<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161124/636d18179c7e80680e0ac7a2jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1558" height="968"/><figcaption>An x-ray image taken by Mexican police of a shipping container with migrant workers hidden inside. Eleven of the 126 migrants found inside a similar container in Guatemala on Saturday were Nepalis.</figcaption></figure>Guatemalan police said that there were 11 Nepalis among the 126 <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/haitian-migrants-at-us-border-keep-hoping/a-59263548" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.dw.com/en/haitian-migrants-at-us-border-keep-hoping/a-59263548&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1633914363610000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGbiAbD03z4ImQQ62LNPzNiW3gPww">US-bound migrants</a> who were rescued from a shipping container abandoned by a roadside in Guatemala.They were believed to have been <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/from-the-nepali-press/us-bound-nepalis-trafficked-to-malawi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">left there by traffickers</a> after being paid to take them to Mexico and onwards to the United States. Most of the 126 were from Haiti, while 9 were from Ghana.Police were notified after hearing banging from inside the container, which was abandoned near the town of Nueva Concepcion, reports said."We heard cries and knocks coming from inside the container. We opened the doors and found inside 126 undocumented people: 106 from Haiti, 11 from Nepal and nine from Ghana," police spokesman Jorge Aguilar told news agencies.The group has been taken to a shelter, and will be sent back across the border to Honduras, the last country from which they entered Guatemala.Although there have been harrowing tales of Nepalis being among migrants from Central America and Haiti trying to get into the United States, this is the biggest rescue of people from Nepal.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161124/636d181a9c7e80680e0ac7a3jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1578" height="1180"><figcaption>Migrants from Asia, Africa and the Caribbean make the dangerous crossing of the jungles of the Darien Gap to try to reach the United States or Canada via Mexico. Photo: SBS DATELINE</figcaption></figure>Nepalis stranded in Mexico have said that they paid human traffickers tens of thousands of dollars to take them on an <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/nepalis-enter-us-through-central-america,3083" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/nepalis-enter-us-through-central-america,3083&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1633914363610000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGc-gSFY7B-BCjmTRgFleNussjU0Q">arduous journey from Kathmandu to Bolivia </a>and then overland across the Darien Gap in Panama through Central America to Mexico.Before the pandemic flight restrictions, the migrants were usually taken via Kuala Lumpur or Moscow to Sao Paolo and La Paz, where Nepalis get visa on arrival. Most do not make it, and are deported from transit airports en route.Last month, nearly 30 Nepalis en route to Sao Paolo and Bolivia via Moscow were detained at Frankfurt airport after suspicions that they were being trafficked. Some of them have been deported back to Nepal.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161124/636d181d9c7e80680e0ac7a4jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="894" height="1166">The <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=ONHCR+website&amp;client=safari&amp;rls=en&amp;ei=NkxiYazuCOmc4-EP1pyzwA0&amp;ved=0ahUKEwis4ZS74r7zAhVpzjgGHVbODNgQ4dUDCA0&amp;uact=5&amp;oq=ONHCR+website&amp;gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAMyBQghEKABMgUIIRCgAToHCAAQRxCwAzoGCAAQChATSgQIQRgASgUIRBi-FUoECEMYA1DJFFicH2CcIGgBcAJ4AIAB0AGIAfkKkgEFMC43LjGYAQCgAQHIAQLAAQE&amp;sclient=gws-wiz" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs</a> (OCHA) says that more than 90,000 migrants mostly from Haiti have crossed over from Colombia through the jungles to Panama this year, hoping to reach the United States or Canada via Mexico.The figure is said to be three times higher than the estimates for 2016, and probably show a backlog of migrants who were not able to travel during the pandemic."Border closures and economic contractions due to the Covid-19 pandemic led to an increase in irregular migration,'' said Santiago Paz, <a href="https://www.iom.int" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">International Organisation for Migration</a> (IOM) Chief of Mission in Panama.The Darien Gap is said to be the most dangerous part of the months-long trek across the Americas to Mexico for the migrants.<a style="font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/concern-over-temporary-protected-status-of-Nepalis-in-US,4072" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nepali migrants</a> who managed to reach the United States or have been speaking to families back home from Mexico say they have paid more than Rs5 million to traffickers, or bribes to immigration officials along the way to get there.There are said to be hundreds of <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/the-promise-of-an-american-dream/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nepali migrants</a> in Mexico who are trying to find ways to cross over into the United States at a time when the plight of Haitians at the Mexico-Texas border is making headlines in the US and around the world. The US is deporting many of them on flights back to Port au Prince.OCHA says that nearly 60,000 people who left Haiti four years ago have crossed Panama between January and September 2021, many of them are children who were born during their journey,It says the migrants passing through Panama also included nearly 13,000 from Cuba, 1,500 from Venezuela, as well as dozens from Bangladesh, Senegal, Ghana, Uzbekistan, India and Nepal."The situation faced by irregular migrants in transit in the Latin American and Caribbean region must be addressed from a regional approach and cannot be the responsibility of a single country,'' said the IOM’s Paz. "<a href="https://www.iom.int/global-compact-migration" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.iom.int/global-compact-migration&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1633914363610000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEo3S1DH3cRFmMChRvm-fHNnlAz7Q">The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration</a> recommends cooperation among States to respond quickly and coherently to the needs of migrants in vulnerable conditions, and this need for cooperation is especially evident in the Darien Gap."

