Cycling brings fond memories. Learning to take that first ride with my mother in the small alley next to home. Re-learning with my husband in the streets of Europe.
Both came as a necessity. The first because I had failed several attempts at balancing, and it was a matter of self-pride. The second because cycling was the primary mode of affordable commute for a student overseas.
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/no-city-for-cyclists">No city for cyclists</a>, Sewa Bhattarai
I often connect cycling with life, a balance you need to learn, and once learnt can never unlearn. What a beautiful form of experience that already is.
In Kathmandu, I cycle to work each day. Family, friends and acquaintances compliment me for being so conscious of my <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/cycling-to-cop28">carbon footprint</a>. But my cycling was due to forced necessity, I just do not have the fortitude to drive in the city’s chaotic traffic.
I switched to cycling during the <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/regular-columns/As-It-Happens/blockade-that-benefitted-no-one,660">2015 blockade</a>. Between daily chores at the office and home with two little girls, the struggle to join the long queues at the petrol station had tired me out.&nbsp;
One evening, my husband brought home a beautiful bicycle. I was a bit angry about buying such an expensive bike. But eight years on I am so thankful because the bicycle continues to run solid and is my best buddy on the road.
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/netherlands-to-nepal-by-bicycle">Netherlands to Nepal by bicycle</a>, Ashish Dhakal
Thin traffic during the blockade gave me confidence, and although hard at first, muscle memory eventually kicked in. When the blockade was lifted after six months and fuel was plentiful again, traffic clogged the streets again.&nbsp;
Honking always troubled me, and I wished I could put a banner with bold letters on my bag: Don’t Honk. My wish was answered in 2016 when traffic police declared unnecessary honking a punishable offence.
A lot of people still warn me about the dangers of being on a bicycle on Kathmandu’s roads. That is true, they are not the safest place to be. I have had a few scrapes with bruises and aches, but that does not deter me. <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/pedalling-for-life">Cycling</a> has become a part of my life.&nbsp;
And there are people who encourage me. One traffic police officer always greeted me at the intersection I crossed every morning during my commute to work. Once a little girl asked me if it was all right for a woman to cycle. I told her I hoped someday she would be a pilot.
One night, the driver of a private car switched on the high beam so I could pedal along the potholed street in torrential rain. Strangers on the sidewalk smiled when they saw me on my bicycle.&nbsp;
However, I am aghast at the utter recklessness and impatience of motorcycle and vehicle drivers on the roads, speeding and overtaking dangerously. On a bicycle one notices such rashness even more.&nbsp;
<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/downhill-all-the-way">Most of Kathmandu is a cycle city</a>. Lalitpur now has bicycle lanes and that has made it easier to negotiate for space with other traffic. Moving slowly at my own pace, I have the opportunity to see and feel the things around me, to savour the beauty (and, yes, also the ugliness and dangers) of my city.
Cycling has become a ritual, and it does not tire me at all. It has given me a perspective on life, on how one needs to keep going no matter how steep the uphill, and keep an eye on the smaller wins every day. It reminds me that I am not in competition with anyone else, and I am only challenging myself to do better each day.
All these years, cycling has given me serenity, peace of mind, and a time for self-reflection. As the cycling culture continues to grow, it is also a reminder to <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/re-cycling-kathmandu-is-not-so-easy">make our roads safer for everyone</a>. Fast or slow, all street users are equal.&nbsp;
Cycling teaches us to be civil and considerate of others. My right to use the road also comes with the responsibility to think for fellow citizens. And this could be small, yet meaningful contributions towards reducing my and your carbon footprint.
Eliza Sthapit is the National Director for Habitat for Humanity International Nepal.

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Pedalling as a life lesson

Greenhouses are supposed to be hotter than the ambient temperature because the glass or plastic traps heat inside so plants can grow in winter. But one greenhouse here on the southern fringes of Kathmandu is an exception: it is cooler than outside. It feels like an enormous refrigerator, and there is no visible thermostat. The agro-tech company Muttho Nepal has deployed a combined concept of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/garden-walls">vertical layered farming</a> and hydroponics, allowing for plants to grow in a relatively small space with nutrient-enriched water. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/muttha.nepal/">Muttha Agro</a> is the brainchild of Kushal Gurung of Wind Power Nepal and Gandaki Urja, who has also been promoting alternative energy sources in Nepal with <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/this-is-bullshit">Nepal’s biggest industrial-scale biogas plant</a> in Kaski and a series of wind farms.  <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230916020940_bd58b85ade5e1929ccaed09cac9c098ab4336f21b012480868f241ae08ce9818.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20230916020940_bd58b85ade5e1929ccaed09cac9c098ab4336f21b012480868f241ae08ce9818" data-rendition-name="original" width="5149" height="3433" loading="lazy" alt="Vertical hydroponics"></figure>   <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230916020940_4642c4b18e3936a530dcfc441b54b926ec69a1d249ba4c53e71419d8b3556458.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20230916020940_4642c4b18e3936a530dcfc441b54b926ec69a1d249ba4c53e71419d8b3556458" data-rendition-name="original" width="5398" height="3599" loading="lazy" alt="Vertical hydroponics"></figure>  “This is an alternative to traditional agriculture most suited to cities like Kathmandu with its limited land already crowded with concrete buildings and scarce water,” explains Gurung, showing visitors around his complex. “The once-fertile soil in Kathmandu is also becoming too acidic for crops because of the overuse of <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/heavy-pesticide-use-and-low-consumer-awareness-affecting-public-health,1394">fertilisers and pesticides</a>. Muttha stepped into production in March 2023, and its applied demo system has also been installed in the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)’s <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/small-is-possible-at-godavari-park">Living Mountain Lab in Godavari</a> for other farmers to adapt to or learn from. After <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/rooftop-agriculture-on-the-roof-of-the-world">rooftop farming</a> and the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/mini-forests-to-make-kathmandu-more-liveable">Mikawaki method of forestation</a> where diverse indigenous plants are densely planted in small city plots, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/something-fishy-in-new-nepal-farm">hydroponics</a> can maximise productivity in a limited area while saving water by circulating it again and again.  <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230916020928_9594937bc01ae879d754f233d3a48baa46c3849cbba130983f7ab26a4b17063c.jpg" data-media-id="editor_10" data-image-id="20230916020928_9594937bc01ae879d754f233d3a48baa46c3849cbba130983f7ab26a4b17063c" data-rendition-name="original" width="3854" height="2569" loading="lazy" alt="Alternative farming in Kathmandu"></figure>  Muttha Nepal goes a step further by integrating the global practice with local knowledge, adds Gurung. “In Nepal, most hydroponics are investing millions and bringing experts from abroad to install their systems. But we installed the whole setup by ourselves, understanding our own needs,” he says. Also unlike most hydroponics that have artificial heating or cooling, Muttha uses the natural temperature balance, bringing down energy cost and making the venture most cost-effective. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/back-to-the-future-of-farming">Back to the future of farming in Nepal</a> “Artificial temperature control is costly whereas sunlight is free," says Erik van Os, a Dutch expert with 40 years of experience in hydroponics. Van Os is helping Muttha Nepal grow sustainably as part of <a href="https://www.carsu.edu.ph/?q=topics/programma-uitzending-managers">Programma Uitzending Managers</a> (PUM), which is committed to the sustainable development of small and medium-sized enterprises in developing countries and emerging markets. In a natural temperature setup, the topmost layer gets most of the sunlight, which means plants that need more sun are placed above while others go in their shade.  <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230916020940_5ce9cb81d68990d2d7458658a417a836a8b7cc3eadc57c8cb1fc593946ce1a5f.jpg" data-media-id="editor_13" data-image-id="20230916020940_5ce9cb81d68990d2d7458658a417a836a8b7cc3eadc57c8cb1fc593946ce1a5f" data-rendition-name="original" width="5676" height="3784" loading="lazy" alt="Alternative farming in Kathmandu"></figure>   <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230916020940_8548ec4c064b9bcd33f3874af495f24525d3ec1612f0aa3bbcde2711f0ce0436.jpg" data-media-id="editor_14" data-image-id="20230916020940_8548ec4c064b9bcd33f3874af495f24525d3ec1612f0aa3bbcde2711f0ce0436" data-rendition-name="original" width="3749" height="2499" loading="lazy" alt="Alternative farm in Kathmandu"></figure>  Farming is seeing mechanical and technical advances globally, but Muttha is making the most of what it has with inputs from advisers. Gurung and the team do not consider the lack of high-tech appliances as setbacks. Using a mid-tech greenhouse, surrounded by a white net, the vertical hydroponics structure provides enough space for ventilation. The net of the surrounding walls can be covered with plastic during heavy rainfall. The topmost layer below the plastic roof is a shade net that decreases the temperature by 2-3°C. Read also: <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/rooftop-gardens-kathmandu,1415">Hanging gardens of Kathmandu</a>, Santa Gaha Magar Inside the greenhouse, there are five perfectly aligned separate columns with four systems each of six levels of pipes, each having six pipes with 28,000 holes in which leafy greens are grown. Each row has a 500 l tank half-embedded below ground level. The nutrient-filled water is circulated throughout the pipes through these tanks with the help of a water pump. The plants are high-value produce like lettuce, basil, kale, arugula and celery, and poke out of the vertically arranged holes in the pipes. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/latest/waste-to-value-with-biogas-in-nepal">Waste to value with biogas in Nepal</a>, Sushmita Dulal  <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230916020944_d33e3b643183fbe495a15c6f84e3515a830bf111adea934d61411ec309f7a5e0.jpg" data-media-id="editor_17" data-image-id="20230916020944_d33e3b643183fbe495a15c6f84e3515a830bf111adea934d61411ec309f7a5e0" data-rendition-name="original" width="5852" height="3901" loading="lazy" alt="Alternative farming in urban areas"></figure>   <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230916020944_8817163ed3831895da1e4bc0adb4708ff5a93762dea13b99abd20c89cbecd1b5.jpg" data-media-id="editor_18" data-image-id="20230916020944_8817163ed3831895da1e4bc0adb4708ff5a93762dea13b99abd20c89cbecd1b5" data-rendition-name="original" width="4668" height="3112" loading="lazy" alt="Alternative farming in urban areas"></figure>  “We have stuck with salads for two reasons. One, it has been the tested crop of hydroponics worldwide and is a sure success everywhere,” explains Gurung. “Second, it is a perishable high-value crop that cannot be imported.” Muttha is also experimenting with growing strawberries, coriander, and tomatoes but salads are their priority. With an investment of Rs6 in each sapling, it can earn up to Rs30 when it grows. Muttha also runs training workshops to share its knowledge to <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-s-farmers-reap-what-they-sow-and-more">make farmers across Nepal climate-smart</a> to keep up with rising temperature and droughts. Just this monsoon, parts of Nepal’s hills and much of Tarai were not able to plant paddy on time due to reduced rainfall. For now, deploying this combined alternative farming in urban centres is a start to greening <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-lure-of-green">concrete jungles</a>, while increasing productivity of farms. Von Os sums it up: “Integrating hydroponics is the way forward to intensify the produce in places like Kathmandu with limited space but high demand.”

