It is the same every year. Just as the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/now-the-economy-stupid">finance minister prepares to deliver his budget</a>, there is a last minute spending spree across the country to disburse as much money as possible before the fiscal year ends in July.
The habit even has a pejorative Nepali phrase: असारे विकास, the frantic last-minute resource execution. But every year, even after all that eleventh-hour expenditure, the budget remains woefully underspent. &nbsp;
Nepal’s budget is classified into three parts: current expenditure for administrative spending, capital expenditure for long-term <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/protecting-protected-areas-from-infrastructure?fbclid=IwAR1wK0MDFlFST_2EYb3f54LS4-fPt6rYfLG1DJ1JaQsU3w8-ezyXIxGOqzk">development and infrastructure</a>, and debt servicing.
Current <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/till-debt-do-us-part">expenditure and debt servicing</a> account for a significant portion of government spending, leaving little money to improve roads, build facilities and buy equipment. But every year for the last nine years, the government underspent by an average of 35.3%. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Till Wednesday, the three layers of government had spent only 66% of the total budget of Rs1.8 trillion, and 37% of its Rs352 billion development budget. Where does all that unspent money go?&nbsp;
Unused funds from some ministries go back to the national treasury. But Nepal has a revenue shortfall, and there is a tendency to allocate funds without ensuring resource availability.&nbsp;
“The main reason Nepal is unable to spend even the money allocated for development is because projects are not prioritised properly,” explains economist Kalpana Khanal.&nbsp;
The National Planning Commission’s (NPC’s) Project Bank is tasked with selecting national projects for <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/unique-hospital-handover-in-dolakha">public-private partnership</a> investments and ranking them into three tiers based on priority. &nbsp;
Per the classification, the standards for Priority 1 projects include a completed Detailed Project Report and Environmental Impact Assessment report, as well as land acquisition guarantees. But these are just on paper, which means resources are diverted to politically expedient projects or those not fully developed. &nbsp;&nbsp;
Furthermore, Nepal’s procurement mechanism involves choosing the lowest bidder, which presents domestic barriers since contracts are stretched beyond capacity and expertise. This is compounded by the quick turnover of skilled administrative and technical staff, and project managers.&nbsp;
Then there is over-regulation. Budget expense categories are rigid, which limits the ability to reallocate funds where they are needed.&nbsp;
In October 2024, a High-Level Commission on Economic Reform, was formed to assess <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/nepal-in-the-red">the country’s overall economic situation </a>and provide recommendations. Khanal was a member of the commission, and says it remains to be seen whether their suggestions are implemented in the budget.&nbsp;
“We must first properly identify national priority projects, strengthen our internal capacity and human resources, diversify our procurement process, and ensure oversight agencies focus on monitoring and evaluation without over-regulating,” says Khanal. “For this, we need both political and bureaucratic integrity.”
That is a polite way to say that there is too much <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepals-only-growth-industry-private-sector-corruption">corruption and cronyism</a>. Case in point: discussions surrounding the new budget took a backseat this week as Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak was embroiled in a scandal involving payoffs for Nepalis leaving on visit visas.&nbsp;
Opposition parties including the Maoist-Centre and the RSP obstructed Parliament and demanded Lekhak’s resignation. The scandal has already led to the removal of and an investigation into Chief Immigration Officer Tirtharaj Bhattarai.&nbsp;
This is reminiscent of last year’s budget presentation by Prime Minister Puspha Kamal Dahal’s government. The Nepali Congress, which was then in opposition, similarly obstructed Parliament and demanded the resignation of Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane citing his involvement in a cooperatives fraud.&nbsp;
Home Minister Lekhak, who was not able to explain himself in Parliament, held a press conference to deny any wrongdoing. Despite obstruction, opposition parties said they would allow the budget to be presented, and the Finance Minister is presenting the budget in Parliament on Thursday.
29 May was also Republic Day, and marked symbolically by the monarchist RPP to launch a campaign of<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/republicans-and-royalists-on-nepal-s-streets"> pro-royal rallies in the capital</a>.
The budget comes as the government faces a revenue crunch, as well as the loss of funding for the social sector because of the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/how-usaid-cut-affects-nepal">USAID cutoff </a>and <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/the-great-game-2nd-half">shrinking donor aid</a>. Rights-based programs related to gender, health, and education will suffer. Common sense would dictate that the unspent funds in the next budget be quickly reallocated to health and education. &nbsp;&nbsp;
Says Khanal: “Once the budget is allocated, the budget cycle must be improved— the tendency to overspend towards the end of the fiscal year must be minimised.”&nbsp;
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/how-nepal-can-budget-wisely">How Nepal can budget wisely</a>, Siddhartha Rayamajhi

Shristi Karki

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News

Understanding Nepal's underspending

Kathmandu, the UNESCO-designated city of film, is all set to celebrate cinema with the 22nd edition of KIMFF from 28 May to 1 June. The <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/kimff-turns-21-wz756ixn">Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival</a> this year features a selection of 65 films from all over the world on the theme of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/knowing-our-mountains-43v4iyvo">mountains</a>. The festival opens with the Nepal premiere of Jeremy Power Regimbal’s documentary ‘Between the Mountain and the Sky’ featuring Surkhet-based educationist and CNN Hero Maggie Doyne.&nbsp; Launched in 2000 by a journalists’ collective, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/review/kimff-2019-p8070ipt">KIMFF has evolved over the years</a>, bringing in new themes like climate breakdown, indigenous groups, tourism and Himalayan culture. “This time we are prioritising people-driven stories and, most importantly, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/homecoming-with-music">Nepali voice</a>,” says KIMFF convener Ramyata Limbu.&nbsp; This year’s films reflect broader changes in <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepali-cinema-s-melodramatic-realism">Nepal’s filmmaking landscape</a>, as access to <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/comment/tech-and-transition-in-nepal">technology</a> and <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/they-have-stories-to-yell">storytelling platforms</a> expand. Kimff’s Nepal Panorama section over the years has become a launchpad for many of the country’s leading independent filmmakers. This year, The festival is widening its scope with its inaugural Kathmandu DocLab. This is a five-day incubator designed for the South Asians by the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/documenting-the-anthropocene">South Asian filmmakers</a> and aims to foster local talent from the region and equip them with the tools to craft globally resonant stories.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025052209054_6ae4c176750255257e98b623cec24307747b6d6ae08bd0c7c0aeaae014219f59.jpg" data-media-id="editor_8" data-image-id="2025052209054_6ae4c176750255257e98b623cec24307747b6d6ae08bd0c7c0aeaae014219f59" data-rendition-name="original" width="1920" height="1080" loading="lazy" alt="Kimff 2025 NT"> </figure>  “DocLab is a place for filmmakers to come together to work on their ideas and to make the stories even more engaging,” says its director Alok Adhikari. “Documentaries are regarded as a boring genre. We want to change the narrative by learning to tell engaging stories.” The DocLab aims to demystify fund-raising for films outside South Asia and simulate a real-world <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/comment/documentary-films-come-of-age">film market</a>. The nine selected participants will be mentored by Anam Abbas (Pakistan-Canada), Arun Bhattarai (Bhutan), and Rintu Thomas (India). “In <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=12940">documentary filmmaking</a>, a regional context is even more crucial, which South Asians inherently understand,” explains Adhikari. “Too often, when these ideas are pitched to Western investors, key cultural elements get lost in translation.” After the workshop, participants will pitch ideas to audiences and filmmakers. The top three projects get prize money, and DocLab will also connect them with international industry partners to secure funds.&nbsp; This year’s festival will also host a Cut.Katha Documentary Pitch, supported by the British Council, in which five <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/she-is-the-story">Nepali women filmmakers </a>will pitch short documentary projects. Other highlights include a Nikon Youth photography/filmmaking workshop and a VR installation of &nbsp;Maya: The Birth of a Superhero. “Kathmandu is now a regional hub for documentary filmmaking, offering industry connection, creative collaboration and access to the global film market much like the world’s biggest film festivals,” says Ramyata Limbu. The festival is taking place simultaneously at QFX Chhaya Centre, Astrek Park, and GAA Hall in Thamel.&nbsp; <h2>Watchlist</h2> <h2>Have you seen my gods?&nbsp;</h2>  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025052209054_82a2592d31907b782dadc670056d256424aec941d472803839252979377faed6.jpg" data-media-id="editor_12" data-image-id="2025052209054_82a2592d31907b782dadc670056d256424aec941d472803839252979377faed6" data-rendition-name="original" width="800" height="533" loading="lazy" alt="Kimff 2025 NT"> </figure>  A compelling and deeply personal journey to track down the whereabouts of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-s-deities-in-transit">Kathmandu’s stolen sacred deities</a>, many of which are displayed in museums across the United States. To honour his grandmother’s final wish, Joshi looks for stolen gods. &nbsp; 60 min | Nepal/United States | 2025&nbsp; English/ Nepali Director: Amitabh Joshi&nbsp; <h2>Butterfly Bhutan &nbsp;</h2>  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025052209054_8e90fc879ea35a62ea29fd7a25de1d3b591805ddabaa1ee88f8b553abeebc803.jpg" data-media-id="editor_14" data-image-id="2025052209054_8e90fc879ea35a62ea29fd7a25de1d3b591805ddabaa1ee88f8b553abeebc803" data-rendition-name="original" width="1920" height="1080" loading="lazy" alt="Kimff 2025 NT"> </figure>  Sonam Phuntsho, a devoted Buddhist, starts questioning the environmental impact of acrylic prayer flags. The documentary follows Sonam as he starts removing flags, getting push back from his own community.&nbsp; 30 min | Bhutan | 2024 Dzongkha Director: Sonam Yangzom <h2>Songs of Love and Hate&nbsp;</h2>  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025052209054_2cde15daafd995354ae1f84a4cd5b1c85114181768bce612244d00ccd7a220f2.jpg" data-media-id="editor_15" data-image-id="2025052209054_2cde15daafd995354ae1f84a4cd5b1c85114181768bce612244d00ccd7a220f2" data-rendition-name="original" width="1920" height="1065" loading="lazy" alt="Kimff 2025 NT"> </figure>  Prem hosts a popular radio program on relationship advice. Afflicted by a heartbreak himself, he navigates an emotional rollercoaster of love along with his listeners.&nbsp; 17 min | Nepal | 2024&nbsp; Nepali Director: Saurav Ghimire&nbsp; <h2>The Lama’s Son&nbsp;</h2>  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025052209054_d70f429797cafa56b540be1b7167a6349fe0288c040645a7dfe5107f9cf8952b.jpg" data-media-id="editor_16" data-image-id="2025052209054_d70f429797cafa56b540be1b7167a6349fe0288c040645a7dfe5107f9cf8952b" data-rendition-name="original" width="1920" height="1080" loading="lazy" alt="Kimff 2025 NT"> </figure>  A Bonpo Lama waits for his sushi chef son to return from New York. But he does not want to come back threatening the family’s ancestral lineage.&nbsp; 72 min | Nepal | 2025&nbsp; Lo-Kay/Tibetan Director: Kesang Tseten&nbsp; <h2>Kottukkaali</h2>  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025052209054_d02176866a12a849d966afe64a25afcb09b1b788d1e3e7422efa87e24b7e040e.jpg" data-media-id="editor_17" data-image-id="2025052209054_d02176866a12a849d966afe64a25afcb09b1b788d1e3e7422efa87e24b7e040e" data-rendition-name="original" width="2049" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Kimff 2025 NT"> </figure>  A woman falls in love with a man from a lower caste, and spotlights the dangerous discrimination still dormant in Indian families and society.&nbsp; 101 min | India | 2023&nbsp; Tamil Director: Vinothraj PS

