could manage. Now, he can stand without moving an inch for up to five hours. The locals of his regular places have given him many names. He is the ‘sun manche’, ‘golden man’, and ‘dummy’, among other things.

There have been some scary incidents during his act as well. “Once, in Dang, these two girls thought I was a dummy and started taking pictures with him. As a joke, I moved a little to surprise the lady. She was so shocked that she fainted,” he says, adding he now refrains from giving the impression that he is an actual statue but he boasts that he can easily trick people if he wants to.

Lama is happy that he can take care of his family. And he loves what he does. He can also afford to part with a small fraction of his earnings to feed those in need. That is more than enough, he says.

Chaku, a sweet made from jaggery, sugarcane juice, ghee, and nuts, is considered essential to celebrate Maghe Sankranti. Joshi Chaku Factory, located in Tangal, Lalitpur, have been inundated with orders for the past three months. They have been working long hours, from four in the morning to eight in the evening.

Sixty years ago, Surya Das Joshi started the Joshi Chaku Factory. Today, he isn’t able to make chaku anymore but his family members are involved in the process and work at the factory. This is how they have been earning a living.

The factory employs eight people to make the chaku and another 30 to pack and deliver the product. The jaggery comes from Biratnagar in Morang and the chaku is supplied to stores in Lalitpur, Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Banepa. “We make a nice profit only in the winter season,” says Surya Das.

Maghe Sankranti is a widely celebrated festival on the first day of the month of Magh. For the Tharu community, it rings in the new year. It also marks the end of the winter season. The festival brings warmer weather and longer days as the sun moves towards the northern hemisphere.

Chaku is consumed during winter as it gives strength and stamina. It also warms the body besides containing vitamin B and minerals, including calcium, magnesium, and iron.

I recently visited Angel Horse Stable in Chundevi in Kathmandu. I wanted to see what all happened at a horse-riding school. I met Suman Bhujel, 20, who is currently an instructor at the center. He has been working there for the past seven years. He started as a helping hand at the center, cleaning the stables and feeding the horses, and later learned horse riding and underwent buggy management training as well.

Bhujel says he has always been fascinated with horses. As a child, he used to peek through the walls of the center and watch people ride horses for hours. “It’s an unconventional job but it’s exciting and I love it. No two days are the same,” he says.

In recent times, horse buggy or horse carriages have become popular in some parts of Nepal. It’s often used in weddings as it adds a festive and ceremonial touch to the marriage procession. Bhujel says many couples have been favoring beautifully decorated horse buggies as part of the wedding celebrations instead of the regular cars and jeeps.

Traditionally, horse-drawn carriages were used at weddings. It was once reserved for princes and princesses. The carriages were usually velvet-lined and adorned with flowers. The practice is now back in fashion again as more and more couples have started opting for this regal mode of transport during what is perhaps the most important day of their lives.

Apart from using horse buggies for weddings, the general fascination with horse riding seems to have increased too, says Bhujel. There are lots of children and adults alike coming in for weekly riding classes at the horse-riding school. Bhujel says the younger you start learning the better it is but horse-riding is fairly easy once you grasp a few important techniques.