Around the Kathmandu Valley

We packed our bags for a holiday in the foothills of the Himalayas - in gorgeous Nepal. Flights were booked on Bangladesh Biman with much trepidation, but to our utter relief the flight was only 15 minutes delayed, and we arrived in Kathmandu on an overcast Friday afternoon. We were met at the airport by the hotel driver, and a short ride brought us to Thamel, the tourist hub of the Nepalese capital. We were given an air-conditioned suite at the Tibet Guest House in Chhetrapati, complete with a kitchenette, for only $38.

We ventured out quickly, eager for a taste of Nepal, ate the first of many Momos, and wandered the labyrinthine yet colorful Thamel streets until evening. The wide variety of clothes and shawls, carpets and home furnishing, jewelry and handicrafts made me stop every two minutes and gape.

The next day I went out for an early morning walk by myself, armed with camera and Lonely Planet. It was the Dashain festival time, and all the temples and shrines were humming with devotees, and the odd sacrificial goat.

I took time to admire the intricate woodwork on doors and windows, fed some pigeons, and wandered around a local bazaar, where I bought some heavenly smelling spices.

Back at the hotel, we opted for breakfast at Helena's rooftop terrace. The food was great and the view unequalled.

Our hired car came to pick us up at 10am for a city tour. Our first stop was Swyambhunath Stupa, also known as the monkey temple, the biggest Budhdhist temple in the Kathmandu valley. Legend says that Kathmandu valley was once a lake from which arose the island on which Swyambhunath stands. The lake then gradually dried up and settlements were built. There is a trinity of red and yellow stone Buddha figures at the base of the hill.

The stupa is reached by climbing 360 steep stairs, a feat which once again demonstrated how unfit I was. But the glimpse of the golden stupa kept me going.

There are benches for the weary on either side of the stairs, and a collection of stonework depicting the birth of Buddha. On the final (and steepest) stretch, there are pairs of animals flanking the stairs - garudas, peacocks, lions, elephants and horses - the 'bahan' (vehicle) of the five Dhyani Budhdhas: Vairocana, Ratnasambhaba, Amitabha, Amoghasiddhi and Akshbhya). Prayer flags flutter in the breeze.

The first sight that greeted us as we reached the top was a huge golden Dorje (or Vajra in Sankskrit - thunderbolt) and a bell. Tantric thought symbolizes the dorje as the male force and the bell as female wisdom. Two white temples in the Indian shikhara style flank the dorje. The view from the top is fantastic! The stupa has the eyes of Buddha painted on all four sides of the harmika (the gold-colored square block that sits atop the massive white dome), and it seems that for time eternal, the all-knowing eyes have kept watch over Kathmandu valley. Above the two regular eyes is the third eye, symbolizing Buddha's insight. The base of the stupa is surrounded by a series of prayer wheels, each of which carries the the sacred Tibetan mantra "om mani padme hum".

There are Tibetan monasteries, shrines and settlements around the Swyambhunath hill, and the mandatory souvenir shops and coffee shops for the tourists. The National Museum is nearby, but we gave it a miss.

We rode along the famous Ring Road to reach Bodhnath Stupa, where some believe a bone of Buddha is interred. The massive dome is surrounded by 108 small images of the Dhyani Buddha Amitabha, as well as the mandatory prayer wheels, set into 147 niches around the base of the stupa. The all-seeing eyes are painted on all four sides of the harmika, which is topped by a tapering section of 13 stages - representing the stages of perfection on the way to nirvana. At the entrance to the inner stupa stands a shrine dedicated to Ajima, the goddess of smallpox. A number of Gompas (monasteries) have been built around the stupa. We fed the pigeons and bought a small kalachakra mandala thangka painted by a monk.

Next we headed for Pasupatinath, the most important Shiva temple of the subcontinent, situated on the western banks of the Bagmati river. It is also Nepal's most important temple. Shiva is the destroyer and creator of the Hindu pantheon and is usually worshipped in Nepal in his most violent form: Bhairav. But Pashupati is Shiva's most pleasant form, as the shepherd of animals and humans. The ground of the temple are open to all but the fifth century temple is for Hindus only. Nepal's Dalit (untouchables) community was only allowed access to the temple in 2001. The priests of the temple are traditionally from the South Indian state of Karnataka, which has recently sparked controversy and even violence, with demands that Nepali priests should replace the Indian priests.

On the banks of the river are the cremation ghats (called Arya ghats) and there were two funerals in progress as we entered the temple complex.