Pinki Sris Rana

Festival of mountain films

Deep in the fog-drenched forests of Nepal lives the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/clouded-future-for-the-clouded-leopard#">clouded leopard</a>, a cat so mysterious, so rare and elusive, that it is thought to be a creature of myth. &nbsp; Known as धुवाँसे चितुवा, the clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) is named for its unique cloud-like fur pattern distinctly different from a tiger’s stripes, or a leopard’s spots. Its coat is a perfect camouflage for the underbrush of Himalayan cloud forests. It hunts stealthily by night, has strong limbs and flexible ankles allowing it to climb and descend trees with ease. Many Nepalis, including villagers who live close to the habitat of this enigmatic species of cat, do not even know it exists.&nbsp; The clouded leopard was once thought to be extinct in Nepal, but was <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180728053043id_/https:/www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/CE1B1FFD5D898189EB99B0E0D4316271/S0030605300023024a.pdf/div-class-title-the-clouded-leopard-in-nepal-div.pdf">rediscovered</a> in 1987, and since then it has been sighted in regions ranging from eastern Tarai’s lowland forests to the subtropical hills of western Nepal at elevations between 301m to 3,498m.&nbsp; But unlike the tigers and rhinos in Nepal’s plains, or the snow leopards that stalk the Himalaya, the clouded leopard rarely makes headlines or draws public attention.&nbsp; The clouded leopard is listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and protected under CITES Appendix I. <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/356255825_Mapping_distribution_and_identifying_gaps_in_protected_areacoverage_of_vulnerableclouded_leopard_Neofelis_nebulosa_in_Nepal_Implications_forconservation_management">It is found </a>in dense tropical, sub-tropical and temperate forests of south and south-east Asia.&nbsp; In Nepal, sightings in previously undocumented areas like Sunsari, Udayapur, and Jhapa suggest the cat may be more widespread than previously thought. Most of what experts know about these cats comes from chance sightings or camera traps in protected areas.&nbsp; In 2018, an amateur photographer sighted a clouded leopard in Sunsari, making it the first ever non camera-trap photograph of a wild clouded leopard in the country. Indeed, vast regions within their habitat range remain unsurveyed, and there’s no comprehensive data on clouded leopards since no census to determine its number has ever been conducted. The Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) estimates a population range of <a href="https://dnpwc.gov.np/en/species-detail/64/">300 to 400 clouded leopards</a> in Nepal. “Despite its relatively wide habitat distribution, the clouded leopard remains one of Nepal’s least studied wild cats,” says Karan Shah, wildlife researcher and educator. Globally, clouded leopards have lost <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/345976587_Strongholds_under_siege_Range-wide_deforestation_and_poaching_threaten_mainland_clouded_leopards_Neofelis_nebulosa#fullTextFileContent">34% of high-quality habitat</a> and nearly 20% of moderately suitable areas across their habitat range between 2000 and 2018. &nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250522230552_3429caf7617b24caa52c2e0987172de9ef4e897943e3a419e74e62ee65007f45.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20250522230552_3429caf7617b24caa52c2e0987172de9ef4e897943e3a419e74e62ee65007f45" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Clouded leopard map"> <figcaption>Map of the potential distribution of clouded leopard in Nepal. Source: Mapping distribution and identifying gaps in protected area coverage of vulnerable clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) in Nepal: Implications for conservation management / Researchgate</figcaption> </figure>  In Nepal, the forests that clouded leopards depend on are being cleared for roads, agriculture, and other development work, much of this habitat loss occurring outside protected zones. The expansion of roads and human settlements has led not just to habitat destruction, but has also opened the door to human wildlife conflict and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989420308957">poaching</a>. Between 2006 and 2020, at least 26 clouded leopard pelts were confiscated across Nepal with seizures reported in nine districts including Dang, Kanchanpur, Kathmandu and and Taplejung. The clouded leopard’s pelt and bones are traded illegally for decoration and traditional medicine while live animals are sold in the black market as exotic pets. These numbers may seem small in comparison to the figures of other endangered animals, but it is deeply concerning given how rare and elusive the species is. Experts say the data likely represents only a fraction of illegal activity involving clouded leopards due to the lack of active monitoring of the species. Clouded leopards feed on monkeys, rodents, and deer. And although these cats, unlike other carnivores, <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/1472-6785-6-16">avoid human settlements</a>, they are known to feed on livestock in rare cases, especially as the destruction of their habitat has affected their prey density.&nbsp; “It is rarely in direct conflict with humans and is not usually a target for persecution. Yet, it suffers indirectly from <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/between-existence-and-extinction-in-nepal">habitat degradation</a>, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/wildfire-season-starts-early-in-nepal">forest fires</a>, trapping, and carcass poisoning, activities often aimed at other species or driven by broader environmental pressure,” says Shah.&nbsp; But despite the challenges, there have been some improvements in conservation efforts. Improved technology and survey efforts have helped researchers detect the presence of clouded leopards in new areas.&nbsp; However, awareness and policy must catch up. To protect the species, Nepal needs long-term research, camera trap studies, genetic monitoring, and <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/the-unsung-heroes-of-conservation">community-based conservation efforts</a>. A systematic nationwide survey is urgently needed to establish the species' true population and distribution. And perhaps most importantly, there needs to be just as much dedicated attention directed towards the conservation of clouded leopards that has been demonstrated towards rhinos and tigers so that there can be similar success in preserving the species. Saving the clouded leopard is not just about <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/protecting-lumbini-s-rare-cranes">protecting a rare species</a>, but also preserving the forests that filter our air, protect our water, and support countless other wildlife.&nbsp; But without accurate population data or understanding of their habitat needs, there is a risk of losing the species forever.

