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Ex-King Gyanendra Shah has reached Bhaktapur to offer prayers at the Taleju Bhawani Temple on Sunday. He received a warm welcome from the locals of Bhaktapur.

A large crowd of supporters had gathered at the Durbar Square to welcome him.

While welcoming the former king, they also chanted slogans in his favor.

The deposed king Shah also visited the Durbar Square.

Preparations for Indra Jatra, one of the biggest festivals of Kathmandu Valley, have begun.

As a part of the preparations, Gaddi Baithak in Hanumandhoka, Kathmandu is being painted for the Indra Jatra. Kumarighar and other temples are also being decorated for the festival.

Chariots of Kumari, Bhairav ​​and Ganesh are also kept ready for Indra Jatra while the wooden log, called Ya Sin in Nepalbhasa, has been brought to Hanumandhoka on Saturday.

The festival will begin after the erection of the wooden log outside Hanumandhoka Palace amidst a ritual in the morning of September 26.

Along with Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur on Kathmandu, the festival is also celebrated in Dulikhel and Dolakha among other places.

The festival will conclude on October 2.

As a young chef, I was fascinated by the idea of chaurasi byanjan, which means a grand feast featuring 84 different dishes all served at once. It’s not your typical three- or four-course meal. It’s an incredible array of flavors and textures. ‘Chaurasi’ in Nepali means 84, and ‘byanjan’ refers to various types of food. This intriguing tradition is deeply rooted in Nepali culture and is reserved for special occasions like weddings and rice-feeding ceremonies, which mark a child’s transition to solid foods.

I started looking for information about these 84 dishes in books and online, but I couldn’t find much. Gradually, I went from just being a chef to becoming a research and development chef with a hobby of exploring Nepali cuisine and promoting it internationally. When I had some free time, I searched the internet to learn more about chaurasi byanjan. I was fascinated by it and wanted to learn more.

I found something similar called ‘chhpan bhog’ in the Indian context. It was a completely vegetarian meal that used to be served to Lord Krishna. So, I wondered, did Nepali people add 28 meat dishes to the 56 dishes of chhpan bhog? The problem was I didn’t know much Sanskrit which made it really hard to access Eastern knowledge. There had to be some way for me to find out more about this elaborate feast.

I turned to people who seemed knowledgeable about chaurasi byanjan. The first theory connects it to Maharshi Charak, the father of Ayurveda, and his book Charak Samhita, but detailed information is scarce. Another theory links it to the wedding ceremony of Ram and Sita, hosted by King Janak. Yet the details are elusive. There are many other theories too but the information is either limited or vague.

The most convincing theory suggests that this tradition began during the Malla dynasty and it’s purely an indigenous way of serving a feast. It’s said that this tradition continues at Bikramshil Mahabihar (Bhagwan Bahal) in Thamel, Kathmandu.

After uncovering these facts, I sought out gurus with knowledge of chaurasi byanjan. After months of following these experts, some claimed to be writing books on the subject, promising details upon publication, while others said it was their lifelong research and chose not to share. People claimed to know about it but were hesitant to share the details.

I resumed my research and discovered that chaurasi byanjan is more than just a feast. It’s a celebration of balance and variety. Each dish on the menu holds a special significance, whether it’s the spiced lentils of bara or the fermented leafy greens of gundruk. The culinary journey begins with staples like rice and dal, representing the heart of Nepali cuisine, and extends to intricate desserts like peda and rasgulla, showcasing the country’s sweet tooth.

Chaurasi byanjan doesn’t have a fixed set of varieties. It all depends on preferences, seasonality, locality, region, and the dishes typically associated with celebrations. The choices of a multimillionaire and a middle-class family would differ. Exploring Nepal’s chaurasi byanjan is a sensory journey, offering insights into the rich tapestry of culture, the abundance of nature, and the artistry of cuisine that defines this remarkable culinary tradition. Next time you see a feast laid out, try noticing all the different food and drinks there are on the special spread.

The Nepali population was the fastest growing Asian group, growing from almost 52,000 people in 2010 to almost 206,000 people in 2020, according to the US Census Bureau. 

More than 5.2m people identified as Chinese, the largest group among respondents who were Asian alone or in combination with another group, according to Census. They were followed by Asian Indians with 4.7m people, Filipinos with 4.4m people and the Vietnamese population at 2.2m people. California was home to the largest share of the six most common Asian groups in the US New York had the second-largest share of Chinese residents, while Texas had the second-largest share of Asian Indian residents.

The United States had 3.5m residents who identify as Middle Eastern or North African, Venezuelans were the fastest-growing Hispanic group last decade and Chinese and Asian Indians were the two largest Asian groups, according to the US Census Bureau.

The most detailed race and ethnicity data to date from the 2020 census was released Thursday more than three years after the once-a-decade head count, which determines political power, the distribution of $2.8trn in annual federal funding and holds up a mirror to how the US has changed in a decade. The delay was caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the implementation of a new method to protect the confidentiality of participants.

Among the census respondents who identified as white, English was the most common detailed group written down on the form where people were asked to elaborate on their backgrounds, with 46.6m people saying they were English alone or in any combination. They were followed by those identifying as German, with 45m people, and Irish, with 38.6m people. 

With inputs from agencies