The Himalayan Voice

READING THE LUMBINI AND PADERIA INSCRIPTIONS: SAKYAMUNI OR SAKAMUNI ?

2010-04-24T10:23:00.019-04:00

[Note: * Many thanks Terrence. You wrote in your message below, “This is thus a very serious matter indeed - it is on such errors that forgeries are detected - and unless you can deal with it, then either you or anyone else cannot reasonably expect to be taken seriously either.”

* And here we shall write ‘Sakyamuni and Sakamuni’ both have same philological value whether you name them either Prakrit or Hybrid-Sanskrit as they fall within the same family. Here comes the real issue: a native and non-native explanation(s) of language and culture. We would go after D. C. Sircar’s reading of Lumbini Inscription. We hope to hear from Max Deeg also as he has produced a serious report also from the Chinese Text, which you seem to be contesting.

* Yours, Krishna M. Srivastav (with whom you differ), Charles Allen and some others distance measurement and direction travelled by both the pilgrims can’t be attested given the treacherous route passing through the dense forest and winding rivers - from Kapilvastu to Lumbini or Rama Grama etc. As there are already some discrepancies in measurement of distance in between the two pilgrims.

* We would like to write here again in reply to your latest email posted below that the Chinese pilgrims' stories may be taken as historical facts but not the epigraphical evidence like Lumbini Pillar inscription, Sakya token of Tilaurakot and Piprahawa reliquaries plus Ripu Mardan Malla's visit and inscription - 'Om Mani Padme Hum' - of 12th Century AD . We have here added John Huntington’s assessment of your research findings as he writes on the Buddha birth place question to the Indo-Eurasian Research Forum ]

On Sat, Apr 24, 2010 at 5:31 PM, terence phelps <taphelken@hotmail.com> wrote:

P.S. Further to my last email on Lumbini, I'd like to add that given a straight choice between the evidence of the Chinese pilgrims, and that of the most notorious forger of Brahmi inscriptions known to Indology (Fuhrer), I'll take the testimony of the pilgrims every time.

Terry Phelps

2010/4/23 Terence Phelps taphelken@hotmail.com

Further to my last email, I shall point out that you are also failing to address the fact that the Padariya inscription contains a glaring error which exposes it as a forgery, viz, the presence of 'Sakyamuni' in the inscription itself. This is a big mistake! It is scarcely surprising that Fuhrer slipped up here however, since I have it on very good authority that though he was a reasonably competent Sanskritist, Fuhrer knew little about the Prakrits (and the Padariya inscription would have been written in a Prakrit, of course). Indeed, I also have it on very good authority that 'sakyamuni' shouldn't be present in an Asokan Brahmi inscription at all, and as I have written in my website: Lumbini On Trail: The Untold Story

Sakyamuni is a Sanskritised form of this term, and first occurred when the north-western Prakrit inscriptions began to show Sanskrit influence - so-called Epigraphical Hybrid Sanskrit, a change which arose two or three centuries after Asoka - and before this development it was always written as 'Sakamuni', in both Brahmi and Kharosthi inscriptions. There would thus appear to be no epigraphical support for the presence of 'Sakyamuni' in this Asokan Brahmi inscription, and I shall charge that this exposes it as yet another Fuhrer forgery. Commenting on an inscription on the Wardak Vase (2nd century AD) N. G. Majumdar writes that 'the name is Sankritized as Śakyamuni' (Epigraphia Indica, Vol. 24, p. 2). Though I can find no other instance of sakyamuni - as distinct from sakamuni - in any other Brahmi inscription, it occurs in ten Kharosthi inscriptions. Of these, six show sakamuni, while the four showing sakyamuni - those on the Avaca, Kurram, and two Wardak caskets - were all found in either north-western Pakistan or Afghanistan. And as J. F. Fleet observed:

'The inscriptions of India are the only sure grounds of historical results in every line of research connected with its ancient past; they regulate everything that we can learn from coins, architecture, art, literature, tradition, or any other source.'

This is thus a very serious matter indeed - it is on such errors that forgeries are detected - and unless you can deal with it, then either you or anyone else cannot reasonably expect to be taken seriously either.

Terry Phelps

On Fri, Apr 23, 2010 at 1:43 PM, Terence Phelps wrote:

There is, as you say, a well-known discrepancy in the pilgrims' accounts regarding the location of Konagamana's town and Krakuchandra's town, but this is of little real consequence, since I have noted that writers often confuse east and west (though rarely north and south). Cunningham did it, Smith did it, Watters did it, I've done it myself, and the latest translation of Yuan-chuang's account (by a Chinese guy) places the Ashes Stupa to the north-east of the Place of Renunciation instead of to the south-east. But when the pilgrims AGREE on both distance and direction (and the 500 li of Yuan-chuang is seen to match the 12 yojanas of Fa-hsien elsewhere in their accounts) then that's what you deal with, since they both WENT there! And we can check their measurements against known identifications (Vaisali to Patatliputra(Patna) for example, which is 35 miles, and which Fa-hsien gives as 5 yojanas: thus 1 yojanaPadariya pillar, just remember that it was discovered by a crook, Khadga Shamsher, together with the most prolific and expert forger of Brahmi inscriptions ever known (Fuhrer, who we KNOW incised other phony Brahmi inscriptions on to stone) and you've then got a very different perspective indeed on the reliability of 'Rummindei'.

Terry Phelps

Date: Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:04:48 -0500

Subject: Re:NO CONFIRMATION REQUIRED/ BRITISH ARCHEOLOGISTS CONFIRM LUMBINI AS BUDDHA'S BIRTHPLACE

From: himalayanvoice@gmail.com

To: DeegM1@cardiff.ac.uk; directorgeneralasi@gmail.com; info@doa.gov.np; enquiries.arch@durham.ac.uk; A.Schmidt@bradford.ac.uk

Dear All,

No 'confirmation' in any form or means by anyone is required whether the Buddha was born in present Lumbini or somewhere else. The Lumbini Ashokan Inscription can't be changed or kept like the separated head and body of ‘John the Baptist’ in different places ( head here and body some where there to please the arguing mass of people !) in between

Nepal

and

India

Keeping in view of the on-going debate on Kapilvastu we posted yesterday the news item, as in the form and style it had appeared in The Washing Post (News Look now Nepal Monitor also) 10 years ago only to 'feed' the debate. We have posted our note at the bottom of the post why we thought it would be right to post such a fairly old article.

Now coming to the point, the location, direction and distance ( 1 Yojana = 4.5 ? or 9 miles ? ) of different places around Kaplivastu by the two Chinese pilgrims differ because they visited those places 200 years before or after each other. For example Huen Tsang puts Krakuchanda Buddha's birth place 50 li South from the Kapilvastu where as Fah Hien puts it 1.4 yojana south west of it. Both the Chinese travelers differ against the location of Kanakmuni and Krakuchanda towns.

They both have placed Krakuchanda town in the southerly direction whereas Kanakmuni is placed in the opposite directions. Fa-Hien places Kanakmuni town west but Huen Tsang puts it in east of Kapilvastu. But we do not find these pilgrims making any mentioning of Piprahawa Stupa etc. So, no one can 'Just follow the pilgrims' paths only. Mr. Phelps should have considered these points. The archaeological evidence (circumstantial evidence and epigraphical evidence) can't be ignored while discussing historical notes of some travellers. Mr. Max Deeg is right to advise Mr. Phelps to review also the recent works on the holy archaeological sites.

We blame the Maoist law maker who took this issue to the streets of Kathmandu and also to the apex body in the country, kind of just coming out of the jungle, for nothing other than three four wrong words in a book published 2 years earlier.( Those Maoists should have discussed with other hundreds or thousands out there who have nearly hundred years ago already written otherwise about the Buddha birth place.)

Nationalism is right but not in everything.

Thank you all. You have a nice day,

_______________________

The Himalayan Voice Team

Cambridge, Massachusetts

United States of America

http://thehimalayanvoice.blogspot.com/

On Fri, Apr 23, 2010 at 5:51 AM, Max Deeg <DeegM1@cardiff.ac.uk> wrote:

Dear all,

I know that Mr. Phelps has chosen to ignore me and my research, but I want to comment on the issue of the Chinese pilgrims: reconstruction on the pure basis of (19th) century translations of these texts are doomed to be a failure. The single bits and pieces of information have to be read in the context of other text-internal and external evidence. I am the last person to deny these sources their high value for historical research, but statements like "Just follow the pilgrims, you know it makes sense. They WENT there, and you really can't argue with that." at best reflect unwillingness to critically engage with the material, especially if it does not fit into one's own framework of interpretation. I hesitate to say this, but I find it very strange what strong conclusions are drawn here by self-declared specialists who have no direct access to the relevant sources, neither the textual nor the archaeological ones, and who mostly ignore scholarly literature published after World War I. And I again would like to ask discussants to give up the nationalist undertones which are completely anachronistic in a discussion about where a certain place was located in the first half of the first millennium B.C. which is connected with a person who certainly did not think of himself in national categories.

Kind Regards,

Max Deeg

Professor Max Deeg

Head of School

School of Religious and Theological Studies

Cardiff University

Wales

From: terence phelps [mailto:taphelken@hotmail.com]

Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2010 3:20 PM

To: ashutosh.x.shrivastav@unnepal.org

Subject: RE: BRITISH ARCHEOLOGISTS CONFIRM LUMBINI AS BUDDHA'S BIRTHPLACE

”This is absurd. Why do we have to get a confirmation from British whether Buddha was born in Lumbini or not?”

Well, since the British 'discovered' the present site in the first place (not the Nepalese, who had never heard of it) perhaps we might still be in a position to comment. And what the British 'discovered', they are also best in a position to expose as phony : see http://www.lumkap.org.uk for the REAL Lumbini site, the one that both of the Chinese pilgrims visited. Just follow the pilgrims, you know it makes sense. They WENT there, and you really can't argue with that.

Terry Phelps (UK researcher)

From: ashutosh.x.shrivastav@unnepal.org

To: himalayanvoice@gmail.com; srtiwari@ioe.edu.np; drsthapa5721@yahoo.com;

Subject: RE: BRITISH ARCHEOLOGISTS CONFIRM LUMBINI AS BUDDHA'S BIRTHPLACE

Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2010 12:05:11 -0500

This is absurd. Why do we have to get a confirmation from British whether Buddha was born in Lumbini or not? Are they Buddha’s relatives who were present in Lumbini when Buddha was born? He was born there and it has been historically passed along by our great ancestors. Do we have any doubts on where Buddha was born? The debate lingering around is about the “misinformation” transmitted by people like Fareed Zakaria about territory, not the physical holy place Lumbini’s existence or Buddha birth place.

Sincerely,

Ashutosh Shrivastav

www.unnepal.org

From: The Himalayan Voice [mailto:himalayanvoice@gmail.com]

Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2010 11:43 AM

To: Prof. Sudarshan Raj Tiwari; Prof. Shanker Thapa; ANIK RASI; bhushri007@gmail.com;

Subject: BRITISH ARCHEOLOGISTS CONFIRM LUMBINI AS BUDDHA'S BIRTHPLACE

Thursday, April 22, 2010

BRITISH ARCHEOLOGISTS CONFIRM LUMBINI AS BUDDHA'S BIRTHPLACE

British Archeologists say, indeed, Buddha was born in Nepal

________________________

The Himalayan Voice Team

Cambridge, Massachusetts

United States of America

BRITISH ARCHEOLOGISTS CONFIRM LUMBINI AS BUDDHA'S BIRTHPLACE

2010-04-22T12:11:00.019-04:00

* British Archeologists say, indeed, Buddha was born in

Nepal.

* Presented new evidence that Kapilavastu is modern Tilaurakot, a Nepalese town about 130 miles west of Kathmandu.

Finally, British archeologists have determined that Lord Buddha was, indeed, born in Lumbini of

Nepal

. In a 13-foot-deep trench beneath a swatch of gentle woodland, Bradford's Robin Coningham and Armin Schmidt over the past three years have unearthed artifacts demonstrating that the site was inhabited during the Buddha's lifetime and perhaps even earlier. The key, Coningham said, was pieces of ceramic painted grey ware, used in South Asia between the 9th and 6th centuries B.C. "The site is clearly right at the center of the Buddhist holy land," Coningham said in an interview. "It's the only fortified site, it's the only urban site around and there are no rivals in the region." But wait, for although

Nepal

has charged that the earlier Indian work was politically motivated,

India

will likely say the same now, writes Guy Gugliotta of The Washington Post. Full story follows: [Story Courtesy of The Washington Post, April 23, 2001]

By Guy Gugliotta

He was born in a tiny town called Lumbini, in what is now southern

Nepal

. He could both walk and speak at birth. He told his mother that he had come to relieve the world of all suffering.

He was called Siddhartha -- "he who has attained his goals" -- and lived in the city of Kapilavastu until he was 29, when he left home to seek his destiny as the Buddha -- "the Enlightened One" -- founder of one of the world's great religions.