Leopards in the clouds

Climate mitigation targets are being rolled back worldwide, and time is running out for saving <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/himalayan-icecap-melting-faster-than-thought">the Himalayan icecap</a>.&nbsp;
That was the unsaid message of the three-day Sagarmatha Sambaad international climate conference hosted by the Nepal government in Kathmandu this week.
The gathering ended with a 25-point Call For Action, but drew criticism for being yet another talk shop, regurgitating jargon and deflecting blame for <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-doubles-its-carbon-footprint">lack of seriousness in reducing emissions</a>, adapting to weather extremes in the region, and failure in cross border cooperation.
“The event put Nepal and Everest on the global climate map and had geopolitical benefits for Nepal,” says climate policy analyst Arjun Dhakal. “But it was a missed opportunity for Nepal to strongly push<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-needs-weather-stations-in-the-himalaya"> climate-smart infrastructure</a>, transboundary <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/yes-quakes-can-be-forecast?%2F">early warning systems</a> and highland research.”
Nepal unveiled its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) 3.0 with mitigation targets for 2030 and 2035, and its first Biennial Transparency Report with emissions data from 1994 to 2022 and projections up to 2050.
Although Nepal has met previous targets for forest cover (46% of area) and made progress in promoting <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-s-journey-to-electric-public-transport">electric transport</a>, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/fossil-fools">fossil fuel </a>use is growing. The Third NDC targets a 17.1% reduction in net greenhouse gas emissions and 26.8% by 2035. This could have a price tag of &nbsp;$73.74 billion — most of it from international climate finance at a time when money for it is drying up.
Nepal also hopes to increase electricity generation to 28,500MW by 2035, up the sales of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-s-journey-to-electric-public-transport">electric public vehicles </a>to 90%, and operate at least 100km of integrated electric bus, trolley and light rail transit in Kathmandu Valley, and build 300km of electric train network.
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-public-in-public-transport">The public in public transport</a>, Sonia Awale
These are lofty promises at a time when the government's next budget has a huge revenue shortfall, and the Ministry of Finance is expected to increase taxes on <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/evs-hybrids-and-plug-ins?%2F">battery-operated vehicles</a> which have seen a huge increase due to past rebates.
“<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/guest-editorial/act-now-on-climate">Climate change </a>has become political, big emitters aren’t even respecting <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/combining-ipcc-targets-with-sdgs">global targets</a>. So it is very unlikely they are listening to us,” says water expert Madhukar Upadhyay. “Nepal just does not have the political stature to push global commitments. But we could have narrowed the focus and taken the lead on regional action.”&nbsp;
The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has predicted above-normal rainfall and temperatures for South Asia for <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/before-the-next-monsoon">monsoon</a> 2025. Pre-monsoon rains this year are above normal and could be a sign of things to come.&nbsp;
“Rainfall patterns have changed, they are shorter, have higher intensity and are localised. Mudslides are now a big problem,” says Upadhyay. “We need specific intervention for specific places, taking into account geological and other factors to increase <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/on-high-monsoon-alert-in-nepal">preparedness</a>.”
Too much water is a problem, but so is too little. Nepal has suffered chronic <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/nepal-suffers-another-winter-drought">winter drought</a>, causing natural springs to go dry — affecting food security and pushing outmigration.&nbsp;
The Climate Impact Survey 2022 put droughts as the number one <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/climate-change-hits-himalayan-rice?%2F">climate concern</a> of most Nepalis, but it barely got a mention in the plush conference hall this week. <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/how-transboundary-haze-affects-nepal">Transboundary pollution</a> and black carbon deposition accelerating <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-s-mountains-are-melting">glacier melting </a>also could have done with more attention.
One key proposal at Sagarmatha Sambaad was to establish a climate fund for <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/from-the-north-pole-to-the-third-pole">Himalayan nations</a>. But given the geopolitical tensions after the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/nukes-in-the-neighbourhood">India-Pakistan conflict</a> this month, and the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty, this is even less likely.
Says Arjun Dhakal: “The dialogue could have been more impactful if we had taken concrete steps to set up the Himalayan climate fund instead of just proposing it.”&nbsp;
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/climate-change-is-a-disaster-in-the-nepal-himalaya">Climate change is a disaster in the Nepal Himalaya</a>, Sonam Choekyi Lama
The next round of Sagarmatha Sambaad is planned for 2027, and if present warming trends continue, global average temperature will have exceeded 1.6°C above pre-industrial levels. And experts say the Himalaya warms 0.7°C above the global average — making <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/global-heating-melts-mountains">glaciers of High Asia melt</a> even more rapidly.&nbsp;
Of the estimated $400 billion annually required for loss and damage, only $768.4 million has been pledged to the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) since the operationalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund during COP28. Even then, only $321 million has been paid into the FRLD.
The <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/blueprint-for-a-net-zero-nepal">efforts to reduce emissions</a> have declined globally in recent times, regardless of advancement in <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/nepal-can-lead-in-zero-carbon">clean energy transition</a>, and some say as the developing world forms its climate action entirely around climate financing, they will also lose their moral ground when advocating for reducing emissions.
“We are running out of time, we cannot keep waiting for the loss and damage fund,” says Upadhyay. “Nepal’s own upcoming budget can do much for <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/how-nepal-can-finance-climate-action?mibextid=Zxz2cZ">climate action</a> if we prioritise emission reduction and preparedness.”

Sonia Awale

Himalayan meltdown

Nepal’s Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel is a Red. And as Finance Minister in a coalition led by his Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) he has the unenviable job of saving a country deep in the red.
Despite its impressive name, there is nothing even remotely ‘<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/forgotten-woman-who-sheltered-communist-activists?%2F">communist</a>’ about his party as Poudel works on the upcoming budget. He has warned repeatedly about a massive revenue shortfall with <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/till-debt-do-us-part">Nepal’s expenditure</a> now 25% higher than its income.&nbsp;
The government has already reduced subsidies to local governments due to lack of money, and plans to cut small-scale programs entirely in the budget. But such rollbacks do not even make a dent in reducing the deficit gap.&nbsp;
Revenue has been falling since <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/nepal-s-uneven-covid-19-deaths">Covid-19</a>, and never really recovered — even though in 2023/2024 revenue was a record high compared to the previous year. The fiscal year 2022/23 marked the first time in the last five decades that Nepal experienced a negative growth rate in revenue.
This year, collections rose to Rs919 billion by mid-May, a 11.5% increase over the previous year, but with only two months to go before the end of this fiscal year, the government has only collected 65% of the expected revenue.
<div class="embed-block"><iframe title="Nepal’s income-expenditure gap" aria-label="Interactive line chart" id="datawrapper-chart-wFxbc" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/wFxbc/3/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="400" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}}))}(); </script></div>
Revenue mainly comes through VAT, customs, excise and income tax. A slowdown in imports and <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/poor-cash-rich-nepal?%2F">domestic economic activity </a>has led to a fall in collection. Domestic consumption has slowed as <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/no-country-for-young-men-c89lgrrl">young Nepalis migrate</a> overseas. There is also concern about<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/human-trafficking-patterns-changing-in-south-asia"> smuggling across the border</a>.&nbsp;
“Our revenue is not rising in proportion to<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/from-the-nepali-press/more-than-half-of-nepal-s-electricity-imported-from-india"> our imports</a>,” says Kewal Prasad Bhandari, former Secretary to the Government of Nepal. “This points to significant leakage at border checkpoints.”
Customs evasion has been rising since Covid-19, and non-compliance with custom duty regulations worsened during the 2022 elections. This prompted lawmakers to approve an amendment to Nepal’s Revenue Leakage Act 1995 that proposes the formation of a Central Revenue Leakage Control Committee under the coordination of the Finance Minister.&nbsp;
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/now-the-economy-stupid">Now the economy, stupid</a>
“Customs evasion has been out of control since 2022, with people blatantly flouting the laws,” says a former secretary who wished not to be named. “Customs fraud is widespread because there is little political will to hold those who break the law to account because of their political connections.” &nbsp;
The Finance Ministry is currently staffed by officials who have no experience and expertise in the sector. “It used to be called a ‘Super Ministry’ with capable financial administrators, but that is no longer the case,” adds the former secretary.&nbsp;
VAT fraud is also rampant with almost 28% of registered taxpayers failing to file annual turnover details to revenue offices. Another 24% of VAT-registered taxpayers who do file documents show zero VAT on transactions.
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“We can generate up to Rs2 trillion in revenue if we make active efforts to monitor tax, VAT, and customs fraud,” says Min Bahadur Shrestha, former Vice President of the National Planning Commission.&nbsp;
With the implementation of the federal system, government expenditure has increased exceptionally in the form of grants administered by the central government for provinces and municipalities. Such grants are a significant part of current expenditure, which also includes social security and administrative spending.&nbsp;
Even as the number of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/protecting-protected-areas-from-infrastructure?fbclid=IwAR1wK0MDFlFST_2EYb3f54LS4-fPt6rYfLG1DJ1JaQsU3w8-ezyXIxGOqzk">development and infrastructure</a> projects goes down, the size of the budget has increased every year, primarily due to the debt burden. Unable to raise enough revenue to cover expenditure, the government has borrowed extensively from within and outside the country, quadrupling its public debt over the last decade.&nbsp;
Nepal has now reached a point where it is borrowing more money to pay back what it has borrowed.
Current expenditure and debt servicing make up much of government spending, leaving little money for essential development. In the previous fiscal year, 67.6% of Nepal’s spending was current expenditure and 18.% on debt servicing, leaving only 13.6% for development projects.&nbsp;
Nepal’s public debt has exceeded Rs2.67 trillion as of mid-April, and forms 46.75 % of its GDP in comparison to 22.3% ten years ago. Officials have attributed Nepal's debt load to post-earthquake reconstruction, a bloated federal machinery, and the pandemic.
Nepal has to either significantly cut spending, or scale up <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-s-tax-system-widens-rich-poor-gap">revenue generation</a>. Min Bahadur Shrestha, says reducing expenditure is not the right policy for a country like Nepal, the focus should be on income generation.&nbsp;
<div class="embed-block"><iframe title="LOAN MOUNTAIN (in trillion Rupees)" aria-label="Interactive line chart" id="datawrapper-chart-bnVny" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/bnVny/3/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="400" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}}))}(); </script></div>
Last year’s High-Level Tax Reform Advisory Committee led by former Finance Secretary Bidyadhar Mallik projected a revenue increase of up to Rs300 billion annually through reforms like tax hikes and reducing VAT exemptions.&nbsp;
The Economic Reform Commission under former Finance Secretary Rameshore Khanal this month was recommended new revenue-raising ideas, including a controversial inheritance tax on property and real estate transactions, which it suggested would also discourage people from accumulating large amounts of wealth. Critics say this will discourage saving and disrupt <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepals-only-growth-industry-private-sector-corruption">Nepal’s business environment</a>.&nbsp;
And then there is the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/nepal-s-corruption-carousel">corruption</a>. Instead of holding those flouting tax laws to account, politicians pander to lobbyists and special interest groups. Defaulters and tax evaders get away, and cronies are appointed to leadership positions in regulatory bodies whose job it is to monitor tax evasion.&nbsp;
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/higher-corruption-in-high-places">Higher corruption in high places</a>, David Seddon
“The government’s credibility comes into question when it allows itself to be bribed into handing over leadership of regulatory bodies to middlemen,” says &nbsp;Shrestha. “A lot of money goes not towards our national coffers, but to line the pockets of a select few individuals.
Various committees have recommended economic austerity in order to minimise wasteful spending, including banning unnecessary travel, cutting down on the purchase of vehicles, furniture, and IT infrastructure, as well as closing and downsizing offices. None of this has been followed through.
Says former secretary Kewal Prasad Bhandari: “There is no other country in the world with such large-scale waste of government resources like ours, that is why we need stronger policies that make appropriate use of taxpayer money. Otherwise we will just go deeper into the red.”

