Vigil for the dead x
Well we did do our longer walk... down into a valley we have not visited before. The village, Sankhu, is not on any tourist itinery and was a lovely Newari settlement. A real delight. I especially loved losing our way slightly on the way there and having to wade through a tributary. The feel of the water was a change.
We caught a bus from there into Pashipatina which is on the outskirts of kathmandu. We found the place crowded with mourners. This is the most sacred place in Nepal to Hindus and we were there on the day of the vigil for the Dead. That was not as depressing as it sounds (to me anyway). On this day every year people who have been berieved during the past twelve months (or 13 if you folow the Nepali lunar calendar) meet there for an all night vigil. They have to fast and purify themselves to be fit to tend anoil flame for their loved one. There were people simply eerywhere, many wearing the traditional mourning white.
This week has flown by. The Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed here resulting in a days holiday celebrations on Wednesday. My school is also closed on Thursday and Friday. Which mans I have taught my last lesson there. The children assembled despite the public holiday on Wednesday... to give me a proper goodbye. I came away wearing 9 malas and with two bags full of flowers all arranged by the children. They also did some singing, dancing, drumming and crying for me. It was lovely but tearful. I finally arrived in Nagarkot loking and smelling like a mobile flower shop.
Viv's final teaching day was the next day. She did get a couple of birthday presents from some students but most were not ready for the full sendoff. So she has to go back in for that at the end of our trip.
So now we are in Kathmandu and it is so warm here in the valley. We have met up with Bhakta and he is helping Viv to organise an itinery for her trip further up country next week. I intend to stay here to do some arting. My sketchpad at the moment looks as if I did eerything on the balcony which is pretty much the truth..... So I have a week to paint Nepal as I see it.
More pictures to follow.....
Love,
Jill xx
We caught a bus from there into Pashipatina which is on the outskirts of kathmandu. We found the place crowded with mourners. This is the most sacred place in Nepal to Hindus and we were there on the day of the vigil for the Dead. That was not as depressing as it sounds (to me anyway). On this day every year people who have been berieved during the past twelve months (or 13 if you folow the Nepali lunar calendar) meet there for an all night vigil. They have to fast and purify themselves to be fit to tend anoil flame for their loved one. There were people simply eerywhere, many wearing the traditional mourning white.
This week has flown by. The Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed here resulting in a days holiday celebrations on Wednesday. My school is also closed on Thursday and Friday. Which mans I have taught my last lesson there. The children assembled despite the public holiday on Wednesday... to give me a proper goodbye. I came away wearing 9 malas and with two bags full of flowers all arranged by the children. They also did some singing, dancing, drumming and crying for me. It was lovely but tearful. I finally arrived in Nagarkot loking and smelling like a mobile flower shop.
Viv's final teaching day was the next day. She did get a couple of birthday presents from some students but most were not ready for the full sendoff. So she has to go back in for that at the end of our trip.
So now we are in Kathmandu and it is so warm here in the valley. We have met up with Bhakta and he is helping Viv to organise an itinery for her trip further up country next week. I intend to stay here to do some arting. My sketchpad at the moment looks as if I did eerything on the balcony which is pretty much the truth..... So I have a week to paint Nepal as I see it.
More pictures to follow.....
Love,
Jill xx
posted by Jill and Viv | 8:52 PM
1 Comments:
Thanks for visiting internet cafe in Sankhu. You might have noticed that this internet cafe is housed in a traditional Falcha. Falcha is a traditionalpublic space in Newar communities for elderly people to bask in the sun, to meet with each other and of course a place for shelter in the night for travellers. The most important thing is it is a traditional public communication space. The modern communication space, the internet cafe is therefore housed in this Falcha, to combine modern and traditional communication spaces. Since you have visited Sankhu, you might have other interesting experiences to share about Sankhu as well. I invite you to our blogsite [http://sakwomi-worldwide.blogspot.com] where you can share your experiences for other people interested in Sankhu.
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