Clean and green is how I remember the place, and of course, the temple architecture looked amazing. The surroundings of that place astonished me, for I was unfamiliar with such places within the Kathmandu Valley.[break]
Years later still, when I went back to the same place with obscure memories of the place once I had visited, I found the place to be completely different from what it was back then, and yes, I was surprised by the changes there.
Comparing the two visits, I would say I’ve never had been to this place before because what I remember about Changu Narayan was the beauty of that place which, sadly, no longer exists.
As part of our Nepali History and Dynamics course, we were taken there by our teacher. We filled up our heads with lots of exciting information about the place regarding our history, our culture. Looking at the icons, we learnt to tell the exact time period of each of the idols and statues.
It’s also believed that during the 14th century, Shamshuddin tried to enter the Kathmandu Valley through Bhaktapur. Being a Muslim ruler and marauder from India, he destroyed the temples and icons that belonged to the Hindu community.
After a long time, the place was renovated, and the Changu Narayan Temple that stands today is a masterpiece of Nepal’s medieval period. The icons, the quiet environment, in fact everything, still looks fascinating as it was before.
But the question here is: is it only the temple that belongs to us? Aren’t we equally responsible for the environment, too?
Looking at certain factors, the immature writer in me woke up, and as a result, it provoked me to show some dark shades within the clear picture.
Yes, the temple is clean, but what about the surroundings? The surroundings are also a part of our culture, our country. So, why is it being neglected?
Similarly, as soon as we enter the temple courtyard, we can see a big billboard which says, “Don’t encourage begging” and just beneath it, we see beggars asking you to give them something in the name of God. So, is the signage placed there only for its sake, or do we really want changes?
Moving further inside the temple, we again see another board just in front of the main temple. The board reads like this, “Entry only for Hindus.”
This actually surprises me because what I’ve been hearing for years is that Nepal is famous for its religious tolerance and harmony among the people. So, is the board actually preserving the harmony, or is it leading to some disturbing airs? What misfortune would come to us if a person of another faith entered the temple? This is something I particularly fail to understand.
So, in a nutshell, a visit to the famous Changu Narayan heritage site not only enlightened me but it also dragged me into rage by providing a bleak picture of our Nepali society and culture. My dear Nepali sisters and brothers, and I claim ourselves to be a part of our culture, is it what we are really proud of? Is it the pollution, the changing attitudes of people, the deteriorating conditions of our cultural heritage that really make us proud?
I don’t think so. So, what about giving a second thought to it? Let’s try to create an actual clear image within the so called clear picture because our cultural heritages are a part of our identity, our pride.
The writer is a student of Liberal Arts at White House GSM.
Related story
The Dark Side of the Leader