Nepal in the red

In the week that<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/trump-s-first-month"> US President Donald Trump</a> visited Saudi Arabia to sign deals worth hundreds of billions of dollars, a rights group published its investigation of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/die-first-get-paid-later?%2F">deaths of migrant workers</a> in the country.
They are dying in horrific yet preventable workplace accidents, says the report by the US-based <a href="https://www.hrw.org/">Human Rights Watch (HRW)</a>. They are killed in falls at construction sites, electrocution, and even decapitation.
HRW cites lack of effective government policies and procedures to determine the causes of migrant worker deaths. Procedures already exist, but Saudi authorities have failed to conduct thorough investigations in recurring incidents and not provided timely and adequate compensation to affected families.&nbsp;
Under Saudi law, employers with 50 or more workers are required to implement health and safety measures, conduct training, assess workplace risks, and ensure the provision of protective equipment and first aid.&nbsp;
However, HRW’s investigation shows that abuses and <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/dirty-dangerous-difficult-and-dehydrating">dangerous working conditions </a>remain widespread. While illnesses from extreme heat are formally recognised as occupational diseases, protections against <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/gulf-workers-need-protection-from-heat">heat-related injuries and deaths</a> remain grossly insufficient.
Families often struggle to receive compensation, with the process described to be lengthy and burdensome.
Even as the Saudi government ramps up construction work for the 2034 <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/pay-qatars-world-cup-workers-dzwfshhw">World Cup </a>with FIFA handing it over the tournament, the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/comment/labour-rights-legacy-of-the-fifa-world-cup">risks of occupational deaths and injuries </a>further increase with the mega projects raising fears that it could come at a severe human cost.
“The gruesome workplace accidents killing migrant workers in Saudi Arabia should be a huge red flag for businesses, football fans, and sports associations seeking to partner with FIFA on the 2034 Men’s World Cup and other Saudi giga-projects,” HRW’s Michael Page.
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/qatar-refuses-payoffs-to-world-cup-workers">Qatar refuses payoffs to World Cup workers</a>
The group called on Saudi authorities, FIFA, and involved employers to <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/world-cup-ending-without-migrant-relief">take urgent action</a>, stressing that all migrant worker deaths must be thoroughly investigated.
HRW’s research on the migrant worker deaths reveals that the vast majority have been officially attributed to ‘natural causes’.
In 2023 alone, 74% of the 1,420 Indian migrant worker deaths recorded by the Indian Embassy in Riyadh were labeled as such. ‘Natural causes’ were cited in 80% of the 887 Bangladeshi deaths during the first half of 2024, and in 68% of 870 recorded Nepali migrant worker deaths between 2019 and 2022.
In two cases, witnesses informed families that their coworkers had died as a result of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/comment/nepal-health-workers-at-risk-of-workplace-hazards?fbclid=iwy2xjawdc2dxlehrua2flbqixmqabhsoxnve7qmhmdyhvy5kqfukx4enrffx-ckjgixuxohjwwdp9uucvrtpw-w_aem_aruewa8pwa5jy2zcatow35g8vj5qh1rrn_j8cgyjp6skbpxbrpooznox8mmhipvs1h5tuow2gwu3xcsgctbi6l-n">workplace accidents</a>. One was due to electrocution and the other in an elevator incident. Families were told they died in their sleep.
Witnesses also reported being forced to resume work immediately after witnessing coworkers die in workplace accidents. One worker, who removed his friend’s body following a machinery accident, returned to work the next day without any bereavement leave or psychological support.
Saudi Arabia’s General Organization for Social Insurance (<a href="https://www.gosi.gov.sa/GOSIOnline/About_Portal&amp;locale=en_US">GOSI</a>) provides mandatory coverage for work-related injuries and deaths, yet, HRW says there is a gap between policy and practice.
Even when deaths are officially classified as work-related, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/in-the-minds-of-nepal-s-migrant-workers">migrant workers’</a> families often face prolonged delays and bureaucratic hurdles in accessing compensation.
Recounting the sudden death of her husband, one Nepali widow shared her experience: “I begged the company multiple times for insurance money. But they said it is not in their rules as they do not have a life insurance policy, just accidental insurance.” She suspects the investigation into her husband’s death was incomplete, but like many in her situation, she lacked the resources to challenge the company’s claims or travel to Saudi Arabia for clarity.
For many bereaved families, especially those from <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/south-asia-2040-qxr16oup">South Asia</a>, the burden of securing any form of redress often shifts to welfare programs run by their own governments.
These schemes, typically funded through <a href="https://publications.iom.int/system/files/pdf/social_protection.pdf">Migrant Welfare Funds</a>, offer limited relief and are frequently inaccessible to those without valid labor permits. The scope and generosity of such support also varies depending on the country of origin.

Migrants dying in Saudi FIFA worksites

The newly-formed Himalayan Art Council is set to launch Nepal’s National Art Protection Platform that seeks to preserve <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/the-history-of-heritage">Nepal’s unique cultural heritage </a>using<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/artificial-censorship"> AI-powered tools</a>. The Council seeks to safeguard <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/nepali-art-going-places">Nepali art works</a> from neglect, theft and counterfeiting as well as preserve existing artwork and celebrate living masters by giving them a cultural space to continue the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/sacred-survival">sacred art traditions</a>. "We are introducing a new digital platform designed to preserve, verify and elevate <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/nepals-new-generation-of-alternative-artists">Nepal’s art for generations to come,</a>” says a statement from the Council, adding that the digital platform will use AI told for authentication and blockchain to keep track of works of art. Artists can now be protected by <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/ayo-ai?fbclid=IwAR1uwmTVq4gUB70ljfRezjzukD9ArWXPuMnUikopeQ8PoiZMjicToPSwhKE&amp;=1">AI tools</a> that detect forgeries, identify their work even when unsigned, and ensure they receive proper recognition and credit. The archives will be searchable with translated inscription and interactive guides. Says curator Meena Lama: “AI and blockchains are tools that give us the power to detect fakes and identify unsigned paintings and track every piece. With these tools we can restore trust, secure authorship and give artists the dignity they deserve.”  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250514170544_2ab58f6313c0458f75114a692b0016bd9efb3b59d5f8f07f0da72e1e37b82f53.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20250514170544_2ab58f6313c0458f75114a692b0016bd9efb3b59d5f8f07f0da72e1e37b82f53" data-rendition-name="original" width="1300" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Artwork at the Traditional Art Exhibition at Patan Museum."> <figcaption>Artwork at the Traditional Art Exhibition at Patan Museum.</figcaption> </figure>  The Council is also holding an exhibition of Nepali cultural masterpieces with 50 historical <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/Buzz-the-art,671">thangka and paubha </a>by past masters and <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/review/between-the-sacred-and-everyday">contemporary works by current artists</a>. This curated collection is a living tribute to <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/when-yaks-go-so-does-culture">Himalayan culture</a> with economic depictions of deities, mandala and sacred narratives. The exhibition at <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/a-portal-into-patan-s-past-and-present">Patan Museum</a> also provides an opportunity to meet painters and custodians of art and culture. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/review/golden-deities">Golden deities</a>, Sewa Bhattarai ‘The exhibition is only the first step in a long journey to ensure that Nepali art is no just seen but fully understood, <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/Narratives-of-Faith-and-Memory-Remembering-the-Lost-Sculptures-of-Kathmandu-exhibition,987">protected and remembered</a>,’ the Council says. Artist Kailash K Shrestha of Artudio has spent decades promoting thankha and paubha traditions because of their beauty and devotional meaning. But he also says artists are underpaid, exploited and ignored. He adds, “AI and blockchain are not just buzzwords, they are powerful tools that can protect Nepal’s artists from fraud, verify authenticity and build a permanent record of provenance.” Traditional Art Exhibition Till 17 May Patan Museum