For decades

Nepal

and

India

have argued over the location of ancient Kapilavastu, with each nation claiming the city for its own. Now, two archaeologists from

England

's University of Bradford have presented new evidence that Kapilavastu is modern Tilaurakot, a Nepalese town about 130 miles west of Kathmandu.

In a 13-foot-deep trench beneath a swatch of gentle woodland, Bradford's Robin Coningham and Armin Schmidt over the past three years have unearthed artifacts demonstrating that the site was inhabited during the Buddha's lifetime and perhaps even earlier.

The key, Coningham said, was pieces of ceramic painted grey ware, used in South Asia between the 9th and 6th centuries B.C. The Buddha is generally recognized to have lived between the 7th and 5th centuries B.C.

"The site is clearly right at the center of the Buddhist holy land," Coningham said in an interview. "It's the only fortified site, it's the only urban site around and there are no rivals in the region."

In fact, however, there has been a rival for 30 years -- the Indian town of Piprahawa, about 600 yards south of the

Nepal

border and four miles from Tilaurakot. There, in 1972, archaeologists digging beneath a Buddhist monument, known as a stupa, found a casket containing human remains and coins bearing the legend: "Here is the vihara [monastery] of the monk of Kapilavastu."

At that time, Tilaurakot's reputation was in eclipse, because Indian archaeologists had failed to find artifacts contemporary with the Buddha there, and therefore deemed the site too modern to be Kapilavastu.

The Bradford discoveries, resulting from deeper and more extensive digging, will bring Tilaurakot firmly back into the competition. But they are not likely to settle an argument in which nationalism and the quest for tourist dollars ultimately play as large a role as science.

For although Nepal has charged that the earlier Indian work was politically motivated, India will likely say the same now, because the Bradford excavation was financed through the Nepalese government by the United Nations' World Heritage preservation program.

Coningham said that his team, led by Nepal's chief archaeologist, Kosh Acharya, will recommend that Tilaurakot be put on the World Heritage list, but would have done so anyway, because the site "represents the best preserved provincial urban hinterland in South Asia."

Piprahawa, by contrast, is "clearly a monastic site," he added, and suggested that the inscribed coins could have been sent from another monastery, either as a gift or as relics from a "mother monastery" to one of several satellites.

Still, although the weight of evidence may have shifted in Tilaurakot's direction, it has not tipped the balance. "There are all sorts of problems like this, whenever you start dealing with prehistoric sites," said Nancy Wilkie, a Carleton College archaeologist and president of the Archaeological Institute of America. "Even finding grey ware, and even with a radiocarbon date -- all it will prove is that there is another site that is a potential candidate."

The search for Kapilavastu began in the late 1800s after archaeologists unearthed a stone pillar erected in Lumbini in 249 B.C. by the Indian Emperor Ashoka to commemorate the Buddha's birthplace.

European scholars subsequently surveyed the region in an attempt to match its contemporary geography with early accounts of the Buddha's life, and with the journeys of the Chinese monks who traveled to Kapilavastu in the 4th and 7th centuries A.D.

The westerners found little help on site, because Buddhism had all but disappeared from an area that had become "a buffer zone between the Nepali state and the [British] Raj," Coningham said. "It was very much a wilderness. There were tigers there."

And although the monks' stories differed, the scholars nevertheless concluded that Tilaurakot was Kapilavastu, in part because it was an urban site in a rural area. The Buddha's father, Shuddhodana Gautama, was a warrior chieftain wealthy enough to move his son among three luxurious palaces during his upbringing.

Bradford's Schmidt described Tilaurakot today as a section of "lovely green" wooded lowland about 500 yards long and 250 yards wide. "It is surrounded by a shallow moat and covered with trees, with rice paddies all around," Schmidt said.

There is an intact gate on the western side of the site and fired brick walls, he added, but all of this is from a "later phase" of occupation. The inhabitants of the Buddha's time built their structures of wood.

When the Buddha died, perhaps in 483 B.C., no central religious authority was established. Instead, the Buddha's disciples radiated across South Asia to spread his teachings, said Boston College theologist John J. Makransky, and "the whole history of Buddhism has been one of diversity."

Ashoka was instrumental in the early spread of Buddhism, but its prominence in countries ranging from

Tibet

China

Indonesia

Vietnam

and

Japan

was cemented by pilgrims and monks traveling to the Far East along the "Silk Road," during the first millennium A.D.

It was also during this period, between 200 A.D. and 400 A.D., when followers in what is now the Afghan city of Bamian sculpted the two giant Buddhas that were destroyed last month by the Muslim fundamentalist Taliban government.

Buddhism in southern

Nepal

and

India

was all but wiped out in the 12th century when Muslims sacked the monasteries across the holy land. Although a partial recovery has occurred in

India

in the past century, the theological tradition - and its archaeological embodiment - are largely subject to the interpretation of foreigners.

"In most countries, the mythological importance of [Kapilavastu] has been replaced by that of their own sites," said Makransky, who is a Buddhist. But defining Kapilavastu's location "will have significance" for world Buddhists, because "to the degree that people agree that it is here or there, it confers legitimacy on the mythology."

Thus far, there is little indication that the dispute is over.

India

has long conducted tours to Piprahawa, and last year Coningham said at least 1,500 pilgrims visited the dig at Tilaurakot during the six weeks he was working there, among them several monks who scooped handfuls of clay to take with them.

"It's very different when you're dealing with sites that aren't purely of academic interest," Coningham said. "They are alive: People are interested in them not merely for their ceramic sequences, but for their significance. It made me a lot more aware."

Source: Newslook and Nepal Monitor

[Note: Even though this article is fairly old and two of the researchers are 'the westerners' with whom 'native' archaeologists may differ, as they are doing so, we still hope it can offer some insight into current debate on Kapilvastu.]

DEBATING HISTORICAL KAPILVASTU AND ITS LOCATION

2010-04-19T02:04:00.023-04:00

[Piprahawa stupa, Ganwaria monastry and Nigali Sagar Ashok pillar photos courtesy: Max Deeg - The Places Where Siddhartha Trod: Lumbini and Kapilvastu – Lumbini International Research Institute, Lumbini,

Nepal (2003) ]

Dear Kapilvastu Forum,

We do not have anything to worry about whether it tasted sweet or bitter debating Kapilvastu evidence you have ‘produced and so we have also’ but ‘beyond sense’ is what you have first coined in your very second post [ April 7, 2010] - this is it. No more on it. Enough said !

We hope this is going to be a healthful debate - may be leading to some kind of general agreement, if not any logical conclusion and also least ‘nationally loaded’ or ‘tedious’ whatever. It is of course yes such discussions might help reduce bitterness, if there persists any right now, among the people of the two countries that are historically and culturally so closely bound or related.

Now we rewrite from your earlier post here the Piprahawa reliquary casket lid inscription:

“Sukiti bhatinam sabhaginikam saputdalnam iyam salilnidhane bhagawate bhudhas sakiyanam”.

This is a landmark find we agree of which one literal interpretation might be:

“This container holds the relics of Lord Buddha donated by the Sakya family members altogether”.

But it doesn’t necessarily say - it was in the town or city of Kapilvastu where the relics were kept. Therefore the casket lid inscription does not simply imply that Piprahawa is the historical Kapilvastu as you have been claiming so far.

The casket lid inscription says much of the Buddha and his clan members but it does not offer enough information to determine the location of royal palace of Kapilvastu. So we also need to be intending to debate other epigraphy such as the sealings inscription Krishna Murari Shrivastav found at the Piprahawa site below:

“Om Devaputra Vihare Kapilvastu Bhikshu Mahasanghasa. Om Devaputra Vihare Kapilvastu Bhikku Sanghas”.

(This is the inscription for which we wrote, ‘We have also provided them with equally compelling inscription from our posting’. Not the token inscription.)

The inscription above simply says - it is a Vihar of Kapilvastu Bhikshu Mahasangh or Bhikshu Sangh. It just refers to Vihars or Sanghas or organization(s). The ‘Kapilvastu Bhikshu Mahasangh or Bhikshu Sangh’ can’t be the name of a city or town itself. These name words just mean an organization or organizations or monks’ communities or even social institution(s) of the Buddha’s time. This epigraphy, therefore, does not give any direct meaning or naming of a city or town like ‘Kapilvastu Nagar(e)’ etc. It simply means - the Vihara in Piprahawa was a member of Kapilvastu Vihara Mahasangh and which most probably might have been built by Kushan King Kaniska later - we again add.

The Piprahawa Stupa is indisputably a sacred place for worship or veneration because it contained the Buddha’s mortal remains – astu. No question about it. (But the Stupa whose size is 60 meter X 50 meter can’t represent the city of Kapilvastu. Even the area can’t house King Suddodhan's royal palace which was walled around as narrated by Hwen Tsang i. e. 1600 feet east-west and 1200 feet north-south.)

Here we quote from Max Deeg’s 2003 field report of Lumbini and Kapilvastu etc. - a related version from Mahaparinirvanasutra (Waldschhmidt (1950/1951, 446):

“saptamam bhagam Kapilvastavyanam sakyanam anuprayacchati yena kapilvastavyah sakyah Kapilavasatuni bhagavatam sarirastupam pratisthapayanti puravavad yavat pujayanti”

Max Deeg translates it as “the Brahmin Drona gave the seventh part of the Buddha astu (relics) - to the Sakyas of Kapilvastu: the Sakyas from Kapilvastu erected over it in Kapilvastu a Stupa for the relics of the Venerable One (and) venerated (it) as described before ( i.e. in case of the other recipients”.

Moving forward what in we agree with you is that the Tilaurakot terracotta seal engraved with — “Sa - ka - na – sya” is incomplete and broken. Yes, it is not complete. It does not tell everything. It is so small to engrave everything, roughly 2 centimeter in diameter and first deciphered by Babu K. Rijal. But it also can’t be any "Sankarsnasya"- meaning 'of the Sankarshana' as you have mentioned. In a time of richly flourishing Buddhism and Prakrit becoming language of the land – a perfect Sanskrit interpretation may not be applicable equivalent here. So, there should not be any reference to Krishna or Balaram – both Hindu mythical figures .

We have not called any professors for help as you have outlined in your post. We just wanted Robin Connigham or the UNESCO World Heritage Committee people to make the c – 14 test results public so that ordinary people like us can feel enlightened. As you have rightly said we are not an authority to establish what is right or what is wrong, we are just demanding what the results were there before declaring Lumbini - the World Heritage Site.

The other issue of an advantage of being a native for understanding one’s language and culture was not indicative to you or ourselves also but it was to those western scholars who had (and still have) prejudiced colonial mindset for writing books like “The Buddha and Sahibs” etc.

You also said you have seriously gone through Tara Nanda Mishra’s report. That’s fine and we hope you have noticed him dismissing S. K. Shrivastav’s Piprahawa report.

Epigraphic evidence are strong evidence but they are not like the inscriptions engraved in Nigali Sagar Pillar inscription below and see the picture also.

‘Devanam piyena piyadasina lajina chodasavasa(bhisitena) Budhasa Konakamanasa thube dutiyam vadhite (visativasa)sabhusitena cha atana agachha mahiyite (silathabhe cha suapapite)

Finally, nationalism is always something to take pride of but it should never shadow historical facts and archaeological evidence on the ground because they are there for the benefit of humanity.

WHERE IS ROBIN CONNIGHAM'S C - 14 REPORT ?

2010-04-16T14:15:00.010-04:00

[ But of course yes, one thing is certain that your recommendations to re-evaluate and re-excavate sites like Sagarahawa, the bigger mounds south of Tilaurakot, further excavation of Ganwaria, a C - 14 or otherwise dating of Piprahawa relics ( Where is Prof. Robin Connigham, the UNESCO Heritage Evaluation Team Leader's C - 14 report, will UNESCO ever make it public ?) and a careful excavation of Lumbini to undo the damage already done to the site since its discovery etc. are important and timely.]

Hello Max,

We can understand why you find this discussion (on Kapilvastu) 'nationally uploaded and tedious' as you have already published a report on it also, giving your preference to Tilaurakot, differing from Hartel and Salomon etc.; in which you have drawn ideas from Chinese text also. ( You have all Chinese alphabets and sentences there which, we know, you can comprehend perfectly but we do not).

We think you have not heard one of the prominent Nepalese leaders making a fuss around that Buddha was born in Orissa ? And also the Indian encroachment of Nepalese border and construction of a barrage kind of thing (?) south of Lumbini which might eventually drown the entire Lumbini holy site ! We feel the pain of our motherland. You don't have to feel this pain, do you ?

Discussing those 77 sealings K. M. Shrisvastav found around the mound of Piprahawa of which you mention " 63 refer to monastic institution and 14 to individuals" you write Tilaurakot is the historical Kapailvastu. We think this report hasn't yet reached the ASI ( Archaeological Survey of India) people yet, neither to the field nor to New Delhi ! ?!

We had also to labour hard to find your report down here. The Lumbini International Research Institute LIRI has posted its title head only. May we ask LIRI to post this report online or get it digitized so that people may have a chance to read it ? Although some differing researchers do not want to make any comment on your report saying 'enough said' and to whom you also retort of no academic background of some kind etc. We think this report should go online.

