Mustang - January '17

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?