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Thakur Das Shrestha, originally from Nepal, established the famous Das Studio in Darjeeling in 1927. Since then, his descendants have been documenting the changes of their home country through photography.&nbsp; Their work will be displayed in Postcards from Kathmandu’s Past, an exhibition of photographs by three generations of the Das family, with works by Dwarika Das Shrestha (1926–2004), Gyanendra Das Shrestha (born 1955) and Kashish Das Shrestha (born 1982).&nbsp; The exhibition opens on 28 April and will go on till 4 May at Wind Horse Gallery located at Moksh Bar in Jhamsikhel. One particular image has an expressed commentary: The Basantapur AI Blue Sky, produced two weeks ago, on a day when Kathmandu city ranked as one of the top most polluted cities in the world.&nbsp; The sky and some colour tones of the smoggy day with fiery sunset has been deliberately AI enhanced to emphasise how blue-sky spring days in Kathmandu valley are rapidly becoming rarer.&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/an-archive-of-nepali-heritage">An archive of Nepali heritage</a>, Ashish Dhakal  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230428090420_b235d6d0371004c3e1790a4146dea9cfd1627465d14bbfdc7f0d4d9a3d364b22.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20230428090420_b235d6d0371004c3e1790a4146dea9cfd1627465d14bbfdc7f0d4d9a3d364b22" data-rendition-name="original" width="1750" height="1751" loading="lazy" alt="Postcards from Kathmandu NT"> <figcaption>1960s Parked in Patan. Photo: DWARIKA DAS SHRESTHA</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230428090420_9a5a47250fdee06803a7aa69a1f6ff7731c99dad8c12748990b9bdd83166d2f2.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20230428090420_9a5a47250fdee06803a7aa69a1f6ff7731c99dad8c12748990b9bdd83166d2f2" data-rendition-name="original" width="2500" height="1667" loading="lazy" alt="Postcards from Kathmandu NT"> <figcaption>1980s recreation of Parked in Patan. Photo: GYANENDRA DAS SHRESTHA</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230428090420_f68feaaf4402e1a082852ee153a78e3095579ad8d2f8600ff227c30e98750c2e.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20230428090420_f68feaaf4402e1a082852ee153a78e3095579ad8d2f8600ff227c30e98750c2e" data-rendition-name="original" width="2750" height="1833" loading="lazy" alt="Postcards from Kathmandu NT"> <figcaption>2023 recreation of Parked in Patan. Photo: KASHISH DAS SHRESTHA</figcaption> </figure>  &nbsp;Dwarika Das Shrestha was the second of four sons of Thakur Das in Darjeeling. By 1950s, Das Studio was already a popular social hub for locals and visitors. People stopped by to have conversations about current affairs and photography.&nbsp; They bought Das Studio’s postcards and posters of Darjeeling and Sikkim which were &nbsp;immensely popular in the days before the Internet. Prince Peter of Greece and Denmark regularly spent time there, and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and French monk Matthieu Ricard were close family friends.&nbsp; Dwarika was active with the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and went on several expeditions with Norgay from Darjeeling. Although he had wanted to join an Everest expedition, his grandmother convinced him to abandon the idea because of the risks involved.&nbsp; In 1960, Dwarika moved back to Kathmandu permanently and set up the Das Photo Store in Khicha Pokhari, just off New Road. Apart from studio services and documentary photography, he also offered photo and video classes, and volunteered as a photography teacher at St Xavier’s School in Jawalakhel.&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/making-nepal-s-history-colourful">Making Nepal’s history colourful</a>, Kanak Mani Dixit  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230428090420_a26565105dad1a7d9a214ca68c4acc0962d2c695bfa7c7c3454c0f608b2c8344.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20230428090420_a26565105dad1a7d9a214ca68c4acc0962d2c695bfa7c7c3454c0f608b2c8344" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="3000" loading="lazy" alt="Postcards from Kathmandu NT"> <figcaption>Dharara, circa 1960. Photo: DWARIKA DAS SHRESTHA</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230428090420_0240e60ef0eb6c8b7fe0a969538cd75b9bebdae73e0577596238bd7e8e860568.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20230428090420_0240e60ef0eb6c8b7fe0a969538cd75b9bebdae73e0577596238bd7e8e860568" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="3000" loading="lazy" alt="Postcards from Kathmandu NT"> <figcaption>Dharara after the 2015 earthquake. Photo: KASHISH DAS SHRESTHA</figcaption> </figure>  Dwarika helped introduce the country to the outside world during the 1960s and 70s as he was the first person to produce commercial postcards of the country for visitors to mail back home. Dwarika maintained an active social life in Kathmandu, which included the royal princes of Nepal whom he had known since their boarding school days in Darjeeling. He also met Nepal’s former Prime Minister B P Koirala, who was at that time an underground national leader spearheading the pro-democracy movement against the monarchy. Dwarika took a photo of Koirala and printed it as a poster for his supporters to use. &nbsp; Dwarika’s image of Swayambhu, photographed from the stupa’s west face, had become immensely popular in the 60s and 70s as a postcard. His son Gyanendra re-created and published an updated version of the image in the 80s and 90s with equal success. It remains a defining frame and this angle on the stupa has been reproduced by countless professional and hobby photographers and, more recently, Instagrammers and TikTokers. Gyanendra Das Shrestha was born in Kathmandu, and is an internationally published award-winning photographer. In 1976, aged just 21, he won his first international photography award, the Koishikawa Rotary Club Prize, organised by the Asian Cultural Center for UNESCO. Two years later, he won the Asian Cultural Center for UNESCO Prize itself. Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-way-we-were">The way we were</a>, Kunda Dixit  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230428090420_685d3a86237b764b87274f2abc2bda56da41cc45f97f4f7e4c77721a8c56362e.jpg" data-media-id="editor_8" data-image-id="20230428090420_685d3a86237b764b87274f2abc2bda56da41cc45f97f4f7e4c77721a8c56362e" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="2395" loading="lazy" alt="Postcards from Kathmandu NT"> <figcaption>1960s Swayambhu postcard that helped define the most popular framing of the stupa. Photo: DWARIKA DAS SHRESTHA</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230428090420_2b78871c45c09c1cdf4f2d925166c892686fb616d495fdab8e195f5afbfa3912.jpg" data-media-id="editor_9" data-image-id="20230428090420_2b78871c45c09c1cdf4f2d925166c892686fb616d495fdab8e195f5afbfa3912" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1965" loading="lazy" alt="Postcards from Kathmandu NT"> <figcaption>Recreating original Das postcard of Swayambhu 3 days after the earthquake. Photo: KASHISH DAS SHRESTHA</figcaption> </figure>  Gyanendra opened his own photo shop, Das Color Lab, in early 80s, pivoting from documentary to commercial photography, and focused on expanding the studio services and postcard and poster market his father and grandfather had pioneered. His ‘Top of the World’ poster of Mt Everest rom Kala Pathar became the defining image that popularised the Everest Trek and that vantage point. His Annapurna panorama from Pokhara lakeside taken in the 80s became another instant classic and the view has been replicated endlessly by photographers since.&nbsp; &nbsp;Das Color Lab closed its shutters for good before Gyanendra joined his family in New York in 2006. But the posters and postcards it produced through the final decades of the 20th century continue to influence and define the market for commercial photography today. His son, Kashish, is in turn an internationally published writer and photographer with 25 years of print and broadcast media experience. Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/multimedia/reliving-analogue-photography">Reliving analogue photography</a>, Suman Nepali  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230428090420_ca26dbda68f45a529f752f84dd32610991c43f47db58a3f04385e4934b0cb117.jpg" data-media-id="editor_11" data-image-id="20230428090420_ca26dbda68f45a529f752f84dd32610991c43f47db58a3f04385e4934b0cb117" data-rendition-name="original" width="3000" height="608" loading="lazy" alt="Postcards from Kathmandu NT"> <figcaption>The classic Top of the World photograph from Kala Pattar that became the iconic view of Mt Everest. Photo: GYANENDRA DAS SHRESTHA</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230428090420_d52b8cbe5238ee7fc506189ca72ad577d0f8b6c8e014692971e8e6017a47ec07.jpg" data-media-id="editor_12" data-image-id="20230428090420_d52b8cbe5238ee7fc506189ca72ad577d0f8b6c8e014692971e8e6017a47ec07" data-rendition-name="original" width="3000" height="1327" loading="lazy" alt="Postcards from Kathmandu NT"> <figcaption>The Old Pokhara panorama, the city has changed but the mountains have not. Photo: GYANENDRA DAS SHRESTHA</figcaption> </figure>  Kashish picked up photography and writing as a teenager because it was in his blood, and also because he wanted to document the youth culture he was part of in the 90s. He also photographed Bhutanese refugee resettlement in eastern Nepal and the Maoist conflict, and later in North America. Kashish traveled to Rolpa and spent a week with the Maoist rebels, many of whom were teenagers. As the conflict continued to grow, he photographed and wrote about the rebels extensively for Nepali Times from deep inside their strongholds in the western plains and the eastern hills. Kashish uses his writing and photography to fund independent research and pro bono policy work on sustainable development in Nepal. His works have been exhibited at various venues over the years, including at UNHCR headquarters in Geneva, Stanford University in California, and all seven Bhutanese refugee camps in southeastern Nepal. His 2009 solo Americana exhibition, ‘Marfa to Manhattan’, was supported by the US State Department. Kashish is currently working on a food anthropology and pop culture project on the history of momo. “The transformation of spaces, as small as a public square, or as large as the valley, gives us much to think about,” &nbsp;he says. “These transformations have been shaped by us, and affect us. This is not to say that old was good or new is bad. Nepal has rapidly urbanised in the last decade, and it can fairly be said this transition has been neither thoughtful nor sustainable. It has simply just been.”&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/portrait-of-a-photographer-in-rural-nepal/">Portrait of a photographer in rural Nepal</a>, Monika Deupala &nbsp; Postcards from Kathmandu's Past Friday, 28 April 3PM till 4 May, 2023 Wind Horse Gallery with support from Photo Concern Moksh, Jawalakhel Limited Edition Prints from the Das archives on Hahnemühle paper. The first editions on display at the exhibition are Giclée prints.

