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A prison is a place where people are legally held as a punishment for their crimes and deprived of certain liberties. So, life in jail is nowhere near normal. The inmates have to do the same thing every day.

Yet, we see a glow on their faces during the festivals, especially Dashain.

As of today, there are 3,073 prisoners in the central jail, and around 2,500 are Nepalis. Foreign prisoners also look relaxed when they see Nepali inmates enjoy themselves. Although life is monotonous here, Dashain brings a semblance of calm as the inmates get to meet their family members for tika and blessings.

At other times, inmates aren’t allowed to meet their family at their preferred time. There is a long process of applying for a meeting. But during Dashain, there are no such restrictions.

Last year, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, inmates couldn’t meet their friends and family. They were inside the jail following proper health protocols. Prisoners looked disappointed as their most awaited time of the year passed by like any other day.

But things have changed this time. With the relaxing of Covid-19-related restrictions, the inmates will get to meet their families.

Also read: Dashain: Then and now

Every year, we used to sacrifice goats during Dashain, but we canceled the plan last year. The inmates are again clamoring for the sacrifice this year but the Department of Prison Management is yet to decide on it. The inmates also get an extra Rs 400 in Dashain allowance. With the money, they eat and enjoy themselves.

Moreover, inmates play different indoor games in Dashain. They organize a mini-tournament with the police and there are prizes for the winners. They enjoy the time to the fullest as they get to do it only once a year. Besides the games, they organize debates, oratory, and quizzes. 

I have seen them enjoy the festival as I used to do in my childhood. Even if they are here to serve time for their crimes, their enjoyment is pure. As we want to establish our jails as rehabilitation centers, we try to create a healthy environment.

Even in jail, we don’t want the prisoners to feel alone. We try our best to provide all the luxuries that our constitution and law gives them. 

Dashain has officially begun and preparations in most households are in full swing. The atmosphere is one of chaos and merriment. The same is true at various alcohol and drug rehabilitation centers in Kathmandu that are busy trying to ensure that those admitted in their facilities don’t feel like they are missing out on the festive time. The atmosphere of Dashain breaks the monotony of hectic sessions at treatment centers and, while they are grateful for it, it’s a lot of additional work.

Sanjeev Shahi, program coordinator at Alcoholic Recovering Voice Nepal, says they have always made it a point to mark all kinds of festivals throughout the year, be it the New Year, Eid, Losar, or other cultural and religious events. They have to keep in mind the different backgrounds of people at the facility. However, Dashain is celebrated with much aplomb because it’s a long holiday and the vibe is just different.

“Dashain gives us a chance to normalize things around here a bit,” says Shahi. Rehabilitation is a lengthy and tedious process. Most people at the center are there upon their family’s insistence, and so they aren’t happy or willing participants in their treatment. A festival, when regular sessions are suspended, is thus a breath of fresh air. And with Dashain, they get several days off, which makes it a much-cherished time.

Shahi says Dashain is a good time for the residents at the center to get to know one another and bond over their shared circumstances. This will later help them rely on and help one another during treatment. The people at the center including the staff play games together, cook meals other than what’s regularly prepared in the kitchen, and have dance parties for almost a week. There is a session or two that can’t be missed but these are usually held early in the morning or late in the evening, thus freeing up entire afternoons to revel in the festive spirit.

The scenario is replicated at most rehabilitation centers in Kathmandu. Every center has elaborate plans for Dashain. The intent is to make people forget, at least for a while, where they are and why they are there. Some centers hold various sports tournaments and competitions. Sanjeev Kumar Singh, program coordinator at Sober Recovery and Rehabilitation Center (SRRC), says it takes them a month to prepare for Dashain. The challenge is to keep the residents occupied and entertained. “Generally, people are busy with sessions and they can’t dwell on their situation. But with regular sessions on hold during Dashain, we have to make sure they don’t get bored and listless,” says Singh.

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Which is why over at Hamro Sankalpa Drug and Alcohol Treatment and Rehabilitation Center, the focus is on interactive games, those that keep the residents mentally and physically active. From flying kites to breaking pinatas, the activities they plan for residents during Dashain must be entertaining and engaging. Sajan Shrestha, director at the facility, says they organize dance programs and let the residents watch a movie or two on TV so that they regain some semblance of normalcy at a time when everybody in the country is celebrating.