Digital protection for Nepal’s art

A state-of-the-art Conservation Center was inaugurated at <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/u-thant-kenzo-tange-and-the-buddhas-birthplace">the Lumbini Museum </a>officially on 11 May, a day before <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/buddha-jayanti">Buddha Jayanti</a>. The new facility is located at the museum in <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/the-buddha-was-born-in-lumbini">the sacred birthplace of Buddha</a>, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and safeguards centuries-old Buddhist artifacts and architecture for future generations. <a href="https://lumbinimuseum.org/the-museum/">Lumbini Museum</a> is world’s only contemporary museum dedicated to both Buddha and his birthplace. Designed by renowned Japanese architect Tange, the museum’s once-neglected structures have now been revitalised by Nepali and international experts.&nbsp; The museum’s <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/forgotten-international-starchitects-in-nepal">modernist architecture</a>, now preserved alongside sacred artifacts, offers a rare blend of spiritual sanctity and architectural heritage.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250513120512_d30c20d4ae0d397a8dbcd683fafb15a35223ed94ea36f575719e9fc5d487274a.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20250513120512_d30c20d4ae0d397a8dbcd683fafb15a35223ed94ea36f575719e9fc5d487274a" data-rendition-name="original" width="4898" height="3265" loading="lazy" alt="Preserving Lumbini's past"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250513120512_bd599dddb2d703b925cda079ea174abd3944f0a366d4ba557c60e8cca387679f.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20250513120512_bd599dddb2d703b925cda079ea174abd3944f0a366d4ba557c60e8cca387679f" data-rendition-name="original" width="4898" height="3265" loading="lazy" alt="Preserving Lumbini's past"> </figure>  The new Conservation scenery is equipped with diagnostic tools, climate-controlled storage, and dedicated restoration workspaces. It is a specialised facility designed to serve as a hub for <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/review/kathmandu-s-liquid-landscape">scientific preservation</a>, conservation, and the study of the region’s <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/the-historic-kathmandu-beneath-our-feet">archaeological treasures</a>, ranging from terracotta and stone sculptures to architectural relics dating back over two millennia. The lab also aims to train <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/borderlines/nepal-s-soft-power-is-its-heritage?%2F=">local heritage</a> professionals and students, fostering long-term sustainability in <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/progress-and-or-preservation">cultural preservation</a>. The Center is expected to draw scholars, pilgrims, and visitors from around the world. “This lab is more than just a facility, it’s part of a larger effort to build conservation expertise in the country,” said Jason Meeks, Deputy Chief of Mission U.S. Embassy in Nepal. “Training programs for local professionals and students will ensure that this work continues well into the future.”  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250513120512_797554bc97a4c8f7892e5eea160d0a96bff1e9fbbb9ca6bf6b5b473eaf9c7398.jpg" data-media-id="editor_11" data-image-id="20250513120512_797554bc97a4c8f7892e5eea160d0a96bff1e9fbbb9ca6bf6b5b473eaf9c7398" data-rendition-name="original" width="4898" height="3265" loading="lazy" alt="Preserving Lumbini's past"> </figure>  The project is a collaborative initiative involving The Buddha Foundation, the U.S. Embassy’s Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation, Lumbini Development Trust (LDT), Department of Archaeology (DoA), and Anupam Heritage Lab (AHL). Speaking at the launch, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Badri Pandey, emphasised that the Conservation Center will not only strengthen Nepal’s capacity in <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/an-archive-of-nepali-heritage">heritage conservation </a>and education but also pave the way for Nepal to emerge as a regional leader in the field.

Preserving Lumbini's past

The streets of Patan are alive this month with lavender jacaranda trees under rain-washed skies as <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/the-red-god-rises-again-in-patan">the chariot of Rato Matsyendranath</a> is pulled across town. This is the festival of the rain god, and inevitably the heavens opened up and pre-monsoon showers pelted the chariot as it started being pulled in Pulchok last week. Thousands of devotees, onlookers and the chariot procession organisers thronged the streets on the first day last week. The rhythmic cymbals and drums exuded a vibrant energy as the enormous four wheels turned and the chariot lurched.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025051007050_81df97744db16f732a419dc1f1579d235ce3df37642b078f50b83bd4bd026688.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="2025051007050_81df97744db16f732a419dc1f1579d235ce3df37642b078f50b83bd4bd026688" data-rendition-name="original" width="1000" height="1503" loading="lazy" alt="Divine chariot"> </figure>  The<a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/Red-rain-god,3141"> red rain god</a> has Hindu and Buddhist antecedents, alternatively called Bungadya and<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/kathmandu-s-gravity-defying-chariot-festival"> Karunamaya</a> — reflecting Kathmandu Valley’s syncretic mixture of the two religions.&nbsp; “Bungadya is a profoundly <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/12-full-opinion/marketing-the-intangible">intangible form of heritage</a>,” explains heritage expert Monalisa Maharjan. “It embodies traditional knowledge,<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/reviving-nepal-s-craft"> artisanal skills passed down through generations</a>. Local communities and specific families have specified roles in being custodians of the heritage, ensuring their survival over the centuries.” There are many legends and stories about this annual tradition. Lichhavi king Narendra Dev is supposed to have brought Rato Matsyendranath from Assam to Kathmandu Valley to convince Guru Gorakhnath to lift a spell that created a two-year drought in Kathmandu.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250510050520_347a9a398f8a9abc4a7fb4e2774fde8264cccbdce8bdab23851ab3f0e73c3e8a.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20250510050520_347a9a398f8a9abc4a7fb4e2774fde8264cccbdce8bdab23851ab3f0e73c3e8a" data-rendition-name="original" width="1503" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Divine chariot"> </figure>  Matsyendranath was Gorakhnath’s mentor, and upon seeing him, the serpents were released, unleashing the rains. The chariot festival honours the return of this life-giving rain. The deity is seen as an icon for thriving agriculture, t<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/before-the-next-monsoon">he arrival of monsoon</a> showers, and the welfare of the community. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/the-reign-of-the-god-of-rain">The reign of the god of rain</a>, Vidhu Prakash Kayastha Till this day, the Rato Matsyendranath festival is no ordinary celebration. Patan does not sleep for a month as the chariot is pulled through various neighbourhoods. It unfolds at a state level with the president (formerly the king) attending the climax of the Bhoto Jatra in Jawalakhel later this month.&nbsp; The intergenerational transmission of tradition is unique in the world, and the reason the festival is one of the most vibrant cultural expressions that thrives despite inroads of modernity. The other unique aspect is that it is a transnational festival, binding Patan with Guwahati in the Indian state of Assam.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025051005058_8bc685ada13045d863b28e3eed91c931da2b510714586af6fd7eb5d1e298a24a.jpg" data-media-id="editor_9" data-image-id="2025051005058_8bc685ada13045d863b28e3eed91c931da2b510714586af6fd7eb5d1e298a24a" data-rendition-name="original" width="1000" height="1503" loading="lazy" alt="Divine chariot"> </figure>  “Unlike Nepal, where the deity commands grandeur and devotion, many in Assam are unaware of Rato Matsyendranath,” says Khagen Sharma of Gauhati University, which convened <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/nepal-assam-connection-revived">a symposium in February in Guwahati on the rain god</a>. Attending was a delegation led by Lalitpur Mayor Chiribabu Maharjan, organisers of the festival, and builders of the chariot. After the symposium, a committee was formed to explore and revive the tradition in Assam as well. Although the team had planned to visit Nepal this month, logistical challenges delayed the trip. Still, there are plans to build a Guru Matsyendranath statue in Assam to reestablish regular worship practices in the Guwahati shrine.&nbsp; The vines used to build the chariot in Patan are sourced from the jungles of Assam. But Sharma notes that in recent years unclear regulations have blocked the official import of the vines, although they are still brought to Nepal informally. The <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/makers-of-machhindranath,2204">chariot making</a> has also had a taste of modernisation in recent times. In the past, even a single nail or piece of steel was avoided. But over time, the wooden structure, particularly the shaft between the wheels, has been replaced with bronze. When that too proved unstable, metal clamps were introduced, which have become a pragmatic compromise.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250510050524_b2a819a5791612f14c81d30fc393dbd3f99f0c64b90a9110e8b0855d944bfa93.jpg" data-media-id="editor_12" data-image-id="20250510050524_b2a819a5791612f14c81d30fc393dbd3f99f0c64b90a9110e8b0855d944bfa93" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="998" loading="lazy" alt="Divine chariot"> </figure>  Another welcome change is the focus on safety. Builders climbing the chariot’s tower now wear harnesses and there are efforts in crowd control. The most visible change in recent years has been the involvement of Patan’s enthusiastic youth in the festival — the tradition is now passing to a new generation. Says Matsyendranath expert Vidhu Kayastha: “There is more energy, the young people in red t-shirts this year were very organised, these modern touches aren’t diluting our culture, they’re keeping it alive in new forms.” He adds, “We are <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/searching-for-a-homeland-away-from-home">reconnecting with our roots</a>, we have more resources, more awareness than ever before. We must not be swept away by western values that may not serve us, and in some ways, cause more harm than good. We must revive our own culture.”&nbsp;