Postcards from Kathmandu

<figure><img width="2048" height="1365" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230208140212/63e3a0229c7e80680e0d7022jpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>Photo: RSS</figcaption></figure>A Yeti Airlines ATR72 aircraft from Kathmandu to Pokhara on Sunday morning crashed near its destination. The plane had 68 passengers on board and four cabin crew led by senior captain Kamal KC. Six of the passengers are children, 15 foreigners, of which five are Indians, and 53 Nepali nationals, including eight members of a single family.The 72-seater took off at 10:30AM from Kathmandu before it crashed into <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/setis-gorgeous-gorges/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the Seti gorge</a> between the old airport and the Pokhara International Airport in Ward 15 near Sitaram Bridge. The plane was engulfed in fire immediately after.An eyewitness video showed the nose-up plane seemingly in a stall, banking in a steep dive before crashing.According to rescuers, 32 bodies have been recovered so far. But onlookers say it is unlikely anyone survived the crash given the accident site being in a deep narrow gorge. Nepal Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police teams had not been able to douse the fire even 2 hours after the crash.A crowd of spectators at the crash taking photos and videos with mobile phones have made the rescue more difficult and added to traffic in the area. <figure><img width="640" height="1241" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230208140212/63e3a0269c7e80680e0d7023jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><figure><img width="750" height="796" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230208140212/63e3a02a9c7e80680e0d7024jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>This is a rare instance where a plane on a trunk route crashed during a good weather. The plane was landing at Pokhara's new international airport that was only inaugurated on 1 January 2023. One aviation expert who did not want to be named, told Nepali Times: "It is too early to pinpoint the cause of the crash, but from the eyewitness video the plane appears to be in a nose-up altitude prior to a stall."The expert said what needs to be determined is what caused the stall: either a bird strike, mechanical issue, or a steep nose-up that bled air speed at low altitude.One of the reasons the inauguration of the new airport was delayed was because Pokhara's landfill site, which is located in the Seti River near the runway, posed birdstrike danger to landing aircraft. <figure><img width="843" height="483" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230208140212/63e3a02c9c7e80680e0d7025jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><figure><img width="2048" height="1536" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230208140212/63e3a02f9c7e80680e0d7026jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><figure><img width="2048" height="1536" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230208140212/63e3a0339c7e80680e0d7027jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><figure><img width="2048" height="1536" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230208140212/63e3a0379c7e80680e0d7028jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepals-opposition-less-parliament/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal</a> and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane who had visited Kathmandu airport's control room for the details are going to Pokhara on Sunday itself. Dahal had previously called an emergency meeting of the Council of Ministers while Lamichhane has directed authorities for immediate rescue and relief. Nepal is one of the most challenging countries in the world for aviation because of treacherous terrain and weather. It has seen 67 fatal air crashes in the last 60 years. <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/pokhara-jomsom-flight-with-22-missing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The most recent accident</a> was the May 2022 Tara Air flight from Pokhara to Jomsom crash killing 22 passengers. But the nature of Saturday's tragedy would make it a crash with the highest number of casualties on a domestic flight in Nepal's aviation history. <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/60-years-of-living-dangerously/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">See: 60 years of Nepal's aviation history</a>. Most <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/60-years-of-living-dangerously/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">aviation accidents in Nepal</a> between 1952-2022 were caused by planes flying into mountains hidden in clouds, known as Controlled Flight into Terrain (CFIT). But this was in broad daylight, in good weather, near a new airport with modern navigation facilities.