Now coming to both Ashutosh and Sabitrajee's contribution to this new thread; what we would say is that something has been definitely achieved in Lumbini but not enough as expected.

The lousy Nepalese Government has no money to preserve and promote Lumbini or Kapilvastu ( Visit Lumbini and Kapilvastu program, Lumbini International Airport, accommodations and other urgent infrastructure etc. ?) . But they have tons of money to pay 600+ some 'visibly unnecessary people' at the apex. It is also widely feared that they are extending their term for some other unspecific time' again at the CA, amending the constitution which is not yet promulgated ? In such a mess nothing can be hoped for actually ? ( No hope they will promulgate any constitution on the time as scheduled). We do not expect much from KTM, do we ?

But of course yes, one thing is certain that your recommendations to re-evaluate and re-excavate sites like Sagarahawa, the bigger mounds south of Tilaurakot, further excavation of Ganwaria, a C - 14 or otherwise dating of Piprahawa relics ( Where is Prof. Robin Connigham, the UNESCO Heritage Evaluation Team Leader's C - 14 report, will UNESCO ever make it public ?) and a careful excavation of Lumbini to undo the damage already done to the site since its discovery etc. are important and timely.

With best,

The Himalayan Voice Team

Cambridge, Massachusetts

United States of America

http://thehimalayanvoice.blogspot.com/

On Fri, Apr 16, 2010 at 7:35 AM, Max Deeg wrote:

Dear Mr. Shrivastav,

As a regular visiting scholar in Lumbini I have to disagree with your harsh judgement (which may be understandable from a standpoint of frustration). It is certainly not perfect what has been done in Lumbini - and there is more to be done - but the monastic, (up to now small) scholarly and commercial community have done quite a lot since I have arrived there first in 2000. What is your argument - should someone claim Kusinagara because it has not the perfect state of development one expects from the place of the Parinirvana of the Buddha? I have to say that I find these national(ist) or at least nationally uploaded debates about religious and scholarly issues, to say the least, tedious. As I said: it is not a perfect state, but the fact that, for instance, archaeological excavation in Tilaurakot has been taken up again is, especially in the present political situation of instability, a positive sign. We probably agree on the point that things first have to be sorted out in KTM (not least to clear issues with India which is polluting the place by building more and more cement factories in the area) before places like Lumbini can really benefit.

Best Regards,

Max Deeg

Prof. Max Deeg

Head of School

School of Religious and Theological Studies

Cardiff University

Cardiff,

Wales

Date: 15/04/2010 22:58

Subject: Re: Why is Lumbini a Dark Village?

Unrelated to this controversy, why is the Birth Place of Lord Buddha not a developed territory? Not sure how many people have visited Lumbini, but no one really expressed an interest to develop it. Few years back when I visited, there wasn't even electricity or water supply. Corrupt

Nepal

government treated it as an "unwanted gift". What do you expect? Someone will steal it!

Sincerely,

Ashutosh Shrivastav

On Fri, Apr 16, 2010 at 8:13 AM, Ashutosh Shrivastav wrote:

Dear Prof Deeg:

I visited Lumbini in 1999, right before you landed there for the first time in 2000. It's been a decade so the place may have changed. I am not sure but I am quite doubtful of any development. My point was: Why people around the world know who Lord Buddha (collectively Buddhism) is but only a small percentage in the pie know where he was born. It is interesting to watch the expression of people's face when you utter the words like

Nepal

or Lumbini. First question will be: What is that?

Lumbini is a Treasure Trove for

Nepal

government. Shouldn't

Nepal

preserve this important gift? We should be thankful that it wasn't snatched in the Treaty of Sagauli signed between British Bharat and

Nepal

. It could have been taken away as well.

Nepal

has to overcome the problem of centralization. All the places, small or big, must be proportionately developed. Lumbini is nothing more than a victim of this centralized thought. Given a choice between Kathmandu, Pokhara, Butwal, Biratnagar, Birgunj, Nepalgunj, Lumbini...which one would most people pick for primary residence? Lumbini may come last in the list despite the place being the birth place of "peace" messenger. The reason is quite known. If we really care about Lord Buddha, then we must preserve his heritage as well. It is the duty of

Nepal

and Nepalese to introduce this small dark village to the entire world. Until we do this, many Lumbinis will be born in many corners of the world.

Sincerely,

Ashutosh Shrivastav

www.unnepal.org

On Fri, Apr 16, 2010 at 10:49 AM, Sabitra Kaphle wrote:

Dear Max,

I agree with your points. I have recently been to Lumbini. I personally feel Lumbini as a place of peace without discrimination. I have been hearing the debates. I asked myself many times why it is the matter of debate. There is no doubt that the Lumbini is the birth place of Buddha. I think the point raised here is the matter of taking advantage of the political instability and developmental retardation of

Nepal

. I do agree that

Nepal

is not making the progress in development at this stage due to various political hindrances. However, it does not mean that the national heritage of the country are neglected. I personally not agree that Lumbini is a dark village. It is the place of enlightening your mind, body and thoughts. It has to come from the heart which enlightens your ideology.

Regarding the darkness, we need to work to get through the darkness so we could spray the beams into the each corner. In Nepal, there are many villages have no access to transport, safe water, communication, services......so on. Comparing this, Lumbini is far more advantaged.

Nepal

is striving towards the equality...I hope so in some years. My appeal to you all is work together to enlightens the life of all people, as Budhha said to us.

Regards,

Sabitra

Sabitra Kaphle

Research Higher Degree Student

Southgate Institute for Health, Society and Equity

Flinders University

Level 2, Health Sciences Building

GPO Box 2100

Adelaide SA 5001

Phone: +61 8 7221 8459

Fax: +61 8 7221 8424

Email: sabitrakaphle@gmail.com

TRUTH IS BITTER AS WE SPEAK THE TRUTH

2010-04-15T14:16:00.011-04:00

The Kapilvastu Forum has come up again labeling us - The Himalayan Voice - as a ‘Bitter Voice” which actually we are not. We would rather say: should truth taste bitter, as the saying goes by, then we heartily accept this label also - in that we speak the truth.

As such the Kapilavastu Forum has provided seemingly some kind of 'compelling epigraphical evidence' on the Piprhawa Shrivastava find such as the inscription ( which virtually says - of the Sakyans or belonging to the Sakyans) it has also been equally successful, since it came into discussion with us - we believe, in offering an impression that academic discourse should start with or follow some ‘degrading remarks and terms’. Be it as it in their part. We have nothing more to say about it. We have also provided them with equally compelling inscription from our posting.

We tried to approach the Chief Minister’s Office in Uttar Pradesh but we could not find any easy access for contacting (email address) therefore we thought to post an open letter to the Governor. This was basically done in view of the growing anger and resentment from the people of both countries. We have not heard from the Governor's office but received some sketchy email messages from some other concerned official we think. And we do not believe writing an open letter that way to any person holding public office is a childish act. This kind of thinking itself is a childish thinking.

Now, the Kapilvastu Forum says it has studied “all the published materials on the archaeology of Nepali Terai” – sounds good to us. That is fine.

Our question here is: has this team ever had sometime to read this report and this article ? We are at a loss to understand why it has become another ‘beyond sense’ stuff from the part of Kapilvastu Forum ?

Secondly, we have also already outlined in our previous posts that we understand, there persist two different views in regard with the location of historical Kapilvastu. And therefore, we have not insisted that only Tilaurakot must be the real Kapilvastu. We have not said it at all. We have just said ‘let evidence speak’ from the ground. You may check our previous posts kindly.

We are also not siding with the western writers as you have mentioned. We also hold a belief that western writers endeavour to ‘demean or degrade’ our history and culture. ‘The Post-American World’, is such a book by a Harvard product, which has caused a huge uproar in

Nepal

and the Nepalese communities worldwide just recently and of which you should also have been well aware of, we think. We hope you also understand that a Maoist lawmaker raised voice in the Nepalese parliament against this book’s saying that the Buddha was an Indian. So, issues have come up this way. You may feel pleased in finding an article we have posted onto our blog, found while web surfing by one Om Prakash who negates the colonial construct of Indian history and culture. For example we always say : a non-native always fails to understand what the native knows or understands of his language and culture.

Now, you have accepted the Lumbini Buddha birth place which is fine but there are numerous others out there in India who claim otherwise ignoring the archaeological evidence on the ground. Has the Archaeological Survey of India told them what you have accepted here ? And also we do not know whether all the schools and universities in India have checked with Hari Parsad Sastri’s ‘History of India’ (in Bengali) and similar others.

You also claim the Piprahawa find has been endorsed by most archaeologists. Have they really ? We do not know much about it. There is one professor at Delhi University who has recently written: the discoveries of Piprahawa “should settle’ the long standing debate over Kapilvastu. Well may be and here too, her usage of the phrase ‘should settle’ is something unclear however she has further written down ‘the Buddha relics have been identified and Ganwaria represents Kapilvastu'. How have those relics been identified, we have no idea.

Finally, we do not represent Nepalese Government. We are simply the Nepalese folks making some voices for some causes. What would the government of

Nepal

say about it we do not have anything to say right here. But we are the Nepalese people and we love our country as you do down there.

MAHAYAN BUDDHISM IN NEPAL : CONCEPT, CONTEXT AND SUGGESTION FOR ADVANCEMENT

2010-04-14T09:16:00.012-04:00

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jh|ofg lsg uf]Ko 5 t <

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lxGb" / af}4t+qsf] e]b

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cfwf/ M k|s[ltZr}j c;+xfo{ k|e]bt M .. -u'= ;= !*=##_

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o;/L zAb pxL eP klg t+q zAbsf] cy{ lxGb" / af}4 wd{df cfsfz kftfn km/s 5 . kfzo'Qm ;Lldt hLjnfO{ tGsfP/ cgGt a|X|ddf ldnfpg' eGg' tyf x]t', pkfo / kmnsf] ;Gtfgtf eGg' Pp6} s'/f xf]Ogg\ . b'j} wd{ cg';f/sf] t+qsf] cWoog / ;fwgf ug]{ JolQmn] ;lhn} ;+u oL b'O{sf] e]b 5'6\ofpg ;S5 . w]/} JolQmx?df lxGb"wd{ w]/} k'/fgf] wd{ xf] / af}4tGqdf lxGb" k|efj k/]sf] 5 eGg] unt 5fk k/]sf] kfOG5 . k|l;4 lxGb"tGq zf:qx? ?b|ofdn / a|Xdofdn cg';f/ jlzi6 Clifn] dxfrLg uP/ lzj?kL a'4;+u tf/ft+q l;s]sf] s'/f pNn]v 5 . o;af6 lxGb"t+q rfFlx af}4t+qaf6 k|efljt ePsf] b]lvG5 .

af}4t+q clgTo, b'Mv / cgfTdfdf cfwfl/t 5 . z"Gotf eGg' cgfTdfs} kl/:s[t ?k dfq xf] . kfnL lqlk6s u|Gy c+u'Q/ lgsfodf lrQsf] k|ef:j/ ;+1fsf] Wofg ug]{ k4lt pNn]v 5 t/ s'g} klg y]/fjfbL u|Gyx?df k|ef:j/ ;+1fsf] Wofg ug]{ tl/sf atfOPsf] 5}g\ . jh|ofgsf Wofgx? ToxL k|ef:j/ / z"Gotf -cgfTdf_ df cfwfl/t 5g\ .

af}4tGqx? dfWolds bz{gsf] rt'isf]l6 ljlgd'{Qm lgik|k+r cj:yfdf cfwfl/t 5g\ . zf:jt cGt / pR5]b cGtx?af6 d'Qm cåo cj:yf k|flKt g} af}4t+q cEof;sf] nIo xf] . af}4tGqdf k/dfy{ ;Qf dflgGg . To:tf] k/dfy{ ;Qf 5}g\ s]jn pbo Joo dfq 5 eGg] s'/fsf] af]w ug{ af}4tGqx?sf] cEof; ul/G5 . af}4wd{df k/dfy{ ;To / k/dfy{ ;Qf cnu s'/f x'g\ eg] lxGb"wd{df k/dfy{ ;Qf g} k/dfy{ ;To xf] .

