SPACES Nepal FEB 2014

February 2014 – Vol 10 No. 02

ART ARCHITECTURE INTERIOR

Price: NRs.100/- IRs.100/- USD 5.95 EURO 5.95 GBP 4.95

10th Year - Anniversary Special THE POETICS OF

Nepal’s Road Architecture Vikram Seth in Nepal 1905 Eternally Alluring

Architectural Drawing US EMBASSY MEMORIAL DESIGN

The Lotus

– Forms and Meanings www.spacesnepal.com FEBRUARY 2014 / 1

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CONTENTS ANNIVERSARY ISSUE VOL 10 NO.01 SPACESNEPAL.COM

Cover Story

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Road Architecture Delving into road architecture and design in Nepal with issues, voices and perspectives on planning, design, material, environment, traffic management, preservation, travel and urbanization

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Views

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The Perils of Climate Change An analysis of and highlights of the Nepal Art Council Photo Exhibition on the effects of climate change on the communities and ecosystems of the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region

16 Appearance and Reality | A Rainbow of Experience An in-depth review of Anil Shahi’s ironic portraits and Sujan Dangol’s artistic narratives

Interior

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1905: Eternally Alluring A showcase of the 1905 Restaurant in Kantipath and a tete-a-tete with Shobha Rayamajhi

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18 International Live Performance Art Revisiting the International Performance Art event at Bindu with highlights, artists and thematic overtures

Journey

Nestled by the Marshyangdi Photo feature on the famed Manang Valley brought to life by legend and terrain

47 The Lotus – Form and Meanings A time-honored symbol finds new life in Buddhist interpretations and architectural conventions around the world

64 Interview: Vikram Seth in Nepal India’s foremost writer finds in Haatiban Resort the sense of being of the world and yet away from it.

19 From Real To Surreal A personal review of an Iranian couple’s inspirational and enduring artistic quest as exhibited at the Siddhartha Art Gallery

69 From the Shelf: Chronicles of Kathmandu

32 Road Trip with Bibbi Aburuzzini

70 Artist Spotlight: Pramila Barjacharya

34 Interview with Kishore Thapa

72 Go Gadget: Retrospect 2013 Prospect 2014

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40 The Poetics of Architectural Drawings

74 Store Watch: Imperial Furniture

A reflection on architectural drawings as abstract possibilities of structure and landscape, of poetry and human endeavour.

78 Market: Choose your car 80 Open Space

44 US Embassy – Memorial Revisiting a sculpted memorial at the US Embassy for the creative concept, expression, message and meaning.

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Official Franchisee for Nepal: Parth International Pvt Ltd. Ward No 11,Babarmahal, Kathmandu,Nepal. Tel:+977.9802044440, Email: info@parthinternational.org

Editorial As SPACES continues its publication with it’s 10th. year Anniversary specials – we continue to find diamonds within our space. We begin with a series of creative writing by Gautam Bhatia, one of the most well-known architectural writers from India. His first piece within this issue is on the Poetics of Architectural Drawings which interestingly illustrates with his drawings and writing the flexibility and fluidity of his thoughts to his drawings. As more and more Architects, planners and designers get into this profession – it perhaps would help us look at the drawing process from a creative dimension and think out of the box. Gautam interesting says that drawing is a type of mental renovation, a restoration of dormant beliefs, that obliquely points the way towards the future possibilities of practice.

Returning from Kolkata last month with the 2014 Literary Meet all over the news there, i couldn’t miss the energetic and prolific writer Vikram Seth at the baggage arrival area of Kathmandu airport trying to make sense and understand the dynamics of getting ones’ baggage. A brief introduction here further led to the Haatiban resort couple of days later where he seemed to be soaking the place with a feeling of timelessness. We are indeed very thankful to him for the interaction and the time spent.

Even in such a brief encounter – we could smell the passion of the heart, to live a full life and the ingredients that one should have to drive some creativity and depth in ones work. When asked his reason for choosing Haatiban Resort for his stay, his answer was as simple and profound as ‘What I did want was a view, and I would like silence and, basically - a hilly space where you cannot see everything at once, and things open up to you as you walk up and down. I think Haatiban has it...everything from the Ganesh Himal, all the way, on a clear day, to Everest; the mist in the valley, the sense of being of the world and yet away from the world. I find Haatiban a wonderful place in this regard’. Nepal is a haven for the creative and the naturalist, and we need to preserve and enhance this environmentally and spiritually.

Our cover story by Pujan this month is on the Road Architecture delving into it’s design and other related issues within the context of Nepal. As we experience the road expansion drive currently within the country, though having many sides to this debate, what does stand out – is the benefits of sharing of public resources and the value of Open Spaces. The public citizens are awakened to see the transformation of clogged streets into an openness and connectivity which almost feels like a bypass surgery breathing new life and energy into the city.

Perils of Climate Change writing explores the must see exhibition of photographs exploring the effects of climate change on the communities and ecosystems of the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region being held at the Nepal Art Council. Spectacularly detailed photographs by David Breashears and Glacierworks delve into the fast-paced ecological changes witnessed in the Himalayan Region alongside technological solutions developed to help predict and prevent environmental disasters. A definite eyeopener for the visitors examining the hazards and challenges facing the natural landscapes, ecosystems and communities across the Region. Climate + Change is a must see exhibition that will remain open until 13 April 2014.

Finally would like to end on some reflections from the piece on the Lotus – form and meaning by Pragati. Buddhist teachings reflect that nothing is fixed or permanent - actions have consequences and change is possible. Climate change today is a visible result due to our actions of industrialization and globalization, we need to be concerned with our environment and act in a responsible manner.

Namaste !

- Sarosh Pradhan

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Volume 10 NO. 02 | February

Contributors GAUTAM BHATIA is an architect based in New Delhi and one of the most well-known architectural writers in India, having written for The New York Times, Outlook magazine and Indian Express. He feels there are two ways of seeking a reconciliation with architecture.

The first is through the personal act of writing for himself, a therapeutic training of the mind to recall and unburden. Writing helps form a picture of the present. Drawing, as the other, is a type of mental renovation, a restoration of dormant beliefs, that obliquely points the way towards the future possibilities of practice. An aerobic imaginary expression of unrealized – often unrealizable – ideas. What is not possible in architecture is always possible in drawing.

PRAGATI MANANDHAR, an Architect graduate from Kathmandu Engineering College and is currently working at Sarosh Pradhan & Associates. A music enthusiast by nature, loves travelling and exploring the human dimensions of art, music and architecture.

BIBBI ABRUZZINI has a passion for stories and people, and that is what brought her into the field of journalism. Currently based in Kathmandu, she spends her days writing, clicking and sipping tea with her friends in Basantapur. She is a journalist for Xinhua News Agency; she has worked with the European Parliament in Brussels and with the EU delegation to Nepal. Her favorite quote is by Paulo Coelho: “I learned that the world has a soul, and that whoever understands that soul can also understand the language of things”.

GANESH ACHARYA is working as radio journalist since 2004.

Graduated in Journalism, he is working for Antenna Foundation Nepal since 2010 as a Radio Producer. He is also a multimedia columnist for Himal Khabar Patrika. Being a multimedia enthusiast, he is also freelancing for working on some multimedia projects too.

ASHA DANGOL is a contemporary Nepali visual artist. He is the cofounder of Kasthamandap Art Studio and E-Arts Nepal. He holds Master’s Degree in Fine Arts from Tribhuvan University. He has been creating and exhibiting his artworks since 1992. He has 10 solo art exhibitions to his credit. He has taken part in numerous group shows in Nepal and has been exhibited in different foreign countries. He experimented with painting, mixed media, ceramics, installation, performance and video as well.

CORRIGENDUM: We would like to apologize for failing to introduce Asha Dangol in the previous issue.

CEO Editor-in-Chief Creative Manager Editor-Features Feature Writer Contributing Art Editor

Intl. Correspondent

Ashesh Rajbansh Sarosh Pradhan Deependra Bajracharya Veneeta Singha Pujan Joshi Madan Chitrakar Kasthamandap Art Studio President - Society of Nepalese Architects Ar. Jinisha Jain (Delhi) Ar. Chetan Raj Shrestha (Sikkim) Barun Roy (Darjeeling Hills) Big Stone Medium Pradeep Ratna Tuladhar Hemant Kumar Shrestha Bansri Panday

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Anu Rajbansh Devi Rana Dongol Ashma Rauniyar Pramila Shrestha Sunil Baniya Yogendra Bhattarai

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Perils Climate The

of

Change

by Pujan Joshi

IMAGINE YOURSELF ON A BOAT ON A LAKE with a Himalayan range in the horizon and exotic birds gliding in the swirl of the cool breeze. The mystical sunset is reflected on the crystal blue lake and a rainbow appears so serene that your heart skips a beat. In this scenic backdrop, do we ever stop to consider that the environment is changing drastically? A reality check: this breathtakingly beautiful environment is in peril and the clock is continually ticking. It is imperative that we take a step back and reflect on ways to reverse the damage. Taking responsibility for our actions and learning to live in harmony with nature are vital to reducing and mitigating the impending dangers of climate change. A Native Indian proverb describes it best: “We don’t inherit the land from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.”

Empirical research and study in the Himalayan Region warn us, everyday, that global warming threatens the crucial but fragile ecological balance and, indeed, the survival of the Himalayas.

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An exhibition of photographs exploring the effects of climate change on the communities and ecosystems of the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region was recently held at the Nepal Art Council in Kathmandu under the aegis of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). Photographs by David Breashears and Glacierworks showcased fast-paced ecological changes witnessed in the Himalayan Region alongside technological solutions developed to help predict and prevent environmental disasters. An eyeopener for the visitors, the exhibition examined the hazards and challenges facing the natural landscapes, ecosystems and communities that cut across several national boundaries within the Region.

Critics often argue that the global warming context is a swindle in light of the fact that the environment is a naturally changing system. With rapid population increase, anthropogenic changes in the biospheric systems of the Region have been in direct

We don’t inherit the land from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children. contradiction to the essential human ethos.

Mechanization and industrialization are often seen as key contributing factors in this reality.

Exploitative resource use and extraction are cited as principal in many cause/effect analyses. Natural resources such as coal, petroleum and oil are primary drivers of the global energy base and economy. These fossil fuels are both non-renewable and harmful atmospheric pollutants. It is estimated that within approximately a hundred years the planet will be exhausted of its indispensible natural resource infrastructure.

A Preface to Nepal’s Climate and Geology Nepal is home to the highest and youngest mountain ranges in the world. Geophysically, it is divided into three principal regions: the High Himalayas, the Hills and Valleys and the Terai. In the context of climate change,

the Himalayan glaciers in Nepal are rapidly retreating – climate scientists predict that by 2070 water levels in the entire region will drop considerably thereby posing colossal threats to millions of lives downstream. Dr. Walter Immerzeel, mountain hydrologist, climate change specialist and visiting scientist at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in Nepal, says “we are now using a more advanced glacier monitoring system model that takes into consideration how slowly glaciers respond to climate change”. Yet surprisingly enough, water discharge in this region is increasing, rather than decreasing.

The reason varies greatly from one watershed to another.Additionally, the water discharge in this Region is increasing rather than decreasing and the causal factors vary greatly from one watershed to another.

Predictions on the impact of climate change on glaciers in this large and, often, inaccessible region range from fear of rising temperatures in the mountains and melting glaciers leading to falling rivers downstream to drought in one of the most denselypopulated regions of the planet. A combined study by ICIMOD and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) confirm that the Himalayan glaciers have retreated by approximately a kilometer since the Little Ice Age–1350 to 1900 A.D. A glacier is a large ice mass that slowly slides or flows over land. It forms primarily in the Polar Regions and in the High Mountains.

Glaciers vary in size, shape and location and are categorized by geologists as Continental glaciers and Valley glaciers. Continental glaciers are broad, thick sheets that cover massive areas of land near the earth’s Polar Regions. The Continental glaciers of Greenland and Antarctica bury mountains and plateaus and cover up entire landscapes barring the highest peaks built up in the sea. Valley glaciers are sheets of ice that cover valleys in the Himalayan Region. Low temperatures enable bulks of snow to build up and turn into ice - glaciers range from approximately 100 to 3,000 meters in thickness.

Formation and Movement of Glaciers Increased ice weight during snowfall, particularly in mountainous areas, make snow

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crystals compact thereby enabling them to combine and form into ice. The thickness and massive weight of the ice eventually induce movement. A glacier flows downward due to gravitational pull with the small crystals causing the entire ice mass to move and form crevasses. Research by ICIMOD indicates that glaciers usually flow slowly and move less than 30 centimeters per day whereas others move more than 15 meters a day.