Pokhara bound flight crashes in Nepal

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230112100136/63bfd5129c7e80680e0d30d1jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"/><figcaption>Architect Götz Hagmüller and his wife Ludmilla have made the 18th century Kuthu Math in Bhaktapur their home for three decades. Photos: THOMAS L KELLY</figcaption></figure>The Himalaya may be famous globally for the world’s highest mountains and the people who climb them, but this 3,000km range has also evolved its own distinctive <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/niels-gutschow-leaves-home/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">art and architecture</a>.Kathmandu-based photographer Thomas L Kelly and author Claire Burkert have collaborated to document the elegance of the built environment of the Himalaya in a new edition of their coffee-table book, Himalayan Style: Shelters &amp; Sanctuaries.<a style="background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/Himalayan-style-kelly-burkert-book-review,2032" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">First published in 2014</a>, the 2022 edition updates the content with new museums that preserve art and precious objects, and public gardens that are oases in the urban sprawl of Himalayan towns.‘Himalayan styles are not static, it is ever-evolving, absorbing the ideas of cultures within and outside the region,’ writes Burket in the introduction.This lavishly illustrated book combines photographs by Kelly, a former US Peace Corps volunteer with meticulously researched text by Burkert, who set up the <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/colour-play-mithila-art-janakpur,796" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Women’s Development Centre</a> in Janakpur. The final product is a record of Himalayan design, style and culture across Pakistan, India, Bhutan, China and Nepal some of which is disappearing, and others are being revived.The first chapter features monasteries, dzongs, temples, palaces, and houses of nobility that have outlasted their original purpose and found a new one. <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/page/Patan-town-as-a-museum-piece" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Patan Museum</a> in Kathmandu Valley is a model of adaptive reuse of a historic structure, with the former royal palace preserved and converted into a hub for art and history.So is the 17th century house of a royal secretary in Ladakh which is now the Ladakh Arts and Media organisation, and the Tower of Trongsa Museum, a transformed watchtower of Bhutan’s Trongsa Dzong.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230112100136/63bfd5159c7e80680e0d30d2jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Himalayan Style has a chapter dedicated to the faith, rituals and objects of devotion of the people in the mountains. Another chapter highlights building materials and technologies suited to the mid-hills and high Himalayas including the dressed or undressed stone with mud mortar, mud brick, and <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/foundations-for-sustainable-buildings-in-nepal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">rammed earth</a>.Kelly and Burkert’s attention to detail is reflected in their portrayal of hand-crafted metals and wooden utensils in the homes and buildings. A section on Mustang in particular is a tribute to <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/robert-g-powell-1948-2020/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Robert Powell</a> who passed away in 2020.But no book on the Himalaya is complete without looking into their trails and retreats that cater to tourists. Burkert notes that hotels and restaurants in the Tibetan town of Gyalthang in China’s Yunan combine local design with Western elements adding to the comfort in a high-altitude environment.The clean, simple design of a mountain resort 360 Leti in Kumaon in India marks a new direction for Himalayan architecture — something that Nepal’s hotel architecture could emulate.But much of Himalayan Style, in fact, one-third of it, is dedicated to <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/the-making-of-kathmandu-valley-style/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the style of Kathmandu Valley</a> and its various forms of art — from ceramics and <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/Putting-it-down-on-paper-nepali,3750" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">lokta paper</a> maps to Tibetan carpet and cashmere shawls.The chapter also details the inner workings of some of the restored neo-classical Rana-era structures including the Baber Mahal Revisited and Garden of Dreams. Leslie Shackleford’s movable house and Taragaon’s modern Buddhist architecture inspired design with exhibition spaces, a café and specialty shops also make the cut.But the readers will have to get until the very end for the main highlights. In the chapter on Bhaktapur is a section on the 18th century <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/review/remembering-robert-powell/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kuthu Math</a> which has been lovingly restored by German heritage specialist <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/The-guardian-of-the-shadows-%20G%C3%B6tz%20Hagm%C3%BCller,3352" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Goetz Hagemuller</a> who has lived there for the past four decades.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230112100136/63bfd5199c7e80680e0d30d3jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="273" height="377">Kelly and Burkert painstakingly document the architecture and objects of art from Kathy Math’s living spaces and stairways to metal idols, rugs and its elegant garden.A chapter on <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/preserving-patan-post-earthquake/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Patan brings its artisans to the fore</a>, from skilled painters and stone carvers to a lost wax-casting master. The Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust (KVPT) building gets a special mention as does its director Rohit Ranjitkar’s family home, founder Erich Theophile’s penthouse near the palace complex and co-executive director Thomas Schrom’s revamped six-storey house in Patan Bahal.A book by non-Nepalis to remind Nepalis about the richness and treasures of Himalayan style and our way of life.

Sonia Awale

Style and substance

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230112100136/63bfd48e9c7e80680e0d30afjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="591" height="431"/><figcaption>Using oxen to plough a field in 1979 and in 2010 (right). All photos: ZDENĚK THOMA AND TOMÁŠ BERÁNEK</figcaption></figure>The Prague Spring democracy uprising had just been crushed by Soviet troops in 1968, and many Czechoslovaks fled the country. Photographer Zdeněk Thoma also left, but not as a refugee – he travelled overland to Istanbul, Tehran, Kabul and Kathmandu to discover the world.He went on to Calcutta, and in Singapore hitched a ride on a Polish cargo ship to Osaka. Thoma’s life-long love affair with Japan began then. He has been to the country 12 times and has since published three photo books, the latest on Japanese gardens.But after Japan, it is Nepal that Zdeněk Thoma is most fond of, and especially the valley of Manang which he first trekked to in 1979. He spent three weeks photographing the scenic trans-Himalayan valley and on return to Prague, held a photo exhibition ‘Village in the Shadow of Annapurna’.Czechoslovakia was still one country then, and the Communist regime had made it difficult for citizens to travel abroad. Which is why the dramatic photographs from an exotic corner of the Nepal Himalaya was an instant hit, were exhibited in galleries and museums in Czechia and Slovakia, inspiring a generation of mountaineers.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230112100136/63bfd4919c7e80680e0d30b0jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="919" height="686"><figcaption>Three self confident girls Thoma encountered while trekking Manang Valley in 1979. Right: Nearly 40 years later the women are now in Kathmandu.</figcaption></figure>If it was any other photographer, that would have been the end of the story, and Thoma would have gone on to explore and photograph other parts of the world. But in 2008, he got his son Michal to retrace his steps to Manang, carrying with him an album of black and white photographs taken thirty years earlier.“The idea was to document and interpret the changes that had happened in Manang in the intervening years,” Zdenek Thoma, now 84, said during another visit to Nepal this week. Thoma went back to Manang on this trip, and the transformation has been even greater. In 1979, he had to walk for two weeks from Dumre up the Marsyangdi to Manang, today there is a road right up to Manang village.The road is rought, but has further altered the livelihoods and architecture of this once-quaint valley at the edge of the Tibetan Plateau. Even so, a lot of things have also remained the same.“When my father first came to Manang in 1979, I was just six months old,” says Michal. “I grew up listening to his stories about Nepal instead of fairytales. The photographs were imprinted in my mind, so when I finally got to Manang myself in 2008 I was already familiar with the place.”<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230112100136/63bfd4949c7e80680e0d30b1jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="501" height="409"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>Michal went house-to-house in Manang and surrounding villages trying to locate some of the people in his father’s photographs. A young Dalit girl carrying her baby brother on her back in 1979 was a young woman. Already in 2008, there were a couple of motorcycles in Manang that had been carried over since the road to Besisahar had not yet been built.Before the road (and concrete) got there, the terraced houses of villages like Braga, Chame, Humde looked unchanged in 30 years. But it has been 14 years already since 2008, and that is not the case anymore. In 2008, mobile phones had already got to Manang and Michal has a photograph of women carrying a load of buckwheat on their back, and one of them is texting while she walks.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230112100136/63bfd4979c7e80680e0d30b2jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="525" height="760"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>The mountains seem eternal, and do not change much. But the impact of the climate crisis are now visible. The Gangapurna Lake at the terminus of the glacier did not exist 50 years ago. By 1979 it was a large pond. In another 30 years, the lake had expanded and the <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Repeat-photography-of-Gangapurna-glacier-shows-glacial-retreat-over-32-years-A-A_fig5_281320415">glacier has retreated</a> up the north face of Mt Gangapurna. Today, the lake is gone -- covered by debris after heavy monsoon rains in 2000 washed down fragile glacial deposits no longer held together by permafrost.When Michal returned to Prague in 2008, he organised another exhibition ‘Manang: 30 Years Ago’ with before and after pictures by his father and himself. In 2010, Zdenek and Michal exhibited the photographs at the<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230112100136/63bfd49c9c7e80680e0d30b3jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="460"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival (KIMFF), and after that father and son <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=18132#.Y3mbqnZBy3A">took the photographs to Manang</a> where the photos were entrusted with a family to be exhibited.“When I first came to Manang, the people I photographed said they felt like the yaks that tourists took pictures of,” recalls Zdenek. “So we wanted to give the photographs to the people there. People there could see how much their villages had changed, sometimes for better sometimes for worse, so that Nepalis could decide how its remote mountains valleys should be developed in future.”<h2>Kathmandu Calendar</h2>1979 – 2023<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230112100136/63bfd4a09c7e80680e0d30b4jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="3372" height="2619"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>Czech photographer Zdenek Thoma first visited Kathmandu in 1979 in his overland travel from Prague to Singapore. But that brief visit to Kathmandu Valley fascinated him, and he returned several times after that.The photographs he took of Manang are part of a father-son exhibition with his son Michal of the transformation of the HImalaya (see main story). But the Kathmandu photographs represent a valuable archive of the Valley then and now. The changes in the architecture, the skyline, the people’s attire and livelihoods is documented in black and white photographs.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230112100136/63bfd4a69c7e80680e0d30b5jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="1415"><figcaption>Bhaktapur’s skyline in 1979 and today. Tile roofs have been replaced with concrete, terraced farms with terraced roofs.</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230112100136/63bfd4ac9c7e80680e0d30b6jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="1422"><figcaption>Nyatapola Temple Square in Bhaktapur has not changed much in 43 years, on the dresses of people.</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230112100136/63bfd4b09c7e80680e0d30b7jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="1415"><figcaption>An all-purpose pond in Bhaktaphur in a span of nearly half-a-century.</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230112100136/63bfd4b69c7e80680e0d30b8jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="1421"><figcaption>An ancient Hiti in 1979 and today where the water still flows.</figcaption></figure>Now, Thomas has brought out a 2023 calendar where he has juxtaposed some of the photographs with more recent colour images of the same places or street scenes by Tomáš Beránek and Jan Zalud. Proceeds from the sale of the calendars will go to <a href="https://www.namastenepal.cz/kontakt/">Namaste Nepal</a>, a Czech non-profit that focuses on development aid to Nepal and helps underserved children with education. It has also helped with rebuilding primary schools after the 2015 earthquake.