Divine chariot

Nepal’s public sphere is replete with <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/nepal-s-corruption-carousel">tales of corruption</a> in high places and the powerful stealing the hard-earned deposits of cooperatives. But there are ordinary Nepalis showing extraordinary <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/cruelty-and-compassion?%2F=">compassion</a> and sacrifice like Nirmala Rawal.&nbsp; Rawal lives in Jayagad village in an isolated corner of Achham, and had just returned to her home and climbed to an upstairs room when she heard a commotion outside. There were cries of a fire. Looking out the window, she sees an inferno moving up the sloping market town. Nearby houses and stores were<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/protecting-nepals-forests-from-fires"> in flames</a>, and she rushed outside for safety. The fire had started at 7pm after a gas cylinder exploded in one of the houses. Police and army teams arrived, but they were too ill equipped to tackle the flames which were too high and spreading quickly, fanned by winds.&nbsp; A <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/business/german-firetrucks-for-nepal">fire truck</a> arrived but there was no paved road up to the fire.&nbsp; Jayagad’s bazar area is made up of 150 densely-packed houses and within one hour 15 houses had gone up in flames. The only way to stop the flames was to create a fire break by <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/demolishing-kathmandu-to-rebuild-it,2288">demolishing a house</a>.&nbsp; No was willing to do so, except 45-year-old Nirmala Rawal. It was a difficult decision, but after her house was bulldozed, the fire was contained and the village was saved.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025050709050_ab668eff4b4da0438d2e123680bfd20f3bde05a60ba9aaf77a1337bfdb1514ba.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="2025050709050_ab668eff4b4da0438d2e123680bfd20f3bde05a60ba9aaf77a1337bfdb1514ba" data-rendition-name="original" width="378" height="494" loading="lazy" alt="Ordinary Nepali's extraordinary sacrifice"> </figure>  Jayagad’s village chief Navaraj Saud says bringing down Rawal’s house was the last resort: “We could not have contained the fire any other way. It was just too big.” It has been a month since the fire, but Rawal is now faced with a new reality. She has lost not just her home but all her possessions. All of Rawal’s valuables were destroyed in the blaze. She lost loans taken out to pay her mortgage, and significant <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/fusion-fashion">old jewelry</a> and has not been able to return to her job at the rural municipality office. “Even the clothes I am wearing were given to me, I lost everything,” she says. “I had to sacrifice my house to save others.” Like many girls at the time, Rawal dropped out of school in Grade 8 to be married to a husband who owned a general store in Jayagad. He died of a <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=18115">heart attack</a> in the store, and she has been living in the house he built for the family.&nbsp; As a widow, Rawal had to contend with <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/banning-banishment-is-not-enough">stigma and hardship</a>. The job in the municipality was a respite. It gave her life a welcome daily structure, although raising her four children on a Rs18,000 salary was still a struggle. Rawal’s eldest daughter is already married. Her other daughter is doing a BSc in Agriculture in Punjab, and one of her sons is studying <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-on-my-mind">hotel management </a>in Kathmandu. Her youngest son is in Tikapur, where Rawal is originally from. All of her relatives have migrated to <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-tarai-s-shrinking-forests">the Tarai</a>, and her land in the village is barren. She is in no position, financial or otherwise, to rebuild. Rawal’s children have now heard about the fire. “My son is considering heading to India to find work, so we can rebuild our home,” she says. All of the 30 families who survived the fire are living in temporary arrangements and do not know how to start over. Most lost their businesses as well. Achham police estimate the damage of goods to be Rs80 million, although they have not yet put a number on <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/lost-and-damaged">property damage</a>. A request has been sent to the Sudurpaschim provincial government, and a minister has visited from Dhangadi. Rawal is not hopeful, and does not expect much since she has experienced firsthand how slow government processes take. “<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/managing-the-monsoon">The monsoon</a> will soon be here, and we will need permanent houses,” says Rawal. Her trouble keeps her up at night. “I don’t know if I should put my salary towards a new house or to my children’s education.” Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/before-the-next-monsoon">Before the next monsoon</a>, Amit Machamasi

