Basketball Tournaments for HSEB 2071 Students

Well, I hope things turn out fine now that I have decided to go on with it. Yes, I have decided to get the balls rolling and organize the Post-HSEB 3X3 Basketball Championship 2014: Seasons 1 & 2. Season 1 will be open for students who are appearing in this year's HSEB Grade 12 exams and Season 2 is for students who will face the Grade XI HSEB exams.

Season 1 will feature more than 12 teams contesting for the cash prize of NPR (price not disclosed yet!). The MVPs will receive a handsome sum of money as prizes from both the boys and girls categories. This event will be organized in association with SMDI and the helpful support from the guys at Nepal Basketball and Vintage Education Foundation.

I still have my fingers crossed; I hope it proves to be a BIG event, bigger than any like it before.

Important links for the event are as follows:
Website | FB Page | YouTube Channel

Living in the Moment

“Before death decides to pay me a visit, I want to have wonderful moments with my family, my life partner, my best friends, my dear ones and the friends who are far off in distant lands. I hope I'll be remembered in memories.”

Living in the moment is all about living like there's no tomorrow. To do this, one must realize beauty in every moment, and in everyday activities. It’s a conscious act that requires participation, not just observation, but the reward is a richer, fuller life. This is our life; we gotta live it to the fullest!

Wonderful moments are made up of brief interactions and friendly conversations when one can never stop responding, and this is the time when we want the moment to be like that for some more time. But, we can’t buy time and it awaits none!

 

We pose like nobody’s watching, but we know deep inside that we want to get noticed when we pose in front of the camera. We chat with friends like nobody else’s listening, but still we want people to hear our laughter.

When we are living in the moment, we are noticing each and everything that's going on around us, the begging street kid, the mother who's feeding her baby, the child who's running away from his dad and so on. When we are living in the moment, we actually are looking at things in detail and giving more time to develop a perception of what we are looking at or what we are listening to.

I am thankful to the handful of people that make my life worth living to the fullest.

  

 

Dattatreya Square - Tachapal Tole, Bhaktapur

A Cultural Event at Dattatreya Square; photo by Raj Shakya

The third dazzling gem of Bhaktapur, Dattatreya Square, located at Tachapal Tole, was the seat of royalty until the 15th century. The square is home to a great number of historic monuments including many wondrous Maths (residential mansions) and temples.

Dattatreya is a Hindu deity encompassing the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, collectively known as Trimurti.

   

The Dattatreya Temple, believed to have been built from the stem of a single tree, is the main attraction of the Square. Constructed by King Yaksha Malla, the giant three-storied temple defied a series of calamities including the violent earthquake of 1934 and bears testimony to the incredible achievement made in those regal days of the Nepalese history.

On the south-western corner of the temple is the second Taleju shrine of Bhaktapur called Wane Layaku Complex. This Complex encloses a courtyard where a rare Water-Clock (Ghau-Batacha) is put on public display during the main festival of Nepal, Dashain. During the Malla Era, the water-clock was used by the then rulers and astrologers for fixing "propitious moments" for commencing and concluding various state and social ceremonies.

Dattatreya Temple; photo by Raj Shakya

A rare masterpiece in wood, the Peacock Window is called the ‘Mona Lisa’ of Nepal. This window lies in the Pujari Math which houses the wood carving museum which has a rich collection of unique pieces in wood. There are more than ten businesses that remain open throughout the day in this math.

The Brass & Bronze Museum, housed in the historic Chikanpha Math, is the next highlight of the Square. It has a wide collection of bronze and brassware including the ritual jars, utensils, water vessels, pots, spittoons and similar other household items.

The Wakupati Narayan Temple, a unique specimen of pagoda architecture dedicated to Lord Vishnu, lies near the Pottery Square, 150 meters away from Dattatreya Square.

Besides the squares, the recently-restored Ta-Pukhu (Siddha Pokhari), Ancha-Pukhu, Khancha-Pukhu, Barahi Temple, Lokeswor Mahavihar, Nava Durga Temple, the Terra-cotta Windows at Tuchhimala and Nepal’s largest Shiva Lingum at Hanumanghat are some of Bhaktapur’s monumental glories which tourists visiting this ancient city simply do not like to miss.

One can purchase art, artifacts, carved wooden items, handicrafts and many other unique items from this square. All parts of Bhaktapur including Nagarkot Dhulikhel and Changu Narayan are easily accessible from Dattatreya Square.