To:t} lxGb"tGqdf b]jtfsf] d+q, hkdf hf]8 lbOG5 eg] jh|ofgdf pTklQ qmd / ;DkGg qmdsf] cEof; ul/G5 . b]jtfx?sf] pTklQ ug'{nfO{ pTklQ qmd elgG5 eg] To;/L pTklQ ul/Psf] b]j ?knfO{ no u/]/ z"Gotf cj:yfdf cf/fd ug'{nfO{ ;DkGg qmd elgG5 . pTklQ qmd zdy Wofg xf] eg] ;DkGg qmd cEof; ljkZogf Wofg xf] . af}4t+qx?df b]jL b]jtfx?nfO{ cfkm\g} dgsf] :j?k dfq dflgG5 . af}4t+qsf] b]jtf Wofg eg]sf] rf/ :d[To'k:yfgx? dWo]sf] lrQfg'kZogf dfq xf] . lxGb"t+qdf b]jL b]jtfnfO{ O{Zj/sf] c+z dfGg] ul/G5 . o;/L b]jL b]jtfnfO{ x]g]{ jh|ofgL b[li6sf]0f klg lxGb" t+qx? eGbf leGg 5 .

g]kfnd08nsf g]jf/x? klg lzjdfuL{ / af}4dfuL{ u/L b'O{ k|sf/sf 5g\ . lzjdfuL{ g]jf/x?sf k'/f]lxtx?nfO{ b]pefh' elgG5 eg] af}4dfuL{ g]jf/x?sf] k'/f]lxtx?nfO{ u'?efh' elgG5 . ToxL u'?efh'nfO{ g} ;+If]kdf u'efh' elgPsf] xf] . o;}af6 b]lvG5 ls lxGb" -lzj_ wd{df b]jtfs]f 7"nf] dxTj x'G5 eg] af}4 wd{df b]jtfsf] w]/} dxTj geP/ u'?sf] a9L dxTj x'G5 . lxGb"wd{df b]jL b]jtfnfO{ O{Zj/sf] ?kdf dfGg] u/]s]f kfOG5 eg] af}4wd{df Wofg ug]{ ;fwg ?kdf dflgPsf] kfOG5 . lxGb"t+q / af}4t+qdf b]jL b]jtf, d+q, d'b|f cflbsf] k|of]u eP klg b'j}sf] nIo / k|of]u ug]{ t/Lsf cnu cnu ePsfn] b'j} p:t} x'g eGg ;lsGg .

jh|ofg klg af}4wd{ g} xf]

g]kfnd08ndf clxn] y]/jfbsf] k|efj a9\b} uPsf] x'gfn] w]/} JolQmx?n] k/Dk/fut dxfofg÷jh|ofgnfO{ 5f8\b} 5g\ . af}4 sd{sf08df cf:yf /fVg] JolQmx?nfO{ …dxfofgLÚ eg]/ xf]Rofpg] u/]sf] kfOG5 . x'g t k|flrg / dWosfnd} g]kfndf y]/jfb / dxfofgdf cf:yf /fVg] k|z:t JolQmx? lyP . t/ g]jf/ ;d'bfodf leIf' aGg] qmd aGb eP kl5 dxfofg dfq afFsL /x\of] eg] /f0ffsfnsf] cGtlt/ km]l/ y]/jfbL leIf' aGg] k|s[of z'? eof] . clxn] w]/} y]/jfbL ljxf/ ag]sf 5g\ / y]/jfbdf cf:yf ePsf w]/} JolQmx? 5g\ . t/ clxn]sf y]/jfbLx?df ;+:s[ts]f 1fg cNk 5 eg] c+u|]hL efiff tyf cfw'lgs 1fg lj1fgdf w]/} cufl8 /x]sf] kfOG5g\ .

kfZrfTo lzIff kfPsf clxn]sf y]/jfbLx?n] dxfofg÷jh|ofg af}4wd{nfO{ klg lxGb"wd{ h:t} ?9LjfbL wd{ 7fg]sf 5g\ . t/ ulxl/P/ lqlk6s zf:qsf] cWoog ug]{ xf] eg] jh|ofgdf k|rlnt w]/} s'/f lqlk6sd} kfOG5g\ . dlHemdlgsfo cGtu{t df/tHhgLo ;'Qdf eujfg\ a'4n] eGg'ePsf] 5 ls qms'R5Gb a'4n] gfu cjnf]sg gfds d+qsf] k|of]u u/]/ df/nfO{ bdg u/]sf lyP . c+u'Q/ lgsfodf k+rjnL r9fpg] s'/fsf] pNn]v 5 . gfux?sf] eoaf6 aRg / oIfx?af6 ljWg gcfcf];\ eGg] p2]Zo /fv]/ kl/qf0f ;"qx? k9\g] rng y]/jfbL k|rngd} 5 . aRrf hGdfpg nfu]sf] a]nfdf c+u'nLdfn;"q kf7 u/fpg leIf'x?nfO{ nufOG5 . >Ln+sfdf lhgkGh/fo gfds kf]y kf7 ul/G5 h;df z/L/sf ljleGg c+ux?df cx{tx?sf] Gof; ul/G5 .

;4flt:; gfds y]/jfbL cfrfo{sf] k':ts …b a'4h j]Ú sf] P3f/f}+ cWofosf] k[i7 &% df zdy Wofgsf] jofg ug]{ qmddf j0f{ s;L0fsf] lj:t[t Wofg k4lt bzf{OPsf] 5 . To;df d08nsf] k|of]u ljlw jofg ubf{ ltAjtdf k|rlnt d08n h:tf] eg]/ :ki6 pNn]v ul/Psf] 5 . oxfF :d/0fLo s'/f s] 5 eg] ltAjtdf k|rlnt d08n sf7df08" pkTosfsf d08nx? cg';f/ g} agfOPsf x'G5g\ . csf]{ y]/fjfbL ljkZogf cfrfo{ Hofs sg{lkmN8sf] …lnleª a'l4i6 df:6;{Ú eGg] k':tsdf klg nfcf];sf ljkZogf u'?x?n] w]/} ;fwgf ul/ ;s]sf lziox?sf] nflu d08n Wofgsf] Joj:yf u/]sf] s'/f pNn]lvt 5 . y]/jfbL b]z >Ln+sfdf OGb|nfO{ af}4wd{sf] wd{kfn dfg]/ pgsf] pT;j dgfpg] rng clxn] ;Dd sfod g} 5 .

oxfF a'em\g' kg]{ s'/f s] 5 eg] g]kfnd08nsf dxfofgL jh|frf{ox?n] ug]{ sd{sf08 / Wofg k4lt lqlk6s zf:qsf] lj?4 b]lvGg . bL3{ lgsfodf cfkm\gf] ;+:s[tL g5fl8sg klg af}4 b[li6 ckgfP/ ;fwgf ug{ ;lsG5 elg eujfg\ a'4n] atfpg' ePsf] 5 . ;fy} g]kfnd08nsf af}4 g]jf/x?df :ylj/jfb -y]/jfb_ sf] h:t} leIf' aGg] rng 5 . leIf' ag]/ ljgo ;"qx?df atfOP cg';f/ zLn kfngf u/]/ a;L ;s]kl5 dfq leIf' zLn 5f]8fP/ af]lw;Tj ;+j/ lbg] rng 5 . af]lw;Tj ;+j/df bfg, zLn, IfflGt, jLo{, Wofg / k|1f kf/ldtf h:tf if6\kf/ldtfsf] cEof;df hf]8 lbOG5 . To;kl5 dfq jh|ofg k4ltsf] cleif]s -b]vf_ lbOG5 . To;kl5 ul/g] Wofg klg O{Zj/jfbL tyf cfTdfjfbL Wofg gu/fP/ z"Gotf, clgTonfO{ g} cfwf/ dfg]/ b]jd08nsf] cEof; u/fOG5 . b]j d08nsf] efjgf zdy / ljkZogf ug]{ t/Lsf g} x'g eGg] s'/f klxn] g} pNn]v ul/ ;lsPsf] 5 .

jh|ofgLx?n] klg k+rzLn kfngf u/]sf] b]lvG5 . ;w}+ ;+ej geP ljz]if lbgx?df pkf]ifw j|t a;]/ k+rzLn, ci6zLn kfngf u/]sf] b]lvG5 . x/]s cg'i7fgsf] z'?df lq/Tg z/0f udg clgjf{o ?kdf ul/G5 . eujfg\ a'4sf hfts syf tyf cjbfgx?sf] jfrg / >j0f ul/G5 . o;/L ljleGg kIfx?af6 x]bf{ dxfofgL÷jh|ofgLx? klg a'4 zf;gs} cu+sf] ?kdf b]vf k5{g\ .

g]kfn d08ndf dxfofgsf] jt{dfg l:ylt

lnR5jLsfn b]lv g} k|jn ?kdf /x]sf] dxfofg÷jh|ofg af}4wd{n] g]kfndf w]/} alnof] h/f uf8]sf] kfOG5 . lxGb'" /fhfx?n] j]nf jvtdf lxGb"s/0f ug{ vf]h] klg dxfofgLx?n] cfˆgf] k[ys cl:QTj sfod /fVg ;s]sf 5g\ . lxdfn kf/L ;Dd cfˆgf] snf sfl/tf km}nfpg ;kmn dxfofgL snfsf/x?n] clxn] ljZj ahf/df klg cfkm\gf] :yfgnfO{ pRr /fVg ;s]sf 5g\ . g]kfnsf kf}ef lrq, lelQ lrq, d"lt{x? ljZj k|l;4 5g\ . x:tsnfsf oL ;a} kIfx?df dxfofgL af}4wd{sf] ulx/f] 5fk k/]sf] kfOG5 . o:tf] hLjGt ;+:s[lt ePsf af}4dfuL{x?sf] jt{dfg l:yltnfO{ ljleGg b[li6sf]0f af6 k|:t't ug{ nfluPsf] 5 .

dxfofg÷jh|ofg /Llt l/jfh

;du|df eGg] xf] eg] sf7df08" pkTosf s} ;+:s[lt /Lltl/jfh k|wfg ;+:s[lt xf] . oxfF k|z:t dfqfdf hfqfx?sf] cfof]hgf eO{ /xG5 . pj{/ hdLgdf k|z:t cgfh pTkGg x'g] ePsfn] / Jofkf/af6 klg k|z:t cfDbfgL x'g] ePsfn] oxfFsf] hghLjg g} g]kfnsf cGo efusf] eGbf leGg 5 . ;fy} dxfofg jh|ofgs]f ;}4flGts kIf a'em\g ufx|f] ePsfn] oxfFsf af}4dfuL{ afl;Gbfx?n] cfkm"nfO{ k"hf, j|t h:tf Jofjxfl/s s'/fx?df cfkm"nfO{ 9fn]sf 5g\ .

hLjgdf af}4 g]jf/x?n] bz sd{x? ug{' k5{ . k+= ab|L/Tg jh|frfo{sf cg';f/ uef{wfg, k+';jg, ;LdGtf]kgog, hftsd{, gfdfs/0f, pkgog, cGgk|fzg, r"8fsd{, zLn k|bfg, j|tdf]If0f, kf0fLu|x0f g} af}4 g]jf/x?df k|rlnt bz sd{x? x'g\ . oL ;a} sfo{ ug{ jh|frfo{ clgjfo{ ?kdf pkl:yt x'g' k5{ . ef/tsf] jh|ofgsf] Oltxf;df oL s'/fx?sf] pNn]v gx'g' / ltAjtdf xfn klg o:tf ;+:sf/x? k|rngdf gx'g'af6 s] :k:6 x'G5 eg] of] rng g]kfnd08nsf] af}4x?sf] pkh xf] egL dfGg ;lsG5 . lxGb" ;+:sf/ k|rlnt ePsf] :yfgdf p:t} vfnsf ;+:sf/ rnfP/ af}4wd{ sfod /fVg o:tf] sfd ul/Psf] x'g' k5{ .