An Ecological Crisis in the Hindu-Kush Himalayan Region The exhibition of photographs at the Nepal Art Council in Kathmandu focused on climate change in the Himalayan Region including the Karakorum, Pamirs and other neighboring ranges. The Hindu Kush Himalayas extend over 3,500 kilometers over eight countries–from Afghanistan in the west to Myanmar in the east. They are the source of ten major Asian rWiver systems: Amu Darya, Indus, Ganges, Yarling Tsangpo (Bramahaputra), Salween (Nu), Mekong (Lancang), Yangtse (Jinsha), Yellow River (Huanghe) and Tarim (Dayan). These rivers provide water, ecosystem services and basic livelihood necessities to a population of approximately 210.53 million inhabitants, according to ICIMOD’s research on river basins of the Himalayas.

An escalating water predicament and crisis in this Region continues to endanger half the world’s population. There are upto 50,000 glaciers and the river systems support the

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livelihoods of three billion people either directly or indirectly. Studies show that ecological damage occurs, unresolved and unchecked, everyday which could be irreversible. Temperature variations of just a few degrees can also pose dramatic and deleterious effects on the entire sphere.

Scientists argue that the glaciers of the Region will disappear completely by 2035.

Changing snow, rain and wind patterns have also radically disrupted climatic balance in the past few decades. Droughts are now severe and monsoons have swapped villages and farmland in Nepal. Consequently, erosion is becoming dangerously commonplace in these mountainous areas with landslides also becoming more and more frequent. With the Region primarily dependent on agriculture, farmers have witnessed significant loss of top soil vital for growing crops. On the health and climate change front, water borne diseases, Asthma, Parkinson’s Disease, tumors and poor eye sight are becoming widespread.

Endangered fauna in Nepal such as the Black Necked Crane, Blue Sheep, Snow Leopard and Tibetan Gazelle are now in greater jeopardy while flora such as the Yarsa Gumba, Brahma Kamal and Panchamle are known to have significantly decreased with every passing season. Global warming has caused many rivers to divert and change course creating mass floods in many parts of the world. Rivers and oceans are slowly

becoming stagnant which means that underwater life is considerably threatened.

Technology and Climate Monitoring Systems The National Aeronautics and Space Agency’s (NASA), Terra and Aqua satellites, equipped with MODIS sensors, form the centre of Nepal’s Forest Fire Detection and Monitoring System. Information from these satellites is processed at ICIMOD. These satellites pass over Nepal twice a day, providing near real-time fire detection information services. ICIMOD is currently responsible for authenticating this data then forwarded to four hundred subscribers via mobile text messages. Remote Sensing provides an efficient tool for displacement calculations and risk assessment by identifying at-risk glacial lakes especially helpful in remote mountain areas. Researchers, scientists and geologists now obtain critical climate information using space bound imagery.

Economic ramifications and factors of climate change have begun to take centre stage in the climate change debate and reality. Extreme weather patterns and events are also visibly frequent causing large scale human and ecological losses. A fundamental solution to the crisis, however, remains mired by complexity and controversy: care for the environment.

In conclusion, nature must be preserved and wise use of its bounty built into every aspect of human activity, both present and future.

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Appearance and Reality edited by Sangeeta Thapa, by Dr. Yam Prasad Sharma

ANIL SHAHI’s ironic portraits of ‘the Joker’ show the distance between appearance and reality. Masked figures of ‘the Joker’ lend humor whereas the pervasive red complexion of the character projects anger. In the Smile with Me and Inside Out Series, disillusionment, melancholy and sadness are both hidden and exhibited in the mask. He delineates multiple personalities of an individual: the external and internal; the visible and invisible; the artificial and real. The outer world reacts to our lives, recognizes our manifest personas but perhaps not fully enough the real life within. Tragic stories are often veiled by a smiling face.

In the A Live Trophy triptych, ‘the Joker’ is fixed on the wall of aristocrats as the head of a hunted wild beast. In Blissful Ignorance, a person is stuck on the dartboard by an arrow while he pretends to smile. Defined, labeled and confined by myriad forces, the individual is circumscribed in a frame like a photograph or commodity. In

Shattered Dreams, ‘the Joker’ overlooks the curse of the broken mirror and is driven by the need recreate it. In I Know..You know.. We Know,. the apple - symbol of knowledge and

wisdom - appears and disappears in the mind of the protagonist as he becomes aware of his existence, its bitter realities all the while forced to feign ignorance and lack of cognizance. ‘The Joker’ has no power for protest and he must accept his circumstance silently.

Shahi explores contemporary Nepali sociopolitical issues in Fragile Hope. ‘Jokers’ represent the youth swayed by political doublespeak of transformation and change and the inevitable disenchantment and feelings of betrayal. “Those who do not learn the lessons of history are destined to repeat them.” The pervasive theme of hope and hopelessness appears frequently in this work. Crossed-fingers symbolize hope, point toward the Capital’s open stage or Khula Manch but also serve as a warning of sinister underlying motives and political spin.

In Colorful Dreams, paper airplanes are embolisms of childhood and youth - the airplanes take on messages of displacement as a consequence of youth migration often driven by economic necessity. Villages are then transformed into gray and colorless deserts devoid of vitality and people. Shahi also paints a bleak picture of an urbanized Kathmandu Valley.

Modernization and development replace human and aesthetic values. In Through my Window, the Swayambhu Nath Stupa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is surrounded by an ever-growing concrete jungle. ‘Jokers’ are painted in four corners or cardinal directions of the paintings pointing to urban chaos and alienation. The City is Within Me is a radical departure from the Joker Series and is inspired by traditional Tibetan Thang ka paintings. These works reflect the city’s lingering impact on the young artist.

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A Rainbow of Experience edited by Sangeeta Thapa, by Dr. Yam Prasad Sharma SUJAN DANGOL’s paintings are a series of artistic narratives. A single series is devoted to capturing the essential transition from childhood to old age. A portrait of a young boy is imaginatively juxtaposed with his boyhood needs: Spiderman, coca-cola kites, football, flowers, toys and a paper airplane. The second portrait is of a man wearing a Nepali topi seemingly burdened by the load of filial responsibilities. The young boy’s basic needs such as cooking gas, water, electricity, employment, transportation and time find expression in an aircraft flying overhead and repeat a prevalent motif in modern-day Nepal of migration and identity. Dangol’s third portrait is a disturbing narrative of old age. An old lady is blinded in one eye, sports patched up spectacles as she stares disconcertingly at the viewer – her wrinkled visage tells a story of disease, disillusionment, disorder, confusion, fragmented family life and other gloomy life experiences. A pile of old, wrecked cars in the background also brings to the fore her immobility and, thus, lifelessness. Circles of color symbolize the nava raas - the nine key moods or emotions expressed in traditional music and dance.

The diptych I Know One Buffalo Lets Celebrate paints a crow perched on a buffalo’s head. Dangol uses the crow and the buffalo, both mascots of Yama the God of death, as narrative figures in a tale of social exploitation wherein one annihilates the other or destroys the other’s life force in the manner of a parasite. The second part of the diptych portrays the clever crow victoriously pecking at a plate of momos made from buffalo meat. The momos expand on yet another level of meaning - they are an integral part of Nepali popular culture. It is said that buffalos are imported from India to serve the growing demand for this delicacy. Have we become the new parasites?

The Graduation Series portrays the personal experiences of a student or, perhaps, the artist himself. The third painting in this series depicts a restroom which the artist enters after graduation.

Multiplication of the lotus in the toilet bowl suggests confusion

and disillusion in the mundane and private setting of the restroom where the artist mulls over his future prospects. The paintings subtly imply that the link between obtaining a degree and securing a job is fallacious.

In Homage to Yuemin Jun, Dangol examines the perils of environmental degradation and global warming. Inspired by the visual rhetoric of Chinese artist Yuemin Jun, he paints a man looking at an extinct dinosaur and laughing unaware that he is turning into a fish and on the verge of extinction himself. In this witty articulation, the joke is on the man and on Yuemin Jun whose works are always satirical. In Nothing Left to Divide, he paints traditional Newari doorways to explore the theme of property, central to Nepali society, which negates the intrinsic architectural value and beauty of this distinctive Nepali design form.

In the Gaijatra Series, Dangol focuses on different angles of the festival. He captures the inherent sadness surrounding Gaijatra Festival essentially the day of the dead. Many mourn the dead during this day by reliving the pain and suffering of bereavement.

Tradition dictates that young boys dress as cows to signify the loss of a family member. The paintings render the boys as medieval statues whose grief has turned them into stone. Over time Gaijatra has evolved into a festival of humor and satire.

The diptych captures the mirth and sadness of this festival with precision and poignancy. Experience and perspective find particular resonance and expression in the artist’s works: the transition from childhood to old age, the desire for education and predictable disillusionment, the uncertain future of humanity in the face of environmental degradation, social exploitation and injustice, the loss of intangible culture and heritage, and the myth of property.

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INTERNATIONAL

Live Performance Art 2014

by Erina Tamrakar

PERFORMANCE ART is an alternative art practice in which the artist uses his or her own body, posture and gesture as a medium for expression of ideas and concepts related to contemporary social issues. It is an amalgamation of diverse media forms such as drama, music, colours - artists find self-expression through their bodies as tools or materials.

Bindu, a space for artists in Kathmandu, organized International Live Performance Art 2014 in collaboration with the Nippon International Performance Art Festival (NIPAF) in January and February.

Established in 2006, Bindu is an alternative art space which explores new and experimental art forms and holds related exhibitions. The International Live Performance Art highlights included renowned Japanese performance artist Japan Seiji Shimoda, Director of NIPAF, along with four Japanese artists who collaborated with 22 young Nepali artists.

During the event, the Nepal Academy of Fine Arts in Kathmandu transformed into an art hub of live performances.

The first day of the event opened with my performance - my second live performance in two decades of artistic endeavor. For this performance, I used buckets of liquid colours (red, blue, green and yellow) poured onto my body with my body movements, in turn, creating colours on large white canvases. The performance ended with the text: “my identity.”

Visual artist Asha Dangol’s performance was themed on air pollution and smog.

He attempted to create an environment polluted by smog and dust using fire.

Sound (noise??) pollution was recreated for the audience in the form of a poetry recital. Dressed as an oxygen mask man, the performance brought him to the center of the fire circle. Ishan Pariyar’s performance was based out of the butterfly or dark fly. The dark fly and butterfly are symbols of struggle and metamorphosis as exhibited by a caterpillar or larvae. Japanese performance artist Seiji Shimoda performed through the symbol of the plastic jungle. Interestingly, artist 18 / SPACESNEPAL.COM

Mahesh Bastakoti used his upper body as a performance tool pinning safety pins onto it which he later unpinned to engage the audience and elicit reactions. At the Newa Chen Gallery on February 1, Shashi Maharjan used footprints of dogs and

balloons to generate awareness for street dogs. Sundar Lama’s performance of self identity was punctuated by tension and release. Dressed as a Newari woman, Ratina Bajracharya sought to raise awareness of Newari cultural preservation.

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FROM REAL TO SURREAL

A Meditative Journey

by Pujan Joshi

WHAT STRUCK ME impressively in the exhibition,’ From Real to Surreal’, a meditative journey, was firstly the title itself. I consider myself fortunate to go study different forms of art in many art galleries in the city. This had to have a virtuous effect to my perception on surreal art within me because specifically I love visualization mingled with imagination.

Like many of us who love dreaming, the unfailingly fascinating sights of such dreamy or surreal paintings made me more attentive and inquisitive to lean more on the theme of each photos taken and the power of imagination and expression.

The inspiration to paint the actual photos taken by an Iranian Couple, and the conceptual surrealistic paintings done by the creative art students of Kathmandu University from stimulating and touching photography concept of the Iranian couple, a husband and a wife team made an ambience of tranquility. Some paintings were done so dreamingly pensive or meditatively, that as soon as I reached Siddhartha Art Gallery, Babar Mahal, I could notice nearly every visitor drawn, as if by magnet towards the introductory speech given by the Iranian organizers and the

painters who defined surrealism art in their own experiences and the motivation behind those photos and paintings displayed.

