Memorable moments to cherish

I, along with then SSP Rohit Thapa, had the honour of escorting His Royal Highness Crown Prince to the villages of Kaski and Parvat districts. His Royal Highness was to have a day-long trekking-cum- inspection of some of the projects including drinking water and schools in the area. I still remember the lesson taught by His Royal Highness about keeping the trekking route clean of even small thrown-away wrappers of food and water. His Royal Highness had not only carried his lunch bag on his back but also picked up small pieces of papers and pocketed them in contrary to the mess that the minister for education Sarbendra Nath Shukla and his party had strewn at the site. His body guard carried the lunch packet for the minister throughout the way to the villages. We all Nepali should learn lessons to keep the environment clean of mess from the Royal guest.

Bidding farewell to His Royal Highness Crown Prince at Pokhara airport when I was DIG

National Seminar on Magar Identity

July 15, 2012
Chaired a session of 'National Seminar on Magar Identity' organized by Magar Academic Group on 14 July at Nagarkot, Bhaktaour. Two papers were presented in this session:

Origin, arrival, and expansion of Magar by Fatik Thapa and Territory of Magarat and Trends of Naming by Chhabilal Chidi Maagar. I suggested few things at the end of the session:

1.       Avoid repeating old data—need to do research beyond the known areas.

2.       Share research findings with wider circle of researchers: inter-caste groups, national and international groups. It is important to validate our research findings and update what others have found out

3.       Understanding the limitations of research—it can only direct, lead or indicate towards truth but it cannot prove anything as in mathematics or physical science.

A moment with Prof. Michael Opitz

Sharing a moment with Michael Opitz

Do you believe in Bhoot, Pret, Boksi, Dhami, Jhankri or SHAMANISM? I can presume that many of you do not believe in them. The fact is that in Nepal, still these practices go on in the societies. These are not only practiced in remote villages but also in the capital city of Nepal—Kathmandu. 

David E. Watters in his paper 'Siberian Shamanistic Traditions Among Kham-Magars of Nepal' writes:

"…Shamanism, as described by most scholars, is pre-eminately a magico-religious phenomenon of Siberia and Central Asia (Eliade 1964: 4,5). In fact, the word 'shaman' comes originally from the Tungusic word saman meaning 'one who is excited, moved, raised' and was borrowed into English from the Russian. The term is descriptive of the shaman's most basic attribute—shaking, or an 'ecstatic trance' (Casanowicz 1924:419)."

Michael Opitz did some research works on this community during 80s. Prof. Michael Opitz is the director of documentary film 'Shamans of the Blind Country' 1981. 221 min. West Germany/Nepal. 

 http://vimeo.com/3198388

An ethnographic film that studies the Magar people of West Nepal--Rukum, a pre-literate mountain tribe living in the vicinity of the Dhaulagiri range and practicing a shamanistic religion.

Source: http://dalbhattarkari.com/nepal-documenary/

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Siberian shamanistic traditions among Kham Magars of Nepal