To:t} dxfofgLx?n] r}To k"hf, ljxf/ k"hf, kL7 k"hf, xf/lt k"hf, dxfsfn k"hf, lbu\ k"hf, u|x k"hf, s"nb]jtf k"hf, Oi6b]jtf k"hf, gf6\o]Zj/ k"hf, gfu k"hf, e"t k"hf h:tf k"hfx? klg lgoldt ?kdf ug]{ u5{g\ . kf6gdf dtofM k"hf gfds x/]s ljxf/sf :t'k, b]jL b]jtfsf] :yfgdf uP/ k"hf ug]{ ul/G5 . wd{wft' j|t, jh|wft' j|t, cdf]wkfz j|t, cfo{tf/f j|t, a;'Gw/f j|t, k+r/Iff j|t h:tf w]/} j|tx? a:g] ul/G5 . efb| dlxgfdf x'g] j;'Gw/f j|tdf w]/} 7"nf] ;xelutf ePsf] kfOG5 . af}4 k/Dk/fdf wgsL b]jL dflgg] j;'Gw/fsf] lgoldt j|t k"hf ug{sf] nflu u'7Lsf] klg Jofj:yf u/]sf] kfOG5 .

g]kfnd08nsf zfSox? klxn] leIf' lyP . kl5 leIf' 5f]8]/ u[x:y hLjgdf k|j]z u/]kl5 leIf' lgodx? kfngf ug{sf] nflu ci6dL ltlysf lbgdf cdf]3kfz nf]s]Zj/sf] ;fd'Gg] ci6zLn u|x0f u/]/ pkf]ifw j|t a:5g\ . af}4wd{ k|rlnt k+rzLn -xTof gug'{, rf]/L gug'{, Jolerf/ gug'{, em"7 gaf]Ng', dfbs kbfy{ ;]jg gug'{_ sf] cnfjf ljsfn ef]hg gug'{ Ù gfrufg / ;'uGwaf6 cnu x'g' tyf pRr cf;gdf g;'Tg' g} ci6zLn x'g\ . leIf' hLjgsf] ;+emgfsf] ?kdf ul/g] of] j|tdf w]/} g]jf/x? ;lDdlnt ePsf kfOof] .

tLy{ ;]jfsf] klg g]jf/ ;d'bfodf 7"nf] dxTj 5 . åfbz tLy{, ci6 ljt/fu, pktLy{, :jo+e"sf k+r tLy{sf] w]/} dlxdf /x]sf] kfOG5 . ef/tjif{df rs|;+j/sf @$ kL7x? eP h:t} sf7df08" pkTosf -g]kfnd08n_ df klg To:t} @$ kL7x? /x]sf 5g\ eGg] ljZjf; ul/G5 . s'g} Wofg ug{ u'kmf j:g' klxn] kL7 ;]jfdf hfg' k5{ eGg] dfGotf dxfofgLx?df 5 . ci6 dft[sfx? /x]sf] :yfgnfO{ klg tLy{ dfGg] rng 5 .

s'g} klg k"hf ubf{ z'?df u'?d08nfr{g k"hf ul/G5 . s'g} bfg ubf{ klg u'? d08n k"hf g} ug]{ u/]sf] kfOG5 . k"ik, w"k, cfnf]s, uGw / /; åf/f ul/g] k"hfnfO{ k+rf]krf/ k"hf elgG5 . s'g} /f]usf] pkrf/ ug{ jf cfo' nDJofpgsf] nflu ljxfg, lbpF;f] / a]n'sL tf/f k"hf ul/G5 .

jGbg, k"hg, b]zg, ofrg, cg'df]bg, cWo]if0f / kl/0ffdg ;lxtsf] k"hfnfO{ ;Kt ljwfgf]Q/ k"hf elgG5 . of] k"hf rflx+ ef/t jif{df klg k|rlnt lyof] eg] lxdfnL If]qdf clxn] klg k|rlnt 5 . a'4 jf b]jL b]jtf cufl8 em'Sg'nfO{ jGbg elgG5 eg] km"n, w"k, uGw, cflbn] k"hf ug'{nfO{ k"hg elgG5 . sfo, jfs\, lrQn] u/]sf cs'zn sd{x?sf] k|folZrQ ug'{nfO{ b]zg elgG5 . c?x?n] u/]sf s'zn sd{df v'zL x'g' cg'df]bg xf] eg] a'4nfO{ pkb]z lbg' xf];\ egL cg'/f]w ug{' ofrgf xf] . a'4nfO{ lgjf{0fdf guO{sg pkb]z lbO /xg'xf];\ elg k|fy{gf ug'{ cWo]if0ff xf] eg] cfkm"n] u/]sf s'zn sd{x?nfO{ c?x?sf] lxtsf] nflu k|bfg ug'{ jf af8\g' kl/0ffdgf xf] . ;fdfGotof u08Jo'x ;"q cGt{ut /x]sf] eb|r/L k|l0fwfgsf] cfwf/df ;KtfË k"hf ug]{ u/]sf] kfOG5 . o:tf k"hf tyf cg'i7fgx?df jh|frfo{, zfSo, t'nfw/, s+;fsf/, :yflkt, dfgGw/, dxh{g h:tf af}4 g]jf/x?sf] plQs} ;xeflutf /x]sf] kfOG5 .

/ftf] d5]Gb|gfysf] ef]6f] hfqf eJo ?kdf dgfOG5 . >L % dxf/fhflw/fh ;/sf/sf] ;d'kl:yltdf hfjnfv]ndf d5]Gb|gfysf] ef]6f] b]vfOG5 . To:t} sf7df08"df ;]tf] d5]Gb|gfysf] /y ofqf x'G5 . >fj0f dlxgfdf Ps dlxgf;Dd u'+nfwd{ dgfOG5 . To;a]nfdf g]kfnd08nsf ljleGg axf / alxx?df /x]sf b]jtfx?sf] k|b{zg ul/G5 . lgoldt ?kdf :jo+e" bz{g ug]{ sfddf ;a} af}4dfuL{x?sf] ;xeflutf x'G5 . pQm cjlwe/ dxfofgL tyf y]/jfbL u'?x?, eGt] / u'?dfx?af6 af}4wd{sf ljljw kIfdf k|jrg sfo{qmd ;DkGg x'G5 . :t"k lgdf{0f / k"hg klg dxfofg÷jh|ofg ;+:s[ltsf] cleGg c+u x'g . dxfofgLx?n] :jo+e" r}TonfO{ ;a}eGbf a9L >4f u5{g . x/]s axf tyf axLdf clgjf{o ?kdf r}To :yfkgf ul/Psf] x'G5 . x/]s ljxfg r}To k"hf ug]{ ul/G5 .

ah|frfo{df dfq ;Lldt clwsf/

zf:qLo ?kdf eGg] xf] eg] jh|frfo{ eg]sf] jh|ofgsf cleif]s lbg ;Sg] / jh|ofg bz{g JofVof ug{ ;Sg] JolQm x'g . of] s'g} hflt ljz]if geP/ kbsf] gfd xf] . t/ clxn] cfP/ g]kfnd08ndf jh|frfo{n] hftsf] ?k wf/0f ul/;s]sf] 5 . ;fdflhs ?kdf jh|frfo{sf] :yfg ;a} eGbf pRr /x]sf] kfOG5 . x/]s dxfofgL ;fwsn] jh|frfo{af6 ljleGg r/0fsf cleif]s lng' k5{ . z'?df leIf' aGg' kg]{ x'G5 . To;kl5 rf/ lbg ;Dd leIf'zLn kfngf u/] kl5 af]lw;Tj ;+j/ k|bfg ul/G5 . To; kl5 jh|ofgsf] cleif]s -b]vf_ k|bfg ul/G5 .

g]kfn d08nsf ;a} h;f] ljxf/df rqm;+j/sf] b]vf lbg] u/]sf] kfOG5 . ;fdfGotof rqm;+j/ cufl8 r08dxf/f]if0fsf] b]vf -cr b]vf_ lbOG5 . sf7df08"sf] tIf axfndf of]ufDa/ gfds tflqs b]jtfsf] klg b]vf lbOG5 . sf7df08"sf k+= ab|L/Tg jh|frfo{n] jh|wft' / wd{wft'd08nsf] klg cleif]s lbPsf] kfOof] eg] kf6g nugv]nsf /Tg/fh ah|frfo{;+u x]jh|sf] cleif]s /x]sf] kfOof] . t/ klg rqm ;+j/sf] b]vf gkfP ;Dd s'g} klg ah|frfo{, zfSo / t'nfw/n] cfud3/ gfds tf+lqs k"hf:yndf k:g kfpb}g . rqm;+j/sf] b]vf ePsf] a]nfdf rof{uLt / g[Tosf] klg k|bz{g ul/G5 . oL tLg yl/sf af}4 dfuL{x? afx]s c?x?nfO{ dxfd08nsf] cleif]s -rqm;+j/ b]vf_ lbOGg .

Wofg ug]{ ljlw kfP klg zfSo / t'nfw/n] cfrfo{ cleif]s kfpFb}gg\ . cfrf{o cleif]s gkfPsf] JolQmn] c?nfO{ cleif]s lbg ldNb}g . To;}n] jh|frfo{sf] clwsf/ c? hfltdf ;g{ kfpb}g . ;fy} xf]d cflb ug{ / sd{sf08 ug{ jh|frfo{ g} rflxG5 . o;n] ubf{ jh|frfo{x?nfO{ lxGb" a|fX0f;+u t'ngf ug]{ u/]sf] kfOG5 . t/ ef/tsf] af}4wd{sf] Oltxf;df o:tf] hflto ljz]iflwsf/ /x]sf] kfOb}g eg] g]kfnsf] pQ/L e]u nufot ltAjt, e'6fg, l;lSsddf klg o:tf] ljz]iflwsf/ s'g} ljz]if ju{df dfq ;Lldt /x]sf] kfOGg . t;y{ o:tf] hftLo aGwg dxfofg÷jh|ofgsf] ;fdfGo nIf0f geP/ s]jn g]kfnd08nsf] dfq laz]iftf dfGg' kb{5 .

g]kfnd08nsf] dxfofg÷jh|ofg s:tf] agfpg] eGg] ;DjGwdf jh|frfo{ ;d'bfos} uDeL/ e"ldsf 5 . zfSox? jf t'nfw/x?sf] k|ofzaf6 dfq l:yltdf ;'wf/ x'g ;Sg] cj:yf 5}g . xfnsf] ablnbf] cy{ Joj:yfdf hhdfgx?af6 k|fKt bfg blIf0ffaf6 dfq u'hf/f ug{ g;lsg] ePsf]n] jh|frfo{x?n] gof‘ k]zf ckgfpg] qmd tLa| ePsf] kfOG5 . k'/fgf] k':tfsf jh|frfo{x? ;ls|Pkl5 dxfofg÷jh|ofgdf u+eL/ ;+s6 b]vf kg{ ;S5 .

dxfofgL ;dfhdf gj;"qsf] :yfg

eujfg\ a'4n] lbPsf cgluGtL ;"qx? dWo] gf}+ j6f ;"qx?sf] g]kfnd08ndf w]/} 7"nf] dxTj /x]sf] kfOG5 . ci6;fxl;|sf k|1fkf/ldtf ;"q, u08Jo"x ;"q, nsf+jtf/ ;"q, ;4d{k'08l/s ;"q, nlntlj:t/ ;"q, ;'j0f{k|ef; ;"q, tyfutu'x\os ;"q -u'x\o;dfh t+q_, bze"lds ;"q / ;dflw/fh ;"q g} gj ;"q ;+u|x x'g\ . oL dWo] klg eujfg\ a'4sf] hLjgL;+u ;DjlGwt nlntlj:t/ ;"qsf] w]/} 7"nf] dlxdf /x]sf] kfOG5 . k|1fkf/ldtf ;"qnfO{ t ;'gsf] d;Ln] n]v]/ /flvPsf] klg kfO{G5 . jh|frfo{ u'?x?af6 oL ;"qx?sf] kf7 u/fP/ >j0f ug]{ rngn] ubf{ kSs} klg g]kfnd08nsf jf}4dfuL{x? jf}4bz{g / cEof;;+u kl/lrt x'g' k5{ .

dxfofg ;+/If0fsf] k|of;x?

gofF lkl9df dxfofg jh|ofgsf k/Dk/f sfod /fVgsf] nflu sf7df08" tyf kf6gdf ljleGg k|ofzx? ePsf] kfOG5 . k+= ab|L/Tg jh|frfo{sf] ;+s[otfdf dx]Gb| ;+:s[t ljZjljBfno cGtu{tsf] jflNdsL ljBfkL7df jh|frfo{ k|lzIf0f sfo{ eO{ /x]sf] 5 . g]kfnd08nsf w]/} jh|frfo{x?n] o; sfo{s|daf6 nfe lnO{ /x]sf] kfOof] . ;fy} jflNdsL ljBfkL7sf af}4 bz{g l;sfpg] sfo{s|d klg /x]sf] kfOof] . t/ jh|frfo{x? eGbf a|fX0fx? g} a9L nfeflGjt ePsf] kfOof] .

kf6gsf] cIf]oZj/ dxfljxf/df klg af}4 ;+:s[t k|lzIf0f sfo{s|d ;+rfng ul/Psf] 5 . kf6gsf ljleGg af}4 ;+:yfx?sf] ;lqmotfdf jh|frfo{x?nfO{ k|lzIf0f lbg] ul/G5 . nf]6; l/;r{ ;]G6/sf] k|ofxaf6 ;+:s[t efiffsf u|Gyx?nfO{ g]jf/L efiffdf cg'jfb u/]/ k|sfzg ug{ yflnPsf] 5 . ljleGg JolQmx?sf] k|ofzaf6 u'?d08nfr{g ljlw, snzfr{g ljlw, lq;dflw h:tf jh|ofgL u|Gyx? g]jf/L efiffdf k|sflzt eO{ ;s]sf 5g\ . e'?ª v]nsf k+= /TgsfhL jh|frfo{n] klg rof{uLt -rrf_, rof{ g[Tosf ;fy} jh|ofgsf ljljw kIfdf u|Gyx? /rgf ug'{ ePsf] 5 . dxfofg÷jh|ofgsf] bfz{lgs kIfsf] af/]df sf7df08" dxfaf}4sf kl08t lbJo jh| jh|frfo{n] pNn]vgLo of]ubfg ul//xg' ePsf] 5 . pxfFn] g]kfnd08ndf k|rlnt gj;"q ;+u|xsf] g]kfnL cg'jfb k|sflzt ug'{sf] ;fy} n+sfjtf/ ;"q, af]lwrof{jtf/ h:tf bfz{lgs u|Gyx? g]jf/L efiffdf k|sflzt ug{' ePsf] 5 . ;fy} kf6gsf u'?h' k+= cfzfsfhL jh|frfo{ tyf k+= x]d/fh zfSoHo"n] klg u|Gyx?sf] k|sfzgaf6 pNn]vgLo of]ubfg u/]sf] kfOof] .