One can find a couple of guest houses in the Square that offer genuine B&B services with WiFi and Hot Shower facilities. Bhaktapur Durbar Square, the most expensive and happening part of Bhaktapur, is just a 10-minute walk away from the Dattatreya Square.

The Pujari Math (on the background); photo by Raj Shakya

The Newars of Bhaktapur can be seen in Dattatreya Square playing musical instruments and offering prayers to the deities every day.

If you need any other information, please feel free to write to me.

The End of My Journey with The Perfect Strangers

If you have been playing an instrument for at least one year, you can't let music go off your thoughts. Even if you say you are out of it, whenever you listen to a song, be it a new one or an old one, your instincts will make a part of your body move or you may just as well tap your feet. I was a drummer for some time, and I didn't do that well. But now when I listen to any song, my hands start banging the table making some noise, which I call music and I love it. 

The Perfect Strangers (inspired by the song "Perfect Strangers" - Deep Purple)
We started with ten (10) members in 2001, namely;

Manager and Lead Guitarist Asing Liegise
Rhythm Guitarist and Composer Binod Nakarmi
Rhythm Guitarist and Singer Susan Tamang
Bass Guitarist Additya Giri
Drummer Me
Vocalists Deepak and Mina Nakarmi | Sanjeet Gurung | Lopsang Lama | Maya Lama

[Click on the names to view the profiles]

A Few Highlights: 2001-2011, with The Perfect Strangers

Went on to win the 7th prize in the Talent Show with Nasha Bhitra Nasha Sari (Susan sang it). September 1st, 2002 - we performed a few covers and got into music totally. The following years saw us write and compose our own songs. And then The Perfect Strangers entered into the final round of the Pepsi VoxPop Beat Contest 2004 held inside Birendra International Convention Centre. Only five (5) members were making the band survive then. After Asing Sir left for Korea, Binod took over as Lead Guitarist and frontman. Then we started performing at Bars and Pubs and the many gigs helped us get into Sprite Band Challenge 3 where we made it to the Top 12 and then decided to back down for some time. We have performed at Moksh, Paddy Foley's Irish Pub, Vesper Cafe, Buzz Cafe & Bar and more.

The Deusi-Bhailos used to rock a lot when the band came together and there are a lot of great memories to cherish, and not share on this blog.

[Other contributors to the band: Bikas | Sudarshan | Sima]

I quit music a long time back in 2012, but I think music won't leave me alone and I appreciate the artists whose songs I have been listening to all my life. Now I come to know that I had just quit the band, NOT music. Wherever I go in the world, there's going to be music. So, I have decided to start writing songs and share it with those who are in the industry or with those who want to be in the industry.


If you want to add anything else to this post (of course, since I can't think of anything else right now), you are more than welcome to do that. Just write to me.

Quotes on music that I truly fancy:

If music be the food of love, play on.
William Shakespeare 

I was born with music inside me. Music was one of my parts. Like my ribs, my kidneys, my liver, my heart. Like my blood. It was a force already within me when I arrived on the scene. It was a necessity for me-like food or water.
Ray Charles 


Without music, life would be a mistake.
Friedrich Nietzsche 

Music is everybody's possession. It's only publishers who think that people own it.
John Lennon 

Churot (चुरोट) Lyrics from the movie 'Hostel' (rearranged by Bibash)

चुरोट from the movie 'Hostel' (rearranged by Bibash)

सृजन “चिन्तु” रिमाल

Tsrizan “CHINTU” Rimal | https://www.facebook.com/chinturimal | https://plus.google.com/102675041905770313028/posts

Lyrics: Beat Laboratory (I would call them BeatLAB)

रोल साउण्ड्, रोल क्यामरा, एक्सन


ऊ  ऊ ऊ ऊ  ऊ ऊ ऊ  ऊ ऊ ऊ  ऊ ऊ
ऊ  ऊ ऊ ऊ  ऊ ऊ ऊ  ऊ ऊ ऊ  ऊ ऊ

आधा रातमा उठेको चुरोट तान्नलाई 
यताउती खोजेको सलाई बाल्न लाई
झ्यालबाट उफ्रीएर कौसी झरे है 
चिप्लो रै'छ भुइ सोल्टी झन्डै लडे है
एउटा हातमा चुरोट छ अर्को खल्तिमा
यस्तै रै'छ हेर सोल्टी चलन चल्ती मा 


