Jennifer’s feet are in bad nick. She got some innocuous-looking blisters which burst and she got some infection in the wounds. Its now practically impossible for her to walk. So she has spent much of the time in bed so far in Kathmandu while Ananda’s pharmacist friend has been making her better. On the 9th (Saturday) Ananda took me on the back of his scooter to the northern edge of Tokha, his suburb of Kathmandu, to see some temples, the Tokha Ganeshthan Mandir (dedicated to Ganesh the elephant God) and another temple dedicated to Kali the many-armed Goddess of Death and Destruction. In the evening we went to the weekly Newari food market where authentic Nepali food is for sale on tables in the street. On the 10th, Jennifer managed (in great pain) to stagger into a taxi taking us for a meal at the Children’s Library with Sapena, Urmila and Darnandhu. They had gone to a lot of trouble to make a delicious meal.
The paddy field behind Ananda’s house
View from the house
Bimala (Ananda’s sister) putting the Rakhi (red wristband) on him. It is a symbol of the pledge by a brother to protect his sister and of her love for him.
Santosh (Ananda’s brother) with Ananda’s son and Bimala’s daughter
Jennifer having the “bindi” (a red spot) which represents a third eye painted on her forehead. It is placed in the “chaka”,the seat of concealed wisdom and is said to strengthen concentration.
Ananda’s family
Tokha street scene
Temple for Ganesh
Temple door with Buddhist symbols. There is a mixture of Buddhism and Hinduism in Nepal
Temple for Kali
Kali
Cobra
Buffalo behind Ananda’s house
Jennifer in a borrowed Nepalese costume
Painting by Nepalese child