original

674x448

610x380

500x500

400x266

400x240

400x203

301x200

1250x600

1084x550

11 Nepalis among migrants in Guatemala rescue

<img width="1500" height="1000" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107171132/636933b09c7e80680e03dfb2jpeg.jpg" alt=""/>Nepal's tradition of honouring dogs at <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/blogs/mycity/2015/11/10/kukur-tihar/">Kukur Tihar</a> has been taken to the other side of the world by a collective of Mexican animal rights groups that has started celebrating the festival too.Last week, after Nepal worshipped its dogs, Mexicans brought out their pets in the Mexico City’s Revolution Square and in Puerto Vallarta, garlanding and smearing vermilion on them just like in Nepal. <figure><img width="620" height="423" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107171132/636933b39c7e80680e03dfb3jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Kukur Tihar celebrations have started in Mexico since 2016. Photo: PHOTOPET</figcaption></figure><a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/issue/167/Culture/5035#.W-lOhdUzbIU">Kukur Tihar celebrations</a> were started in Mexico in 2016, and was inspired by the Nepali festival to spread awareness there about the respect humans owe to all animals. Since then, the festival has gained popularity, and dogs have been singled out for special honour.  “It is important to raise awareness among the population about the respect we owe dogs,” organiser of the annual festival Martha Dau told the El Universal newspaper, “we are convinced that a human being who does not hurt an animal will hardly hurt a human being.” <figure><img width="720" height="960" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107171132/636933b59c7e80680e03dfb4jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>A woman celebrates with her dog in this year's edition of Kukur Tihar at Hotel Puerto de Luna. Photo: KUKUR TIHAR PV</figcaption></figure>Dogs garlanded with marigold, and smeared with red powder could be seen with their owners in Puerto Vallarta at two events this week. One of the organisers, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/properroac/posts/kukur-tihar-m%C3%A9xico-2018-el-evento-donde-los-invitados-especiales-son-los-perros-/1908711669182346/">Protección del Perro Callejero </a> also shared a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Y9pmsefQtI&amp;fbclid=IwAR10v_vA9hnoZj2WoFcK8SoT3K8pmJRIjfhf6OyFxUa4heVu58BkGSGx3tI">YouTube tutor</a>ial on how to make marigold garlands for dogs. Anemio Maya of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHYao5LvYqQ">Organización Properro</a> said the festival was inspired by Kukur Tihar in Nepal in which dogs are worshipped because they are messengers of Yamaraj, the God of Death. “We hope that this celebration will spread throughout Mexico to raise awareness about the abandonment suffered by dogs and create a feeling of gratitude that is so necessary,” Maya added. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTMEbqnBxnkOwners fed dogs their favourite treats, and played with pets on Kukur Tihar celebrations which included  colourful drapes, banners and even rangoli adorning the celebration grounds at Hotel Puerto de Luna in Puerto Vallarta, creating a vivacious ambience that defines Tihar. Last year’s event in Puerto Vallarata paid tribute to Frida, a rescue dog involved in the earthquake in Mexico in 2017, and observed a minute’s silence to all other pets which died in the quake. <figure><img width="960" height="502" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107171132/636933b89c7e80680e03dfb5jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Kukur Tihar PV's banner for this year's edition of the festival. Photo: KUKUR TIHAR PV</figcaption></figure>

