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A Woman in the Mustard Fields
As I walk through the tidy, fertile fields only a few kilometres away from the chaotically busy and densely populated urban maze that is Kathmandu, Nepal, I am surprised to experience a feeling calm and a sense of space.
The small, land-locked country of Nepal contains about 0.37% of the world’s total population, and much of this is concentrated in the Kathmandu Valley.
Fortunately, this region – which is one of the most densely populated areas of Nepal – is also very fruitful.
According to ancient Buddhist scriptures, the Kathmandu Valley was a giant lake until the Bodhisattva Manjusri, a Chinese bodhisattva venerated in Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhist traditions, cut a gap in the surrounding hills with a holy sword while on pilgrimage, thus letting the waters out.
The Gopal Banshawali (Gopal Raj Vamshavali), a 14th-century hand-written manuscript delineating the history of the ancient Nepalese kings, says it was the Hindu God Krishna who cut a gorge with his Sudarshana Chakra – a spinning, discus weapon with 108 serrated edges – to let the water out of the giant lake. Krishna then gifted the drained valley to the nomadic cow herders who lived there.
There is indeed geological evidence of an ancient lakebed where the mythical lake used to be: probably formed over one million years ago when the southern edge of the valley experienced a tectonic uplift which dammed the precursor of the Bagmati River. Fossil remains of the extinct ancestors of mammoths, hippos, and crocodiles have been found, as well as pollen-dated sediment (see: The Nepal Times). From the time of the last Ice Age, the waters slowly receded, leaving behind a richly fertile soil.
This productive soil keeps the population fed and the economy moving. Across the country, between 25 and 30 percent of GDP comes from agriculture, which provides a livelihood to well over 60 percent of the population. In the peri-urban Kathmandu Valley, vegetables are a major cash crop.
The steepness of the valley makes growing anything a labour-intensive exercise here, but the terraced mountain sides were lush and green when I visited. It was mustard season: I was told that farmers in this region rotate potato, mustard, and rice crops. In other parts of the country, you will see more maize, wheat, and buckwheat.
The municipality of Changunarayan is less than 20 kilometres (12.5 miles) east of Kathmandu , and the ancient city of Bhaktapur is only 13 kilometres (8 miles) southeast of the metropolis. Even so, the gentle seven kilometre (four mile) walk from the temple at Changunarayan (see: Changunarayan Temple) to Bhaktapur feels completely rural. The views and terrain change constantly as you meander down through tiny villages with dirt roads, tall stands of pine forest, fertile terraced fields, and tiny rural hamlets.
Do come along!
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Sorting the Mustard Seed
Outside the temple at Changunarayan, everyday life and seasonal tasks take place in the streets.
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Watching from the Window
Local people smile as we pass – from their windows overhead …
Mother and Child
… or from doorways where they sit.
Pine Woods
A short time later, our track brought us to an extensive pine wood.
Almost Abstract : Tall Tree Trunks
I was travelling with photographer Gavin Gough, and he made sure we had time in the forest to play …
Almost Abstract : Tapering Tree Trunks
… and experiment with representations of the beautiful trees.
Almost Abstract : Look Up!
Almost Abstract : Find the Forest in the Trees
In the Forest : Textured Tree Trunks
Woman in Pink
We are not out of the woods long before we come across a small hamlet, …
Women in Orange
… where the residents are happy to greet us in the road.
Corrugated Shed and a Sari
The scene is rural: small rough sheds are dotted all around.
Man in a Dark Shed
Surprisingly, the hardworking-farmers are not too busy to chat.
Typical Nepali Scene
A double-story brick home sits on the crest of the hill and fresh green plants fill the curving terraces. I think this is rice, …
Bee in the Mustard Flowers
… but elsewhere, the mustard is in bloom.
Farmer in a Red Hat
Woman outside a Shed
Farmers and their out-buildings are all along our path down through the terraces.
Young Woman in Blue
The smiles we meet are luminous!
Woman in a Red Headscarf
Making Bricks
One of the other major outputs in the Kathmandu Valley is bricks: with the increasing population and the need to repair damaged buildings, brick manufacturing is a growth industry.
Brickworks
Brick kilns often use lands during the dry season that are used during the wet, summer monsoon months for rice. Unfortunately, this has lead to decreased soil quality, reduced ground water, and increased air pollution.
Shines at a Hindu Temple
The majority (over 80%) of residents of this valley identify Hindu, and temples and shrines are everywhere.
Inlay in the Brick Wall
The treasure vase is one of the Ashtamangala, the eight auspicious signs the run through Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism.
Man at the Temple
Shiva Linga
The most widely followed Hindu sect in Nepal is Shaivism: the worship of Shiva. In Shaivism, a lingam or Shiva linga, is an abstract representation of Shiva. They are often joined to a base in the shape of a yoni, which represents the Goddess Shakti.
Lingam Maze
Together, lingam and yoni symbolise the the divine eternal union of the feminine and the masculine forces that create and recreate all of existence.
Woman Carrying Herbs
At the side of the road, a woman is gathering fodder for her goats.
Walkers on the Hill
In Nepal, even a predominantly downhill trek includes steep uphill sections – and even tiny hamlets comprise large homes. These houses are probably shared across multiple generations of an extended family under one roof.
Women in the Mustard Fields
Over that hilltop, the terraces of mustard plants stretch down into the next valley.
Father and Son
This dad was determined to show off his son; the young lad was much less thrilled.
On the Steps
At the top of the next hill, where we can look down over Bhaktapur in the distance, three friends sit for a chat.
Fortunately, from that friendly front porch, our hike was a gentle downhill slope into Bhaktapur, where our transport waited to take us the short distance back to Kathmandu …
… back to that dusty, chaotic, noisy city – so geographically close to this rural environment, and yet, a world away.
Namaste!
Photos: 14March2017