dxfofg÷jh|ofg pTyfgsf k|ofzx? Tolt k|efjsf/L eg] 5}gg\ . lj1fg k|ljlwsf] w]/} xbdf ljsf; eO;s]sf] / y]/jfb k/Dk/fsf] w]/} k|rf/ k|;f/ ePsf] jt{dfg kl/l:yltdf o:tf k|ofzx?af6 dfq dxfofg jh|ofgsf] plrt ;+/If0f / ;+jw{g xf]nf eGg ;lsg] l:ylt 5}g . bfz{lgs s'/fx?sf] /fd|f] 1fg geP;Dd To;df cfwf/Lt Jojxf/Ls s'/fsf] ;'wf/af6 dfq plrt ;+jw{g x'g ;Sb}g\ .

dxfofgsf] l:ylt ;'wf/sf] nflu pkfox?

g]kfnsf] uf}/j pRr /fVgdf dxfofg af}4wd{sf] w]/} 7"nf] xft 5 . g]kfnL dxfofgL snfsf/x?n] ltAjtsf] Nxf;f, lzufT;], ;fSof, cflb 7fFpdf cfkm\gf] pRrtd snfsfl/tf k|b{zg u/]sf lyP . g]kfnsf] d':tfª, 8f]Nkf cflb af}4 wdf{nDaL If]qdf klg g]kfnd08nsf snfsf/x?n] agfPsf d"lt{, uh"/, leQL lrq, kf}ef clxn] ;Dd kfOG5g . snfsf/ c/lgsf]n] t rLgdf ;Dd cfkm\gf] pTs[i6 k|ltdf b]vfPsf lyP . pgsf pQd s[ltx? clxn] ;Dd sfod g} 5g\ .

e[s'6Lsf] ljjfx ;d|f6 ;|ªrªuDkf] ;+u x'bfF pgL ;+u} zLnd~h' gfds g]kfnL af}4 u'? klg ltAjt uP/ wd{ k|rf/ u/]sf lyP . ltAjtsf] klxnf] u'Daf ;fDo] lgdf{0f ubf{ sf7df08" pkTosfsf snfsf/x?n] sfd u/]sf lyP . ltAjtsf af}4dfuL{x? af}4wd{ l;Sgsf] nflu g]kfnd08n cfFpy] eg] g]kfnL af}4 u'?x?nfO{ ltAjt lemsfpg] rng klg lyof] . ltAjtL u'?x?sf] s'n k/Dk/fdf g]kfnL u'?x?sf] gfd klg af/Daf/ cfO{ /xG5 . o;df sf7df08" tIfjxfnsf ;'/tj|hsf] w]/} Voflt /x]sf] kfOG5 . dNnsfndf ltAjtaf6 cfPsf u'?x?;+u g]kfnLx?n] cleif]s lnPsf] kfOG5 . o;af6 s] b]lvG5 eg] g]kfnLx?n] c?x?;+u klg cleif]s lnGy] / c?x?nfO{ klg cleif]s lbGy] .

xfn cfP/ g]kfnd08nsf jh|frf{ox?df s7f]/tf cfPsf] b]lvG5 . jh|frf{o y/ ePsf JolQm afx]s c?x?nfO{ jh|frfo{ cleo]s lbOGg eg] zfSo / t'nfw/ afx]s c?x?nfO{ rqm;+j/sf] cleif]s g} lbOGg . ltAatLx?nfO{ cleif]s lbg] / pgLx?af6 cleif]s lng] t ;+efjgf g} b]lvGg . g]kfnsf a|fx0f, IfqLox?nfO{ jh|wft'd08n ;Ddsf] cleif]s lbOPsf] kfOG5 . o:tf] ;+s'lrt wf/0ffn] ubf{ g} g]kfn d08nsf] dxfofg÷jh|ofg sdhf]/ aGb} uPsf] 5 . t/ zfSo, t'nfw/ h:tf u}/ — k'/f]lxt af}4dfuL{x?df eg] w]/} v'nfkg /x]sf] kfOof] . pgLx? ltAjtL nfdf u'?x?;+u cleif]s lng nfnflot e]l6G5g\ / cfk\mgf 3/df nfdfx? af]nfP/ k"hf klg u/fpF5g\ . w]/} g]jf/x? y]/jfbL leIf'x? 3/df af]nfP/ a'4 k"hf u/fpg / kl/qf0f kf7 u/fpg nufpF5g\ .

nfdf / y]/jfbL leIf'x?sf] k|efj j9\b} uPkl5 k/Dk/fut ;+/rgfdf kl/jt{g cfpg ;S5 . nfdfx?n] ltAatL efiffdf k"hf u/fp5g\ eg] eGt]x?n] kfnL efiff k|of]u u5{g . ;+:s[t efiffsf] dfWodaf6 k"hf xF'b} cfPsf] g]jf/ ;+/rgfdf x]/km]/ xF'b}5 . jh|frfo{x? klg z'4 af}4dfuL{x? g} ePsfn] hftkft, 5'jf5'tsf] wf/0ffdf kl/jt{g u/]/ ;a}nfO{ dxfofg÷jh|ofgsf pkb]zx? ;'ne u/fpg' kg]{ b]lvG5 . dxfofg÷jh|ofgdf klg y]/jfbdf ePsf tTjx? 5g\ eGg] s'/f hg ;d'bfonfO{ b]vfpg ;Sg' k5{ .

clxn] af}4 Wofg eGg] ljlQs} zdy / ljkZogf a'e\mg] ul/G5 . b]jL b]jtfsf] Wofg, k"hf j|tnfO{ lxGb" Wofg eGg] ul/G5 . b]jL b]jtfsf] pTklQqmd / ;DkGgqmdsf efjgfx? klg zdy / ljkZogf g} x'g eGg] s'/f a'emfpg ;Sg' k5{ . lxGb" Wofg k4lt / dxfofg÷jh|ofg Wofg k4ltsf] e]b 5'6\ofpg b'j}sf] t'ngfTds cWoog jh|frfo{ ju{af6 ul/g' k5{ . ;fy} y]/jfb;+usf] cGt/ ;DaGw klg a'e\mg' k5{ .

:jo+e" tyf af}4gfy If]qdf /x]sf nfdf u'?x?;+u klg af}4 cleif]sx?sf] c6'6\ k/Dk/f sfod 5 . pgLx?n] klg klxn] g]kfnL u'?x?af6} ljlwjt\ ?kdf cleif]s lnPsf lyP / g]kfnL u'?x? k|lt cufw >4f /fV5g\ . g]kfnd08nsf jh|frf{ox?n] pgLx?;+u ;Dks{ /fv]/ cfkm";+u gk'u ;fdu|Lx? lng] k|of; ug'{ k5{ . oxfFsf] jh|frfo{x?;+u u|Gyx? t ;'/lIft g} 5g\ . ltg} u|Gyx?sf] cfwf/df nfdfx?;+u t'ngfTds cWoog ug{ ;lsG5 .

clxn] g]kfnd08nsf w]/} g]jf/x? ;+:s[t efiffsf] lj/f]wdf 5g\ . cfkm\gf zf:qx? ;j} ;+:s[t efiffdf /x]sf / jh|frfo{x?n] k|of]u ug]{ k"hf ljlwsf] efiff klg ;+:s[t ePsfn] ltgLx?nfO{ g]kfn efiffdf cg'jfb ul/ ;s]/ lj/f]w ug'{ pko'Qm b]lvG5 . clxn] g} ;+:s[t efiffsf] k"0f{ lj/f]w ug]{ xf] eg] dxfofg÷jh|ofg ;+:s[lt s} nf]k x'g ;S5 . clxn] k|rlnt ;+:s[lt s} nf]k x'g ;S5 . clxn] k|rlnt ;+:s[t efiffsf] 1fgn] dfq dxfofg÷jh|ofgsf ;j} kIf :ki6 kfg{ ;lsb}g . sltko rof{uLtx? k|fs[t / cke|+z ;+:s[t efiffdf 5g\ . tL efiffsf ljåfgx?sf] ;xof]uaf6 h6Ln s'/fx?nfO{ ;/n g]jf/L efiffdf Nofpg] k|of; ug'{ kb{5 .

cfw'lgsLs/0fsf] sf/0fn] jh|frfo{ k'/f]lxtnfO{ x]o b[li6sf]0fn] x]g]{ k|j[lQ ljsl;t xF'b}5 . o;sf] nflu jh|frfo{ kbnfO{ ;Ddflgt kb agfpg k|ofz ug'{k5{ . hftsf] jh|frfo{ geP/ af}4wd{sf ljljw ljwfdf ;'kl7t jh|frfo{x? tof/ ug]{ cWoog ;+:yfx? vf]Ng' k5{ . cfkm\gf] ;+:s[ltdf uf}/j ug]{ lzlIft tyf wgL hhdfgx?n] cfkm\gf jh|frfo{ k'/f]lxtx?nfO{ o'u ;'xfFpbf] bfg blIf0ff lbg] rng rnfpg' k5{ . o;f] ubf{ ;'of]Uo o'jf jh|frfo{x? hLjg wfGgsf] nflu c? k]zfdf uO{ /xg' kb}{g .

leIf' x'g rfxg] JolQmnfO{ plrt ;+/If0f lbg' k5{ . leIf', leIf'0fL, pkf;s / pkfl;sf ;+3 gePsf] :yfgdf af}4wd{ k"0f{ ?kdf /x]sf] dflgGg . rf/ lbg] leIf' dfq gagfP/ OR5's JolQmx?nfO{ hLjg e/ leIf' aGg ;Sg] l:ylt l;h{gf u/]/ dxfofg÷jh|ofg wd{ leq pk;+kbf k/Dk/f klg hLljt /fVg' k5{ . o;sf nflu y]/jfbL leIf'x?af6 cfjZos ;xof]u lng lxrlsrfpg' x'Fb}g .

cGtdf af}4wd{sf k|1f / pkfo?kL b'j} kIfsf] ;fy;fy} ljsf; x'g k5{ . sd{sf08 cflb pkfo kIf x'g eg] ltgLx?s} ;}4flGts cfwf/ k|1f kIf xf] . af}4 l;4fGt;+u tfnd]n g/fVg] k"hf ljlwn] dfq af}4 wd{sf] ljsf; x'b}g . jt{dfg kl/l:yltdf k|1f kIfdf hf]8 lbg' cToGt cfjZos 5 .

.. ejt' ;j{d+und\ ..

@ Lotus Research Center

BUDDHISM IN NEWAR COMMUNITY AND THE SHAKYAS OF NEPAL

2010-04-14T08:41:00.004-04:00

eujfg a'4n] hflt kftL / k/Dk/fnfO{ slxNo} klg k|>o lbg' ePg . ;Dk"0f{ dfgj hutsf] lxt / sNof0fdf eujfg a'4n] lbg' ePsf] pkb]z / To;sf] kfngf g} xfd|f] d"n ;+:s[lt xf] . To;df ljs[tL Nofpg] / unt k/Dk/fnfO{ sfod ug]{ JolQm slxNo} klg af}4 sxlng ;Qm}g .

sf7df8f}+, kf6g / eQmk'/ aflx/ g]jf/ af}4 ;+:s[ltsf] cj:yf

– s]bf/ zfSo]+

e"ldsf

k|frLgsfnb]lv jt{dfg;Dd g]kfnsf] Oltxf; / ;+:s[ltsf] cWoog ubf{ slknj:t' u0ftGqsf zfSoj+z / log} j+zsf o'uk'?if eujfg a'4sf] cfWoflTds lrGtgn] xfd|f] wd{ ;+:s[ltsf] hu a;]sf] b]lvG5 . o;n] oxfF dfgj ;Eotfs} ljsf;df hLjg k4tLsf] ?kdf dxTjk"0f{ :yfg lnPsf] 5 .

zfSohgkb slknj:t' O;fk"j{ 5}6f}+ ztfAbLdf lgs} zlQmzfnL lyof] . eujfg a'4sf] j+z;Fu ljz]if ?kn] 3lgi6 gftf hf]8\g] OR5fn] sf]zn g/]z k|;]ghLtn] slknj:t'sf zfSox?sxfF Pp6L sGof dfUg k7fP . To;j]nf b]lv g} zfSox? cfˆgf] j+zsf s§/ kIfkftL lyP . cfk;df 5nkmn u/L ljrf/ ljdz{kl5 eujfg a'4sf sfsfsf] 5f]/f dxfgfd zfSosL gfud'08f eGg] bf;LsL k'qL af;evlQofnfO{ lbg] lg0f{o zfSo ;+3n] u/] . k|;]ghLt /fhfn] zfSo s'nsL 5f]/L kfPF egL clt k|zGg eO{ pgnfO{ ljjfx u/L dlxifL agfP . pg} bf;L k'qLsf] sf]vaf6 hGd]sf /fhs'df/ lj8'8e slknj:t' lagfz / laWj+zsf] sf/0f aGof] .