“Some residents are even allowed to go home for tika while others are accompanied by a staff. But the decision, as in who gets to go, is made by the counsellor depending on individual progress,” says Shrestha.

Authorities at rehabilitation centers have a lot of things to take care of during Dashain. Celebrations aside, Dashain also requires them to up their vigilance and be better attuned to the changing moods of the residents. Tsering Wangdu, founder of SRRC, says Dashain is a challenging time because, as it is, those admitted at rehabilitation centers don’t want to stay there. Dashain, he says, exacerbates that feeling and thus the risk of runaways is more. Sometimes, the residents’ family members want to take them home for Dashain and it’s quite a task to convince them that isn’t a good idea. “Chances of relapse are high during Dashain,” says Wangdu. Many people have a ‘just-this-once’ mindset that spirals out of control, negating all the progress made thus far.

Another challenge that Dashain brings for those who work at rehabilitation centers is finding a way to balance work and family obligations. Theirs isn’t a job that allows them much freedom, says Wangdu, and Dashain brings on added responsibilities. The staff have to arrange the duty roster according to their individual tika schedules and sometimes some have to forgo plans they have made with family altogether. Wangdu says it has been 15 years that he has not said ‘yes’ to any Dashain gathering invitation. The priority is always the center and he has made peace with it, he says.

Buddha Dhoj Adhikari, program officer at Cripa Nepal, says preparations are underway at the center to make Dashain an enjoyable affair. The focus is to make the residents happy, adds founder Shisir Thapa, because festivals can be tricky especially for those who are undergoing treatment for alcohol addiction. They are often there against their will—brought in by wives, siblings or children—and want to go home during Dashain. But their family members, having faced one too many incident of relapse, don’t want them to leave rehab.

“It’s not unusual for people, especially older men, to be upset and angry during Dashain. So, we have to do our best to cheer them up and try and make them understand that what’s happening is for their own good. That if all goes well, they will be home next Dashain,” concludes Thapa.

Artists, despite the challenges brought by the pandemic, utilized this time at home to create new pieces of art. As a result, this Dashain we will be flooded with exhibitions, from virtual to in-person, and many of us will have the opportunity to showcase and sell our works.

One thing I’ve noticed is that a lot of great artworks have come out during the pandemic and that has helped us sustain the industry. A list of great books for art in general, and also sculpture art, painting, traditional art, ancient art, architecture, and books about creativity, scripture, and many more have hit the market. Sales have picked up as well, as art lovers and collectors can finally visit exhibitions. 

During the pandemic, many galleries, especially in Thamel, couldn’t gather as many people as they did before. The works of artists who have already earned a name were easily sold, while those struggling to make their artworks stand out couldn’t do so.

Now with the Covid-19 restrictions being relaxed, we recently organized an exhibition at my gallery where we put up artworks by five different artists.The outcome was overwhelming; most of the pieces, including four of my own, were sold. Virtual exhibitions are also being organized and sales are going up. This was also visible at the recent exhibitions at Siddartha Art Gallery and Kala Premi.

The market is slowly waking up and, in this season of festivities, we are optimistic that more local artists will be able to showcase their works. We plan on working on more creations in this time of transition, so the next couple of months will see a flurry of bigger exhibitions.

Also read: Dashain: Then and now

We are also hopeful that more Nepali people will buy pieces of art this year. Before the pandemic, most consumers of this industry were foreigners as painting and sculptures are expensive for many middle-class Nepalis. With the travel ban, we lost most of our clients and that too contributed to the slow movement of the market in the past one and a half years.

There are, however, comparatively more Nepalis willing to buy locally created art than was the case pre-pandemic. We see that as progress and are working on creating an easy-to-use, accessible, and affordable platform for local people who want to buy works of art. We have found works of art such as chains and paperweights are more affordable to local clients.

My goal now is to open a private museum. Over the years, I’ve loved collecting paintings from different reputed artists. I realize there still aren’t many private museums in our country, and I plan on opening one soon.

Similarly, now, more and more colleges are recruiting fine arts teachers at the plus-two level. More youths have a space to pursue fine arts from a young age. We are also campaigning on incorporating art as a compulsory subject for all school students.