ऊ  ऊ ऊ ऊ  ऊ ऊ ऊ  ऊ ऊ ऊ  ऊ ऊ
ऊ  ऊ ऊ ऊ  ऊ ऊ ऊ  ऊ ऊ ऊ  ऊ ऊ


अधेरो छ चारैतिर  कोरे सलाई
पल्लाघरको छिमेकीले देख्यो मलाई 
भाषण दिन थाल्यो बुढो चुरोट नखा रे 
ज्यानको माया छैन भणी साह्रै हकारे
मैले खाको तलाई के भो भणी फर्काए
माइन्ड यौर बिज्नेस बुढो भणी तेलाई थर्काए

Keyboards

चमालाई भ्यालेन्टाइन्स मा दे'थे मैले फोन 
त्यही फोनमा अहिले गर्दा बिजी आयो टोन्
अर्कै केटा छ कि क्या हो लाग्न थाल्यो डर्
आजकालका केटीहरुको छैन केहि भर 
ब्रेक अप दिने मेसेज पठाइ हुन्न अब भेट 
पाच बर्ष को मायाप्रीती पाच मिनट मै चेट 
चुरोट पनि सिध्यो सोल्टी भै सक्यो लेट्
ल हो सोल्टी लास्ट लाईन त लेख्नै बिर्सेछु 
मिलेन sssssss

cut it...

#Chintu Rimal, #Tsrizan, #Beat Laboratory, #Hostel, #Churot, #Aadhaa Raatmaa, #Bibash Poudel, #BeatLAB, #Bibash, #Chintu

Hostel (हस्टेल): Nepali movies are getting better and better

THAT was a great watch.

For all those movie lovers out there, this one's a must watch.

Well, to be frank, if you compare it with Hollywood and Bollywood movies, it's not so great a work, but after 'Chennai Express' and 'Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai Dobaaraa', I am pretty sure that 'Hostel' is one of the better movies. The cast is awesome, but the students besides the six friends should have been different; I mean, some students can be seen as very much aware of the camera. The dialogues, songs and other discussions are natural, and these students have attempted to spoil the genre.

Anmol has played his bit, never diverging from his character and the co-actors are superb. Jungey adds a lot of masala to the movie and the songs simply rock. Thanks to Swopnil Sharma (The Shadows) and Bibash Poudel, the music is awesome all in all.

This is one good song that represents the modern college life - Turu Turu.

Of course, MBBS colleges do not have students who would come up with so great a song, but I did consider that.

Jungey's songs with the guitar sound great and represent the works of today's youth.

The bungee and the swing have been highlighted from The Last Resort in the Bhote Koshi site, but I believe the producers weren't able to highlight The Last Resort as it would have made a greater impact for Nepal and the Tourism Industry. On the other hand, it may also have been the case that the producers demanded some financial help from them to highlight the name of the Company, and they might have rejected the offer. Shame for The Last Resort! I believe they do not want to make more money by attracting enough customers for them to invest on further developing the spot. I have jumped from the bridge for a bungee some time back, and it is a pretty fun thing to do.

It was a most exciting moment of the watch when the actors took the leap of death and the audience went 'Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooaaaaah!' along with the jump, as if they were the ones jumping with ropes tied to their feet.

The girls have not played noticeable roles but their performance is not important in the movie as it is about the three boys and their friendship.

After an entertaining two hours, the climax seemed quite boring when Bhuwan K.C. made his first statement. It took me back to the 90s. I didn't like this part. I could see some girls wiping away their tears, of course, as usual. Bhuwan Dai's dialogue came in as unnatural; too filmy, as a matter of fact, which the movie wasn't even pursuing to reflect at all. In short, he did no justice to the climax of the movie.

Anmol will get into the hearts of 'the' girls pretty soon, and if I am not wrong, he's already made a million fans in Nepal. Salon must have had a fan base of around five hundred thousand Nepalese after the movie while Gaurav will have a fan base of around one hundred thousand Nepalese soon.

In short, हस्टेल has proved to be the best flick after LOOT for Kollywood.

I will keep watching Nepali movies of this sort from now on, under the condition they are related to the youth of today.

Important links for हस्टेल :       First Look         The Official Trailer           Gallery 


#Hostel, #Salon Basnet, #Anmol KC, #Gaurav Pahari, #Turu Turu, #Sunil Rawal, #Hem Raj BC, #Durgish Films, #Kollywood, #Nepali Movie, #Best Nepali Movie, #A Must Watch, #MBBS, #College Life, #Love, #Friendship, #Life, #Loyalty, #Bungee, #Swing, #The Last Resort

...Bisket Jatra '13

So that’s what happens on the first day of Bisket Jatra!!!