Mexico adopts Kukur Tihar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYhlbW9pcyM&amp;feature=youtu.beThe Football World Cup 2018 happening in Russia this week has united the world, as more than 3 billion people across the globe tune in to the matches.Although the greatest soccer showpiece may unite the world, the teams have divided it up into rival territories. People in some areas of Kathmandu Valley are ardent supporters of Latin American teams like Brazil and Argentina, while others are rooting for European giants like Germany, Spain and England because of the popularity of celebrity league players.The fan base is even segregated by neighbourhoods here in <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/bhaktapur-shows-the-way-by-rebuilding-itself/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bhaktapur</a>, with some festooned with Brazil flags and people wearing Selecao jerseys while people in an adjacent locality are a fierce Argentina loyalists. <img width="640" height="480" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107111152/6368e3a39c7e80680e033393jpeg.jpg" alt=""/>Devendra Oli of Jhapa, who now lives in Kathmandu, posted on his Facebook wall a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LeEwsuSE7U" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video of himself performing a pooja and chanting a Sanskrit mantra, praying for Argentina’s win</a>. His wife and little daughter, both wearing Argentinian jerseys just like him, also sat cross-legged devotedly throughout the ritual.But Messi failed to convert a penalty, and the Argentinians were frustrated by Iceland, a World Cup first-timer with just 300,000 people and amateur footballers.Two football fans -- one supporting Brazil and the other rooting for Argentina, have released a duet on YouTube in which they praise their own favourites.Large flags of Argentina and Brazil hang over Bhaktapur’s alleys, and have themselves become as much of a tourist attraction as the temples, with foreigners taking selfies in front of them. In Kathmandu, small flags of Germany have gone down on sale after the team lost 1-0 to Mexico, and it dropped to the bottom of the group ranking.Anmol Bhandari in Dhading is a huge fan of Argentina and its star striker Lionel Messi. For the World Cup, He modified his bike with La Albiceleste flag and picture of Messi. Many people are posting the screenshots of games on their social page, trolling losing teams, and celebrating the victory. <figure><img width="640" height="640" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107111152/6368e3a69c7e80680e033394jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Schools in Kathmandu have had to deal with students wearing Messi or Ronaldo jerseys inside their uniforms. Some schools have even allowed students to wear their favourite teams’ jerseys instead of uniforms. After school, impromptu matches take places in the bahals and in any open space.For many, the timing of World Cup 2018 is just right with families settling down with snacks and drinks by 5:45pm and watching all three matches till two in the morning. Cafes and restaurants across the capital advertise special screenings on large screens. Attendance at school and offices have fallen, and many arrive at work wearing jerseys of favourite players and with bleary eyes. During meetings, many are scrolling through phones to see who is playing next and what the group scores are.There are a lot of people betting on the games and scores, and this has added passion and excitement to an already gripping game. <img width="640" height="853" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107111152/6368e3a89c7e80680e033395jpeg.jpg" alt="">Anil Thakur who runs a salon in Sitapaila is doing brisk business giving dozens of fans special World Cut haircuts. Even those who don’t need a haircut are getting shaves or mohawks.“Customers bring their own favorite players name with designs and I run my scissors,” says Thakur. A normal haircut costs Rs100, but Thakur can charge up to Rs 1,000 for the really special ones. The <a href="http://www.epa.eu/sports-photos/soccer-photos/nepalese-ronaldo-supporter-get-special-haircut-ahead-of-world-cup-photos-54399237" target="_blank" rel="noopener">photo of Jeevan Giri</a> who had cut his hair in name of Portuguese soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo by EPA photographer Narendra Shrestha lined the newsfeed of many social sites.“Coke Kham, Russia Jaam” promotional campaign of Coca-Cola have sent their 40 lucky winners to witness the game live in a stadium at Russia this year. The games are being broadcast live on NTV, NTV PLUS, KANTIPUR, DH ACTION SPORTS every day.Says Hari Maharjan, a <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/business/from-luxury-to-necessity/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">satellite dish</a> installer: “Business has never been better, I installed TV's for  12 new customers just today, and many want to <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/business/kicking-off/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">upgrade to HD</a>. Some even inquire about illegal Indian dishes that have the games on 4K.”

