Easter in Nepal

Happy Easter!

By way of orientation, Christianity is not a dominant force in the Republic of Nepal - or in much of Asia for that matter, but there are enough ex-pats around to justify a christian church or two in and around Kathmandu. Fortunately for me, the Church of the Assumption in Lalitpur is just a 10 minute walk from home.  I found this out the way we find most things out these days - the Internet.  The article that made me aware of this church was foreboding in that it actually revealed that an explosion took place at this very same church on 23 May 2009:

Church in Nepal hit by explosion

Bloodstains covered the church floor after the bomb attack Two people have been killed and at least 12 injured in an explosion at a Roman Catholic church in Nepal. The blast, south of the capital Kathmandu, comes as the country's parliament prepares to elect a new prime minister. Police cordoned off the area, which was strewn with shattered window panes. No group has said it carried out the attack but police said they suspected the involvement of a Hindu extremist group, the Nepal Defence Army. The little known organisation says it wants to restore Nepal's Hindu monarchy. Police say the explosion took place during a service at the Church of the Assumption in Lalitpur. The article was a sad reminder that this country continues to struggle with its political identity - the maoists have taken over from the monarchy but the influences from communism and struggle for democracy coupled with the disparate ethnic groups and castes represents the proverbial 'white elephant' in every room.    I arrived at Assumption a with time to snap a few pictures few minutes before the 10 am service when I was approached by a man who asked if I wouldn't mind doing the first reading.  Of course I was happy to, but I was a little intimidated since I'd never set foot in this church before, nor had I attended a Christian service in Nepal before - I was in for a bit of a surprise.  The service was half in English and half in Nepali - a bit confusing, but a real honor to be asked to participate in this beautiful church in this very unfamiliar place. The nuns in attendance were reminiscent of another life when they had a powerful presence at Catholic schools and churches around the country - given the dress of these nuns could I help but think that Mother Theresa gave her life of service just south of Nepal in Calcutta, Indai?  In this photo the nuns were pinning the greeting corsage on one another to mark Easter.  The greeters also placed this small welcome pin on each of the parishioners.   The Church does not have pews, most worshipers sat on mats on the floor (a few chairs scattered around the periphery), much like they do in a mosque, but that did not detract from the engagement of the participants whatsoever.  After listening to the Nepali version of the homily first, the English version seemed rather anticlimactic - how I do miss the eloquence of Rev. Susan Chandler at St James' Episcopal Church! Look closely and you will notice that the date of death  for the deceased is 2060!  That's not called planning ahead, that is because the Nepali calendar began in 57 BC!   2060 is actually 2003 in the rest of the world. After the service, on the walk back to my apartment, I came across the water truck and a bird salesman. Because water (like power) is in such short supply, the wealthy have water delivered to their flats and it is stored in large tanks on the rooftop.  As I was leaving this morning, the water truck was filling my tank.  More  evidence that we have so much to be thankful for. On any given day on any given street you can find vendors peddling their wares.  I've encountered the melon salesman, the potato, onion and green bean salesman, the tomato, radish and cabbage salesman - each traveling by bicycle and each with scale in tow, weighing their goods and bagging it on demand.  The cost is quite low - I got a kg of onions today (even though i only wanted one) for under a buck - roughly 60 Rupees - half a watermelon - the sweetest I've ever tasted for less than 300 Rupees and these guys go neighborhood to neighborhood (of course you cannot count on them to arrive at a specified time).  But today I was delighted to see the BIRD Salesman!  These were not for eating - songbirds for sale! And every vendor has his own call or song or chant.  It's one of the more charming things that you'll find in the streets of Katmandu and its neighboring communities.   In this picture, Raju and his younger sister proudly display their birds - who could resist?!  (Well, this time I did, but God help me if the puppy vendor comes calling!) I hope you have a very Happy Easter and that you have a chance to enjoy the company of your friends and family. All the best!  Songbirds for Sale!