People claim that illiterates or ill-educated people can easily be persuaded with sugar-coated words. Some claim that faith is because of poverty. Because of these things gullible  people can be tapped everywhere in the globe. But it is only partially true. Even the well-educated people, rich people and the people of developed as well as developing countries are also divided by faith and prejudice.

In Nepal, we follow plenty of superstitions without even thinking twice.  We have them engrained so well in our day to day affairs that we act first and then think about them. The other day during dinner I asked for a green chilly.  My grandson brought one to me and put it in a plate, though I had my hand out.  Traditionally chilly is not put directly in someone’s hand.  He also believed putting a chilly directly into someone’s hand invites fighting. Later I thought about it and had a good laugh. I don’t think he even considered it for a bit, because it had become a habit where certain things are done spontaneously.  The above incident reminded me of another instance from a long time ago.

DUPCHESHWOR (NUWAKOT), April 22: A group of visitors from Kathmandu and the local litterateurs on Friday arrived and read out stories and poems at the Dupcheshwor temple, which is known as the second Pashupatinath in Bagmati.