Nepal

Since primary school days, I had known Nepal as a neighbouring country. Years later, I came to know I could visit Nepal without a visa – even crossing the border almost unnoticed. And it wasn’t hard to make a decision to visit soon thereafter.

Before my first visit in 2017, Nepal had been through a massive earthquake in 2015, a decade-long civil war, and an era of political instability. One of the world’s most dangerous roads and airport, crime, mugging incidents, to avoid travelling alone – these were some of the things I had read before and during my first visit.

During that first, just a month-long visit, I had not known this land would call me back again and again. In the following years, Nepal became my true कर्मभुमि where I spent months at times, including the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. In recent years, I have attended a shaman festival at Gosaikunda lake, Indra Jatra in Kathmandu, rice planting festival more than once, and many weddings in Nepal.

For teaching me patience, helping me become confident, further extending my interest in photography, and rewarding me with great experiences, Nepal remains special. This album is an effort to showcase the beauty of the land where I feel at home.

Years: 2017 – Ongoing

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September 2021, Kathmandu: A woman sitting by the Swet Bhairab statue that has been opened for worship during the Indra Jatra festival
September 2021, Kathmandu, Nepal: Kathmandu’s Kumari in a palanquin during Indra Jatra celebrations
August 2021, Nepal: A shaman poses for a picture by the Gosainkunda lake during Nepal’s annual shaman festival
August 2021, Gosainkunda, Nepal: A shaman on her way to Trishul Dhara to perform rituals during the yearly shaman festival
August 2021, Nepal: A woman recites verses while participates in a shamanic ritual at Trishul Dhara
A young woman looks at the camera as she observes the shamans performing rituals
August 2021, Nepal: A shaman sprinkling holy water collected in a decorated metal jug at Trishul Dhara
Shamans sing and play ‘dhyangro’ shamanic drum
August 2021, Nepal: A young shaman looks at the camera as he participates in shaman festival at Trishul Dhara
August 2021: Two ‘sadhus’ from India photographed at Nepal’s Gosainkunda lake during the annual shaman festival
A man working at DDC cheese production centre, Sing Gompa
September 2021,Kathmandu: A mask maker and seller poses for a picture inside his shop
April 2021, Pokhara: Men returning from a ritual
Devotees on their way to Gosaikunda riding on ponies
August 2021: A man in Gosaikunda, Nepal
July 2021, Pokhara, Nepal: Silhouette of men fishing at Phewa lake
Fog approaching Gosaikunda lake
September 2021, Kathmandu, Nepal: A masked man performs a dance during Indra Jatra celebrations
September 2021, Kathmandu, Nepal: A man burning clay lamps in front of the Kal Bhairab statue inside the Durbar Square complex
August 2021, Nepal: A woman poses for a picture in Begnas lake area
June 2021: A farmer poses for a picture as he takes break from ploughing the field during Nepal’s rice planting festival
July 2021, Pokhara, Nepal: A sadhu posing for a picture in a residential neighbourhood
A sadhu in yellow looks at the camera
September 2021, Kathmandu, Nepal: The Boudhanath Stupa
March 2020, Kathmandu: A ‘sadhu’ poses for a picture
June 2021, Nepal: A farmer sings and dances during the rice planting festival
A farmer ploughing through a rice field using bullocks.
Shy Laxmi tries to hold back her laughter as other women smile in the background.
September 2021, Kathmandu: Women dressed in saris on the occasion of Teej festival click a selfie at Pashupatinath temple
September 2021, Kathmandu: A woman praying at Pashupatinath temple on the occasion of teej
September 2021, Kathmandu: Women praying at Pashupatinath temple on the occasion of Teej festival
September 2021, Kathmandu: A woman receives ‘blessed’ rudraksha from a ‘sadhu’ at Pashupatinath temple
September 2021, Kathmandu, Nepal: A woman lighting up a wick
September 2021, Kathmandu: Women celebrating the Teej festival
September 2021, Kathmandu: Women celebrating the Teej festival
August 2021, Kathmandu, Nepal: A young girl receives a ‘tika’ on her forehead on the day of Shree Krishna Janmashtami
September 2021, Kathmandu, Nepal: Girls selling balloons inside Durbar Square complex during Indra Jatra celebrations
August 2021, Kathmandu, Nepal: A man selling Nepali flag in Durbar Square
October 2020, Pokhara: Women trying to feed water to a possibly dehydrated chicken they have bought
October 2020, Pokhara: A cow drinks cola served by a man
July 2021, Pokhara, Nepal: A sculpture artist working inside his shop.
March 2020, Bhaktapur, Nepal: Women using cotton spinning wheel at Bhaktapur Durbar Square area
October 2020, Pokhara: People in a busy street walk past an elderly woman who has fallen asleep on the sidewalk
September 2021, Kathmandu: A man fixing a fault in overhead cable lines
September 2021, Kathmandu: A man covers himself in sheet as he performs a street act
November 2020, Pokhara: A young girl posing for a picture in her festive clothes ahead of Tihar festival
A young Nepali girl wearing festive clothes poses for a picture
A girl at a wedding in Pokhara, Nepal asks to be photographed.
July 2021, Pokhara: Husband and wife at their shop
An elderly woman photographed listening to a radio in Pokhara
March 2020, Bhaktapur, Nepal: Men sitting outside a temple in Durbar Square area
An Elderly Woman in Bardiya village, Nepal
July 2021, Pokhara, Nepal: An elderly man reads a newspaper inside a shop as news plays on a radio with makeshift antenna.
A group of women singing religious songs outside a temple in Kathmandu Durbar Square.
A woman part of a group that’s singing religious songs outside a temple
A female dancer hired to perform at a wedding dances with a guest.
August 2019, Pokhara, Nepal: Women dancing at a wedding
A man sitting near a chariot during a religious ceremony at Kathmanudu Durbar Square
A man standing near a chariot during a religion ceremony at Kathmandu Durbar Square
A young boy sitting between wheels of a giant chariot at Kathmandu Durbar Square
September 2021, Nepal: A man helps transport heavy goods through busy streets of Kathmandu
A woman in Bardiya village, Nepal returning home with a water pot.
A man walking away with water buckets after washing them by riverside. Pokhara, Nepal
August 2021, Pokhara: A woman preparing pani puri by the Phewa lake
An elderly woman in traditional getup
A woman in with traditional moon and star accessories.
Ram Sundar – who owns a shop called B.B.C. World in Kathmandu – poses for a picture.
A man sitting outside his house, Bardiya village, Nepal.
March 2020, Bhaktapur, Nepal: Elderly women sitting outside an old building
April 2019, Pokhara: Portrait of a Nepali woman
A woman at a wedding in Pokhara, Nepal.
Portrait of an Indian Sikh man in Nepal
August 2019, Pokhara, Nepal: Laxmi, a young girl working with her mother in an open field, takes a break to be photographed
September 2021, Kathmandu: A ‘sadhu’ taking a nap at Padhupatinath temple complex
Three siblings photographed at a wedding in Nepal.
July 2021, Pokhara, Nepal: Broken signboad of a restaurant that was closed during the Covid-19 pandemic
September 2021, Kathmandu: A meat shop in Ason market