As wine and tea was being served, the mood tends to balance and make every visitor feel content as another Iranian musician; Morteza Ketabnevis started playing a traditional Iranian stringed instrument that made the late evening ambience even more interesting with a touch of Sufi melody. I was just in time to attend to the speech given by the artistic couple Soha Ebrahim Zandi, a civil engineer and his wife Somaya Farhan a French language teacher, where they defined surrealistic art or Surrealism is another dimension to reality and is another form of looking at reality. I was moved by their speech. Their explanation and their experiences shared made me want to converse with them, converse with them.

As I will later briefly mention their inspiring and enduring quest to travel the world. The couple were devoted in their effort to raise consciousness for love peace and harmony between the mother earth and all the beings that inhabits it and more importantly to share their photographs taken from various countries to show that there is still hope.

Their story gets even more inspiring and is bound to stir up your consciousness, but firstly I want to introduce the readers to their charismatic persona, a couple that eventually FEBRUARY 2014 / 19

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realized that money isn’t everything but love and oneness is everything.

The Iranian husband wife team, Soha Ebrahim Zandi, and his wife Somaya Farhan , two independent photographs and filmmakers have been travelling through ten countries on their bicycles since April , 2012. The countries they have travelled so far are Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan,Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, India and Nepal, and are still on their process for travelling to other countries. The artistic duo arrived in Nepal on the month of September in 2013. I could only imagine their harsh but extraordinary expedition and dedication on travelling the world on bicycles while taking photographs and building concepts for it, Ebrahim explains to me, “well I’m the photographer but my wife has the eye for surrealistic details. We are one soul in two bodies”. Somaya smiles and I could sense that they had experienced a life changing circumstances in their journey. Both of them had a sparkle in their eyes, a flash of kindness, down to earth personality and their love for every being on this planet.

She explains to me, “a realistic photo should be complemented with surrealistic paintings and only then the representation becomes lively and perfect.” The both of them explained to me to that their journey as a symbol of ying- yang which helped them to perceive the world in another dimension.

I had to ask them what inspired them on such a tough mission, their chronicle of

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kindness and oneness followed when they lost their savings of US$ 8000. The bank in their country had shut down and they could not get the money through any bank transactions while they were travelling.

They couldn’t believe such an incident would occur and specially while travelling abroad. Isolated , tired and hungry they kept cycling around countries but that experience changed their views of life completely, as people from all the countries they visited greeted them with the act of kindness. Provisions for food, water and rest were a special hospitality treatment

everywhere they went; they carried on with the journey for twenty months without a single penny. It was a feeling of surreal for them as they recall. The act of such kindness made them realize that such awareness had to be spread; hence they started sharing their experiences through exhibition like these. Losing their money helped them to realize that money and materialistic attachments are of actual no importance at all, but your outlook towards yourself and the people are all that matters.

As I was the last person still observing their photographs and paintings done by Kathmandu University art students, and was then ready to leave, the curator and owner of the gallery Mrs. Sangeeta Thapa greeted me again and asked me to come again, my answer was a definite, “yes of course”.

After all these kinds of interactions between people makes me joyful to do my work and spread their message of love and oneness.

Surrealism is considered as an art and literature combined that was founded in Paris in 1924 by the French poet Andre Breton. These kinds of art are used by surrealist artist as a weapon against the evils and restrictions they see against society.

Literally meaning super reality, surrealism art is nowadays getting popular even in Nepal.

Art students from Kathmandu University showcased their own perceptions according to the photographs taken by Soha and Somaya. Their perception of their surreal art is shocking as well as remarkable, a literature in art.

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NEPAL’S ROAD ARCHITECTURE IN NEPAL, both urban and rural road architecture are increasingly bound by a multitude of challenges.

Plagued by lack of sound scientific and geological research, use of quality materials and well-planned design are also known to hinder the development of a critical infrastructure now caught in the throes of renewal.

by Pujan Joshi

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We Shape the City and

the City Shapes Us

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N NEPAL, both urban and rural road architecture are increasingly bound by a multitude of challenges. Plagued by lack of sound scientific and geological research, use of quality materials and well-planned design are also known to hinder the development of a critical infrastructure now caught in the throes of renewal. Heavy traffic gridlocks are, in turn, perpetuated by delayed transportation strategies and policies out of tune with the needs of a steadily urbanizing world. In Kathmandu alone, there are up to three lakh vehicles that ply the city roads in a single day. It is reported that over 600 cars and 300 motorcycles are registered daily. The Valley has a population of approximately 2.7 million which is growing at 4.32 percent per year – it is also one of the fastest urbanizing cities in Asia.

Road hazards such as air pollution, heavy emissions, road accidents and noise pollution are exacerbated by the near absence of timely road construction. Consequently, access to places, resources, services and goods has become immensely mired thus requiring a massive conceptual leap in Nepal’s road architecture and transportation systems. Public transportation, in general, remains woefully inadequate despite services such as the Sajha Bus which has increased reliability and efficiency.

Improvements in motorized road infrastructures are few and

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far between alongside low infrastructural investments in nonmotorized transportation such as pedestrian and cyclist lanes and special provisions for the elderly and handicapped.

A ‘smart’ architectural paradigm that inculcates environmental awareness and aesthetics must be prioritized in Nepal with suitable citizen engagement and involvement. Collaboration between all concerned Government Ministries and Departments and private agencies is key to realize a wellrounded vision for road management – a balance must also be achieved among diverse components such as technology considerations and solutions, aesthetics, management and functionality for people and heritage preservation.

Investments in trained and experienced architects and engineers can help bridge the gap between demands for safety, visibility, lighting, landscape studies, better lane systems and an overall environment that meets these requirements. Crucial factors such as the local ecology, geology, safety requirements, engineering works and socioeconomic viability must inform the overall approach and planning. Appropriate design and technology, in the current reality of urban and rural mobility, are key given Nepal’s geographical specificities.

Issues, Voices and Con versations

Mobility is not just about developing transport infrastructures and services; it is about overcoming the social, economic, political and physical barriers to movement, such as class, gender relations, poverty, physical disabilities and affordability.

- Dr. Joan Clos, Executive Director, UN-Habitat

14 November, 1996, Koteshwor

Ancient Road Architecture in Nepal Professor Sudharshan Raj Tiwari, author of The Ancient settlement of Nepal Valley, Temples of Nepal Valley and The Brick and the Bull, explains how ancient temples were built in road intersections and crossings. The major trans-himalayan roads originated from Bhimsenthan with the main spinal road running from Jaisidewal to Chettrapati. During the Licchavi Period, roads usually comprised a network

of seven sets of roads diagonal in direction and linear further augmented by public spaces for resting, social gatherings and festivities.

Roads constructed during the Malla Period were given as much importance as the city centers themselves. These roads were organic with a focus on road squares supported by rectangular roads with the conceptual road always

straight. Curved roads were not permitted during this Era. The temple was the central construct around which proper flow of traffic and mobility were coordinated with a clockwise route minimizing congestion in the entire area.

This strategy was later made mandatory as it allowed for harmony in movement.

The temple also served as a landmark for travelers with a strict code of conduct maintained and followed in this regard.

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R Dr. Biswa Ranjan Singh Sahi,

explains how the Malla King of Yen or Kantipur, Jaya Prakash Malla (B.S 1736–1768) began a trading partnership with Tibet and the Mughal Empire. As the road outwards began to extend making commerce vital, war between different states soon followed. King Jaya Prakash Malla co-opted the British in order to overpower King Prithivi Narayan Shah of Gorkha whose aim was to stop these trade routes. The British entered Nepal via Patna in India en route from Janakpur and Siddhipur,- a battle between the Gorkhas and the British eventually helped establish larger roads as the respective armies sought better routes to victory. With the defeat of the British, the course of road alignment took root both commercially and strategically. As civilizational values gained prominence with time and commercial interests, frequent use of these pathways grew less effective and thus began the era of institutionalized Nepali road architecture. These pathways

were subsequently covered with brick and stone; functional bridges were also designed for better transportation.

The process of formalizing smooth, large roads in Nepal continues to the present day. Pipal and Banyan trees brought in the vital environmental connection – these

trees are also considered to be sacred.

The importance of environmental impact was considered a major influencing factor with respect to road architecture.

Innovations such as the Chautari (resting place), built under these trees, leant much-needed value to the evolving and now quintessential Nepali way of life.

records and studies indicate that the earthquakes of AD 1253, 1680 and 1932 are likely to recur every 75 years. Case studies in heritage preservation along roadsides monitor archeological importance with the KMC, Nepal Heritage Society and other concerned departments needing to step-up progress in the event of such disasters. In 2006, KMC officially requested the demolishing of new structures around the Rani Pokhari and the restoration of the pond to its original form - the pond itself dates back to the sixteenth century.

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Shriju Pradhan Tuladhar, Coordinator of community mobilization and Former Environmental Chief, Heritage Preservation at Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC), says that the majority of inner city roads were designed for walking. Community protests against the widening of such roads have grown in recent years and serve to remind us of their historical and archeological significance. Social spaces such as the Chowk and the Patti still bear considerable practical value and are scattered across Kritipur, Bhaktapur, Madhyapur (Thimi), Lalitpur and Kantipur.

There are seven registered UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Nepal but these sites are in need of repair and reple ishment having undergone both manmade and natural changes. Seismic 24 / SPACESNEPAL.COM

Is there a KMC initiative currently underway to preserve cultural heritage sites?

The two kilometer long stretch along the Bagmati river bank behind the Thapathali to Teku road is dotted by countless Hindu and Buddhist shrines and ghats, some of which date back to the seventh c entury. Many of these heritage sites in the Kalmochan Ghat – Teku Dovan Monument Zone are dilapidated and in need of immediate attention. KMC is currently proposing an initiative to conserve and revive the area in partnership with local communities.

What are the key assessment criteria for your department?

We must realize that as new roads are constructed, we should understand the area in its entirety. We are in the process of forming a committee along with working teams to coordinate and lead new initiatives. A plan is also being prepared for area improvements such as streetlights, green spaces, stone pavements, playgrounds, exercise areas, public toilets and proper waste management.

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planners and decision makers must recognize the human right to equitable access and focus efforts on improving urban mobility.

A complete paradigm shift from the current vehicle-centric transportation system to a people-centric one which enhances the environment, economy and quality of life is imperative for Kathmandu Valley.

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Bhusan Tuladhar, Environmental Engineer and Regional Technical Advisor, South Asia at UN-HABITAT and Former Head of Environment Department and Member of City Planning Commission at Kathmandu Metropolitan City, says Nepal is one of the fastest urbanizing countries in Asia. With an average growth rate of over 5 percent, Kathmandu Valley has seen unprecedented growth in motorization. Increasing traffic congestion, lack of open spaces, road accidents, dependency on fossil fuels, air pollution and carbon emissions have led to dire economic, environmental and health consequences. According to UN Habitat, the greatest challenge to urban mobility arises from the current fixation with buildings and expanding transport infrastructures. Urban

What is the current status of urbanization in Nepal?

Kathmandu was originally designed as a city for walking. A considerable part of the city’s beauty and charm lie in its pathways and are important as the city arteries. Public spaces such as the chowk, patti and square are critical elements which are complementary to road architecture in general. Throughout history, city spaces have functioned as meeting places for diverse activities and needs of its denizens. Following the planning ideals of modernism, road mobility on foot declined to 40 percent whereas it wavs 53 percent 20 years back. Nepal is considered to be among the least urbanized country in South Asia while Kathmandu is among the most rapidly urbanizing cities.

The Government must conduct appropriate research and make our city beautiful and

sustainable for future generations as well.

What are the major challenges in implementing public services such as pedestrian pathways, bicycle lanes and lanes for the handicapped and the elderly?

We encourage the Government to take necessary steps on three fronts: the policy level, capacity and training and awareness building. Fifty percent of the road accidents and fatalities are of pedestrians and those who cannot afford a car. If we do not pay due attention to such problems, fatalities will grow year after year. The concept of open places, pathways and lanes is a vital part of a city or community. Nepal also has a cycling culture. It is distressing to learn that government departments think only in terms of vehicles and faster mobility. Urban areas must be able to decrease speed not increase speed. Pedestrians and bicycle traffic save space and do not overcrowd the city; they also make positive contributions to the green ethos and sustainability by reducing emissions and pollution.

Responsiveness to these factors must precede any road planning and, indeed, city planning itself.

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Road Construction Material Spaces had an in-depth conversation with Mukul Mani Dahal, General Manager at Nepal Bitumen & Barrel Udyog, on road construction materials - the company focuses on procuring materials and services used for building roads such as bitumen materials, barrels, drums and containers. Bitumen, also known as Asphalt or Alakatra, is a petroleum product used for black top roads and road durability.

