12 years later, I was
back. Mustang welcomed me with the same mountains, apple orchards, the same
Kaligandaki moving along with her aggressive voice taking the weaker Shaligrams
along with her, and the १२-bajey-hawa-sarara wind that would hit
any living being’s face with a fistful of sand every time it blew. Talking about
the changes, Mustang had drastically changed. Like they say, baara barsha pachi ta khola pani farkincha. 12 years later,
Mustang had new big dusty roads, concrete buildings, and jeeps and buses that
would cover you with a blanket of dust every time they passed by.
FIRST SNOW
It was already dark by
the time we reached Tukche. We were asked to take the next bus because the one
we were in broke down. Like an obedient child, I stepped down from the bus and
then… I was speechless. I figured out that what I thought was flying dandelion
were actually snowflakes. I let out a chuckle, took my gloves off, and while my
eyes became watery with happiness, I spread my hands around like Rani Mukherjee
does in the movie Black. Mother Nature has her own way of spreading happiness.
This time, it came in the form of snowflakes.
12-BARSHEY MELA
I got to attend the Lha
Fewa festival (12 barshey mela) held at Kobang, Mustang. From four Chans
(Bhattachan, Sherchan, Tulachan and Gauchan), four gods and thousands of
people, this picture is of the Tulachan deuta during the रथयात्रा. The literal meaning of "Lha Fewa" is The
Rise of Gods. The gods are taken out of the temple in every 12 years at the end
of the monkey year and the Lha Fewa festival is celebrated for a month. Whistling,
wearing a red tika, using a walking stick and riding a horse is strictly
prohibited at the Mela as per the Thakali culture. It is believed that it snows
every time the gods are taken out in the Lha Fewa festival, and it
actually did (hence, the black clouds). The fact that I'll be 33 in the next १२ barshey mela scares me out.
HELLO DHUMBA
Dhumba
Lake was so beautiful that the 2 hours’ trip actually took 7 hours to us. From
saving a drowning monkey-cap, snowball fights, practicing yoga poses by the
side of the lake, and devouring chiya-biskoot for pet-pooja, we
realized how little things can make us feel content. We fought against the wind
to stand still and take some pictures, which in defense threw ice chunks from
the semi-frozen lake at us.
BADLUCK BRIAN
The religious trip to Muktinath temple which started
with a happy jeep ride was followed by a broken bag strap, broken goggles and
snow-blindness. Wait! There’s more to that. By the time we got back to the
hotel, I realized that all the pictures I had taken that day vanished from the
camera, like POOF! I kept on lamenting about it to my friends the whole day,
but in the evening, a bowl full of chatpatey healed all the sorrows. The
memories would stay fresh in my mind. What more do I want?