Monika Deupala

Nepal in the grip of World cup fever

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

India and Pakistan are twins separated at birth. Tensions between them have been at a hair trigger ever since independence and has erupted into full scale conflict at least four times in the past 80 years.
The 22 April terrorist attack in Kashmir that killed 25 Indian tourists and a Nepali citizen, threatens to escalate tension between the two nuclear-armed nations. India has squarely blamed Pakistan for the attacks, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given his military “operational freedom” to respond. Pakistan has said it has credible intelligence of an Indian military strike and its officials have promised a “full spectrum” response — a code for a <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/thinking-the-thinkable">nuclear retaliation</a>.
For Nepal, the killing of its national in the Pahalgam attack comes as another stark reminder that in conflicts from Afghanistan to Iraq, from <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/how-to-agree-an-armistice-in-ukraine">Ukraine</a> to Israel, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/10-nepalis-from-one-town-fighting-in-ukraine">Nepalis are getting caught in the crossfire</a>. The last time full-scale fighting broke out between <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/peacemongers-at-india-pakistan-border">India and Pakistan</a> on Kargil in 1999, at least 22<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/india-s-trial-by-fire-for-soldiers-from-nepal?%27%5C%22="> Nepalis fighting for the Indian Army</a> were killed in action.
Three of Nepal’s immediate neighbours (China, India, Pakistan) have nuclear weapons, and they do not have good relations. With China supplying weapons, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/war-and-warming">missile technology</a> and other support to Pakistan, this triangular friction could set off a regional conflagration.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-022-00573-0" target="_blank">Research at Rutgers University</a> has calculated that even a week-long tactical nuclear exchange between India and Pakistan would throw up so much smoke and debris into the atmosphere that it would block out the sun for years, and lead to a collapse of the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/grow-nourish-sustain-together-world-food-day">global food system</a>. This does not take into account the radioactive fallout that prevailing winds would blow up to <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/lives-on-the-line-in-the-himalaya">the Himalaya</a>, contaminating glaciers that are the sources of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/saving-what-is-left-of-himalayan-rivers">Asia’s main rivers</a>.
The impact of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/climate-breakdown-linked-to-thame-flood">climate breakdown </a>on High Asia was already ringing alarm bells about its <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/himalayan-icecap-melting-faster-than-thought">shrinking ice cap</a> reducing the dry season flow of water downstream. Water was going to be the next strategic commodity, geopolitical experts warned, and the next wars in Asia would be over water.
That water war is already happening. India retaliated to the Kashmir attack by suspending the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/24/world/asia/india-pakistan-indus-waters-treaty.html" target="_blank">Indus Waters Treaty</a> of 1960 mediated by the World Bank that has withstood at least three wars between India and Pakistan. The treaty gives India control over the three eastern tributaries of the Indus (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beas_River" target="_blank">Beas</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravi_River" target="_blank">Ravi</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutlej" target="_blank">Sutlej</a>), while Pakistan got water from the Indus and two of its western tributaries (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indus_River" target="_blank">Indus</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chenab_River" target="_blank">Chenab</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jhelum_River" target="_blank">Jhelum</a>.
Pakistan was assured of 70% of the annual flow, and India could use a reasonable amount of water for<a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=15231"> irrigation and hydropower</a>. &nbsp;Within days of its threat, India stopped water flowing down to Pakistan from the Chenab river and is reportedly preparing to do the same on the Jhelum.
The sabre-rattling has reached a crescendo. Besides threats and counter-threats there are also symbolic drills, with the Indian Air Force practicing landing on an expressway in Uttar Pradesh by its Rafale, Su-30 and Jaguar fighter jets to demonstrate ‘operational readiness’. In response Pakistan test-fired its Abdali ballistic missile that can carry a nuclear warhead and has a range of 450km.&nbsp;
The danger is that with ultra-nationalist rhetoric and the beating the war drums by both sides, India’s government and Pakistan’s military may have to ‘do something’ to appease domestic public opinion. But any tactical strike, an artillery exchange, or territorial incursion could quickly escalate out of control.
Expecting an Indian retaliation for the Pahalgam killings, Pakistan is using<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/interfaith-collaboration-for-nuclear-disarmament"> nuclear deterrence </a>and warning of “catastrophic consequences”. The two neighbours came close to a nuclear exchange in 2019 after an attack on the Indian military in Kashmir, and prompt international intervention led by the United States cooled tensions.&nbsp;
This time, the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/trump-shock-wave-hits-nepal">Trump administration</a> is too distracted and not as engaged. Pakistan has denied it was responsible for the terrorist attack and called on Washington to stop a possible Indian retaliation. India and Pakistan have stopped overflights by each other’s airlines, and some international carriers have even stopped flying over Pakistan fearing an air war.
Washington, Beijing, the UN and the EU have all urged restraint. Iran, which has good relations with both India and Pakistan has sent its foreign minister to urge both countries not to go into a tit-for-tat war. Iran has its own nuclear flashpoint to worry about with tensions in Israel, &nbsp;Yemen and Syria.
India and Pakistan both share similar problems of joblessness, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/why-nepal-s-poverty-rate-is-stuck">poverty </a>and <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/climate-change-new-threat-to-nepal-s-rhinos">environmental threats</a>. Neither side needs the threat of a senseless war, and we in the neighbourhood do not need it either.&nbsp;
Kunda Dixit
This Editorial is brought to you by <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/" target="_blank">Nepali Times</a>, in collaboration with <a href="https://inpsjapan.com/en/" target="_blank">INPS Japan</a> and <a href="https://sgi-peace.org/" target="_blank">Soka Gakkai International</a>, in consultative status with UN ECOSOC.