What kinds of Bitumen are used for constructing roads in Nepal?

Bitumen is used as binder in road construction and maintenance; 80/100 prime grade bitumen is directly imported from India. We provide bitumen for road construction along with quality certificates in every consignment. There are various types or qualities of bitumen that we provide: Bitumen Emulsion, Crumb Rubber Modified Bitumen (CRMB) and Polymer Modified Bitumen (PMC).

Can you explain the use of Cationic bitumen emulsion in Nepal’s context?

We term Cationic bitumen emulsion in Nepal as “Himalsion.”

This is designed to suit the climatic and traffic conditions of Nepal by formulating high quality ingredients in advanced formulae. The superior quality of “Himalsion” is an effective and economical alternative to conventional bitumen. This quality is unmatched as it inherits properties such as viscosity, stability, breaking rate and adhesion. An individual walking on the road or driving can feel the effectiveness and guage the quality and durable bonding on roads along with the smoothness.

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Planning and Design The Department of Roads (DOR) and the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) are currently responsible for land allocation, budget and construction controlled through the road planning process. Designs are sketched prior to construction; budget and land allocations are tabled to concerned departments and organizations. Road architecture is undertaken before the actual construction itself begins. The alarming rate at which road problems such as undulations, potholes, rutting, cracking, deformations and pollution are on the rise in Nepal necessitate an overhaul and rethink of the entire road planning and design paradigm with necessary weight put on road standards and technology.

Both urban and rural road architecture in Nepal exhibit immense room for improvement. In the hinterlands, local road user groups were formed to manage the road infrastructure in Rupandehi, Palpa, Dhading, Dolakha, Parbat and Ilam districts.

Would an increase in toll or road tax necessarily translate into better and improved roads? Cities function like arteries of the human body; if an artery is blocked or congested, the entire system suffers. Well-known architect Jah Gehl coined the phrase: “We shape cities, and the cities shape us.� Appropriate and sustainable designs and technology must be prioritized at all levels of the road planning and design processes. Spaces had a insightful conversation with Dr. Biswa Ranjan Singh Shahi from the Department of Road who holds considerable understanding and experience having worked as a chief engineer, material engineer, geo-tech engineer and road engineer.

What is principal source for road materials?

The Government helps in locating the sources but this must be supported by geological research.

We must remember that all these resources derive from nature.

My research study with a World Bank Project in 1992 on resources materials was conducted primarily to understand the quantity and the quality of the resources needed. The research results were shared with various departments. However, negligence has now led to drastic consequences as our resources are receding. We import different kinds of bitumen from India, Singapore and Iran and these are scientifically tested for suitability and durability.

In architectural terms, is there room for improvement?

We are still optimistic - we coordinate among the Private Sector and Government departments with significant information exchange and technological enhancements involved. Priority is given to road architecture as it is extremely important; aspects such as road inclination, smoothness, road geometry, super elevation, safe distances and lighting are now of critical value. We must apply the International Roughness Index (IRI) as the standard in smoothness, beauty and to prevent skidding. Roadside pavements for the elderly, disabled and bicycle lanes, aesthetics and a sound environmental consciousness are vital necessities now.

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Environment K.B. Shahi, Chairperson of Aastha Scientific Research Services, opines that Nepal is rich in natural capital - natural and manmade disasters, however, have continually rendered roads and mobility in the country particularly dangerous.

Please explain briefly your research work and services.

Aastha Scientific Research Service was established in B.S. 2065. The Agricultural Sector and Road Management are national priorities. Our research services include laboratory tests, chemical testing and health checks. Our foundational team consists of doctors, micro-biologists, geologists and biologists who also help to build a strong network. We focus on main roads and maintenance; we also study air, soil, water and noise for road improvement.

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How do your research services help in road construction?

We have a team that checks rock, gravel, soil and water content in roads which is further tested in the laboratories. A series of international standards, such as the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environmental Impact Monitoring (EIM), is used to help minimize risk to roads and the environment. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a preventive process by which costly and irreparable mistakes are avoided during project development and implementation. It serves as an important tool for environmental planning through identification, prediction and evaluation of potential project impact.

The EIA is a major instrument integrated to ensure economically-sound project development which is both environmentally suitable and sustainable. The Environment Impact Monitoring (EIM) helps to monitor hazardous waste, surface and ground water pollution along with landfill gas.

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D.I.G Keshav Adhikari, Metropolitan Traffic Police Division What is the role of the Traffic Department in Planning of Roads?

Our department has only 3% authority in planning, or to be precise we have not been handed any authority by the government. We have only been permitted for only few responsibilities like, Accident Investigations and Checking of vehicles. It’s important that the Ministry of Infrastructure and transport organization take this into account. The Traffic department should be given full authority for planning of roads, because our department has to face the daily fatal incidents of bad road planning. The D.O.T.M department have recommended us to fine only of 200 Rs to 1000 Rs for traffic violation, though they have helped us with Lights and dividers for roads, they should allow us to plan as well as to monitor traffic violation fines.

Has the planning of demolition of encroachment lands helped the Traffic Department in anyway?

We have a strong relation with Kathmandu Valley Development Authority and in some areas it has helped us but at the same time the extension of deadline in Nepal is habitual. It’s disappointing to see the slow progress of the planning. We did see the rapid demolition two years back but now the debris, utility poles and materials piled up on the roads have created a chaos for the Traffic Department. This has also led to major cause of road accidents and the negligence of awareness of such dangers especially during the night time has had disastrous outcome and pre-mature deaths. Currently areas like Lazimpat, Nakkhu, Tinkune and Minbhawan are the most traffic congested areas due to this demolition and it needs to be well equipped with road markings, traffic lights, dividers and parking areas.

Does the Traffic Department take responsibility or encourage Environmental awareness?

We have always encouraged various related departments for the importance of avenues, bushes, grass and sturdy rooted trees along side roads as it adapts to landscapes and prevent from washing the soil, however some trees that are not suitable for roadside we advise them to be rooted out because many accidents and deaths have occurred. These days we see more of advertisement hoarding boards and the profanity of some advertisements are also to be blamed for road accidents. continuted on page 30

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continuted from page 29

Is the present road architecture to be blamed for such mayhem traffic congestions and noise pollution?

In the Capital alone we have more than 3 lakhs vehicles roving around in one day, so in several places bad road architecture and planning is to be blamed. Imagine,one traffic policemen have to monitor 762 vehicles in the city and without appropriate technology and work up to 15 hours a day. Every department should take into account of the importance of planning and not only for the present but for the future as well, as more vehicles will be registered and the traffic congestion problem will arise again. Our laws allows 26 decibels of noise on the roads but in city the noise pollution by vehicles are of 100 decibels, however we have managed to reduce from from 100 percent to 10 percent.

Traffic Management Inspector S.R Hachhethu, stationed at the Durbar Marg Department, explains that the main concern and objective of the Traffic Department, as a whole, is to reduce road accidents and consequent fatalities.

in the roads of Nepal via foreign newspapers. If we are given 50 percent administrative authority, there will likely be a concomitant decline in incidents and fatalities.

What improvements could be instituted in the Traffic Department in terms of administrative details?

Firstly, coordination and communication are key but they are lacking in the current scenario. Consider this: we only have three percent administrative power whereas in other countries the Traffic Department is given full authority. The Department currently knows which areas are accident prone zones and what measures must be taken to save lives in the future. It is frustrating to hear news of high death tolls and accidents

How important is road architecture in this regard?

Road architecture is of the utmost importance; road geometry can reduce fatalities instantly. With proper road geometry and fluorescent lights installed, I can guarantee that fatalities will decrease drastically. However, we need better architects, mathematicians, engineers and laborers, International standards, aesthetics, environmental consciousness and better road materials are

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the needs of the hour. The importance of road architecture was highlighted by D.I.G Bigyan Raj Shahi and D.I.G. Ganesh Raj Rai who were instrumental in helping many departments raise awareness and focus on reconstruction of many city roads.

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ROAD TRIP with

Bibbi Aburuzzini A long journey on the highway can be exhausting. The lack of comfort and the perennially bad roads are anything but relaxing.

We all wish we had better roads. the danger. Relax. There is little or nothing you can do. You are, invariably, in the hands of the driver and his assistant.

The bus driver’s assistant is among the protagonists of the journey. From early morning to late night, he is half-awake and half-asleep but (surprisingly!) always ready to help load the luggage and goods. A stop for a meal is often a welcome relief. All along the highway, you can find relaxing rest stops and restaurants particularly restive after a few squeezed hours in the bus. Food and drinks are usually expensive. On these occasions, a stop at the toilet, ‘just in case’, is certainly a good habit. You never know when and where you’ll stop again!

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S A FOREIGNER, I enjoy traveling on local buses. It is part of the adventure. Here is the story of life on the Nepalese roads based on my experience and my learning. First of all, the word ‘impossible’ is almost non-existent in the Nepalese lexicon. This is especially true when it comes to travel in remote areas. Modern road construction technologies have not helped the country eliminate some of the most hazardous conditions that exist in the world.

Unprotected, cliff-hugging roads are still a reality.

The highway between Kathmandu and Chitwan is the busiest road in Nepal, connecting the western and eastern parts of the country. Everyday buses, tourist cars, trucks and motorcycles rush along its serpentine route and it is exactly here that we understand why Nepal is known, throughout the world, as a land of contrasts. The road follows a beautiful river valley but the idyllic scenery is, sadly, often obstructed by road accidents. These buses and heavy trucks navigate the road while trying to beat the incoming traffic to the curves. Is this a car race, I think? I am familiar with hair-rising situations but here it is better not to think of

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Many of the roads which lead to remote areas are more likely to be tracks, making travel by bus very slow – but beautiful. If you look out the window, you can see stunning scenes of daily life in Nepal - women combing their hair and expressing their femininity; children walking on the side of the highway while coming home from school or (again) youngsters waving at people in a bus rushing through a village.

On the road where buses are more likely to stop, food, fruit and drink sellers are everywhere - especially the “highway kids” driven by the hope of selling a slice of coconut. A long journey on the highway can be exhausting. The lack of comfort and the perennially bad roads are anything but relaxing. We all wish we had better roads. The problem is structural: the highway is way too narrow. A technical failure is enough to create a queue as long as the Great Wall of China! The mistake of one creates sorrow for many.

It must be noted that as soon as you reach your destination, you will look back at the journey with a smile – and sometimes with a grimace - on your face.

Inevitably, the highway has served its purpose: it took you somewhere, maybe home or maybe to a place which you yet have to discover.

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An Interview with

Kishore Thapa

Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development

by Pujan Joshi

Urban planning is built on a fundamentally hierarchical structure with a similar hierarchy for roads and open spaces as well. There are standard bylaws for roads in urban areas.

How is the Ministry of Urban Development assisting in the implementation of road standards for well-maintained roads in Kathmandu City?

A key mandate of the Ministry is the development of urban roads. Similarly, the Ministry of Physical Infrastructures is responsible for highways and strategic roads. Urban roads are categorized as arterial urban roads, collector roads and feeder roads. Arterial roads are four and six lane roads and form the main artery of the city. Collector roads are roads on which tax is levied. Feeder roads may be clusters of secondary roads used to bring traffic into a major road.

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Urban planning is built on a fundamentally hierarchical structure with a similar hierarchy for roads and open spaces as well. There are standard bylaws for roads in urban areas. Roads that are less than 4 meters in width are not considered as urban roads. The pre-existing standard required to be maintained is 4 meters, 6 meters and 8 34 / SPACESNEPAL.COM

meters. Therefore, emphasis is placed on roads of up to 4 meters, 6 meters, 8 meters, 11 meters and 20 meters width.

Twenty meter roads are artery roads with four lane roads such as Ramshah Path, Bishnumati Link Road and the Kamalpokhari, Gaushala/Lainchaur and Maharajgunj roads. Similarly, there are two types of single lane roads: the 4 meter lane road without a footpath for access to plots or houses and the 6 meter lane road with a footpath on one side or the 8 meter road with footpaths on both sides alongside a single lane.

These are the established standards used during the development of housing colonies or vicinities - the road hierarchy therein is the urban road standard.

In terms of quality road construction, is there a standard for road materials?

Yes, there is a standard level for road materials. There are various types or qualities of bitumen used, namely, Bitumen Emulsion, Crumb Rubber Modified Bitumen (CRMB) and Polymer Modified Bitumen (PMC). We consult

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construction experts and conduct a (feasibility?) study of quality standard road construction. In rural areas, there are three kinds of roads: the dirt road, gravel road and asphalt road/metal road.