Back to Manang after 43 years

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-97649" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221207101212/639059929c7e80680e0ce1f7jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1750" height="1813"/><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-97648" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221207101212/639059969c7e80680e0ce1f8jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1750" height="1501">Then and Now: The Corona surveillance satellite image taken on 5 February 1967 shows the broad floodplains of the rivers flowing through Valley floor, Rana palaces, and the inner city of Patan and Kathmandu. The Google Earth Map taken on 20 April 2022, shows how much Kathmandu Valley has urbanised. From ground level, residents of Kathmandu Valley know how crowded the city has become. Many remember the terrace rice fields before they were covered over by concrete terraces.Now, this rampant and haphazard urbanisation is visible in satellite images thanks to the declassification of American spy satellite imagery from 60 years ago.The Corona strategic surveillance satellites were launched by the CIA and the US Air Force between 1959-1972 to gather intelligence on the Soviet and Chinese ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs.This became especially important after an American U-2 spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union in 1960. The Corona satellite is code named Keyhole and would snap pictures from 150km in orbit, and return a capsule to earth to be retrieved by special planes with hooks, and the film developed in the CIA darkrooms.In all, 144 satellites were launched and many of them failed. But there are enough high resolution photographs of the earth’s surface. The images are now in the public domain after being declassified by President Clinton in 1992.The images have been useful for anthropologists to study ancient aboriginal settlements in Australia, and uncover hidden Mesopotamian migration routes before they were obliterated by modern infrastructure.Kathmandu Valley, obviously, has changed a lot. The Valley floor is now wall-to-wall buildings, the broad floodplains of the Vishnumati, Manahara and Bagmati are now choked with buildings, the Budanilkantha alluvial fan below Shivapuri, which used to be wrinkled with terrace farms are now built-up.<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-97658" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221207101212/6390599b9c7e80680e0ce1f9jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1750" height="947"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-97653" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221207101212/6390599e9c7e80680e0ce1fajpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1750" height="1115">Kathmandu Airport : The newly constructed runway at Kathmandu Airport 60 years ago. The then-Royal Nepal Airlines’ two Dakota aircrafts are visible, parked in the apron. Note the densely built-up Bagmati flood plain and Tinkune.<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-97656" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221207101212/639059a19c7e80680e0ce1fbjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1750" height="1653"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-97659" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221207101212/639059a49c7e80680e0ce1fcjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1250" height="1177">Bagmati and Manahara: The new settlement of Baneswor, Buddhanagar and BICC complex that houses Parliament in 1967. Today, the Bagmati River has been shrunk by the exploding urbanscape.<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-97651" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221207101212/639059a89c7e80680e0ce1fdjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2250" height="1592"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-97647" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221207101212/639059ab9c7e80680e0ce1fejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2000" height="1319">Vishnumati plains: Balaju Industrial Area was just being set up six decades ago. Today, much of the forest in the area is gone, with only a few trees remaining inside the British and Indian embassies across the river. The Nagarjun-Shivapuri National Park today has healthier vegetation. There are also things that have not changed. The Gokarna forests and the wooded areas of the British and Indian Embassies are still there. The ancient palace complexes of Hanuman Dhoka and Mangal Bazar are more or less intact.And while the photographs from 1967 show denuded hills on the Valley rim, these slopes now have thick forest cover when compared to Google Map images taken earlier this year. Partly this is because of community forests and also the establishment of the Shivapuri-Nagarjun National Park.<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-97654" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221207101212/639059ae9c7e80680e0ce1ffjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2000" height="1324"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-97655" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221207101212/639059b29c7e80680e0ce200jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1750" height="1109">Budanilkantha and Nagarjun: The paddy fields of Budanilkantha have been replaced by residential buildings, but the mostly denuded Shivapuri spurs in 1967 years ago are now reforested.The Keyhole satellites are of such high resolution that DC-3 aircraft parked at the the newly-expanded airport at Gauchar can easily be spotted. And just like the Corona images were used to study ancient camel caravan routes in North Africa and West Asia, the paths used by residents of Thimi to cross the runway to Pashupati can be made out in closeups.

Kunda Dixit

Kathmandu from space 60 years apart

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221207101212/639059869c7e80680e0ce1f3jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1139" height="640"/><figcaption>All photos: GOPEN RAI</figcaption></figure>Over the last decades, Nepal’s socio-political transformation has led the country from an agriculturally-dependent rural nation to a country with expanding urban spaces.Although rural Nepalis are still dependent on farming, the contribution of agriculture to the country's economy has shrunk to 25%, while the expansion of banking, telecommunication, trade and other service sectors has been rapid.The Kathmandu Valley has nurtured 2,000 years of civilisation and culture, and is among the oldest and largest cities south of the Himalaya. Its thriving non-agricultural economic activity remained the one true Nepali urban centre for much of the country’s history -- to the extent that citizens outside of the city called it ‘Nepal’ in the past, considering the city a nation unto itself.The evolution of most cities outside the valley has emerged as a relatively new trend, after the expansion of trading centres along Nepal’s southern border following the extension of railway lines in north India by the British towards the end of the 19th century. Subsequently, cities in the hills — like Tansen, Dhankuta and Pokhara — emerged after the establishment of state administrations.However, access to road infrastructure like the East-West highway — which facilitated an increase in economic activity as well as migration from the central hills to the fertile southern plains—played a significant role in the establishment of major cities like Hetauda, Narayangad, Damak and Mahendranagar.But as many cities as there are now, most of them share similar characteristics: unorganised settlements, improperly managed urban infrastructure, and unequal access to opportunities. Urban planner Jagdish Chandra Pokharel says, "Nepal’s cities are chaotic because an adequate inclusive blueprint to make them liveable does not exist, and cities have little urban character to them because expansion often takes place without planning."Rather than urbanisation, Pokharel adds, there has been a “ruralisation of cities”.In the 2017 Nepal Labor Force Survey conducted by the Central Bureau of Statistics, 36.2% of respondents said that their residence was different from their place of birth, showing an increasing trend of internal migration. There were only 16 urban centres across the country according to the 1971 census, and Nepal’s urban population was 3.6%. Kathmandu was the only city with a population of more than 100,000, while only five other cities recorded a population of more than 20,000.But migration to the Tarai expanded in the 1970s, and more cities formed. By the time Nepal became a democracy in 1990, the market centres of the Madhes were connected to the hills, and the urban population expanded rapidly.