Bisket (/ˈbɪsket/) Jatra (/dʒatra/)

The Chariot Temple; photo by Katie Pratt, UK

I may get into a bad situation if I say this, but I have never ever fancied taking part in any kind of Nepali festival or that of any other nation. The only time I have been interested in festivals was when I was in a band and we would be asked to play at some festivals in Kathmandu. I had never been interested in learning about festivals in detail, until I came to Bhaktapur and met some really nice people who are passionate about experiencing culture and traditions from all over the world. And then I found the answer to my question: What actually happens during the festival? I decided to write about it.

Introduction

The nine-day long Bisket Jatra is celebrated every year and starts four days prior to the Nepali New Year’s Day. It is managed by the Guthi Sansthan (a social organization of the Newars) which is based in Bhaktapur. It is basically the celebration of the death of the serpents which starts with a chariot temple procession of Goddess Bhadrakali and God Bhairav. The ‘Yeo-sin-deo’ pole is erected on the fourth day and lowered on the fifth. The ‘Yeo-sin-deo’ pole is made of Sandan wood brought all the way from Makawanpur, which is about 142 miles south of Kathmandu. On the sixth and the seventh day, the chariot temple processions of Goddess Mahalaxmi and Lord Mahakala, Brahmayini and Lord Ganesha take place. The festival concludes after the priests gather and offer their prayers and sacrifices to the deities attending the festival. The Guthi members start all necessary preparations for the festival a month earlier.

The Legend

A long time ago, Princes who married the then Princess of Bhaktapur kept dying on the night of the honeymoon and it had spread terror across the land. This mystery could not be solved until a wise prince decided to step up and find out the reason for the brutal deaths of the princes. He married the princess some days later.  On the night of the honeymoon, he stayed awake until the Princess fell asleep and then he witnessed two giant serpents crawling out of the princess’s nostrils*.  The prince chopped off the heads of the serpents with his sword and displayed them on a pole the next morning for all to see.

Now I get it! The ribbons that are tied to the pole in the festival represent the serpents! The pole and the two flags that are attached to it represent the serpents which feature in the myth, on which the festival is founded.

When and where does it start?

The Taumadhi Square; photo by Sophie Rees, UK

On the 10^th of April, a Wednesday, some friends invited me to the Namaste Café to check out the view of the Taumadhi Square, where the festival commences. We went there without any knowledge of what the festival was all about, at around 4.30, in the late afternoon and took some pictures of the crowded square and some interesting people (I’m sure there was a man dressed in a Superman T-Shirt!). The chariot temple, which was about 20 feet tall, had four huge wooden wheels on it and it was tied from both ends by thick ropes. I thought that there was going to be a race or something and I was right. There were two groups of people near the ropes on the two ends and some were on the chariot still decorating it by tying flags and an idol onto it. I didn't even really care about whatever was happening. I was not even tempted to stay and wait until it started so I left my friends there and went back to where we were staying, minutes before they started pulling the chariot from both ends.

What happens?

Later on, at around 7 in the evening, my friends came back and told me that the race had started and the chariot was coming this way because this side had stronger men. What happened was, they started pulling the chariot temple from both ends and since both ends had strong people pulling them, it was stuck somewhere, 100 meters away from where we were staying. We decided to wait for the chariot temple to arrive on the narrow path adjacent to where we were staying.

At 1 in the morning, we heard a commotion and rushed to the windows and lo! There was the huge chariot temple right outside our bedroom window, charging towards the Dattatreya Square. There were a lot of people dragging the chariot temple by the ropes and there were about 50 policemen in riot gear ready to control the mob.

Do they care about destroying heritage sites?

Of course not!

The chariot temple got stuck on the narrow path between the houses but it didn't stop the throng from pulling it harder and destroying the balconies on the second floors of the two houses right in front of us. The people were aggressively cursing at each other and swearing at the chariot temple and pulling it as hard as they could, not caring about stuff they would destroy. One friend exclaimed, ‘This is one of the craziest things I have ever seen!’ and I responded, ‘This IS the craziest thing I have ever seen in my life!’ But you only see when you look, and I have never even looked at anything like that before. But in the future, I will!

To make matters worse, they pulled the chariot temple so hard that it hit the main electricity wires and there were huge sparks flying. The wires started burning and there was no electricity throughout Bhaktapur. The wires stopped burning after some time and we eventually felt safe.