eujfg a'4 dxfkl/lgjf{0f x'g'eGbf cl3 s/Lj O;fk"j{ $(! cyjf O;fk"j{ $*^ lt/ lj8'8en] slknj:t' / b]jbx -sf]lno_ b'O{ zfSou0ftGqdf cfqmd0f u/L g/;+xf/ u/] . To;}a]nf afFsL /x]sf zfSox? slknj:t' / b]jbx 5f8]/ z/0fsf nflu otfptf a;fOF ;/] . lj8'8esf] cfd ;+xf/sf] sf/0f s]xL zfSox? ;d"xdf sf7df8f}+ pkTosf cfP . To;dWo] ;d"x ;d"xdf otfptf 5l/Psf zfSox?n] lkKknLjg, /fhu[x, j}zfnL, ljb]x cflb 7fpFx?df z/0f lnP .

logLx?n] cfˆgf] a'4wd{ ;+:s[ltnfO{ cfkm'x?;Fu} NofP . sf7df8f}+ pkTosf O;fk"j{ !))) – ;g\ !))–@)) O:jL;Dd ls/fFtj+zsf] af]nafnf lyof] . oL g]kfnsf cflbjf;L x'g\ . logLx? lxdfno kj{t >[+vnfaf6 la:tf/ eP/ O/fjfbL 3f6L x'Fb} k"j{b]lv klZrd sflZd/ ;Dd km}lnP/ /x]sf 5g\ . @( hgf ls/ft /fhfx?n] cf–cfˆgf] zf;g rnfPsf lyP . oxL ;dodf -cyf{t\ O;fk"j{ 5}6f}+ / kfFrf} ztfAbLdf_ slknj:t' / b]jbxsf zfSox? sf7df8f}+ pkTosfdf cfO a;f]af; u/]sf x'gfn] zfSox? g]kfnsf cflbjf;L x'g eGg] k'i6L x'G5 . cfgGb leIf' sf7df8f}+ cfpg' x'Fbf klg pxfF;Fu zfSo Jofkf/Lx?;fy /x]sf lyP . s/Lj kfFrf}+ zftfAbL O;fk"j{b]lv sf7df8f}+ pkTosfsf ls/fFtx?n] cfkm"x?nfO{ …g]kf/Ú eGg nfu] . log} ls/fta+zsf /fhf lht]b:tL 5}6f}+ jf ;ftf}+sf ;dodf eujfg a'4 5}6f}+ aiff{jf;df lyP . /fx'n;f+s[Tofogsf cg';f/ of] ;do O;fk"j{ %@# ePsf] ljZjf; ul/G5 . o:t} ls/fFtj+zsf !$ cf}+ /fhf :y+'un] oxfF zf;g rnfO{ /x]sf avt ef/tdf ;d|f6 czf]ssf] /fHo zf;g lyof] . ;d|f6 czf]s g]kfn cfpFbf eoeLt eP/ ls/fFt /fhf :y'+un] uf]s0f{sf] h+undf Ps b'e{]B dxn agfP/ a:g yfn] . kf6g gu/ pg} czf]sn] lgdf{0f u/]sf] / rf/ lbzfdf rf/ o'usf] k|tLs rf/j6f czf]s r}To agfPsf] cBfkL b]Vg ;lsG5 . czf]s k'qL rf?dtLsf] ljjfx b]jkfn;Fu ePsf] ljZjf; ul/G5 . pg}n] a;fPsf] gu/ b]jkf6g lyof] . rf?dtLn] oxfF af}4 ljxf/sf] lgdf{0f u/]/ a'4wd{ ;+:s[tLnfO{ hgdfg;df km}nfOg\ .

csf{] egfO{ cg';f/ lk|obzL{ ;d|f6 czf]s g]kfn cfpFbf sflGtk'/sf ls/fFtL /fhf :y'+un] eJo :jfut u/] . a'4 wd{ ;+:s[tLsf] k|rf/df x/ k|sf/n] ;xof]u u/] . oL b'a} egfOdf cluNnf] egfO Tolt ;To gePsf] b]lvG5 . ;d|f6 czf]s :joDe" bz{gsf kljq p2]Zon] g]kfn cfPsf lyP . zflGt / d}qL rfxg] lk|obzL{ ;d|f6;Fu ls/fFt zf;sn] eoeLt x'g'kg{] cj:yf b]lvb}g . To;}n] pgn] oxfFsf ls/fFt zf;s;Fu s'g} b'ZdgL lng' lyPg . t/ kf6gdf gu/ lgdf{0f u/L ToxfF cfˆgf h'jfOF b]jkfnnfO{ /fhf agfP/ hfg'sf] dtnj a'4 wd{ ;+:s[tLsf] k|rf/df an k'¥ofpg' xf] .

zfSox?sf] b]g

g]kfnsf] Oltxf; / a'4 wd{ ;+:s[tLsf] cWoog ubf{sf] Oltxf; zfSo hfltsf] pNn]v ljgf a'4wd{ / g]kfnL ;+:s[tLsf] ljsf;qmd k"/f x'g ;Sb}g . k|frLg slknj:t'sf zfSox?n] lq/Tg cyf{t a'4, wd{ / ;+3sf] nflu ct'ngLo of]ubfg u/]sf 5g\ . b'O{ xhf/ jif{ cl3 b]lv sf7df8f}+ pkTosfdf zfSox?sf] a;f]af; /x]sf] x'Fbf a'4wd{ ;+:s[tLdf logLx?sf] cfˆgf] 7"nf] of]ubfg 5 . o;n] g]kfns} wd{ ;+:s[tLdf clw/fHoe/L Jofkstf kfPsf] 5 .

g]kfnsf] wd{ ;+:s[tL :yfkgfdf a'4 bz{g / o;sf Jofjxfl/s kIf cfk;df cToGt ;an ?kdf kfOG5 . :joDe" dxfr}To, kuf]8f z}nLsf b]un, af}4 :t"k, dxfaf}4 / o:t} cGo snfTds z}nLsf s[ltx?n] g]kfnsf] wd{ ;+:s[tLnfO{ efjgfTds / Jofjxfl/s kIfdf pTs[i6 agfpg k|]/0ffbfoL e"ldsf lgjf{x u/]sf] 5 .

zfSox?sf] k'gM alxu{dg

sf7df8f}+ pkTosfsf] jt{dfg :j?knfO{ l;+xfjnf]sg ubf{ O;fk"j{ !)))df ls/fFt j+zsf] cflwkTob]lv P]ltxfl;s u0fgf ul/Psf] kfOG5 . sl/j O;fk"j{ kfFrf} ztfAbLdf cfP/ logLx?n] cfkm"nfO{ æg]kf/Æ eGg yfn] . Oltxf;sf/x?sf] egfO cg';f/ kl5uP/ …/Ú nfO{ …nÚ pRrf/0f ug{ yflnPkl5 æg]kfnÆ b]zsf] gfd ;d]t x'guPsf] b]lvG5 . z'? z'?df sf7df8f}+ pkTosfnfO{ dfq g]kfn eGg] ul/GYof] . ;g\ !&^* df k[YjLgf/fo0f zfxaf6 sf7df8f}+ pkTosf ljho kZrft g]kfnsf] PsLs/0f eof] . rf/ e~Hofª leqnfO{ dfq g]kfn eGg] rng kl5;Dd klg sfod} lyof] .

k[YjLgf/fo0f zfxsf] g]kfn PsLs/0f cleofg k"/f ePkl5 cyf{t\ ;g\ !&&) –&! lt/ sf7df8f}+ pkTosfaf6 oxfFsf g]jf/ hfltx? Jofkf/ tyf /f]huf/sf] l;nl;nfdf s]xL k"j{tkm{ / sf]xL klZrdtkm{ nfu] . ;fFuf e~Hofª sf6]/ k"j{tkm{ nfUg] oxfFsf g]jf/ ;d'bfosf zfSo , jh|frfo{, jGb]h', u'efh' cflb k"jL{ g]kfnsf] ef]hk'/ / r}gk'/df uO{ a;f]af; ug{ yfn] . :j]R5fn] ltJjtsf] Nxf;fdf uO{ Jofkf/ Joj;fo rnfO{ a:g] zfSo, wfVjf, t'nfw/ cflb hfltsf dflg;x?n] Jofkf/ u/L wg ;DkQL cfh{g u/] kl5 k'g M sf7dfdf8f}+ pkTosfdf g} kms]{/ cfP . t/ k"j{lt/ hfg] zfSo, jh|frfo{, u'efh' / jGb]h'x? rflx Jofkf/ Joj;fo u/L ToxL+ :yfoL a;f]af; ug{ yfn] . dlxgf}+ lbg nufP/ cfjt hfjt ug{'kg{] eP klg cfˆgf] k'vf{}nL ynf] vf;u/L kf6g / eQmk'/df cfpg] hfg] qmd rln/Xof] . o;sf] d'Vo sf/0f b'O{j6f b]lvG5 . klxnf] sf/0f–oxfFaf6 uPsf af}4x?sf] 5f]/fsf] r"8fsd{ oxLFsf] dxfljxf/–axfndf g} ;DkGg ug{'kg{] ;+3sf] lgod cg';f/ afWotf lyof] . bf];|f] sf/0f Jofkfl/s p2]Zosf j:t'x? vl/b ljqmL ubf{ oxfF cfjt hfjt eO /Xof] .

klZrdlt/ hfg] zfSo, jh|frfo{x?s]f klg l:ylt k|foM pxL lyof] . klZrdlt/ hfg]x? kfNkf–tfg;]g / kf]v/fdf cf–cfˆgf] Joj;fo u/L a;] . o;/L sf7df8f}+ pkTosfaf6 aflx/ hfg] csf{] Pp6f sf/0f klg 5 — Tof] s] eg] tTsfnLg zf;s /0faxfb'/ zfxsf] kfnfdf Ps k6s dxfdf/L km}lnof] . lztnf /f]u nfu]sf s]6fs]6Lsf afj' cfdfnfO{ rf/ e~Hofª s6fP/ k7fOof] . ;fFuf e~Hofª s6fP/ k7fOPsfx? tfdfv'zL kf/L uP/ z/0f lnOa;] . ltgLx? ag]kf, knfGrf]s, bf]nvf x'Fb} tfdfv'zL;Dd k'u] . t/ To;a]nf aflx/ n]v]l6g]x?df s'g hfltsf a9L lyP eGg] :ki6 5}g .

wd{ ;+:s[tL k|ltsf] rfxgf

!* cf}+ ztfAbLdf k"j{lt/ hfg] g]jf/af}4x?n] cfˆgf] wd{ ;+:s[tLnfO{ 5f8]gg\ . plgx?n] pkTosf leq 5Fbf ckgfPsf ;a} ljlw Jojxf/x? lg/Gt/ ?kdf cBfkL ckgfO{ /x]sf 5g\ . o;n] ubf{ a'4wd{ ;+:s[tLsf] ;+/If0fdf Aofjxfl/s an ldn]sf] 5 .

sf7df8f}+ pkTosfdf a;f]af; ug{] ;a} g]jf/ ;d'bfosf dflg;x? dxfofgL–jh|ofgL a'4wd{ ;+:s[lt cGtu{t g} cfˆgf] ljlw Jojxf/ ug{] ePsfn] pkTosf aflx/ hfg] ;a} af}4x?n] oxLFsf] rngnfO{ cFufn]sf 5g\ . k|foM af}4x?sf] 6f]ndf Pp6f r}To / ToxfF /x]sf a'4nfO{ lgoldt w"k–bLk / km"nn] k"hf ug{] ul/G5 . a'4wd{ ;+:s[ltnfO{ jf:tljs cy{df Jojxf/df ptfg{] cg]s ljlw ljwfgdWo] r'8fsd{, h+s', OxL–afx|f tyf d[To' ;+:sf/sf ljlwx? oyfjt 5g\ . oL dWo] r"8fsd{ ljlw af}4 ;+:sf/sf] k|yd / clgjfo{ c+u dflgG5 .

r"8fsd{sf] k/Dk/f

/fhs'df/ l;4fy{n] dxflelgiqmd0f u/L cgf]df gbL kf/L k'u]kl5 /fh;L cfe"if0f tyf j:q Tofu u/L :jo+ s]z d'+8g u/L k|jlht eP . l;4fy{ af]lw;Tjn] o; lsl;dn] k|jlht x'g'nfO{ ;+ejtM kl5sf af}4x?n] o;nfO{ af}4 ;+:sf/sf ?kdf u|x0f ug{ yfn]sf] x'g'kb{5 . clxn]sf zfSo, jh|frfo{, jGb]h', u'efh' cflb af}4x?n] dxfljxf/, afxf, alxx?df !) hgf cfh'x?nfO{ ;fIfL /fvL ljlw ljwfgx? ;lxt r"8fsd{ ug{] rng /x]sf] x'Fbf pkTosf aflx/ uPsf oL af}4x? la=;+= @))& ;fn eGbf cufl8;Dd sf7df8f}+, kf6g / eQmk'/df cfP/ cf–cfˆgf ljxf/–afxfndf r"8fsd{ u/L kms{GYf] .

