Today, in addition to the hash, I was offered women. Twice! And not just any women, mind you, college women!
Imagine!
But in between the constant sales pitches I managed to take in a bit of the old part of Kathmandu and Durbar Square, where the old royal palace and several of the more noteworthy temples are.
I walked from my hotel down toward the old town via the wide main drag, Kandipath, dodging less traffic here because it’s one of the only streets with actual sidewalks. Elsewhere it is just you and the cars, and the motorbikes, and the cycle-rickshaws, and the other pedestrians, and the dogs, and the mud, and the steamy heat, and the garbage, all cuisinarting around in these narrow, shop-lined canyons. Stimulation for all the senses, to be sure.
Anyway, the area around the old palace is semi-off limits to motorized vehicles, so it’s a bit of an oasis. And in this area stand some of the most amazing pieces of architecture I’ve ever seen.
Durbar Square
The palace itself is sort of a warren of connected buildings, most of which have incredibly ornate wood-carved wall panels and roof supports. Intricately decorated towers with tile roofs pop up here and there, and it’s all dedicated to the monkey god, Hanuman, who apparently once did old King Rama a big favor, and so he got the naming rights.
Palace Gardens
Surrounding the palace, and scattered around the nearby streets, are many temples dedicated to many gods. Some are Hindu temples, some are Buddhist, and some are both. Probably the only example I can think of where two major religions share holy places. At least willingly.
Though, technically speaking, Buddhism is not an actual religion, ‘cuz it’s like, not centered on a god, so it’s more of a philosophical and moral system, you know?
Just to clear that up.
The temples range in size from multi-story wooden buildings, again with the ornately carved panels and roof supports (many depicting some of the most athletic erotica you’re likely to see) holding up multi-tiered, tiled roofs, to tiny, set-into-the-wall shrines.
Lots of people were out today, it being the weekly equivalent of our Sunday over here. One of the temples dedicated to Shiva had a long line of worshipers going in and out of it, and several of the outdoor shrines were gathering crowds. I’m afraid I’m fairly ignorant about the actual rites being performed, but they were busy places.
Also within Durbar Square is the Kumari Bahal, a big, two story building with a large carved wooden courtyard. The Bahal is where the Kumari Devi lives. She’s a young girl chosen to be the reincarnation of the original Kumari Devi (a goddess housed at the palace by a king from a former dynasty), and is moved into the Bahal with her family until she reaches puberty, where she is retired with a pension and another Kumari is chosen to take her place. Although the actual goddess stint seems to be a pretty good gig, getting pampered and worshiped and all that, the reality is a bit bleak for the retired Kumari. Apparently they almost never get married because they are considered unlucky after having been a goddess and all. And the disruption to their and their family’s lives is total. And then there’s that whole getting booted at puberty thing. . .
Still, a society that can dedicate its royal palace to the monkey god and put erotica on its holiest buildings is on to something if you ask me.
I mean, really.
Tomorrow I hope to get to Patan, Kathmandu’s next-door neighbor. Apparently Patan has retained more of an unspoiled quality, and is also a center of metalworking and carpet making skill. Plus, the Patan museum, which houses a large collection of cast bronze and copper artwork, is there. It is, according to my guidebook, “one of the finest museums on the subcontinent.”
But even if it’s a dog, it’ll at least be air-conditioned. Starting around noon today the heat and humidity got to be REALLY oppressive. And in the mid-day sun, only mad dogs and Englishmen go out.