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221207101212/639059899c7e80680e0ce1f4jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="961" height="640">Nepal’s urban population growth rate grew almost three times in the last decade of the 20th century, and beyond. Fifty years after the 1971 census, data from the 2021 census puts the number of cities with a population of more than 100,000 at 39, most of them in the Tarai where urbanisation is concentrated.Even as internal migration has impacted the evolution of cities in Nepal, foreign employment has also had a hand on where Nepalis have settled. Nepal’s lahure, who returned from the British Army, began to resettle in cities in the 1970s, leading to an increase in population density in cities like Dharan, Pokhara, Bhairawa and Kathmandu.In the 1990s, Nepalis began leaving in droves to work in foreign countries other than India, changing the socio-economic dynamic of the country. This resulted in remittance income changing production, consumption and lifestyle of Nepalis, enabling rural families to migrate to urban hubs in search of better education and healthcare.Moreover, the decade-long armed insurgency also contributed to in-migration as Nepalis began to move away from rural Nepal— mostly to district headquarters and to Kathmandu. Subsequently, the second People’s Movement centralised Kathmandu’s power.The World Bank's 2016 Moving Up the Ladder, Poverty Reduction and Social Mobility in Nepal report states that Nepal's urbanisation is the fastest in South Asia, with the urban population expansion outpacing its 4% increase in annual GDP growth in the last few decades.The federal restructuring turned many of Nepal’s villages into municipalities without any clarity as to the economic criteria for changing the status of local administrative units. This means that 66% of Nepalis now live in cities, according to the 2021 National Census, and a significant number of the municipalities do not have urban characteristics.Across the world, cities are defined on the basis of population density, access to infrastructure, and the existence of a non-agriculture economy. Indeed, even Nepal’s National Urban Policy, 2007, stipulates that in order to be declared an ‘urban area’, the population density must be at least 10 people per hectare with more than half of the population engaged in non-agricultural activities. However, most of Nepal’s new cities do not meet that criteria.Urban planner Mahendra Subba argues that in Nepal, cities are declared on the basis of political decisions rather than any scientific procedure, and the policies are as ambiguous as they come. The National Urban Development Strategy 2017, states that the urban system in Nepal is imbalanced, with poor urban infrastructure, and inadequate standards.Adds Subba: "Water supply management, safe roads, quality housing, clean air, sufficient open space and waste management are important challenges to address.”<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221207101212/6390598c9c7e80680e0ce1f5jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1586" height="1126"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Ruralisation of KathmanduThere is no better example to observe the flaws of urbanisation in Nepal than Kathmandu. Unsafe roads, polluted air, unmanaged traffic, inconvenient public transport, insufficient drinking water, garbage, and sewage mismanagement have become characteristic to the concrete jungle that is the capital.This disorganisation has not only taken away from the aesthetic of the city, but also increased disaster risks of earthquakes, floods and fire. Kathmandu is a city of villages.Access to water is at the top of Kathmandu’s problems. While global standards stipulate an individual have access to 120 litres of water daily, Kathmandu residents have less than half that amount.  In fact, Kathmandu’s population needs more than 450 million litres of water a day, but the supply does not amount to even a quarter of that. Even the Melamchi water supply project, which will bring 170 million litres of water per day, will not be enough to address Kathmandu's water shortage. The capital’s traditional Malla-era stone spouts have dried up due to haphazard urbanisation.Access to infrastructure is another problem. The city has become a maze of hazards navigable only by the rich and the able-bodied. Kathmandu has no organised roads for pedestrians, nor does it have disability-friendly structures. Even basic requirements like zebra-crossings are not maintained, leading to the deaths of dozens of pedestrians, including that of a Nepali diplomat right in front of the Singha Darbar recently.On the other hand, uncontrolled increase in the price of real estate is reducing access to housing for middle and low income citizens in urban centres. The nexus of banks, land dealers, investors and the government have monopolised land ownership in Kathmandu as well as cities across Nepal. Urban poverty and squatter settlements have increased.Urban planner Upendra Sapkota says that if affordable housing is not provided by the government and non-government sectors in cities including Kathmandu, squatter settlements will increase in the future. "Private housing companies should set aside at least 20% of their construction for affordable housing for the poor,” he adds.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221207101212/6390598f9c7e80680e0ce1f6jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2250" height="1312"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Moving to the cityThe transformation of villages to cities is happening worldwide, and people have been leaving villages for cities for ages. The urbanisation of Nepal is therefore not a surprise, and may even be essential to raise living standards.“Urbanisation is not bad, but it is important to pay attention to what kind of urbanisation is taking place,” says urban planner Jagdish Chandra Pokharel.Increasing greenery and electric vehicles to reduce pollution, managing accessible and disaster-friendly housing to low-income Nepalis, and ensuring an inclusive space for Nepalis of all socio-economic backgrounds could be immediate steps to make cities more liveable.Systematic urban development also increases the ties of cities to villages, facilitating development in rural areas. Experts add that urban expansion is the right path to increasing access to infrastructure and socio-economic services in Nepal’s villages, which will go on to create opportunities and curb migration.“We should think about how to connect urban centres with villages so that facilities are extended to rural Nepal as well,” says another urban planner, Saroj Basnet.In recent years, discussions about urbanisation have extended to 'Smart Cities' and 'Satellite Cities'. However, there is no clear blueprint for building such a city, and discourse remains limited to political announcements.The National Urban Development Strategy has pointed out the need for additional investment of more than Rs12 trillion to build infrastructure in just 217 municipalities. By the year 2031, this need will reach Rs36 trillion.Mahendra Subba adds: “Although municipalities are legally entrusted with the responsibility of urban expansion, the technical, administrative and financial capacity of local units is not up to par." Indeed, even though the government has announced the creation of 10 big cities, there has been no real discussion or preparation regarding investment, availability of resources, or need.“Our urban policies have failed to address how to mobilise and distribute available resources to build smart cities,” says geographer and regional planning expert Pitambar Sharma, adding that cities cannot be built on political pronouncements alone.