Nukes in the neighbourhood

Most Nepalis thought they had seen the last of it after <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/11-56-25-april-2015-wkc9q2an">the 25 April 7.8 magnitude </a>earthquake ten years ago. But the Himalaya had more surprises in store. On 12 May, another 7.3 magnitude tremor that some said was an aftershock, but was strong enough to itself be a major earthquake, struck Dolakha.&nbsp; Not many people had heard of Singati till then — a cluster of houses by the Tama Kosi River along a narrow gorge that is the roadhead to Rolwaling Valley.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250508110520_57b6e316656851f71eca56ca6f98d9bbcc820c1a00d62af3c990725b4361244d.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20250508110520_57b6e316656851f71eca56ca6f98d9bbcc820c1a00d62af3c990725b4361244d" data-rendition-name="original" width="1000" height="1500" loading="lazy" alt="Climate magnifies earthquake risk in Nepal village NT"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250508110520_016534fb2b6a79957402281cda768efb83a146786377e39e11df3e251d37159e.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20250508110520_016534fb2b6a79957402281cda768efb83a146786377e39e11df3e251d37159e" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Climate magnifies earthquake risk in Nepal village NT"> </figure>  It was here that dozens were killed on 25 April in the first earthquake. Hundreds of <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/Singati-rising-from-rubble-rebuilding,3703">Singati survivors</a> had lined up for food and relief supplies in the morning of 12 May when the second earthquake triggered a rock slide that buried a nearby camp. At least 50 people were killed. &nbsp; Three hours later, a US Marine Corps UH-1Y Venom helicopter landed in a nearby cornfield to pick up the wounded, and flew off. The aircraft lost contact with air traffic control in Kathmandu and its wreckage was located high on Kalinchok four days later. Six American servicemen, two Nepal Army soldiers, and five wounded civilians from Singati were killed. Today, Singati bears little physical scar of the multiple tragedies that struck the town ten years ago. Most <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/bungamati-builds-back">houses have been rebuilt</a> as urban-style concrete structures, and Singati has become an economic hub on the road leading up to several hydropower plants and a<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/off-the-beaten-trek-in-nepal"> popular trekking destination</a>.&nbsp; The town looks less like a village and more like a suburb of the Dolakha district headquarter of Charikot, 47km away.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250508110520_196f341d1df1403ba133e5dfeb837eec20d7cbcb4c8c56b17cc5598810de5df2.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20250508110520_196f341d1df1403ba133e5dfeb837eec20d7cbcb4c8c56b17cc5598810de5df2" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Climate magnifies earthquake risk in Nepal village NT"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250508110524_ae66c4a92430f67db51b5e11e017059eedfbac4cb18c8e073f2a50cca1fe904e.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="20250508110524_ae66c4a92430f67db51b5e11e017059eedfbac4cb18c8e073f2a50cca1fe904e" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Climate magnifies earthquake risk in Nepal village NT"> </figure>  “The demand for construction material, cement, iron rods and bricks peaked after the earthquakes,” says Suresh Khadka, who owns a hardware business here and now supplies material to the 456MW Upper Tama Kosi hydropower project that is undergoing repairs after it was damaged by a landslide last year. The demand for cement boomed since most residents believe, not necessarily correctly, that <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/in-a-disastrous-state">cement houses are safer</a>. Although Khadka did well selling construction material after the earthquake, he worries that most new structures do not follow seismic-resistant building codes.