I hope after Dashain the market will continue to boom and more local artists can sell their work. In order to promote local art, our goal is ‘one house, one painting’. We believe if every house has at least one painting instead of printed posters, we will get a step closer to promoting art and appreciating the efforts of the artists.

Time brings many changes and while that is mostly good and perhaps the only way forward, you wish some things would remain the same. Dashain seems to evoke that sentiment. Most people ApEx spoke to confessed that there was a time when Dashain was highly anticipated and while it’s still a fun festival, the vibe just isn’t the same. The unanimous opinion was that our memories of Dashain are far more heartwarming than how we celebrate the festival these days.

Ujjal Rayamajhi, food technologist, says Dashain is the only time he gets to go on a mini-vacation with his family so it’s more of an opportunity to rest, recharge, and reconnect than anything else. This time, he is planning a trip to Sauraha, Chitwan before the holidays are over and he has to get back to the daily grind. However, Dashain had a different appeal when he was growing up. He fondly remembers all the fun he used to have during Dashain as a child and says he misses that.

“Dashain holidays were all about meeting cousins, playing games, and eating a lot of meat,” he says. While he still does that, he laments the charm is lost and that he partakes in the rituals more out of a sense of responsibility than for enjoyment. Kiran Shrestha, of Action Waste Pvt. Ltd, says as you age, bogged down by chores and work, you are always occupied with one thing or the other. You are unable to unwind and appreciate the little things, which is why Dashain, and other festivals too, lose their appeal. When he thinks back to his school days, he recalls relishing the festive feel and being really happy during this time.

“There used to be kite-flying competitions in my neighborhood and I used to wait for a kite to fall so that I could run after it,” he says. He also recalls sitting on his sister’s lap on the large swings built especially for Dashain as he used to be too scared to get on them alone. Dashain brings back fond memories and though things might have changed, he wishes to indulge in the activities he did when he was child once more. But this is going to be a working Dashain for Shrestha as his company wants to make the most of the holiday season to clean up their localities after the recent waste-management fiasco. Responsibilities take precedence as you get older, he says.

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But life is what you make of it, argues Pinky Gurung, president of the Blue Diamond Society. Everybody needs and deserves a break and Dashain provides the perfect excuse for it. Gurung loves the Dashain ambience—it makes her happy and hopeful. Everything about this time of the year—the melodious music (mangal dhun), the breezy weather, and the busy markets with festive sales—is just so soothing, she says. “I feel people are a lot more amicable and respectful towards one another during this season.”

She feels there’s a lot to be joyful about and it’s not that difficult to get into the festive spirit when you are surrounded by it. But Dashain today definitely isn’t like Dashain before; it hasn’t been for a while, she adds. Earlier, festivals were generally a rather communal affair, especially in villages where people came together to celebrate special events. Theater artist Deepmala Pariyar recalls Dashain in her village in Hetauda during her childhood days. She says the festival used to be fun and eventful. Regular life was suspended for a few days and you could do anything you wished. Dashain chores felt like fun park activities, she says.

Preparations for the festival, adds Pariyar, used to start a month before tika day. The focus would be on decorating homes with bright colors. There used to be an undeclared competition of sorts to see which house was decked up in the prettiest way possible. The artist remembers it as a time everything seemed at its very best, with people’s mood matching the merry environment.

“I used to look forward to my parents coming home for Dashain. They would bring me new clothes. It’s a tradition I still give continuity to, even though I buy new clothes round the year. I get clothes for my nephews now during Dashain,” she says. This, is her way of holding on to little things that spark joy.

Though people might not indulge in the same activities that they once did, they definitely look forward to the family gatherings that Dashain has always been about. Meenashi Pokhrel, counseling psychologist, says Dashain brings people together. “We get to meet all those who we have not met for a long time,” she says. Pokhrel, who is getting married this Dashain, has always looked forward to the festival as a time to bond with her cousins and relatives.

Gurung of BDS feels Dashain provides the perfect opportunity to make up for past mistakes and let go of grudges and discords. “Everything is so resplendent that you just can’t stay upset. Also, our memories of Dashain that we shared with our loved ones make it easy for us to let go of the past and begin anew,” she concludes.