We passed the Panch Deval and headed to the eastern bank. Climbing up to the terrace was a good idea, for it offers a good view of the area. Facing the temple from across the river are 11 stone chaityas, each containing a stone lingam (the phallic symbol of Shiva's creative powers). At the northern end of the terrace is a shiva lingam (5th or 6th century) on a circular pedestal. A finely sculpted face of the god has been carved onto this.

The steps on the eastern bank of the river continue to the Gorakhnath and Vishwarup temples, the latter off-limits to non-Hindus. But with 17th century temples, lingams and tridents scattered everywhere, the Mrigasthali Deer Park on the hills, and monkeys everywhere, this is a peaceful surrounding.

Next stop was Patan, the ancient capital of the Malla kings. This second largest town of the Kathamandu valley is also known by its Sangskrit name 'Lalitpur (city of beauty)' and its Newari name 'Yala'. We had lunch at Café du Patan, across the street from Durbar Square. Patan's Durbar Square - a pedestrian zone - is full of palaces and temples, and its streets are full of stupas and bahals. Emperor Ashoka built four stupas at the four corners of the city when he reportedly visited in 250 BC.

The Golden Temple in Patan is a Buddhist monastery where the four Tibetan faiths converge. The entrance is guarded by two menacing stone lions. Leather shoes/handbags/belts have to be taken off before entering the inner courtyard which is richly decorated with lions, elephants and prayer wheels. There is a small ornate shrine with griffins and a golden roof in the middle of the courtyard.

We left Kathmandu's Durbar Square for last, sort of as the crème de la crème of the day's outing. The area is comprised of three adjacent squares. But after the splendour and cleanliness of Patan's Durbar Square, the Kathmandu one seemed rather drab and crowded and very dirty, and evoked a rather strong feeling of anticlimax.

Kathmandu takes it's name from Kashthyamandap (wooden platform) - famed to be the oldest building in the valley. The three-storied 12th century building was reportedly built from the wood of a single massive sal tree, and was originally a pilgrim shelter. It was later turned into a temple for the God Gorakhnath, with Ganesha statues at four corners of the building.

Maju Deval is the highest structure in the square. This Shiva temple stands on a nine-stage ochre platform. It is a triple-roofed temple with intricate carvings on the wooden struts.

The Trailokya Mohan Narayan temple is dedicated to Vishnu, and has a huge stone figure of a kneeling Garuda in front of it. Dances are performed on the platform of the temple during the Indra Jatra festival.

The Shiva Parvati temple stands on a three-stage platform, and the images of Shiva and his consort Parvati watch from an upstairs window.

The structure that impressed me the most was Kumari Ghar, the house of the Living Goddess (I'll write a separate piece on this someday). It is a square 3-storied building with intricate wood carvings on doors and windows. The outer façade has a golden window at which the Kumari appears half a dozen times a year. The inner temple is not open to non-Hindus.

The Gadhdhi Baithak (said to have been modeled on London's National Gallery) is an European style building on the eastern side of Durbar Square. Once part of the Rana palace, it seems strangely out of place amongst the traditional style buildings.

Other buildings in the area include King Pratap Malla's column, the Royal Palace - Hanuman Dhoka, the Taleju Temple, the Swet Bhairav Temple and the Jagannath temple, with its erotic carvings from the Kamasutra. There is a statue of Hanuman outside the Hanuman Dhoka with it's head covered in red cloth (because Hanuman was a bachelor, he should not see the erotic carvings on the Jagannath temple!)

We explored the bustling Thamel nightlife in the evening.

... and retired early for our trip to Pokhara the next day.

Dark Cloud over Dhaka Zoo

Dhaka Zoo is one of the biggest attractions of the city, attracting about 10,000 visitors every day. The 35 year old zoo is located on 186 acres of land in the Mirpur area of the city, and is home to approximately 2,200 animals of 157 species. There are 57 species of mammals, 61 species of birds, 11 species of reptiles, and 28 species of fish.

In recent months, the zoo has seen an ever escalating number of deaths - rising to a total of 21 by this month! A lion, a tiger and a giraffe died in the span of one week! (okay, so the tiger was 15 years old and had lost all his molars. But when he stopped eating, his keepers obviously wrote him off.) Amongst the other animals that died earlier, there was a sambar deer which died in the first week of May; a baboon, a wildebeest and the last Malayan tapir of the zoo in March; a Royal Bengal tiger, two fresh water crocodiles, one zebra and a stork in February. Zoo authorities brushed aside any reason for concern saying the deaths at the zoo so far were normal. Some were caused by tuberculosis, gangrene, and also from fighting each other, they said, while others died of old age complications.