Ordinary Nepali's extraordinary sacrifice

In the black and white photograph, General Wangdu smiles broadly in front of the dusty cactus garden in Kathmandu’s Annapurna Hotel. With an ill-fitting jacket and shaggy hair he looks benign enough, but this was the last leader of the Tibetan freedom fighters who led the resistance against the Chinese from their remote mountain hideouts in <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/comings-and-goings-in-mustang">Mustang</a>. Five months later, Wangdu was dead. Snapped in March 1974, I had only recently arrived in Nepal. How did I meet this legendary fighter? Possibly with his devoted camp follower, Lynne Klapecki, and probably in the Om Restaurant near Freak Street which was the preferred <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/hippie-trail-nostalgia-in-kathmandu">hippie hang-out</a>. Om Lobsang and his brother Yeshe were <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/page/earthquake-brings-back-memories-of-camps-for-tibetan-refugees">refugees from East Tibet </a>whose cafe offered a friendly welcome and<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/momo-loco"> the best momos</a> - they became my in-laws after I married their eldest brother Tenzin, but that was a decade later.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025052403054_4573b34282b0f5395c007243d6bef12c7ba76bfd520419e994cdcea048d795a1.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="2025052403054_4573b34282b0f5395c007243d6bef12c7ba76bfd520419e994cdcea048d795a1" data-rendition-name="original" width="1000" height="1583" loading="lazy" alt="The last days of the Khampa NT"> <figcaption>Photo: LISA CHOEGYAL</figcaption> </figure>  Wangdu’s English was enthusiastically rudimentary, but even riding around town with him on the back of an aging <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/kathmandu-s-new-motorbike-museum">motorbike</a>, he was a commanding presence. Always flanked by armed outriders, impressive scars marked his forearms and a pistol hung from the cord around his neck. A charismatic guerrilla leader, Wangdu was celebrated by his followers for his tough commitment and respected for his measured pragmatism. He seemed so young to have shouldered such a responsibility of command, leading hundreds of hardened <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/50-years-after-the%20raid-into-Tibet,1012#google_vignette">Khampa combatants </a>through what had been a particularly <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/heavy-snowfall-over-nepal-himalaya">brutal winter in Mustang</a>, the last bastion to hold out against the Chinese invasion of their Tibetan homeland.&nbsp; The freedom fighters of Tibet, known as the Chushi-Gangdruk, had emerged to resist the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/territorialism">Chinese takeover</a> of Tibet during the 1950s. Estimated to be 80,000-strong at the time of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/what-or-who-after-the-dalai-lama">the Dalai Lama</a>’s final escape to India in 1959, the sheer number of Chinese deployed into Tibet eventually forced the Chushi-Gangdruk to retreat to Mustang, From this high Himalayan stronghold, they continued cross-border raids on the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) throughout the 1960s.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025052403054_8a4a935ba25ae79dc3a63bb5c14626927020e5ec098093c45ccb9a5982e009fd.jpg" data-media-id="editor_10" data-image-id="2025052403054_8a4a935ba25ae79dc3a63bb5c14626927020e5ec098093c45ccb9a5982e009fd" data-rendition-name="original" width="1114" height="676" loading="lazy" alt="The last days of the Khampa NT"> <figcaption>Guerrillas known as the Chushi-Gangdruk emerged to resist the Chinese annexation of Tibet during the 1950s. Photo courtesy: MIKEL DUNHAM</figcaption> </figure>  Their Kathmandu base was a small discreet lodge in a back lane near Rani Pokhari. Sipping sweet tea from a blue mug with a chipped lid, I sat bemused in a corner of the Mustang Hotel room whilst Wangdu and his cohorts received a battered brown suitcase from their CIA connection, a tousle-haired American in a leather jacket. Heaved onto the dingy bedspread that covered the thin mattress, it was clicked open to reveal piles of neatly stacked dollar bills.&nbsp; I cannot think why Wangdu allowed me to witness this handover but I was clearly no threat, a newly arrived world traveller with no understanding of the stakes nor any Nepali or <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/tibetan-music-in-nepals-sacred-valley">Tibetan language</a>. Despite armed guards in the corridor,Wangdu radiated confidence and bravado, and there was a practiced familiarity to the tense transaction. This deadly dance for many years had been funded by the Americans, tolerated by <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-kingdom-within-a-republic">Mustang’s residents</a>, and permitted by King Mahendra and the Nepali authorities who it suited to turn a blind eye.&nbsp; But Mahendra died in 1972, and times were changing. Richard Nixon’s ping-pong diplomacy thawed the cold war and signalled a fresh entente with China. Nepal’s yet-to-be-crowned <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/if-birendra-was-alive-nepal-could-still-be-a-monarchy">King Birendra </a>was under pressure to curb the irritating incursions against the PLA launched from the Nepali territory of Mustang. Keen to appease his northern neighbour, on several occasions the King summoned Wangdu for peace talks but, despite increasingly overwhelming odds, Wangdu refused to surrender.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025052403054_a8efd5cfb92cd997bd7cb74296a936fef46e2f7428f9cd642b03f1ac4ea11ecb.jpg" data-media-id="editor_14" data-image-id="2025052403054_a8efd5cfb92cd997bd7cb74296a936fef46e2f7428f9cd642b03f1ac4ea11ecb" data-rendition-name="original" width="1055" height="885" loading="lazy" alt="The last days of the Khampa NT"> <figcaption>General Wangdu flanked by two Tibetan resistance fighters in Mustang in the 1970s. Photo courtesy: MIKEL DUNHAM</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025052403054_75969125a745847a2ef82b6fe8b9106c0b21a116d85b8efdf5d2ee89a347bb31.jpg" data-media-id="editor_15" data-image-id="2025052403054_75969125a745847a2ef82b6fe8b9106c0b21a116d85b8efdf5d2ee89a347bb31" data-rendition-name="original" width="1044" height="792" loading="lazy" alt="The last days of the Khampa NT"> <figcaption>King Birendra with General Wangdu (right in dark glasses) taken in 1974 possibly in Mustang after one of their few attempts at negotiation. Photo courtesy: RAJRNDRA KUNWAR</figcaption> </figure>  While I naively rode pillion around Kathmandu in the spring sunshine, Wangdu was in the midst of what turned out to be his final round of negotiations with the Nepal government. Refusing to cease hostilities with the Chinese, Wangdu must have suspected the cost of his decision, making his cheerful smile in the photograph all the more poignant and brave. It was only much later that I appreciated the significance of the moment. Wangdu had been sent to replace the first resistance leader in Mustang, Baba Gen Yeshe, a much derided corrupt character who stole money meant for his troops and exploited fleeing refugees by seizing their treasures. Baba Gen Yeshe never forgave Wangdu,and sought revenge in May 1974 by betraying him and his commanders to the Nepal authorities. Renewed Chinese incursions from the north, active PLA collusion with the Nepali forces under the new King, and treachery from within the Chushi-Gangdrukranks combined to seal their fate.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025052403054_e0987a7c90d76431b0d7d5e6115ebfe3dbda7ab939e5941e079c18d722e884c0.jpg" data-media-id="editor_16" data-image-id="2025052403054_e0987a7c90d76431b0d7d5e6115ebfe3dbda7ab939e5941e079c18d722e884c0" data-rendition-name="original" width="1400" height="769" loading="lazy" alt="The last days of the Khampa NT"> <figcaption>British television journalists George Patterson and Adrian Cowell embedded themselves with Khampa guerrillas and accompanied them from Tsum Valley on a cross border raid on a Chinese Army convoy in 1964. Photo: ESSAYS ON NEPAL / SAM COWAN</figcaption> </figure>  Mikel Dunham, renowned author of Buddha’s Warriors, writes: ‘It is possible that Wangdu was waiting for some cue from the Dalai Lama’s government-in-exile in Dharamsala, India. It is equally possible – during that last, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/the-human-cost-of-nepal-s-yarsa-gold-rush?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR31-Cqw8oyIwMPzf_35e4Skr0ululJvLf3_vDkzHn-AYG2h8uPw2rqqErg_aem_tGVn5coY1-jA7fze_xqhew">desolate winter </a>– that he made the decision to go out in glory rather than admit defeat. Over the last fifteen years, Wangdu had experienced Tibet’s organized resistance being squeezed and shoved around by every conceivable outside force.&nbsp; First they had been pushed out of their own country by the PLA; then they had been refused sanction while on <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/borderlines/nepal-india-trans-boundary-bonds?fbclid=IwAR0PpJ5zUEbwdug3g_U3ar6FUugngRY0S8Tl2v_7wqzrsHmXWcXsKjvL4t4">Indian soil</a>; then they were abandoned by the Americans because, apparently, Nixon wanted to make friends with Wangdu’s mortal enemies, the communists; then they had been betrayed by the vampiric Baba Gen Yeshe – a Tibetan and, even worse, a fellow Khampa; and now, finally Wangdu’s army was being evicted by the Nepalis. One thing was certain: Wangdu was a warrior. To imagine Wangdu simply giving up and settling down in the pacific squalor of a <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/elderly-left-in-bhutan-refugee-camp">refugee camp </a>was unthinkable.’  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025052403054_8fc1ffef4ae751628b90ae781b66e11e51e4fdde2787207c9042efbee345ce49.jpg" data-media-id="editor_20" data-image-id="2025052403054_8fc1ffef4ae751628b90ae781b66e11e51e4fdde2787207c9042efbee345ce49" data-rendition-name="original" width="500" height="746" loading="lazy" alt="The last days of the Khampa NT"> <figcaption>The much derided Baba Gen Yeshe, the first Tibetan resistance leader in Mustang, who betrayed Wangdu for personal gain. Photo courtesy: MIKEL DUNHAM</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025052403054_b1d833cdb00d3ac4416b844d8730475cd88c238caaaf8da69889a584eea229a3.jpg" data-media-id="editor_21" data-image-id="2025052403054_b1d833cdb00d3ac4416b844d8730475cd88c238caaaf8da69889a584eea229a3" data-rendition-name="original" width="500" height="656" loading="lazy" alt="The last days of the Khampa NT"> <figcaption>Aditya SJB Rana of the Royal Nepal Army whose team ambushed Wangdu and his cohorts at the top of Tinker Pass in Darchula, West Nepal. Photo courtesy: GAUTAM SJB RANA</figcaption> </figure>  By August 1974 the game was up. Wangdu and six of his exhausted party were killed on their horses by <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=7270">the Royal Nepal Army</a> on the brink of escape. The officer in charge, Aditya SJB Rana, cleverly predicted their route into India after they failed to silence a police radio in Yari. A carefully laid ambush trapped them near the summit of the Tinker Pass in Darchula,at 5,000 meters the highest military operation of its time. Wangdu’s body was helicoptered to Kathmandu, and a big show made of the royal Nepal victory.&nbsp; The Tibetan armed insurgency against China had reached its end.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250524030520_3ff9c6fc85a65bc9a2c3afe9736d9f5f9413de752e790a5d9dca0981ea94f9b4.jpg" data-media-id="editor_23" data-image-id="20250524030520_3ff9c6fc85a65bc9a2c3afe9736d9f5f9413de752e790a5d9dca0981ea94f9b4" data-rendition-name="original" width="1136" height="702" loading="lazy" alt="The last days of the Khampa NT"> </figure>

The Last Days of the Khampa

Starting 17 September Turkish Airlines will fly daily to Seville, one of Spain’s major tourist draws. This is Turkish’s sixth destination in Spain after Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Malaga, and Bilbao. Seville is in the Andalusia region on Spain’s south coast with a rich Moor history. There are approximately 30,000 Nepalis living in Spain.&nbsp;