&nbsp; The construction boom financed by bank loans has in turn forced many from Singati to <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/making-overseas-migration-better">migrate overseas for work</a> so they can service their debt.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250508110524_50caa4530bd5ff9120cf7ab70a62173846d337ef448ff8bac339f3faa375a9e2.jpg" data-media-id="editor_10" data-image-id="20250508110524_50caa4530bd5ff9120cf7ab70a62173846d337ef448ff8bac339f3faa375a9e2" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Climate magnifies earthquake risk in Nepal village NT"> <figcaption>Suresh Khadka</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250508110520_ef8b7d3993fc3b5df852bbf952feb3fbabc96d6883b0d5eb74ee5c60f4123b83.jpg" data-media-id="editor_11" data-image-id="20250508110520_ef8b7d3993fc3b5df852bbf952feb3fbabc96d6883b0d5eb74ee5c60f4123b83" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Climate magnifies earthquake risk in Nepal village NT"> <figcaption>Phu Doma Sherpa (right)</figcaption> </figure>  “My family had no choice but to borrow money to rebuild our home since the government compensation was not enough, and ten years later we are still paying off the loan,” says Phu Doma Sherpa, 60. Because of the shortage of qualified masons and proper seismic engineering, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/structural-problems">many of the buildings are of questionable building standards </a>and the traditional architecture has been abandoned, admits Kul Bahadur Budathoki, deputy chair of the municipality. “But these buildings were more expensive than what the government grants could cover, many people here are heavily in debt and the men have <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/every-day-is-closer-to-pay-day">migrated to the Gulf to pay their loans</a>,” Budathoki says.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250508110520_32f89e97b7e757fc9286c0bbb671f48ea8d4468e9634fa646d7247c650ad8480.jpg" data-media-id="editor_14" data-image-id="20250508110520_32f89e97b7e757fc9286c0bbb671f48ea8d4468e9634fa646d7247c650ad8480" data-rendition-name="original" width="1501" height="1079" loading="lazy" alt="Climate magnifies earthquake risk in Nepal village NT"> <figcaption>Kul Bahadur Budathoki</figcaption> </figure>  Singati is in a multi-hazard zone. The <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/Singati,3091">12 May 2015 earthquake </a>could have led to the collapse of Nepal’s largest glacial lake, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/stairway-to-heaven">Tso Rolpa</a>, upstream. Due to global warming, the glacier has turned into an expanding lake 3.5km long, and its collapse would have unleashed a catastrophic Himalayan tsunami down the Tama Kosi Valley, with Singati directly in its path. Singati has literally risen from the ashes of 2015, with its residents beginning to recover from the trauma and financial toll. But it is not out of danger as <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/climate-breakdown-linked-to-thame-flood">climate breakdown </a>magnifies the risk from future earthquakes.

Climate magnifies earthquake risk in Nepal village

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;