Cost of living in a big city

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022120710124/639057529c7e80680e0ce150jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="5597" height="3952"/><figcaption>Photos: SUMAN NEPALI</figcaption></figure>In 1294 the crown princess of Banepa donated a shiva linga to the nearby principality of Panauti. A temple was built to enshrine the sacred stone phallus, and in later years a third tier was added to the Indreswar Mahadev temple.Until then the struts supporting the temple roofs in Nepal largely featured Salabhanjika motifs: standing full breasted slender figures, with wide hips and crossed legs, holding a tree branch with one hand.However, on the Indreshwar Mahadev in Panauti, craftsmen nearly 1,000 years ago broke from tradition and besides carving the figures of various deities, including characters from the Mahabharat and Ramayan along 16 of the lower-level struts, added at their bases men and women joined in amorous positions.Himalayan art scholar Mary Slusser called these revolutionary inclusions ‘blatant erotica’. The erotic art on temple struts (maithuna) flourished in the 16th Century, depicting couples interlocked and entwined in bold acrobatic positions that are immediately arresting to witness. Many struts had groups, sometimes with even animals participating.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/vibrant-mithila-art-thrives-in-nepal/">Vibrant Mithila art thrives in Nepal</a>, Anita Bhetwal<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022120710124/639057569c7e80680e0ce151jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="800"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022120710124/639057599c7e80680e0ce152jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="800"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022120710124/6390575d9c7e80680e0ce153jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="800"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022120710124/639057619c7e80680e0ce154jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="800"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022120710124/639057649c7e80680e0ce155jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="800"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022120710124/639057679c7e80680e0ce156jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="800">The Char Narayan Temple at the Patan Darbar Square was built in 1566 by a local nobleman, and the two-storey temple beside Krishna Mandir houses within its red brick walls the four principal forms of Vishnu: Vasudev, Pradyumna, Aniruddha and Sankarshan.But on the struts that support its roof is a rich assortment of erotic art (pictured above). One shows two people in bed as a third figure holds to the hair of the woman. Another has a woman penetrated from behind by a horse. In one bracket, two leonine figures are frozen in missionary position (pictured below).Just around the corner from the temple, through a narrow alleyway, is the Laxmi-Narayan Temple, whose original stolen deity was repatriated from the United States in December 2021. All eight struts of the temple show a diverse range of sexual acts involving couples. Animals are another favourite motif, just as it is on the struts of Patan’s South Taleju temple that almost exclusively depict copulating horses, cattle, deer and lions.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022120710124/6390576a9c7e80680e0ce157jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="3220" height="4025">Scholars Wolfgang Korn and Shukra Sagar Shrestha in their 2019 book <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/love-of-heritage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Erotic Carvings of the Kathmandu Valley Found on the Struts of Newar Temples</a> list around 60 temples, falcha and secular buildings with erotic carvings in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur and the neighbouring towns of Lubhu, Chobhar, Banepa, Panauti or Thankot. But monuments in other places also have erotica.Korn recalls that in 1968, when he first came to Nepal as a German volunteer, they were shown around the old Kathmandu and Hanuman Dhoka. When they got to the Jagannath Temple, the guide did not appear too interested in the carvings on the struts (pictured below), giving them only two minutes to look at the strange and intriguing erotic carvings. “But then I immediately returned to look at them alone the next afternoon,” he says.On his second visit, he found four farmers looking up at the struts of the temple and talking about them. Above them, angled at 45º, men and women were engaged in all kinds of positions and combinations, sometimes joined by attendees and a third or fourth partner. He could not understand the conversation of the onlookers then but imagined they too were as curious and taken, if not stirred, by the acts depicted.Later in 1975, while working on the restoration of the Hanuman Dhoka he pointed at a black and white photograph of a carving of a man with his tongue on a woman’s vulva that he kept in his residence, and jokingly asked a young worker if he had done something like that, too.“The man was shocked and flustered, Korn recalls, “and immediately said, ‘Sir, with my mouth I eat rice!’”Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/250-years-of-nepals-history-through-art/">Nepal's history through art</a>, Lisa Choegyal<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022120710124/6390576e9c7e80680e0ce158jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="800"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022120710124/639057719c7e80680e0ce159jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="800"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022120710124/639057749c7e80680e0ce15ajpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="778"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022120710124/639057789c7e80680e0ce15bjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="800"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022120710124/6390577d9c7e80680e0ce15cjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="800"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022120710124/639057809c7e80680e0ce15djpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="800">He found fascinating the way Nepali people interact with the erotic carvings found in temples daily frequented by devotees. Visitors from outside the valley thought the carvings depicted the sexual lives of the kings and the local residents of Kathmandu, not their own.But this coyness may be a more recent influence, coerced by colonisation and changing attitudes in gender and sexuality. Birat Raj Bajracharya, translator of Tibetan texts, notes that the carvings give a unique window into Nepal’s past.“Various forms of sexual and sensual arts were in practice then,” he explains. “At some point in time, we came to limit sexual relations only between a husband and a wife, but the carvings depict fluidity, more than just domestic relations, and in groups too.”Shivaji Das in his book Sacred Love: Erotic art in the temples of Nepal also suggests a sexually liberal Kathmandu Valley prior to frequent Mughal invasions, and later influences of British India. This is echoed by Éric Chazot, author of Tantra: Théologie de l’Amour et de la Liberté, who remarks that the erotic temple art predate religious and Victorian morals in Nepal.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022120710124/639057839c7e80680e0ce15ejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2148" height="2686">The imaginations of the wood carvers of the past have no limit. They are bold, unfettered and expansive, and nothing is profane or strange. One popular motif found in the carvings in the Valley is a bowl or a jug, often carried by an attendant or a monkey. These vessels are strategically placed under the sex organs as if to collect the fluids. Chazot explains that this could be to signify the importance of sexual fluids, which would be ritual offerings.As for the many depictions of bestiality (pictured below), all women with an animal, Chazot remarks it could be another symbolism. "Sex organs in ancient texts are often described in animal terms, such as elephant, dog, horse," he says, "and these could be to make a comment on compatibility and harmony."Some of the carvings could also be taken as warnings, especially for women: for example a common image of a man penetrating from behind a woman who has gone to collect water. In a few carvings, a third figure, learned by the way he looks and holds a book in his hands, lurking in the shadows, engages in voyeurism, with a particularly sinister look on his face.Scholars conjecture that this could also be a metaphor, of women as receiving semen from men, mirrored in the water pouring into the pot right beside them. Nevertheless, noteworthy is the fact that women appear in more carvings than men. Tantrism, which positioned men in the role of actors, was also historically reserved for males, utilising the female image as the receiver, or a vessel. As such, this calls into question the role of male gaze in depictions of pleasure.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/how-art-empowers-nepals-women/">How art empowers Nepal’s women</a>, Anita Bhetwal<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022120710124/639057879c7e80680e0ce15fjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1678" height="2098"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022120710124/6390578a9c7e80680e0ce160jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="3788" height="4736">Sociologist Dinesh Saru in Das’s Sacred Love draws attention to the systemic oppression of women in society, in line with the idea of zoologist Desmond Morris that the heterosexual act is by nature invasive, and a male tool of dominance.Queer representation is negligible, with only one carving of two women found in Patan’s Char Narayan Temple (pictured above). But this could also be attributed to the difficulty in definitively assessing the features of the figures, many of which are weathered or damaged in earthquakes.Bajracharya cautions, however, that calling these figures simply male and female by the binary definition of gender is restrictive. There could be more queer figures in the carvings, he suggests, but it is hard to tell without more research.“We can’t say that the figures are not male or female,” Bajracharya adds. “However, the symbolism of gender in this context is manifold. The depictions also relate to the masculine and feminine energies, and point to another level of spiritual meaning.”<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022120710124/6390578e9c7e80680e0ce161jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2288" height="1830"><h4>Mimesis of the woven: why the temple erotica? </h4>Despite their ubiquity, there is no consensus as to why the carvings are there at all. One popular belief is that since lightning is a virgin goddess, she shies away from striking temples with erotic carvings. Another is that gods inside would not be inclined to leave temples, as they would feel embarrassed to see the explicit carvings on their way out.Among the more plausible explanations are that the carvings are meant to encourage procreation, repopulation after wars and plagues, sex education, and Tantric influences. Almost all erotic temple art are from the Malla-period when Tantric practices from India were incorporated into the already vibrant Hinduism and Buddhism of the Valley, where it took a distinct cultural root and flourished in the middle-ages.Tantra (from Sanskrit ‘to weave’) expounded the mystic philosophy and principles of action leading to enlightenment and total independence from material bonds. Ancient in origin, it opposed the orthodox Hindu-Buddhist rituals without rejecting them, setting out that everything in life should be employed to achieving nirvana, including sex.But to call the Tantric element of erotic art as just depicting ‘sex’ may be limiting, as it does not immediately indicate the innate, cosmic urge for symbiosis, divine energy, towards philosophical and spiritual fulfilment that is essential to Tantrism. It is not just a crude carnal desire for copulation, but symbolises the unity of mind and body, akin to the concept of kāma, or Plato’s eros."It is a science of expansion, and there is no good or evil," explains Éric Chazot. "And it can be done for many purposes: knowledge, power … there is no limit."Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepals-first-private-art-museum/">Nepali art finds a new home</a>, Shristi Karki<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022120710124/639057929c7e80680e0ce162jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2480" height="3492"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>But Tantra, by definition is esoteric, incomprehensible to the public, with only a handful of individuals initiated into its practices. If the erotic carvings are products of these practices, then perhaps it is fitting that they should be as elusive in their meaning.Some of the best examples of the symbolism and the many layers of meanings can be found in the Nautale Darbar in Kathmandu. Take, for instance, the figure of a nobleman distinguishable by his tall headdress and ornaments around his neck (pictured above). He is surrounded by five smaller female figures, who look like the muses, who hold in their hands several objects, including what is clearly a musical instrument.His hands and feet fondle at the sexual organs of the four apsara while another sits on his face. According to Chazot, one reading of this particular carving is the union of man with shakti. This could stand for poetic speech, music and even dance, all of which combined denote the cosmically significant force of creation.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022120710124/639057959c7e80680e0ce163jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1857" height="2322">Interestingly, a strut can be divided into three parts: the main deity at the top and the erotic scene at the bottom, divided by lotus. Bajracharya notes that this could mean the rise of a self from ignorance, transforming into an eternal, divine form.Elsewhere in the darbar, in shocking details, the carvings depict people melting around each other in impossible forms and expressions. Concentrating on the figures, the bodies taken together soon begin to make other shapes: an elephant in one case (pictured above), a horse in another. Next bracket looks like a monkey, a tortoise.Bajracharya suggests that the animal shapes could be like a pun: “Sort of like a depiction of riding as a position during intercourse.”There are indoor scenes as well as out in nature, where the figures seem to imitate the shapes of the trees around them: such as in the case of a woman washing her hair and joined by a man from behind, or a man and a woman flanked by branches blowing in the wind. There is comedy too, and a striking flight of fancy, with a nightmarish sequence that shows a ginormous penis riding a chariot. It looks like a procession, as a the chariot rides over two figures lying on top of each other."It’s all very symbolic. What we see is not what is said, there is a secret language behind these carvings and only an initiate gets their meaning," says Chazot. "They could also be used to make fun of those who do not understand them, like private jokes among those who do."Read also:<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/faith-stolen-lost-in-nepal-found-in-america/"> Faith Stolen: Lost in Nepal, found in America</a>, Lost Arts of Nepal