When it looked like the chariot temple was almost about to crash into the house we were in, I brought a log of wood in from the courtyard. Using the wood, I tried to push the chariot temple away from the electricity wires, to protect them from being cut off, but I could not move it at all, obviously. But the chariot temple didn't even touch the roof of our building or anything attached to it (except for the street, of course).

If they had pulled it any more towards the Dattatreya Square, they would have destroyed the roof of the temple that lies at the entrance to the square. But fortunately, the police stopped them and the other side started pulling the chariot away and it hit the balcony of another house before they dragged it back towards Taumadhi Square, where it had all started. As it was already 2.45 in the morning, we decided to get some sleep as there was no sign of the chariot temple coming back our way. Then we went to bed. We found out in the morning that the race stopped at around 3 in the morning on a spot 50 meters towards the other side of the Taumadhi Square.



Conclusion:

This is my experience of the first day of Bisket Jatra, which I didn't even want to know about at first, but when I did want to know about it, that is, after I decided to witness the chariot procession at 1 am in the morning with some friends and grew more curious, I forgot about the Nepali New Year 2070 that was due in three days, which has, of course, never been an occasion for me and never will be. The newspaper announced the deaths of two men and injuries of nine men; of course, women didn't take part. I don't even want to mention about the tongue piercing tradition here. I don't even want to go through all the details. :)

Day= A 24-hour period that starts with the morning. :D

* ‘How did they (the ‘‘giant’’ serpents) fit in there?’

Thanks to Ms. Megan Hall from the UK for encouraging me to write it and also proofreading my post.

Thanks to Sophie from http://www.designersmakers.com/ and Katie from http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/ for the wonderful photos.



If you have any suggestions or recommendations or if you wish to connect with me, please feel free to contact me in any way possible. Just follow the links on the right at the top of this post.

RAJ

Bisket Jatra takes place in Bhaktapur every year in April. Here is the calendar of events for 2013 (2070 B. S.).

April 10

Deo Kohan Vijyakegu

The Chariots of God Bhairav and Goddess Bhadrakali are pulled (based on the mood of 'Tug of War') from Taumadhi Square until both sides get tired. It goes on until midnight and may continue until dawn the following day.

April 12

Shyakotyako

Animals are sacrificed at Bhairav and Bhadrakali Shrines at Gahiti.

April 13 morning

Laha Maru Yeo-sin Thanegu

The huge wooden ’Yeo-sin-deo pole is erected at Talako Tole, or better known as Pottery Square.

April 13 evening

Yeo-sin Deo Thanegu

The huge wooden ’Yeo-sin-deo pole is erected at Yeo-sin Khel.

April 13 late evening

Indrayani Tipwa Jatra

The idol of Goddess Indrayani Devi is taken around Khauma Tole bearing torches.

April 14 evening

Yeo-sin Deo Kothegu

The huge wooden Yeo-sin pole at Yeo-sin Khel is brought down to the ground.

April 14 late evening

Barahi Tipwa Jatra

The idol of Goddess Barahi Mata is taken around Nhayesatwa Barahisthan with devotion.

April 14

Kha Lwakegu

The chariot of God Bhairav collides with the chariot of Goddess Bhadrakali in full passion at Gahiti.

April 15 evening

Maha Laxmi & Mahakali Kha Lwakegu

The chariot of Goddess Maha Laxmi is made to collide with the chariot of Goddess Mahakali at Mahalaxmisthan Yachhen-Bolachhen. Note: These Goddesses are believed to be sisters.

April 16

Brahmayani Jatra

The chariot of Goddess Brahmayani Devi is carried on by the connoisseurs from Brahmayani to Chyamhasingh via Dattatreya Temple, situated at the Dattatreya Square.

April 17

Deo Sogan Biyegu

Devotees pay homage with enchantment of Hymns using cultural musical orchestra all over Bhaktapur.

April 17

Chhuma Ganesh Jatra

The idol of God Chhuma Ganesh is taken all around Chochhen Tole in celebration.

April 18

Laha Maru Yeo-sin Kothegu

The huge wooden Yeo-sin pole at Talako Tole (Pottery Square) is brought down to the ground.

April 18

Deo Thaha Bijyakegu

The festival ends at Taumadhi Square where the chariots of God Bhairav and Goddess Bhadrakali are pulled. All other chariots and idols are carried back to their respective shrines on this day.