muwa's day

yesterday was muwa's day out... she went to pashupati temple after a gap of 18 years, she says. rajendra babu had made special arrangements for the vehicles to be taken right to the main gate. so we (muwa, mami, sanomami, bindadidi, baba, rajendrababu, prava, cholu, ganga, radha, robin and myself) went to the temple in two vehicles, baba's jeep and my car. on the way back we all stayed back at prava's for lunch. met up with pooja, who was here on a very brief trip from yumrika following her father-in-law's death... then back home, after a little bit of rest, muwa was back talking with journalist from a magazine about story-telling and family values... yes, it was truly her day!!! the pix of the ride to pashupati taken by cholu.

we left baghbazar with muwa in the front seat of the pajero

muwa reflected in the side mirror. her concern for chaotic traffic reflecting on her expression!

sanomami, bindadidi and ganga in the jeep...

... my car, with mami (with her mask) in the front seat, follows right behind...

"harey!" seems to be 96-year-old muwa's expression...

.. as the vehicle weaves in and out in a congested road near pashupati...

...past the road blocks and near the temple, muwa is surprised with the new and open look of the temple premises...

we approach the western gate of pashupati

and we cast our shoes aside... muwa is escorted by an attendant from the temple, who firmly guides her around the temple... no cameras beyond this point....muwa and others had a unique opportunity of doing darshan from all four sides doors of the shrine.

back outside, mami and muwa wait for sanomami and bindadidi...

photo op time...

... looking inside the gateway... the temple doorway blocked by this golden bull.. lord shiva's ride...

...horns and hump...

ornate toran above the western gate

...pashupati pilgrims' progress....

... after the pashupati trip we went to prava and rajendrababu's place in battisputali for lunch... 'puntey' the dog not exactly excited to see us, or to be behind bars!!

.. in the living room under the benign and pleasant watch of the ex-pm samdhiji nagendra prasad rijal...

rajendrababu and baba

muwa relaxes after the hectic pashupati trip...

cholu sizes up the royal bengal tiger hanging above her

great grandma and great grand-daughter banter with each other...

.. and listen to mami across the room...

sanomami.. herself a sprightly 86...

mami...

ganga and radha go and help sita and sitaram in the kitchen...

... muwa gets ready for lunch...

.. as do the rest of us...

... cousins meet after three years... pooja and cholu size each other up...

... time for pooja's lunch...

mami with her natini, sharing ideas and also discussing positive healing experiences......

back in bagh bajar mama entraps bhanji for some diabetic advice...

four generations of family pose for photo for a magazine

... and that was muwa's day...

festive colours

these are pictures taken on the day of teej when we went walking from bagh bajar to basantapur and back. a myriad of colours, mainly red, of course...

we started with the grey and dismal traffic at bhotahity...

... and the green and white ranipokhari...

... red and black nepali chatti in asan...

... pretty and colourful maids all in a row a bit further up...

...and handbags galore... 

...a rainbow hued display of sarees in indrachowk...

... and ladies lined up for a darshan in basantapur...

...a  red stream snaking its way to the temple...

...green belpatra and assorted saubhagya samagri in front of the temple...

...the temples were also decked up in their red phariya...

the dark, yet colourful, kaal bhairab, with creamy peda stuffed into his mouth by well-meaning devotees...

and orangy lemon soda for those who want to break their fast!

... dark clouds start encroaching the blue sky...

spotted friends and dull - coloured men here to watch the colourful stream of women

...'teejy' women in red dance in abandon...

the freshly white-washed gaddi baithak

red, green, yellow, grey and blue--young and old, men and women resting and watching in basantapur

grey dome, pigeon and turban

the golden maru ganesh is temporary shelter while his temple is being renovated

green amala and brown naspati.. waiting for customers...

maroon rajma, yellow kerau, browk chana and badaam in a blue thela ...

...pink cotton candy ...

.. more temples with red frills...

...white khuwa baraph on a blue ice box...

... a rainbow of bangles (cholu's) against the backdrop of the basantapur pashupati temple...

...ladies in pink, red and green inching towards the temple...

...terracottaed taleju temple...

... and its intricate spire set against the azure sky...

...a mix and match pallete of colours...

...black and brass cannon inside the kot courtyard, yes, kot of the kot massacre 'fame'...

...dark and dirty street -- tremor traps--leading from indrachowk  towards wotu...

...a flesh coloured family of mannequins in wotu...

... and finally in the evening,  the bright lights of teej lamps (accompanied by the mixed orchestra of sankha, damaru and ghanti) back home...