For thousand of years, religion sits atop the priority of the Newars in Nepal. Their loyalty and devotion to God reaches far beyond our imagination. Even when the recent devastating earthquake struck the country, they deemed that it was a sign of God's will. Perhaps, it was due to this reason too, that I've never seen any sadness on these beautiful faces even when faced with such unexpected catastrophe and tragedy. I deeply hope that my friends in Nepal can rebuild their homeland soon and go through this disaster with optimism.
It's been my annual routine revisiting Nepal since 2009, and the last visit was just last April. I spent a couple of weeks during every visit, looking into the lifestyle of the Newars in the ancient city of Bhaktapur. I could not explain how much I learnt from them, but it certain change my way of life that I used to practise in urban life, back in my city.
The bronze bell in the temple sounded every early morning before the sun rises, that was when I woke up, following the devotees to where they heading to. The morning worship is part of a daily routine for the Newars, and it is the first thing they do before the start of a new day. For thousand of years, religion sits atop the priority of the Newars in Nepal. Their loyalty and devotion to God reaches far beyond our imagination.
Even when the recent devastating earthquake struck the country, they deemed that it was a sign of God's will. Perhaps, it was due to this reason too, that I've never seen any sadness on these beautiful faces even when faced with such unexpected catastrophe and tragedy. In just two weeks time, the joy of Bisket Jatra Festival celebration had drastically turned into misery from this devastating earthquake. I deeply hope that my friends in Nepal can rebuild their homeland soon and go through this disaster with optimism.