Turkish to Seville

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/prabalgurung/" target="_blank">Prabal Gurung</a> left Nepal for New York in 1999 to escape years of bullying, sexism and homophobia, and to pursue his dream of becoming a fashion designer. He <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqN0VaoAI5w" target="_blank">realised his dream</a>, but did not escape discrimination and racism in the new world. Propelled by passion for fashion, Gurung overcame everything America threw at him. He has attained <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/style/story/prabal-gurung-recalls-his-first-met-gala-when-zoe-saldana-was-at-his-side?srsltid=AfmBOooy-H0oGgxMit864FnW_Pmw8mUnV8rYrh-co-f6OyYK6m2ip5hP" target="_blank">fame and recognition</a> for his haute couture dress designs while remaining true to his Nepali roots, and is even more resolute in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSmNauyzACk" target="_blank">fighting prejudice</a> in all its forms. Prabal Gurung’s newly-released memoir <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Audible-Walk-Like-Girl-Memoir/dp/B0DG11HCDQ?fbclid=IwY2xjawKZfpxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHuZcIJO2OXyXcRm1oq1iG6wzeoF7VJFrQ7GXOFI0YxuZZ4id_CNvSZSZZIna_aem_pG_mOKG73RTnYvN8JaC4fA">Walk Like a Girl</a> is a saga of harrowing abuse in boarding schools in Nepal and India, only finding himself facing a different kind of bullying in the US. He prevails over it all to be where he is today: an award-winning American fashion designer with his own label. Walk Like a Girl was launched last week in New York at a time when everything Gurung fought for — tolerance, inclusion and diversity — are in retreat in his adopted country because of a president who has espoused a culture of bullying. The book is a searing, raw exposé of how cruel and abusive people can be even at a young age in school. On the other hand, it also shows that there are generous, compassionate and open-minded souls out there. In his book, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4le_uWX7YE">Prabal Gurung</a> calls out those who tormented and tried to hold him back (some of their names have been altered). The moral of his story is: resist, never stop believing in yourself, do not let others define you, never lose sight of your dream, and help those who have been kept out. “Walk like a girl” was a slur used by bullies back in school in Nepal and India for Gurung’s effeminate ways. He fought back then, and he is still resisting by turning those words into something to be proud of.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250519170544_4ffc9c3f565dd2cfa754d10b224816897b82bb31ebaee91b6d79d469fc96f14e.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20250519170544_4ffc9c3f565dd2cfa754d10b224816897b82bb31ebaee91b6d79d469fc96f14e" data-rendition-name="original" width="1000" height="1253" loading="lazy" alt="Prabal Gurung NT"> <figcaption>Prabal Gurung at home in Kathmandu in the 1990s.</figcaption> </figure>  “Living through it all was one thing, but writing about it is one of the hardest things I have done in my life,” admitted Gurung during the launch. “I broke down constantly during the six-year writing process.” He continues: “I did not want this to be a victim’s book. I did not want to burden my readers with my emotions. I wanted my struggle to be an inspiration for others facing what I faced. I am grateful to those who bullied me in school, they made me a stronger person ready to face the world.” Indeed, this book is a departure from his earlier one titled simply, Prabal Gurung (Abrams, 2019), which was a lush pictorial autobiography of his career in fashion. Walk Like a Girl is not a typical fashion book, it is an intimate tale of <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=16997">Gurung’s travails and triumphs</a>, and how he willed himself to succeed. Prabal pays a lavish tribute to his mother Durga Rana. We find out she is a descendant of the first wife of the eldest son of Jang Bahadur Rana who was banished to Palpa in the late 19th century. Prabal’s father served in the Singapore Police and that is where he was born before the family returned to Nepal when he was four. Gurung relates with brutal honesty about the violence his mother endured from his father. Durga raises three children as a single mother in Nepal, and Prabal credits her for his fierce determination to resist patriarchy and injustice, which in time manifests itself in his hyper-feminine and subversive dress designs. Writing the book has been a cathartic experience for Gurung, who says he is now relieved of the burdens of his past. It no longer haunts him, and he does not have to prove anything to anyone anymore. Walk Like a Girl has life lessons not just for the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DJmOcSgxdWz/" target="_blank">fashion industry</a>, but for every other profession. How can my job serve a greater cause? Gurung tells us his work is <a href="https://asiasociety.org/blog/asia/why-designer-prabal-gurung-doesnt-want-just-stick-fashion" target="_blank">bigger than just making clothes</a>, it is about making the world a better place because it could do with a lot of improvement.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250519170544_d75296ad8bfdc00d88935f40d23543c6fea3d4d6a10e61a99d6cfc6127f2ee5b.png" data-media-id="editor_10" data-image-id="20250519170544_d75296ad8bfdc00d88935f40d23543c6fea3d4d6a10e61a99d6cfc6127f2ee5b" data-rendition-name="original" width="1516" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Prabal Gurung"> </figure>  This story of chasing the American dream may sound familiar to many immigrants: knocking on doors for jobs, rejections, trying to survive from day to day on expensive rent, and dealing with subtle racism in white America. Gurung finds racism is rife, and he is often mockingly called ‘gaysian’. He writes: ‘There was a strong hypocrisy — this idea of independence felt like a marketting ruse … and for all the talk of feminism in America, these high society women were trapped by the patriarchy just like in Nepal and India.’ After a trek to the Khumbu region in 2013, Gurung is inspired to use the colours, palette and textures of Nepal for his collection exhibited on Manhattan’s 8th Avenue. A major buyer tells him bluntly: “Stick to making pretty dresses … if I need to see a collection like this, I could buy a copy of National Geographic.” The New York Times was equally dismissive: ‘The designer tries to draw connections between blistered techo-fabric used to construct it and the topography of his homeland, Nepal. But, at the moment, he has lost his map.’ One potential investor tells Gurung he cannot design for Americana because “you do not look American”. Gurung wants to use expletives, but restrains himself. After a fundraiser in New York for the Nepal earthquake in 2015, some belittled his effort, saying: “Here comes the saviour."&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/review/prabal-gurung-by-prabal-gurung">Prabal Gurung by Prabal Gurung</a>, Kunda Dixit The Gurkha DNA must be dominant in Prabal Gurung’s genes because he does not take such mistreatment lying down. When asked by a fashion publicist why he was designing clothes for fat people, he snaps back: “Because of people like you.” He joins the Black Lives Matter and #MeToo movements, launches the Shikshya Foundation charity in Nepal, and has powerful allies among celebrities who wear clothes he designed: Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Sara Jessica Parker, Kamala Harris, Deepika Padukone … it is a long list.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250519150556_48a5f4211991a23fa85b64bbd5377575ca7081d97309d7542035591dda5180fe.png" data-media-id="editor_12" data-image-id="20250519150556_48a5f4211991a23fa85b64bbd5377575ca7081d97309d7542035591dda5180fe" data-rendition-name="original" width="1114" height="1534" loading="lazy" alt="Being Prabal Gurung by design"> <figcaption>Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie wearing Atelier Prabal Gurung’s design for Met Gala 2025 in which the theme was ‘Superfine: Tailoring Black Style’. </figcaption> </figure>  “I don’t dress women to look beautiful, they already are,” Gurung says. “I try to bring out their innate strength and grace.” <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17908766880140171/" target="_blank">Admirers</a> tell Gurung he makes it all look so easy, but he used to put up a strong facade to not show his own vulnerabilities in public. “I was closed because of my childhood experiences,” he says. “I was always on guard to defend myself because I never knew where the next punch would come from.” But in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPVepzPA210" target="_blank">Walk Like a Girl,</a> Gurung comes to terms with his vulnerability, and bares his soul. It has not been easy, it took sustained will power and support from his mother, sister Kumudini and a circle of close friends. “I made unbelonging my power,” he says. “Nepal is where I still have my heart and soul. Nepal grounds you. It is where people go to find themselves. But I escaped.” Recently appointed vice-chair of the <a href="https://cfda.com/about-cfda" target="_blank">Council of American Fashion Designers</a>, Gurung says: “I can’t believe I am here, it feels like it is happening to someone else. Writing this book, the healing has finally begun.” <h2>‘Everything is better in color’</h2> The Met Gala was two weeks later, and my table was an example of everything I’d been fighting for all these years as my guests represented everything I believed in: dynamic, powerful, influential women who were unapologetically original and unabashedly graceful. I was grateful to Anna for inviting me to host and dress a table that reflected my ethos—and for her guidance in doing so. I was also aware of the privilege as one of the first-­ever Asian fashion designers—not just from Nepal, but from the entire continent— to get the opportunity to do so. That fact was not lost on me. I reached out beyond the expected Hollywood celebrities and well-­known socialites to curate a table of exceptional women who inspired me. I invited Deepika Padukone and Alia Bhatt for their first-­ever Met Galas, as well as Michelle Yeoh, Mindy Kaling, Camila Cabello, Ashley Park, Denée Benton, KiKi Layne, Quannah Chasinghorse, and Grace Elizabeth. Together we checked many boxes: Asian, Black, Latinx, and Indigenous, each woman undeniably chic and powerful, a dazzling array of skin tones and experiences that proved my decades‑in‑the-­making hypothesis: everything is better in color. Excerpt from Walk Like a Girl Viking © 2025 by Prabal Gurung  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250519170520_6b91d560e9f072c37d16876901058c073a51ffa05e7ad1b9461d19e1c9c28215.jpg" data-media-id="editor_16" data-image-id="20250519170520_6b91d560e9f072c37d16876901058c073a51ffa05e7ad1b9461d19e1c9c28215" data-rendition-name="original" width="1136" height="702" loading="lazy" alt="Prabal Gurung book details NT"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250519170520_345240c21be400e2ce2ec629b52bd82bb53890e5bd86fe95b48340d84b5f1748.jpg" data-media-id="editor_17" data-image-id="20250519170520_345240c21be400e2ce2ec629b52bd82bb53890e5bd86fe95b48340d84b5f1748" data-rendition-name="original" width="1136" height="702" loading="lazy" alt="Prabal Gurung book details NT"> </figure>  &nbsp;