Dirt roads and gravel roads are not permitted in urban areas. All urban roads are required to be paved either by asphalt or concrete.

Quality wise, even though asphalt is used, the required detail on edges, corners and drainage are absent leading to a limited life span. How are quality control challenges addressed?

There are standards for this as well. Many roads in Kathmandu appear standard and sub-standard. The reason is that the roads do not meet the landscape requirement. Our main obstacle is the landscape followed by the bylaws.

For example, a road that is 11 meter wide needs a footpath that is 2 meters wide alongside proper drainage. The requirements also include two lanes and streetlights but the inability for the right path and landscape obstacles do

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not permit this. Given this scenario, the Government then constructs with metal in order to avoid dust that could result in incomplete roads or what is referred to as incomplete roads. The Department of Roads (DOR) and Development Committees complete road construction by following standard regulations such as the size of the road core, width of the footpath, drainage system among others.

If the edging or a proper drainage system is supervised, the life span of the road will increase. Why is this action not implemented?

The main reason for this is the need to demolish these kinds of roads regularly - roads that are simply ‘make-shift roads’.

These roads are constructed for easy pedestrian and vehicle mobility and for supporting commerce. In cases where the asphalt is not of correct thickness, the result is an overlay. In general, roads must be overlaid with overlay construction carried out periodically to support increase in traffic, cracks and bleeding on the roads. Overlays are thin surfaces - airport runway overlays are upgraded every five years and used primarily to protect the road surfaces.

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Is there a maintenance bylaw and is it possible to incorporate maintenance as a critical element? What is the policy for roadside assets?

Maintenance guidelines do exist.

Furthermore, there is now an interesting training agenda called ‘Roads Board’ which is an institution established under the law. The Roads Board is responsible for collecting road toll or tax and redistributing it to the Municipalities, District Development Committees (DDC) and Department of Roads (DOR). For urban roads, part of the tax money has been given to municipalities over the past five years for road maintenance.

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What is the status of the privatization debate? Can certain infrastructures be privatized and what are the requisite policies?

We have been testing the Private Sector for many years now with some success and failure. An important test is being conducted in the tunnel road to Hetauda which is completely a private sector venture. Moreover, in urban environments, elevated roads can be built by the Private

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We all realize that without proper public transportation, any city cannot function efficiently.

Nepal’s Transport Sector is dominated by private industry which has its own limitations, grievances and constraints. Systemization and properly organization are instrumental here.

Sector with provisions for charging road tax. I have proposed an elevated road from Koteshwor- Minbhawan – Maitighar and Thapathali to Tripureshowr and Kalanki which are among the busiest streets in Kathmandu. A key advantage of this proposal is the connection between the Arniko Highway and Tribhuwan Highway.

As a busy, commercially viable road, the Private Sector can effectively manage this project while raising money via road tax.

The Ministry is ready to offer this project to the Private Sector.

What about public transport?

We all realize that without proper public transportation, any city cannot function efficiently. Nepal’s Transport Sector is dominated by private industry which has its own limitations, grievances and constraints. Systemization and properly organization are instrumental here. These companies are individual enterprises, hence it is difficult to establish and institute well-functioning coordination.

With private transportation companies, opportunities exist for bus standards, trained staff and suitable bus stops.

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In terms of road expansion, there are two principal components: to make the road broader for flow where traffic will increase over time and to systemize public transport. Is there any priority being given to development of public spaces such as parks, bicycle lanes and jogging areas? If you look at the number of vehicles today, it appears to be a temporary problem but larger problems will arise leading to serious challenges. How do you take these into account?

There is a dire need for large buses such as the Sajha Bus and Starline Bus; these are the transport models that Kathmandu needs. The Ministry encourages the Private Sector to procure high capacity buses for the city whereas Micro Buses and Tempos are important for the outskirts of the Valley.

High capacity, low emission buses are a crucial necessity in urban areas. The Sajha

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Bus Service has recently started - if the Private Sector focuses on larger buses as well, this will be beneficial to everyone.

The Private Sector is disorganized here.

They have prioritized tourist transportation services by introducing the Starline Buses. We must also maintain local buses such as Sajha Buses and details such as seating arrangements must be fixed and standardized for urban areas and contexts.

The Ministry is in the process of minimizing cars in Kathmandu Valley and we have now introduced a ‘Clean City Program’. Through this program we aim to restrict use of government vehicles on Fridays. We are committed to making the Kathmandu roads safe, hazard free and standardized places for the future generations.

If fees are levied for vehicles going to the inner cities, there is bound to be a reduction in traffic congestion. Is that not suitably applicable?

This falls under the purview of the urban management system management itself also has a cost and must be borne by the Municipality(s). This is a viable and applicable concept but it will be difficult to institutionalize. We have an ongoing project called the Kathmandu Sustainable Urban Transport Project (KSUTP) which is jointly implemented by the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) and the Department of Roads (DOR). The Department of Roads will undertake improvements on the road inter-sections with traffic lights, bridges, artery roads, additional roads and other facilities while KMC will work on stone pavements and pedestrian, cyclist and handicapped lanes. After the project is completed, historical parts of the city will have better footpaths and pavements for pedestrians including areas such as Thamel. The plan includes additional pedestrian sidewalks that will be constructed, improved and managed.

In Thamel, the asphalt will be replaced by smooth stone pavements. The design process is almost complete and construction will begin within six months.

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Road To Shangri-La A Nepali Narrative Rediscovered with Arjun Singh Tulachan

By Veneeta Singha

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HE DISTRICT OF MUSTANG in Dhaulagiri Zone of Western Nepal has found its way into our collective imagination, over the years, with varying degrees of understanding and pride.

Once the Kingdom of Lo, it is now among Nepal’s avowed tourist havens. Scenically unparalleled, this region is also invoked as the essential mountain ecosystem while presenting uncharacteristic geophysical properties. I had made a trip to Jomsom, the district HQ, many years back. The landscapes and the piercingly pure mountain air remain with me as my own signifiers of Nepal and the Nepali terrain. Walking along the banks of the Kali Gandaki from Kagbeni, my friend and I rediscovered our personal life stories, unleashed by a sharp perception of the natural surroundings that still make the journey indescribable.

A return to Mustang many years later, even through a morning conversation with one of its well-known sons, put the region into perspective with complete clarity. Arjun

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Singh Tulachan, proprietor of Hotel Sunset View, brought Mustang to us in a way that only he could have done. The main order of the day was a discussion on road development in Upper and Lower Mustang.

I hesitated for a while. It did not seem fitting that we take sides on the issue. Much to our delight, we found a Nepali narrative, votive and inspiring, waiting to unravel.

The road to heaven is paved with potent insight and when the going gets tough, we seek wise experience. The narrative itself was also interspersed with discontent and misgivings - a pristine environment, steeped with culture and ingenuity, is turning into a dysfunctional modernism. Mustang is a message and a medium for Nepal. (Excerpts from an incredible conversation with Mr. Tulachan follow.)

The ongoing road development program in Mustang is, firstly, not conducive to the continued well being of its inhabitants and environs. The sudden introduction of “car culture” has meant that while modernism

has made inroads here, the wherewithal to benefit from it is still glaringly absent.

Changes witnessed from this dynamic include exploitative commercialism in tourism and significant cultural erosion. As a nation of still untapped tourism potential, the push and pull factors in the industry are, thus, rendered unsustainable. The inherently spiritual nature and origin of many tourist attractions here must take hold in the public consciousness as over-arching guiding principles.

Mustang is home to the world’s deepest gorge. Transplanting new and progressive thinking into a fundamentally natural system such as this must necessarily involve a strengthening of old and time-tested ways.

In correlation, the foundations of progress and modernity can only translate into real, meaningful value for the people and places of Mustang if the ideals of science and nature, culture and society, community and the individual are brought together in a longterm vision of development. By extension,

COVER STORY

Mustang is home to the world’s deepest gorge. Transplanting new and progressive thinking into a fundamentally natural system such as this must necessarily involve a strengthening of old and time-tested ways.

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COVER STORY

intrinsic competencies must not be changed and displaced by the vested interests of an elite minority touting shallow values of civilization and, indeed, globalization.

The Nepali ideal of “Sabhyata,” borne and sustained over centuries, can be augmented and preserved with appropriate education and the development of indigenous social systems that place identity at the centre. Nepal has over time taken on, in fits and starts, the debate of “a zone of peace.” This is, perhaps, a logical time during which to explore this discourse and epithet. The Upper Mustang area is a desert environment while Lower Mustang is a temperate climate zone. If this region were to imbibe “a model study status,” it could potentially show the way to many other regions and Nepal itself while, crucially, sustaining its own unique and vital specificities.

Among the harmful and visible by products of road development in Mustang is a high level of air pollution caused by diesel fumes which could eventually be irreversible. The Thakkhola area is currently being developed as a tourist destination. Monetization of tourist activity must also incorporate the benefits accruing from local lifestyles and 38 / SPACESNEPAL.COM

local self-sustenance. Recent construction in the region is also visibly jarring and lacking in proper planning and design with discontent among the Mustangi people spilling over onto many spheres. The delicate balance maintained between Mustang’s natural biosphere and its people is also losing out to a modern ideology already discredited

in many parts of the world. Local materials and local skills must regain their place in this “mountain Shangri-La.” A next-generation philosophy for Mustang, and Nepal, must engage critical, local socio-economic and socio-environmental practices and cultures without which the entire region could become yet another “paradise lost.”

VIEWS

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VIEWS

THE POETICS OF

ARCHITECTURAL DRAWING – Gautam Bhatia

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ARCHITECTURE

W

E LIVE TODAY THE WAY WE DO because we know no other. Our lives fit the defined patterns of homes, streets, neighborhoods, cities. As an architect I try to understand and explore—through drawing— different possibilities of building and landscape.

More and more, drawing has taken me away from the conventions of architecture, into more abstract realms. Drawing has helped define space as it doesn’t exist, and perhaps as it should. Not in a utopian way, but one that tries merely to describe a different way we may live.

The drawings are a sort of rebellion against the limits of space. They explore the possibilities of extreme views: at one end, a confinement that is so narrow and stifling, it requires release and exposure, and at the other, a boundlessness that recedes endlessly to the horizon, in which people and buildings are miniscule. As if all human endeavor—defined by people, trees and buildings—is merely an engraving in the vastness.

In the beginning, the earth is empty and expressionless, deserted, without sound or form or shade. Just an absence in the landscape. The emptiness creates the first hint, the hope for architecture. A rootless object appears in space—a human being, a tree, a building, a shadow. The drawing constructs a relationship between them.

Sometimes the shadow defuses the space itself, sometimes shadow is used to root things to the earth. Does architecture exist if it casts no shadow?

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ARCHITECTURE

The drawings are a sort of rebellion against the limits of space. They explore the possibilities of extreme views.

The weight of building leaves a permanent shadow on the ground, a grey-black area of mystery quite unlike the restless shadow of a moving person that follows him or her around. Its depth is as devious as it is impenetrable, but it is there, a historical archaeological footprint that cannot be erased.

Permanence and immobility of building is a given.

You accepted it as a fixture, a certainty as sure as death. And when you build, you build with the brush of a black shadow, in the persistent hope that your building too will, someday, get the permanent resting place of death, that the immobile blackness will grow and darken as the building ages, as it becomes architecture.

This article originally appeared on ArchDaily under the title, Drawing Shadows. All images courtesy Gautam Bhatia

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US EMBASSY – MEMORIAL in conversation with Ar. Sarosh Pradhan

Kathmandu, Nepal

The US Embassy invited selected design firms to a design competition - to build a Memorial design within their Embassy premises, to be built in memory and honour of people who had served the embassy, and as a space for reflection - on Memorial day in the month of May each year.

Veneeta: What is the conceptual idea and process that gave rise and expression to this particular sculpture/monument?

Sarosh: After being shown potential locations in the Embassy premises for the memorial design, some reflection time was spent imagining design possibilities.

A reminiscence of my visit to a marble quarry several years back ignited thoughts on the possibility of using rocks as a landscape element for the design. Nepal is a country of mountains. I infused some poetry into the thought process which were sublimated, scribbled and conceptualized further. Sketches of rocks in different sizes were then placed together with gaps in-between - the metaphor of memory and the concept for the Memorial was born. Memory can be felt and experiences as though it were a big rock. When you come closer – there exist gaps and voids - just slices or fragments of thoughts as in a memory. Some reflection, some poetry of thoughts and sketches – that is what won us this unusual competition.

