Is that a statue? (Photo Feature)

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.