Last year alone the zoo spent USD 800,000 bringing 38 animals, including giraffe, zebra, oryx, wildebeest, impala, greater kudu, common elan, horse, donkey and kangaroo, from South Africa. Among the newly procured animals, the first casualty occurred when a greater kudu died in the quarantine shed within 15 days of its arrival. Eight others - two kangaroos, one impala, two oryx, two other greater kudus and one mountain zebra - died within the next four months. According to the (now suspended) curator, deaths up to 30 percent of a new lot is normal. “It is absolutely normal to expect a few deaths when animals are introduced to a new environment,” he had said in an interview around that time.

The lone one-horned rhinoceros of the zoo has been suffering from Pyometra disease (an extremely painful uterine infection that requires surgery) for the last year and a half. Besides, a horse, a samber, and a kudu are also ill. A prevalence of foot and mouth disease (FMD) among the cloven-hoofed animals at the zoo has been reported. Numerous medical boards have been formed for their treatment, but the 'expertise' of the boards is in serious doubt. The rhino needs to undergo surgery but the zoo does not have any such facilities. The giraffe (only 3 years old!) had stopped eating/drinking from 1st Sep and died from absolute dehydration a week later. The diagnosis? Suspected intestinal complications! The male of the pair was absolutely traumatized by his partner's untimely death and stopped eating! The giraffe death prompted government officials to suspend the zoo's chief and his deputy and to launch an enquiry, but it is obvious that more action is needed.

The eight years and three months old lion was found dead in its cage in the morning. The lion had been born in captivity at another zoo in the country and brought to Dhaka zoo in 2002. He had been suffering from paralysis for the last year and a half and was unable to move. “The condition of the lion was good till 7:00 pm on Wednesday but it was found dead this morning,” said an officer who takes care of the mammals at the zoo, claiming that the lion was being provided with 'better treatment'.

Asked how many animals are now sick, the acting curator told a leading newspaper correspondent that they do not have any such account! It is obvious that health care management is falling part at the zoo, and prompt action is needed to prevent more deaths.
The cages and enclosures of the zoo are of very poor standard. Even a semi-natural environment for the animals cannot be ensured due to lack of budget and space. The cleanliness of the animal dwellings leave a lot to be desired (I have not been able to even stand in front of cages for the fecal smells!). The food is often inadequate in quantity and inferior in quality (keepers often slice off meat and feed only the bones to the animals or buy rotten fruit at a cheap rate, pocketing the difference). The zoo is understaffed, and caring for the large number of animals have become a burden for the limited number of keepers. The keepers furthermore are untrained in animal care, and overall, the zoo authorities lack expertise in wildlife care.

“Dhaka zoo is run by vets who don’t know the eating habits and wildlife environment of the animals they keep,” said Reza Khan, Bangladesh’s top wildlife expert who heads Dubai Zoo in the United Arab Emirates. Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh Chief Professor Anwarul Islam said, "They (the zoo authorities) don't have a wildlife biologist and the veterinarian cannot properly maintain the zoo." The zoo is for wildlife, not livestock - a concept that clearly seems to be missing in Bangladesh, as far as animal care is concerned.

A slum has been mushrooming adjacent to the zoo boundary (just behind the area that houses the horses and giraffes), and the slum dwellers often disturb/scare the animals. The domestic animals kept by the slum dwellers, and indeed their own unsanitary toilets, and lack of cleanliness, may also be a source of fatal infections for the zoo inmates.

It is quite obvious that the reasons behind the deaths of this animals are negligence, inadequate care, inexperience, poor living conditions and most important, indifference. The attitude of our zoo authorities has become glaringly clear through this series of deaths: caring for wild animals in a country where millions starve and lack access to healthcare is a luxury. The authorities also seem to be in total ignorance of modern zoo standards and practices. Do the Bangladesh zoos even comply with the lowest acceptable practices, as determined by the Global Zoo Community?
Let me tell you the definition of a substandard zoo. It is one which "doesn’t know how", "doesn’t care" (deliberately substandard) and "cannot afford it". Bangladeshi zoos are all of the above! Our substandard zoos convey the unfortunate subliminal messages such as 'wildlife is cheap', 'authorities don’t seem to care therefore wildlife is plentiful' and 'wild animals are pathetic and not valued'. These zoos also have an overall negative impact on animal welfare - unsuitable living environments for animals, lack of husbandry and veterinary care and expertise such as sanitation (inadequate sanitation could cause the spread of diseases), nutrition, preventative medicine, etc. The attitude of the authorities also prompt visitor misbehavior such as feeding, teasing, violence, causing stress to animals, etc.

If we want to have zoos with healthy animals, we must seek assistance from those who know and can help. Otherwise, we must close the zoos down and send the animals to better homes.

(Photos courtesy: The Daily Star)