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ARCHITECTURE

Veneeta: You are a very well known architect. Do you consider the Arts and creativity, in general, to be equally important or not? Please explain.

I think each of us are artists at heart in our own ways in the lives we live or can live.

Veneeta: As an artist, what is the most important message behind this Memorial?

Sarosh: The message behind this sculpture is that of a simple landscaping element that would make us silent and make us think, makes us think and appreciate a natural material. The three words inscribed on it: “Remember, Recollect and Reflect� could evoke the essence of the Memorial. More than a monument, it was clearly stated to be a sculpture gracefully sitting beside the flag in the garden that lights up the entry-exit.

Sarosh: I think each of us are artists at heart in our own ways in the lives we live or can live.

Perhaps the difference lies in the time we spend on reflection, on stillness and awareness of our trials and errors - our strengths, weaknesses and potential. Perhaps in the meditative search for that creative potential that remains locked somewhere.

Creativity lies in this silence of seeing the unseen clearly, of connecting the infinite potential to reality and then finding and breathing honesty and skill into our works - seeing truth and releasing the frills, the meaningless within our lives – this is what makes life challenging and creative.

To my mind, the Arts and creativity are equally important and go hand in hand in developing an awareness which is essential to any skill - to see something beyond the present and the obvious which connect us to a worthwhile meaning and experience of existence.

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ARCHITECTURE

There is a dormant creative potential in each of us – in whatever way we may chose to express it. It is not just about architecture, music, sculpture or design... it is the way we chose to live our lives.

Veneeta: In a rapidly globalizing world, what role do you see the Arts play in international relations?

Sarosh: It is very easy to lose one’s sense and orientation of place, culture and climate particularly in architecture. A modern building that we see springing up at a globalized pace could be built anywhere and be devoid of the above. Perhaps what it needs is the sensitivity of the Arts to understand and appreciate the uniqueness of culture, so that the blurred boundaries of globalization will, once again, respond to the uniqueness of place, culture and climate – creatively.

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VIEWS

“We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.”

- The Buddha

The Lotus – Form and Meaning

by Pragati Manandhar

B

UDDHIST teachings posit that nothing is fixed or permanent - actions have consequences and change is possible. The teachings of the Buddha, in many ways, reflect, subtly, the stages of growth of a lotus flower. The lotus is a symbolic representation of Buddhist philosophy.

According to an ancient scriptural text which details the life of Gautama Buddha, the spirit of the best in men is untainted.

The growth of a lotus flower is often representative of the stages of enlightenment. A lotus sapling develops gradually before emerging from murky waters to become a beautiful flower in the same way that an individual consciousness evolves in the path to enlightenment. In Buddhism, a closed lotus flower is emblematic of the time before enlightenment whereas a lotus in full bloom represents complete enlightenment and self-awareness.

In the same vein, all humans are born into a world where there is suffering and suffering is a vital part of human

experience. It makes us stronger and teaches us to resist temptation to evil. When we relinquish evil thoughts, we are able to break free from muddy waters and become one with the Buddha like a pristine flower shining bright above murky waters. In essence, the mud shows us who we are and teaches us to choose the right path over an easy one.

The Buddhist mantra “Om mani padme hum” is translated as “jewel in the lotus” symbolic of enlightenment. It is believed that this mantra has mystical powers of transcendental truth in its words. In Buddhist writings, “Om mani padme hom” (O Jewel in the Lotus Flower) signifies not only the jewel of man’s divinity living within the lotus (the cosmos) but also the jewel of cosmic divinity living within the lotus (man).

Lotus form in art and architecture In Nepal, the lotus symbol is used extensively in Buddhist art.

Sculptures and art on the Buddha are replete with imagery of the Buddha typically positioned on a double lotus base.

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VIEWS

The protrusion found on the Buddha’s head is portrayed as a lotus. Lotus forms are also used extensively in both Hindu and Buddhist Mandala paintings. Gods and goddesses either holding or placed on a lotus flower are prominent features of traditional religious art. In Egypt, the lotus symbol, or motif, is found in sacred spaces particularly on the capitals of Egyptian pillars, in tombs, hieroglyphics, thrones and on the head dresses of the divine pharaohs. The lotus flower was believed to be a natural symbol of the sun and creation in Egypt and profusely depicted in Egyptian art - the pink lotus appears in

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Hellenistic artworks and the sacred blue lotus was commonly used and depicted in the hieroglyph.

The Purankalsa Purnakalasa, also known as Purnakumbha and Mangalakalasa, is an auspicious symbol in Indian classical art symbolizing plenty and creativity normally associated with Goddess Lakshmi and depicted with over flowing foliage composed of lotus buds, flowers and leaves. The Purankalsa motif appears in its finest form in the interiors of the Taj Mahal where the vase and the foliage motifs have been combined with the inner border. The

ARCHITECTURE

dome of the Taj Mahal also resembles the upside-closed lotus resting on its petals.

In many cultures and over time, the lotus remains a centrally motivating form in art and architecture. For example, the Lotus Temple in New Delhi, designed by architect Fariborz Sahba, is conceptualized from the lotus flower. Symbolically it is related to the Bahá’í belief of the potential purity of the human spirit. Ar. Fariborz Sahba states, ”it as a symbol for the truth that out of the “murky waters” of our collective history of ignorance and violence, we will arise to create a new age of peace and universal brotherhood.”.

The Art and Science Museum in Marina Bay Sands (Singapore??) was conceptualized and designed by architect Moshe Safdie as the first museum in 2011. There are many different Feng Shui perspectives to this building - some reason that this ‘lotus flower building’ symbolizes the wood element of harmony in a relationship with the water element in the North. Others opine that the lotus represents purity and serves as a reminder that one should not be blinded and misled by money. The building is positioned in a receiving gesture towards the sky channeling rainwater to the base of the building - a subtle connection between heaven and earth through a lotus form.

The Breathing Flower in San Francisco lies in front of the Asian Art Museum facing the City Hall. It is a 24-foot red lotus installation sculpted by Korean artist Choi Jeong Hwa. The Museum describes the work as: “With motorized bright red fabric leaves opening and closing, simulating the movement of

a live lotus flower, the installation creates a link between the modern world and one of the most important cosmological symbols in Asia.” An interesting aspect of this installation is that a viewer can find his own backdrop on this gigantic lotus and became part of the art itself. Exuding a pristine form, appearance, beauty and spiritual meaning, the lotus form is a quintessential emblem in fields such as art, interiors and jewelry. Inspired by the art of Origami, the famous lotus lampshade was created from a single sheet of fabric by Vanessa Battaglia and Brendan Young from Cambridge; the original spark of inspiration came from the Japanese Origami lotus flower in which the object made is clearly visible and transparent and the strings that tie it together are essential to both the construction and the simple beauty of it similar to a lotus.

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VIEWS

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1905 THE

RESTAURANT

ETERNALLY ALLURING

By Veneeta Singha

1905. The year is a signifier, a moment in time. Cradled and hidden in the heart of Kathmandu City, the restaurant bearing the year as its well-known epithet is one of the Valley’s most beloved restaurants. The 1905 Restaurant is reminiscent of an old continental world. Concomitantly, it offers a balmy natural space enhanced by water hyacinths, a sunken garden and verdant flora.

At once a haven and a popular meeting space, an open air amphitheater and a fine dining eatery, the restaurant reveals a history that is a mosaic of people and cultural influences.

A carved ceiling, ancient pillars and a stonepaved veranda paradoxically create a “casual Al Fresco set up.”

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INTERIOR

Drawing on the geospatial structure of a valley even Kathmandu Valley itself - 1905 represents a microcosm. A central dining area and bar are creatively ensconced by the garden and pond.

It is also surrounded by important landmarks such as the Narayanhiti Palace, Phora Durbar, Kaiser Palace, the Nirwachan Aayog and Thamel (Kathmandu’s most frequented tourist destination).

A wonderful téte-a-téte with Shobha Rayamajhi, proprietor of the 1905, about its long-standing narrative unearthed many interesting facts and insights. The space was originally a summer pavillion of the Bahadur Bhawan next door, once the famous Royal Hotel founded by Russian savant, Boris Liesannavitch. Many expatriates have subsequently resided in this beacon of hospitality including architect Robert Wiese.

The sunken garden, a cool respite particularly in summertime, was a pond fed by rainwater and an intermittently trickling water source. Akin to the Rani Pokhari pond nearby, it lost the water streams as urbanization began to take firm hold over the years.

Shobha’s renovations included draining the stale water and the landscaped garden we see today took form. The existing pond facing the building is veiled by lush water hyacinths that capture many eyes with surprising ingenuity.

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In a sudden burst of passion, Shobha recalls her vision for 1905: “I saw the building and wanted to turn it into a public space with natural light and an intuitive ambience.” The name itself has taken thought and deliberation. While a western, neo-classical building could not be given a Nepali name, an English name would sound out-ofplace in Nepal. Evoking a sense of history, the restaurant has been painstakingly brought to life. Architecturally, the water below the dining hall was drained. The original building materials - clay and “chuna” - were replenished. The old kitchen was turned into a commercial one and considerable refurbishments done on the lounge area, outdoor patio and flooring.

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INTERIOR

The flora surrounding the restaurant itself is central in theme and presentation. Shobha proudly asserts that visitors and diners are often moved by the space and environment. The harsh winters and wet monsoons of Kathmandu, however, pose some maintenance issues. “It is a natural setting. I try not to change the natural ambience too much.”

The gourmet specialities at the Restaurant currently range from average to expensive Continental food. The Resident Chef from the US also trains the younger Nepali staff in the culinary arts. Previous 1905 chefs have hailed from Brooklyn and London. The space has hosted many international and national fundraising events and the Saturday Farmer’s Market is a popular community gathering event with fresh organic produce brought in straight from the farms. Shobha is now keen to see similar heritage buildings in the open spaces that surround this “historic fine-dining experience.”

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VIEWS JOURNEY

A smooth and plane way towards Manang, approx 25 kms, very windy after noon, graveled by nature, views similar to places in Alaska.

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VIEWS

MANANG

NESTLED BY THE MARSHYANGDI Legend has it that the Taal Village came into existence as a result of trapped water being set free.

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VIEWS

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JOURNEY

The northern parts of Manang Valley are dry, arid and desolate in stark contrast to the lush forests and green valleys of Eastern Nepal.

Manang town in Manang District of Western Nepal lies near the Nepal-Tibet border and is a rich haven of biodiversity and natural capital. It is situated on the broad valley of the Marshyangdi River north of the Annapurna Range. To the west is the TorongThorong La Pass (5,416 metress) leading to the holy Muktinath Temple. The trail from Manang to Muktinath has remained a thoroughfare for the local communities through centuries. Used primarily to transport herds of sheep and yak, it is still considered a vital part of the travel infrastructure of the region.

The northern parts of Manang Valley are dry, arid and desolate in stark contrast to the lush forests and green valleys of Eastern Nepal.To the north is the Chulu East peak (6,584 meters). Trekking programs and groups bound for the Annapurna Trail

usually restin Manang to acclimatize to the altitude before moving through the Thorong La Pass. Sloping terraces and fields cover the northern slope; the built environment here is traditional in design and structure usinglocalmaterials. However, the newlyimplemented roadproject has already caused an eyesore – the tin sheets used are instantlyincongruous with the natural splendor and geospatial dynamics of the area.

Legend has it that the Taal Village came into existence as a result of trapped water being set free. In terms of crucial energy needs, the village is sustained by micro hydro power.The local settlementscomprise mainly of Buddhists and the popular route to Manang is via Dumre, Besi Shahar, Dharapani and Chame.

Left: Before reaching Dharapani, one of the most difficult read I’ve ever travelled, big rocks lying loose on the way and fast flowing water also making it’s way. The beauty of the place forces us to forget all hardships.

Top Left: A vehicle was abandoned by the driver who was unable to take it out of the mud, so sticky that with every effort to take the vehicle out it dug more into it.

Top Right: A landslide blocked the regular route and forced the commuter to go up and take different but difficult way out, after Chame towards Manang.

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JOURNEY VIEWS

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VIEWS

A road towards Manang after Chamay, the rock boulder was 100s of feet high. The construction was done without using any explosives to blast the rocks, considering the damage that might be caused towards the wildlife in that area. The stone boulder was cut through after softening using chemicals to pave the road ahead.

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VIEWS

A Buddhist chorten on the way.