Ashish Dhakal

The delta of kāma

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723b439c7e80680e0c95afjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="854"/><figcaption>New Sajha buses as they get ready to depart from the CHTC factory in Nanjing. Photo: MUKUNDA SHAH.</figcaption></figure>Electric vehicles are making a splash in Nepal, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/e-vehicles-prepare-for-post-lockdown-boom/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">sales have seen a spurt</a> in the past two years. But a lot more work needs to be done to make battery-powered transport a sustainable solution in the country.That was the message of the three-day discussion series, EV Chautari, jointly organised by the Nepal Automobile Dealers’ Association (NADA) and USAID Clean Air to coincide with NADA’s first ever EV-only car show this week in Kathmandu.EV sales worldwide are gaining momentum. In 2021, there were 16.5 million electric cars on the road, a tripling in just three years. Twenty percent of the vehicles sold in China last year were battery-driven.Nepal is also <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-goes-electric-but-conditions-apply/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">keeping up</a> with this global trend. In 2021, the government announced that it would shift from petrol fuelled light weight vehicles to electric vehicles entirely by the year 2031.  While the decision was deemed too ambitious by many at the time, in the context of Nepal, shifting to electric transport makes sense. And the market agrees.Driven by tax rebates, electric vehicles have seen a dramatic rise in popularity in Nepal market in the past few years. Last year, the import of lightweight electric four-wheelers saw a seven-fold increase. There is currently a six-month waiting list for bookings of some of the popular electric four-wheelers.Institutional consumers are also starting to make changes. Last week, Daraz, the biggest e-commerce site in Nepal, purchased electric scooters for deliveries within Kathmandu Valley. Earlier this year, Lalitpur Metropolitan City’s Quick Response Team also started using electric scooters for its patrols within the metropolis.The industry is taking note of the shift towards electric vehicles. At NADA’s first ever EV Expo this week show-cased 51 brands, including nine four-wheeler companies, one three-wheelers, and 16 two-wheelers, and by the end of the four-day exhibition, there had been more than 30,000 footfalls and more than 200 deals signed.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723b469c7e80680e0c95b0jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption>Photo: MUKUNDA SHAH</figcaption></figure>Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepals-electric-transport-future-is-here/">Nepal’s electric future is here</a>, Sonia AwaleGiven these rapid strides, it would not be unreasonable to assume that Nepal is smoothly moving towards electric transport. However, just as Nepal’s highways have many potholes, there are still many legislative, regulatory and technical pitfalls along the way.The biggest challenge currently facing EVs in Nepal is erratic government policy, both in terms of inconsistent <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/why-nepal-needs-to-restore-ev-tax-subsidy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">tax rates for EVs</a> as well as lack of standards and protocols for EVs testing, monitoring and the conversion of ICE vehicles into electric vehicles. Furthermore, the lack of policies that support electrification of public transport is holding back investment in this important segment.In the past few years, the customs and taxes levied on electric vehicles have fluctuated wildly, leading to apprehensions from both dealers and buyers. Speaking at EV Chautari at the NADA EV Expo this week, Yamuna Shrestha, Managing Director of Cimex Pvt Ltd blamed unpredictable changes in tax policy as holding back sales.“In the past two years, the taxes have changed four times,” she told the meeting. “This has created confusion for the end user. For instance, a consumer buys an EV, then a month later the tax goes down, and suddenly the buyer has lost 20-22 lakhs.”Government policy doesn’t allow changes in prices of consumer goods of more than 10 per cent in a year, but the current fluctuation is creating much bigger changes in the final price of electric vehicles. Shrestha said an urgent priority should be consistent policy.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723b499c7e80680e0c95b1jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption>Kapil Siwakoti, Chairperson of the EV Committee of NADA and Deborah Kennedy, COO of FHI 360. Photos: BHUSHAN TULADHAR.</figcaption></figure>During the discussion, Sagar Gajurel, General Secretary at the Journalist Association for Automobiles and Mobility brought up the issue of EV testing, monitoring.“Right now, we are importing ready-made vehicles from abroad and selling them in Nepal. But before selling them, what we need to do is test how reliable the product is, and how it will support our current transport system, which is lacking,” he said. “As new technologies are introduced, the Department of Transport Management needs to work on monitoring capacity for the imported vehicles.”Ram Chandra Paudel, Technical Director at the Department of Transport Management states that the government is has drafted the long overdue National Transport Policy of 2078 to replace an existing one which came out more than two decades ago. Whether the new policy gives sufficient clarity on the standards and protocols for EV testing, monitoring and conversion of ICE vehicles into electric vehicles is to be seen.Another challenge facing the EV industry is technology adoption. According to Dipesh Paudel, EV Training Head at Sipradi Pvt Ltd, technicians need a lot of training and awareness in terms of technology adoption.“We need to build the competency of four to five hundred thousand local technicians who work on vehicle maintenance. A policy level solution is needed to address this gap,” he says.Similarly, customers need to be made aware of the workings of EVs in order to build trust toward the new technology. A common concern for the customers is range anxiety – whether their EV will have enough charge to get them through the day. This concern about endurance is related to the lack of charging infrastructure. Some steps are being taken by NEA and other private sector actors, but, but a lot more work needs to go into this to overcome the reluctance of customers used to petrol stations every step of the way along highways.Earlier this year, NEA launched its first charging station at Ratna Park in Kathmandu and has started a drive to open 51 charging stations across Nepal. According to Manoj Silwal, Deputy Managing Director of NEA, if anyone wants to set up a charging unit, his agency provides free installation of infrastructure for up to 200KVA.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723b4c9c7e80680e0c95b2jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="4032" height="3024"><figcaption>(Right to left) Sonika Manandhar, Co-founder and CTO of Aloi Technologies, Sunil KC, CEO of NMB Bank, Kanak Mani Dixit, Chairman of Sajha Yatayat, Krishna Sapkota, Executive Director of Town Development Fund and Rajan Rayamajhi, Chairman of Thee Go at a session titled EV Chautari during the NADA EV expo last week.</figcaption></figure>Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/an-electric-shock-to-nepals-energy-future/">An electric shock to Nepal’s energy future</a>, Ramesh KumarFurthermore, NEA has provided electricity at a low cost specifically for EV charging stations. The cost for charging EVs at peak time is around Rs8/hour and in off peak times, the cost is as low as approximately Rs 4/hr.Private companies like BYD, Hyundai, TheeGo, Sipradi and others have also set up charging points for their customers. However, the issue here is that these charging stations do not have standardised appliance outlets and only serve their specific vehicles.Ram Chandra Paudel of the Department of Transport Management says, “The government needs to work with the private sector for charging infrastructure that will be compatible at multiple places with multiple types of vehicles.”The need for infrastructure development for the EVs is not limited to charging stations only. <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-backs-evs-to-boost-hydro-electricity-uptake/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Electricity transmission lines</a> and infrastructure also needs to be able to withstand the increased load that is inevitably going to accompany widespread vehicle charging.Current data shows that the market for EVs in the sphere of private four-wheelers has already taken off. However, in order to ensure that the future of transportation in Nepal is electric, the focus now needs to shift towards public transport and two-wheelers.Two-wheelers make up more than 79% of registered vehicles in Nepal. However, less than 1% of two-wheelers on the streets of Nepal are electric, whereas, worldwide, 42% of two-wheelers sold in 2021 were electric. The supply of electric two-wheelers is there.At the Expo itself, 16 of the stalls were occupied by two-wheeler companies while only 9 four-wheeler brands were present. But in order to generate demand, consumer confidence and trust needs to be built through awareness campaigns and infrastructure to support electric two-wheelers.The most important (and largely missing) piece of the puzzle is electrifying Nepal’s public transport network. This is where the biggest gains can be made both in terms of reducing air pollution (and therefore improving public health) and cutting fossil fuel consumption that has sent Nepal’s import bill sky high this year.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723b509c7e80680e0c95b3jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="4032" height="2268"><figcaption>Umesh Shrestha with Deborah Kennedy, Kapil Siwakoti and Yamuna Shrestha of CIMEX and an executive committee member of NADA at the EV expo.</figcaption></figure>Electrification of public transport started a long time ago, with trolley buses in 1975 and the introduction of electric three-wheeler Safa Tempo 30 years ago. However, this early start has not resulted in a sustained growth.Worldwide, in 2021 44% of sales of buses were electric with China leading the way. However, in Nepal the number of electric buses on the roads is insignificant. Sundar Yatayat has a few e-buses operating in Kathmandu and Butwal-Bhairawa.Recently, Sajha Yatayat has added 3 electric buses to its fleet, and 37 more are on the way from the factory in Nanjing to the China-Nepal border.Five buses that were provide to Lumbini Development Trust by the Asian Development Trust three years ago finally started operations two days ago.Similarly, several e-microbuses provided by TheeGo are now running the Kathmandu-Sindhuli route, as well as ramp buses for Guna Airlines at Kathmandu airport.But the use of electric buses in Nepal does not extend beyond this. Bagmati province has recently decided to only allow registration of electric cars as taxis, but till date, only one EV has been registered.Neighbouring India has taken more concrete steps to electrify its public transport system. It has launched two phases of Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric &amp; Hybrid Vehicles (FAME) initiatives with investments of over INR 100 billion to create demand for electric public vehicles and invest in charging infrastructure.It also recently announced plans to buy 50,000 electric buses worth $10 billion. Nepal also needs to learn from its northern and southern neighbours on having a policy to support electric public transportation and investing in it.While Nepal might not have a lot of capital to invest in public electric transport, a creative solution might be the use the billions of rupees already collected from the pollution tax of Rs1.50 per litre of petrol and diesel sold in the country in the past years, to support the EV ecosystem as a whole -- particularly public transport operators who want to invest in e-buses.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723b539c7e80680e0c95b4jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="4032" height="3024"><figcaption>Crowd at OLA stall at the NADA EV show in Kathmandu.</figcaption></figure>Another solution would be to convert old internal combustion engine vehicles to battery power. Nepal has successfully experimented with vehicle conversion some 30 years ago when Vikram Tempo three wheelers were converted to electric Safa Tempo. A similar drive to convert old buses to electric could be a solution to pursue.However, in order to do so, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/new-nepal-budget-sparks-electric-comeback/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the government</a> need to first provide legal clarity on vehicle conversion, and secondly work on standards, testing and monitoring protocols for the conversion of the vehicles.There is no question that Nepal needs to swiftly decarbonise the transport sector to manage its energy, economy and environment. However, a lot of homework needs to be done by both the government and the private sector to accelerate this process.Last year, at the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/good-cop-bad-cop/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">COP 26 climate conference in Glasgow</a>, Prime Minister Deuba said, “Nepal remains firmly committed to the implementation of Paris Agreement. We have submitted an ambitious NDC that plans to decarbonize our economy in all sectors. Nepal aims to reach a net zero emission by 2045.”It is now high time we walk our talk.Shreesha Nankhwa is an environmentalist currently engaged with FHI 360 as a Social and Behaviour Change Communication Officer.

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