BHAKTAPUR, Aug 25: Half a century ago, cameras were hardly found in the city of Bhaktapur. However, the locals would sometimes spot 'khaires' (white skinned foreigners) roaming around the alleys of the ancient city with the 'weird' object back then. Bhaktapur, a city which is rich in heritage, has been a great charm for tourists since ages. They captured the moments and scenario of the city in their cameras since the advent of photography in Nepal. And when someone comes to know that he/she was also one among those in the captured in those images, the person's happiness knows no bounds.
This is how Kedar Prajapati, 63, of Bholancha Bhaktapur recently reacted to an old photograph. Republica had shown him a boy's photo who looked busy making pot. "I was 13 then," he quipped after gazing at the image.
He was a potter then. Five decades on, he is still a potter. Though 'the world has turned upside down over the years,' there has been a very little change in his life in those many years. "My livelihood still depends on this. I still make pots out of mud," he said with a smile.
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The old photograph made him smile. He inquired about the photo which was taken by an American national, Will Newman. "Oh, I am so glad to see myself as a boy. Nepalis hardly had cameras in those days. Had he not clicked it, I would never have had a photo of my heydays. Ah, such a lovely photo," he went down the memory lane.
"Sometimes when foreigners would take our photos, they would give us some money," he reminisced.
Due to Prajapati's 'interesting occupation', many foreigners took his photo. Some offered him money. "But they would not show us our photograph, they would just leave."
Prajapati's photo was disclosed recently on the website of Round E-magazine.
Republica did some research to reach out to him. The entire town showed keen interest in identifying the person in the photo. Recognizing Prajapati was a huge excitement to all.
"Would you convey my heartfelt thanks to the photographer?" Prajapati, now a father of two men, requested.