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JOURNEY

Top: A glacier lake in Manang, human settlement is seen in foreground. The lake surface completely freezes in winter, locals enjoy skiing on hard icy surface of the lake. Wind eroded artistic landscape was very beautiful, the place is known for acclimatizing to climb up the snowy hill before going to Thorang Pass.

Left: A house supported by just a few pipes and raw timbers, the people living there feels completely at home but not frightened anyway.

Photographs and text by Nilkantha Shrestha An avid traveller, climbed every surrounding hills of the valley and wants to spread the wings to outer hills to captivate the beauty of ora and fauna of nature.

A businessman by profession, he loves to go to new places whenever he could ďŹ nd time and thankful to god for gracing with beauty aplenty.

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VIKRAM SETH in Nepal

A Suitable Suitab Place for the author of A Suitable Boy 64 / SPACESNEPAL.COM

Vikram Seth, (born June 20, 1952, Calcutta, India), Indian poet, novelist, and travel writer known for his verse novel The Golden Gate (1986) and his epic novel A Suitable Boy (1993).

All You Who Sleep Tonight All you who sleep tonight Far from the ones you love, No hand to left or right And emptiness above– Know that you aren’t alone.

The whole world shares your tears– Some for two nights or one, And some for all their years.

– Vikram Seth

After the Calcutta Literary Festival last month, Vikram was in Kathmandu tucked away at the Hattiban Resort where he shared some of his thoughts with SPACES. The son of a judge and a businessman, Seth was raised in London and India.

He attended exclusive Indian schools and then graduated from Corpus Christi College, Oxford (B.A., 1975). He received a master’s degree in economics from Stanford University in 1978 and later studied at Nanking (China) University. In 1987 he returned to India to live with his family in New Delhi.

Seth has studied several languages, including German and, later, French in addition to Mandarin, English (which he describes as "my instrument" in answer to Indians who query why he doesn’t write in his native Hindi), Urdu (which he reads and writes in the Nasta’liq script), and Hindi. He learned to play the Indian flute and the cello and he sings German lieder, especially Schubert.

Seth has been honoured with several awards for his writings; EMMA (BT Ethnic and Multicultural Media Award) for Best Book/Novel, An Equal Music, in 2001; WH Smith Literary Award, A Suitable Boy in 1994; Commonwealth Writers Prize (Overall Winner, Best Book), A Suitable Boy in 1994; Irish Times International Fiction Prize, A Suitable Boy, shortlisted in 1993; Commonwealth Poetry Prize (Asia), The Humble Administrator's Garden in 1985; Thomas Cook Travel Book Award, From Heaven Lake: Travels Through Sinkiang and Tibet in 1983.

I didn’t need a five star hotel or any specific facilities; but what I did want was a view, and I would like silence and space – an interesting space.

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CONVERSATION WITH VIKRAM SETH Sarosh: How does a Space that one chooses inspire or help a novelist while writing? How did you choose Haatiban resort for your stay?

I wanted to stay outside Delhi for a while, and I thought of various places in India, but eventually, since I hadn’t been to Nepal for many years – and previously for just a single day!– I thought, why don't I try it? Since I knew no one here, I spoke to a few friends and they asked me what sorts of facilities I needed? I mentioned I didn’t need a five star hotel or any specific facilities; but what I did want was a view, and I would like silence and, hmm... space – an interesting space, basically: a hilly space where you cannot see everything at once, and things open up to you as you walk up and down. I think Haatiban has it...hmmm... everything from the Ganesh Himal, all the way, on a clear day, to Everest; the mist in the valley, the sense of being of the world and yet away from the world. I find Haatiban a wonderful place in this regard.

Sarosh: How do you manage to keep focused on your work?

I’m not truly a focused type of person, except for short periods of time like when I’m doing a piece of calligraphy or a painting or something. But with a novel, you have to stay the distance in some way, you have to show some stamina, you can’t just say I’ll be obsessed for few minutes and then I’ll come out of it.

Instead of being a disciplined or determined person, I find myself an obsessed person. I’m not recommending it, but it’s not a bad substitute. My preferred mode of operation is to do something concentratedly, over a short period of time.

It’s just that when I’m writing a long novel, I find myself– against my own grain – running a marathon rather than a sprint, and I’m quite enjoying it.

Sarosh: While writing A Suitable Boy, where did you stay the most?

I stayed mainly in my bed actually, hmmm… I was at my parents’ place in Delhi; my mother was a judge at that time. The house was very large,in fact it was an official house, and the upstairs was empty. I didn’t have much money at that time, had given up my economics studies in

the US and had just come back to Delhi. So I lived there and started to write and started thinking about the book.

My habit is to sit in bed and write, to use a dark blue or plain white duvet as a calm desk in a sense; these are some of the secrets of my technique!

The stamina doesn’t come from discipline, it comes from obsession. I sometimes don’t write for a month or two and sometimes I continuously write for weeks on end…

I think the obsession to write helps you to build your stamina.

Sarosh: Do you write your novels by hand?

While I was writing A Suitable Boy, I got a sort of cramp in my wrist. It got so bad that I couldn’t even lift a cup of tea. I went to a doctor, and what she advised me to do was to type; she said all you need is a little bit of variety in the movement of the wrist; but for a month do nothing at all. But I was deep into the novel and had to keep going, so I dictated a few chapters instead of writing or typing them.

Sarosh: Does your work have a character from Nepal?

I have no idea. But so far, not.

Sarosh: Besides writing, what are the other activities in life that inspire you?

Over the last few years, I have spent more time painting, sculpting and doing calligraphy than writing, and earlier I spent a lot of time doing music. So, I don’t feel it’s necessary that you have to assume everything needs to feed your writing. I think that if something gives you pleasure, and if you love it at a particular time then you should do it; it is a part of life fully lived.

Sarosh: If you weren’t a writer, what would you be?

Basically, being someone other than myself or doing something other than I do … I would love to have been a musician. But you cannot take something like that up at a late stage of life, whether it’s Indian classical music or Western music or whatever; painting you can take up late in life – or even writing, since you already have the skill of speaking the language. But as for music, that’s quite a different thing.

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21" LCD TV

FROM THE SHELF

CHRONICLES OF KATHMANDU

T

he earliest known historical and cultural documentation of Kathmandu Valley was published in 1811 by William Kirkpatrick.

Kirkpatrick visited Kathmandu in 1793. Illustrations were also published in 1819 by Francis Buchanan Hamilton who spent 11 months in Nepal during 1802 - 1803. Published illustrations of Kathmandu by Prince Waldemar of Prussia are also on record - the Prince visited Kathmandu Valley in 1853 and Nuwakot in February 1845. The first photographs were taken

by Clarence Comyn Taylor in 1863 followed by Colin Murray in the early 1870s and John Claude White in 1883. Countless picture books on Kathmandu have since been published with the aim of documenting our rich and unique culture(s) which seemingly re-emerge from a misty past, each time and with, perhaps, each photograph.

Excerpts by Lisette Model, New York, 1983: “When I first arrived at Kathmandu Valley on 10 July 1962, it was an amazing experience. As I failed to realize the spectacular spread of the Palaces of Bhimsen Thapa and the Ranas in the Valley, I was later invited to be a guest at one of the palaces at Laxmi Niwas. I was there to document the architectural heritage of the Newars with drawings and photographs; but since 1990, I had also become a chronicler of change. By the mid-1980s the ready availability of new building material such as steel and cement and growing social and spatial mobility created the momentum for everincreasing urbanization. I still spend four to five months a year in Kathmandu Valley, preferably arriving the day before Janai Purnima - the full moon in August - in order not to miss Gaijatra on the following day. I know of no other place in the world that calls upon people to merge with their urban space in an effort to release the dead into a different realm.

However the attraction which I thought would be short lived developed into a lifelong love affair that has lasted till today.�

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ARTSCAPE

Artist Spotlight: Pramila Bajracharya

by Asha Dangol Visual artist Pramila Bajracharya is a founding member of the Kasthamandap Art Studio and E-Arts Nepal, an online art gallery. She holds a Master’s degree in Fine Art from Tribhuwan University. She has held eight solo painting exhibitions and exhibited in numerous group shows over the past 20 years. She was awarded with special recognition in the National Art Exhibition in 1998 and 2004 respectively and the Gold Medal from Arniko Yuwa Sewa Kosh in 2002. She was honoured in the Fine Art Professional Category at the Birla Art Academy in Kolkata in 2008.

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Her works often play on landscape and abstract forms. At first glance, colour composition appears to be abstract but a closer look reveals th images of a mystical dream landscape with re. temples and ancient architecture. The narrow streets of Kathmandu are artfullyy realized ptures, in the foreground. She also captures, e and panoramically, images of nature architecture with a distance thuss allowing a es and colours. hazy and foggy effect on shapes These scenes are views of and viewed in wer. early mornings after a rain shower.

FEBRUARY 2014 / 71

GO GADGETS

RETROSPECT 2013 PROSPECT 2014

by Ganesh Aacharya

month, there used to be a new phone in market with bigger screen size. One of my friend used to say, “I am sure, within some year we may need a suitcase to keep a mobile phone.” The increasing screen size of mobile phone was really unexpected, so can be referred as dark side of the year.

For the inventions in the world of ICT, every month even every day is extremely important. Today we have our Hands-On, in the inventions which was someday thought to be completely impossible. Twitter, Facebook and Blog posts all about tech rumors, have largest numbers of viewership. And the biggest unexpectedness is, almost 60 percent of the tech rumors go real. It means, today you may get an extraordinary idea about tech invention, but you may get sad to know that somebody have already started to work on its prototype. Since the millennium, every single year is setting an up-to-the-minute trend of introducing at least 5 revolutionary prototypes or even the complete invention itself. And the brighter side is, most of them used to be just rumors some years before. Not only are the physical existence of inventions, bunch of software and applications are being unexpectedly released every year.

Let us review the previous year and preview the current. ‘013 was completely a year of revolutionary gadgets, prototypes, spectacular applications and undergoing projects; ready to blow our mind very soon.

Bright side of ‘013: ‘013 can be said to be a struggler year. All of the vendors and service providers of the gadgets and gizmos were so much dip into the struggle to get the thinner, low weighing and low in price too. A lot of companies were very much successful to give us those products. Sony gave us Alpha 7, which is just 1200$ but, still has the facility of interchangeable and full frame 72 / SPACESNEPAL.COM

lenses. Samsung gave us the 46-Inch LED Smart TV with a very thin and unbelievable display in just 1500$. Apple launched Iphone5S with retina display in not so much difference in price with previous version of Iphone5. Same condition applies for MacBook Air. Talking about the phones, Samsung, LG, Nokia got highly advanced features with display, processor speed and RAM. HTC One, Moto X, Iphone 5S, Google Nexus 5, Samsung Galaxy Note 3, Nokia Lumia can be said the landmark of advance development of mobile phones.

This year competent of Nexus 7, Kindle Fire launched Kindle Fire HDX, to get into the healthy competition with the rocketing market of Nexus 7. ‘013 was the revolutionary year for mobile apps too; either in IOS or in Android. Seene, Cycloramic are very magical mobile apps which got wonderfully popular within some weeks of launch. All in all, ‘013 has a lot of bright sides among it’s infinite dimensions.

Dark side of ‘013: Some tech-pundits also prefer to say; ‘013 was the year for lose for tech world. It seems to be relevant when we see some very unexpected loses. The very popular media player Winamp, the search engine AltaVista, Google Reader are some of the members which we lost in ‘013. I mean to say, now they are just in past.

Similarly, ‘013 made false, a pre-verdict which use to say, “Small is beautiful.” If you refer to the phones produced in ‘013 you can clearly find it irrelevant. Every

Crazy gadgets of Early ‘014: “Morning shows to daytime.” ‘014 is started with some very crazy gadgets and gizmos. Ponono Ball Camera and Bluetooth Toothbrush can be kept in the list of craziest gadgets. Don’t you feel the concept of Ponono Ball Camera is really crazy by knowing that, it has 12 cameras in the ball? Very funny but very real. All you have to do is power on the camera and throw in the air with all effort. The camera takes 360 degrees HD Panormic bird eye pictures of you! You can connect to the computer and download the picture.

Hold on, here is next crazy gadget. It’s Bluetooth Toothbrush which saves your trend of brushing as a preset. You can send the preset to next Blutetooth Toothbrush too. It seems to be so useful while you are about to teach your children the correct way of brushing. Now let us count days of getting bunch of crazy gadgets throughout the year. Afterall, “Morning shows the daytime.”

What to expect from ‘014: After talking about the crazy gadgets so far, obviously our expectations will go high. We can expect some more crazy gadgets, some obvious mobile phones and mobile apps for IOS and Android. The 64-Bit Smartphones can be in our pocket this year. We can get laptops with daylong battery life. Apple’s physio wrist band, IWatch, Google Watch, Foldable displays, open space virtual display can be obviously expected to be launched in ‘014, if not we can get the prototypes of those gizmos.

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7th Floor, Kesha Plaza, New Road, Kathmandu, Nepal, Phone: +977 1 01-4224645, email: contact@snapperphoto.com FEBRUARY 2014 / 73

STORE WATCH

IMPERIAL

Furniture

by Pranita Rana

GONE ARE THE DAYS when people use to have no time for interior design and decorations and furniture were used only for the mere function of sitting and resting. This is an era of time where looks and design are equally importantas their main purpose of work. People now are more concerned about the way their house and office looks and are willing to invest more to give it that distinct look and appealing feel to it. People have become more aware and conscious about the way they live and the furniture they use. They want something different something that describe them and at the same time makes their place look attractive. Imperial Furniture was established few months back with its showroom located in Narayanchaur, Naxal.

Imperial Furniture is one of the few furniture companies thatmainly focuses onneoclassical design of furniture along with contemporary furniture and customizedworks on orders.

Although the company manufacture all types and ranges of solid wood furniture they have chosen to concentrate in neoclassical design. Imperial Furniture contemplates thatbeauty and elegance can never go unnoticedwith the finecraftsmanship which can only be appreciated more.They also provide customers with wide range of colors finish, dimension, and style and to escort them with the planning and interior design service for free. So, with proper guidance from the designers customers can go with the semi classical look or a combination of both contemporary design and ultramodern looks. Besides these Imperial Furniture also have good collection of venetian mirror, a famous 18th century glass mirror which complements any designs and rooms.

All the products are made out of 100% solid wood,locally known as jungali sisam and teak which are well branded for its quality and lasting durabilityfor generations. Imperial Furniture also have wide range of designs from semi classical 74 / SPACESNEPAL.COM

and modern furniture for customers who find antique Victorian design not their flair, but desireelegant and sophisticated looks.It is obvious that with fine designs demands exclusive price, but customers should appreciate that it is only an one time investment.

STORE WATCH

Grand Entry of Samsung Grand Duos os 2 International Marketing Services Pvt Ltd (IMS) , the authorized distributor for Samsung mobile in Nepal has announced the entry of Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 on 9th February 2014. The new compact smartphone combines convenient size with optimal large –screen experience on a portable , compact smartphone.

Previously Samsung launched Galaxy Grand out of which users were getting bigger screens, Dual –Sim and many facilities at a good rate. It was a grand success in the market of Nepal and thereby mid-ranged cell phones started getting popular. The new improvised version on Samsung Grand Duos 2 will give you a ‘larger than life’ experience.

The Galaxy Grand 2 boasts a 5.25” screen with a 16.9 HD ratio, perfect for watching movies, playing games and e-reading. Multi Windows take multitasking to the next level by maximizing the benefit of the large

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screen as well as enabling users to run one application in two windows at the same time.Samsung Grand Duos 2 is one of the most anticipated smartphone hip model for the year, and is the flagship with its new and the Nepali market, on, IMS are expecting improved version, gh demand for this product a very high vious version has already as the previous ark.

The Galaxy Grand 2 made its mark. rior performance with delivers superior ul Quad Core 1.2 a more powerful nd long lasting GHz processor and 2,600 mAh battery, providing yback up to 10 hours of playback he dual and 17 hours of call. The Sim capabilities means that users can switch seamlessly between ed networks and comes equipped cluding with several smart features including inuous Best Face, Best Photo and Continuous Shot. Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 is

now available in th the Nepalese market and initially o offered in white color with premiu design. premium

Quality Aluminium Fitting for all purpose

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Approved TECHNAL Fabricator from France

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Our Products include: Sliding and Casement Windows, Doors, Skylights, Folding Doors, Office Partitions, Shower Cabins Double Glazing and more.

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MARKET

Choose your Car We are heading towards a modern society, where automobiles are the life line, especially for a country like Nepal, because they drive the economy and the livelihood of families. Nepal’s automotive dealers are all geared up to showcase the new cars that are available in the market that are bound to have a dazzling impact to the customers. Today we see automobiles manufactured and imported from countries like India, Germany, USA, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Czech Republic. Spaces assist a platform for potential customers to evaluate and decide which cars you would want to purchase from the many varieties that are currently available in the market, from various brands of hatchbacks and sedans that are fuel efficient, quality of performance and new technologies. Each of the cars has its own reward and drawback; however, eventually it all depends on your own preference, choice and your budget.

Model : Hyundai Grand i10, Magna – 23,26000 Nrs. Sports – 24,76000 Nrs / Asta -26,96000 Nrs. Price range: 23,26000 Nrs - 26,96000 Nrs Ground Clearance: 165mm Engine Displacement: 1120cc Company: Laxmi Intercontinental Pvt.ltd Location: Thapathali Contact: 4101553

Model: Ford Figo (Petrol) Price range: 18,99000 Nrs –24,50000 Nrs Model: Ford Figo (Diesel) Price range: 22,50000 Nrs – 27,49000 Nrs Ground Clearance: 168mm Engine Displacement:1196cc – Petrol / 1399cc - Diesel Company: Go Ford Location: Thapathali Contact: 4257001

Model: Suzuki Alto-800 Price range: 13,59000 Nrs –16,39000 Nrs Ground Clearance: 160mm Engine Displacement: 790 cc Company: Chaudhary GroupW Location: Sanepa Contact: 5545891

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MARKET

Model: Mazda 3 (The sporty Sedan) Price range: 6,750,000 Nrs Ground Clearance: 160mm Type: In-line 4 Cylinder DOHC 16-valve Engine Displacement: 1600 cc Company: Padmashree Pvt.ltd Location: Gyaneshwor Contact: 4435688

Model: Skoda Rapid Price range: 31,75,000 Nrs – 36,95,000 Nrs Ground Clearance: 168mm Engine Displacement: 1600 cc Company: Morang Autoworks Location: Thapathali Contact: 4216835

Model: Volkswagen Polo Premium Price range: 24,95000 Nrs – 31,95000 Nrs Ground Clearance: 168mm Engine Displacement: 1200cc / 1600cc Company: Pooja International Pvt.ltd Location: Panipokhari Contact: 4437044

Model: Fiat Linea Linea 1.4 Active (Petrol) Price: 31,99,900 Nrs Linea 1.4 Dynamic (Petrol) Price : 35,95,999 Nrs Linea 1.3 Active ( Diesel) Price : 35,89,000 Nrs Linea 1.3 Dynamic ( Diesel) Price : 38,69,999 Nrs Ground Clearance: 185mm Engine Displacement: Linea 1.4 model 1368cc / Linea 1.3 model 1248cc Company: Batas Brothers Motors Pvt. Ltd Location: Gairidhara Contact: 4004744

FEBRUARY 2014 / 79

SP AC ES OP EN ‘Open Space’ is a newly-dedicated column on Spaces Magazine where the School of Creative Communications (SCC) will aspire to showcase photographs on art and culture in Nepal. SCC is located at Kupondol, Lalitpur, Nepal. www.scc.org.np http://www.facebook.com/scc.kathmandu

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I visited Dolkha, 133 kilometers from Kathmandu, on my motorbike - a spectacular view of the Gaurishanker Range awaited me. The temple of the Dolkha Bhimsen along the highway to Jiri was among the ‘cultural moments’ we feel inspired by. The rough road to Kalinchowk, nearly 20 kilometers from Charikot, gave the oft-spoken ‘tough journey’ angle. Travelling by motorbike is fun but the ‘off- road bike experience’ is a new one each time – all of 20 kilometers! What about a ‘tourist hot spot’ designation for this ‘road less travelled’, folks?

About the photographer Bhuwan Maharjan is from Chobhar, Kirtipur. He is an agro-business

entrepreneur currently studying for an MBA at the Ace Institute of Management. He considers photography as a supporting tool for areas as diverse as management, travel, agro- business and more.

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CONNECTS 02 JK White Cement 14 Kuleshwor, Naya Basti, Kathmandu Ph: 977-9851050650 prashant.chaturvedi@jkcement.com www.jkcement.com 03 Deluxe Trading Company Putalisadak, Kamaladi, Kathmandu Ph: 977-1-4416512 deluxe@mail.com.np 04 Beko Putalisadak, Kathmandu Toll Free No: 1660 01 12345 4422190 www.beko.com.np 05 Balterio 1st Floor, A.T. Complex, New Plaza, KTM Ph: 977-1-4430785/4428196 balterio@navindistributors.com www.navindistributors.com 07 Parth International Babarmahal, Kathmandu Ph: 977-1- 4245432 info@parthinternational.org www.parthinternational.org 09 Index Furniture Metro Park Building, 1st Floor, Laximpat Steel Tower (Old Unity Tower), Jawalakhel Ph: 4415181/5000270 11 Technical Associates Services Thapathali, Kathmandu Ph: 977-1-4219999/9802030479 ta@ta.com.np www.tas.com.np 15 ATC Pvt. Ltd. (Wilo) 336/21, Ganesh Man Sing Path-2, Teku Ph: 977-1-4261220,4262220 Fax: 977-1-4262140 15 Somany Tripureshwor, Kathmandu Ph: 977-1-4260714 26 Panchakanya Group - Bitumen Krishnagalli, Pulchowk Ph: 977-1-5526551 info@panchakanya.com www.panchakanya.com

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29 Panchakanya Group - RMC Krishnagalli, Pulchowk Ph: 977-1-5526551 info@panchakanya.com www.panchakanya.com 31 ATC Pvt. Ltd. (Solar) 336/21, Ganesh Man Sing Path-2, Teku Ph: 977-1-4261220,4262220 Fax: 977-1-4262140 31 Pioneer Nepal Teku, Kathmandu Ph: 977-1-4268063 info@pioneernepal.com www.pioneernepal.com 33 Pashupati Paints Pvt. Ltd. Maitighar, Kathmandu Ph: 977-1-,4258209 pashupati@paints.wlink.com.np 39 Starnet Enterprises Sinamangal, Airport Road, Kathmandu Ph: 977-1-4416175 inro@starnetenterprises.com www.starnet.com.np 43 Bira Furniture Patan Industrial Estate, Lalitpur Ph: 977-1-5522253 contact@birafurniture.com.np www.birafurniture.com.np

50 Worldlink Communication Jawalakhel, Lalitpur Ph: 977-1-5523050 sales@wlink.com.np www.wlink.com.np 51 Kitchen Concepts Pvt. Ltd. Teku Road, Kathmandu Ph: 977-1-4221858,4212097 nepalkitchen@wlink.com.np www.kitchenconcepts.com.np 67 Krishna Chemicals & Paint Industries Teku, Kathmandu Ph: 977-1- 4267969 info@kcpi.com.np www.kcpi.com.np

68 Nagrik JDA Complex, BaghDurbar Ph: 977-1-4265100,4261808 circulation@nagariknews.com 71 Imperial Furniture Naxal, Kathmandu Ph: 977-1-2298568 info@imperialfurniture.com.np www.imperialfurniture.com.np 73 New Snapper Photo New Road, Kathmandu Ph: 977-1-4224645 newsnapper@hotmail.com 75 Yeti Airlines Tilganga, Kathmandu Ph: 977-1- 4464878 reservations@yetiairlines.com www.yetiairlines.com 76 Buddha Air Jawalakhel, Lalitpur Ph: 977-1-5542494 www.buddhaair.com 77 Skylight Naxal (Opp to Police HQ) Ph: 977-1-4423851,4415209 info@skylight.com.np, www.skylight.com.np 77 MD Furniture Maharajgunj (Nabil Bank Building) Ph: 977-1-4721484,2151832 mdfurniture@snet.com.np 81 Foto Hollywood Civil Bank Building, Kamladi Ph: 977-1-4169060 www.fotohollywood.com.np 83 Marvel Technoplast Heritage Plaza - II, 2nde Floor, Kamaladi Ph: 977-1-4169122/3 info@marvel.com.np www.marvel.com.np 84 Berger Jenson & Nicholson Berger House - 492, Tinkune, Kathmandu Tel.: 977-1-4466038, 4466751 E-mail:Â info@bergernepal.com

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FEBRUARY 2014 / 83

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