la=;+= @))* ;fndf cfrfo{ leIf' cd[tfgGbsf] ;lqmotfdf klZrdf~rnaf6 leIf' zfSofgGb / k"jf{~rnaf6 leIf' ;'jf]wfgGb /fhb/jf/ hfg'eO{ >L % lqe'jgl;t pkTosf aflx/ klg r"8fsd{ ug{ kfpg] x's'd k|df+uL lng' ePsf] lyof] . o;kl5 @)!# ;fndf ef]hk'/ 6S;f/df >LzfSod'lg ljxf/df / @)!( ;fndf s?0ffr}To ljxf/df r"8fsd{ ;DkGg x'g yfNof] . r}gk'/ -;+v'jf;ef_ df lj=;+= @)@)÷@)@! ;fnb]lv au}+rf 6f]ndf /x]sf] a'4r}Todf r"8fsd{ x'gyfNof] . To;kl5 lj=;+= @)@* ;fndf w/fgsf] :joDe"r}To ljxf/df r"8fsd{ ePb]lv otfsf] u0fgf vf; x'g ;s]sf] 5}g . clxn] w]/}h;f] r"8fsd{ cf–cfˆgf] ;'ljwf cg';f/ x'g] u/]s]f 5 . klxn] h:tf] ljlw ljwfg k'¥ofpg pkTosfdf g} cfpg' kg{] afWotf 5}g .

k|hftGq cfpg' eGbf cl3 / kl5sf] em08} Ps bzs ;Dd cfly{s ljkGgtfsf sf/0f r"8fsd{ gug]{x?nfO{ hftLo cfwf/df x]o b[li6n] x]l/g] ul/GYof] . o;sf] d"Vo sf/0f u/LjL lyof] . u/Ljx?n] dlxgf} nufP/ sf7df8f}+ kf6g cfpg hfg g;Sg] l:ylt lyof] . To:tf kl/jf/sf] ljx] cflb sfo{ r"8f sd{ eO;s]sfx¿;Fu grNg] / hftaf6 x6Js ug]{ h:tf ;fdGtL k|yfsf] k|efj / af]nafnf lyof] . of] k|yf kl5 la:tf/} x6]/ uof] . r"8fsd{ gug]{x? caf}4 x'g] / plgx? la:tf/} u}/af}4 :qL;Fu ljjfx ug{ afWo x'g] / cfˆgf] hflt / j+zaf6 ljd'v x'Fb} hfg' kg]{ l:ylt lyof] . Tof] cBfkL 5Fb} 5 . r"8fsd{ k4lt kl5 uP/ af}4 / caf}4sf] ;Ldf /]vf aGof] . zfSon] g]jf/ ;d'bfo s} csf]{ y/sf] l:ql;t ljx]u/L hGd]sf ;Gtfgsf] r"8fsd{ afa'n] af}4 ljlw cg';f/ ul/lbg] rng lyPg . To;n] ubf{ zfSo jf jh|frfo{ afa'sf ;Gtfg r"8fsd{ geP kl5 plgx? caf}4 k/Dk/f cg';f/ a|tjGw ug{ afWo x'g] / plgx?nfO{ af}4 eGg] rng 5}g of] rngnfO{ jt{dfg kl/l:ylt cg';f/ k'gM d"Nof+sg ug'{ kg]{ vfFrf] 5 . zfSox?n] o; lsl;dsf] c8fg zfob j+zk/Dk/f cg';f/ slknj:t' hgkb b]lv g} lng yfn]sf] x'g ;Qm5 . dfly pNn]v eP em}+ zfSox?sf] hftLo cf8Da/n] ubf{ bf;Lk'qLsf ;Gtfg la8'8en] abnfsf] efjgf lnO{ dRrfPsf] cfd g/xTofsf] s6' :d/0f x'G5 . t/ xfn cfP/ sf7df8f}+sf ah|frfo{ u'?h"x?af6 To:tf y/ km/s ePsf cfdf afa'sf ;GtfgnfO{ j}nf]rg tLy{:ynsf] r}Todf r"8fsd{ u/L lbg] ;x|fxgLo sfo{ ePsf] 5 . o; sfo{df k+l8t ab|L/Tg ah|frfo{ cu|0fL b]lvg' ePsf] 5 . jf:tjdf af}4 ;+:s[tL / wd{sf] ;+/If0fdf zfSoj+zsf] 7"nf] of]ubfg /x]sfn] zfSo jf jh|frfo{n] h'g;'s} y/sf :qL;Fu ljx] u/L hGd]sf ;GtfgnfO{ klg af}4 agfO{ /fVg p;nfO{ ljlw k"j{s r"8fsd{ u/fO{ lbg' Gofo ;+ut x'G5 . o; lsl;dsf] sfo{ klxn] b]lv g} ePsf] eP zfob af}4x?sf] jf:tljs hg;+Vof yfxf kfpg ;lhnf] kb{Yof] . xfd|f] ;dfh lkt[;QfTds ePsfn] j+zrnfpg h'g tl/sf ckfgfOb} cfPsf] 5 To;nfO{ x]bf{ r"8fsd{ ljlw cToGTo dxTjk"0f{ b]lvG5 .

rf8 kj{ dgfpg] rng

sf7df8f}+, kf6g / eQmk'/af6 aflx/ uPsf g]jf/ ;d'bfodf rf8kj{ dgfpg] k|rngsf cfwf/df dfq af}4 ;+:s[ltsf] klxrfg ug{ sl7g x'G5 .

sf7df8f}+ pkTosf aflx/sf t'nfw/, tfd|fsf/, pbf; cflb ljleGg pkhfltsf gfdn] lrlgg]x? ;a} af}4 ;+:s[tL / ;+:sf/ leq 5}gg\ . o; dWo] ef]hk'/ 6S;f/sfx? rfFlx afa' afh]n] dflgcfPsf] wd{ ;+s[tLnfO{ ckfgfpg]x? klg 5g\ / plgx? af}4 wd{ / ;+:s[lt leq 5g\ . t/ w]/} h;f] rfFlx a]hflt ljx]jf/Ldf g} /dfpg] ePsfn] cfˆgf] k'vf]{nL j+z k/Dk/f b]lv k[ys x'Fb} caf}4 ;+:sf/ / ;+:s[tLsf] h+hfndf ljs[t ?kdf k/]sf 5g\ . t/ clxn] rfFlx afa'n] h'g;'s} y/sL :qL;Fu ljx] u/] klg pgsf ;GtfgnfO{ zfSo jf jh|frfo{ g} eGg] ul/G5 . g]kfndf sl/j @)) jif{ cl3sf] ;fdGtL hfltkftL Joj:yfsf] kl/0ffd clxn] k|hftGq k|flKt kl5 km/s x'Fb}5 .

sf7df8f}+, kf6g / eQmk'/af6 k"j{ jf klR5dlt/ uO{ a;f]af; ug]{ af}4x?n] k|hftGq cfpg' cl3 / kl5sf s]xL jif{x?df klg zfSo ;d'bfodf g]jf/ ;d'bfos} km/s y/ ePsf :qL;Fu ljx] kl5 hGd]sf 5f]/f 5f/LnfO{ / oxfF ;Dd sL >LdtLnfO{ klg eft efG5fdf km/s ug]{ rng lyof] . :jo+d kfs] eO{ vfg] . r'nf]df plgx?nfO{ gleoeofpg] . clg r'nf] aflx/ g} plgx?nfO{ eft v'jfpg] rng lyof] . To:tf] s7f]/ ;fdflhs cj:yfdf r"8fsd{ ul/lbg] t k|Zg} lyPg . chftsf ;GtfgnfO{ cfˆg} eP klg km/s Jojxf/ ug]{ To;j]nf ;fdflhs, cw{;fdGtL k|yf lyof] . of] k|;+u oxfF pNn]v ug'{sf] d'n tfTko{ sf7df8f}+, kf6g / eQmk'/af6 aflx/ uPsf zfSo jf jh|frfo{x?sf] tTsfnLg oyfy{ lrq0f ug'{ xf] . / oxfFaf6 aflx/ hfg] g]jf/ af}4x? klg d'n ?kdf log} b'O{ hfltsf g} lyP . clxn] ltgLx?sf ;Gtfg s]xL d"n ?kdf / s]xL rflxF pkhfltsf ?kdf k"jf{~rnsf k|foM ;a} lhNnfx? ef]hk'/ -6S;f/_, ;+v'jf;ef -r}gk'/–vfFbjf/L_, tfKn]h'ª, df]/ª -lj/f6gu/, pnf{jf/L,_, ;'g;/L -w/fg, emfkf, ao/jg, rt/f_, Onfddf :yfoL a;f]af; tyf Joj;fo u/L a;]sf 5g\ . ;/sf/L gf]s/L tyf cGo k]zf ckgfpg], a'l4hLjL, lzlIft JolQmx? xfn k'gM sf7df8f}+ pkTosfdf kms]{/ :yfoL a;f]af; ul/ a;]sf 5g\ . r]tgzLn a'l4hLjL ju{sf g]jf/ af}4x?n] clxn] klg cfˆgf] k'/fgf] wd{ ;+:s[tLnfO{ yfd]/ k/Dk/f ckgfO cfPsf 5g\ .

To;} u/L klZrdf~rn hfg] g]jf/ af}4x?sf] klg cj:yf k"jf{~rnsf] eGbf vf;} km/s 5}g . klZrdf~rnsf k|d'v :yfgx?df g'jfsf]6–lqz'nL, kf]v/f, kfNkf–tfg;]g, e}/xjf, a'6jn, g]kfnu~h, wgu9L cflb :yfgx?df a;f]jf; ug]{ g]jf/ af}4x?df ;a}eGbf a9L Jojl:yt 9+uaf6 cfˆgf] wd{ ;+:s[ltnfO{ hLljt /fVg]x?df g'jfsf]6–lqz'nL, kfNkf–tfg;]g, kf]v/f / afun'Ë g} b]lvG5 .

;d:ofx?

sf7df8f}+, kf6g / eQmk'/af6 aflxl/g] g]jf/ af}4x?sf] cfˆgf] wd{ ;+:s[lt arfO{ /fVg] d"n ;d:of r"8fsd{sf] ljlw ljwfg xf] .

– jh|frfo{ u'h{x?sf] cefj 5, ePsf jh|frfo{x?df klg af}4 sd{sf08sf] 1fgsf] sdL 5 .

af}4 wd{ ;+:s[ltsf] ;+/If0fdf x|f; cfPsf] 5 .

– sf7df8f}+, kf6g / eQmk'/af6 aflxl/Psf zfSo, jh|frfo{x?sf ;Gtfg h;n] aflx/sf ljxf/x?df r"8fsd{ ljlw ;DkGg u/L k'gM oxfF kms]{/ cfˆgf] k'vf}{nL ljxf/df cfˆgf ;GtfgnfO{ r"8fsd{ ug{ lbg] jf glbg] d"n ;d:of v8f ePsf] 5 . ;+3 kl/jf/af6 aflx/ ePkl5 ;+3sf] lgod, ljlw ljwfgnfO{ k'gM kfngf u5'{ egL cfpg]x?nfO{ s'g cfwf/df ;+3df k'gM k|j]z u/fpg] < of] ;d:of ;dfwfg ug{ u+eL/ 5nkmn x'g' kb{5 .

– g]kfnd08n leqsf k|rlnt af}4 ;+:s[ltn] sf7df8f}+, nlntk'/ / eQmk'/df h'g ?kdf lg/Gt/tf kfPsf] 5 Tof] ?kdf aflx/ 5}g . s]xL ;Lldt dfqfdf kfO{P klg To;sf] lg/Gt/tf 5}g . g]jf/ ;d'bfodf b]vfk/]sf] efiffut Jojwfgn] klg cfˆgf] wd{ ;+:s[lt qmdzM nf]k eP/ uPsf] 5 . olt x'Fbf x'Fb} klg r]tgf / hfu[tLsf] k'g/fj[QL ug{ ;lsPsf] 5}g . o;sf nflu cfjZos 1fgsf] sdL 5 .

– sfnLu9L, snfsf}zn tyf Jofkf/ Joj;fosf nflu oxfFaf6 aflxl/Psf g]jf/ af}4x¿n] cfˆgf] k'/fgf] sfnLu9L tyf snfsf}znsf] Joj;fo 5f8\b} cfPsf 5g\ . cy{ pkfh{g tyf xftdf ePsf] zLknfO{ ;do kl/l:ylt cg';f/ kl/jt{g ub}{ n}hfg' kg]{ ePsfn] logLx¿n] cfˆgf] af}4 ;+:s[lt tyf ljlw ljwfgx¿nfO{ la;{+b} uPsf 5g\ . hfGg] a'‰g] a"9f kfsfx¿ x/fpFb} uPkl5 gofF k':tfn] cfˆgf] ;+:s[ltnfO{ c+ufNg g;Sg] kl/l:ylt l;h{gf ePsf] 5 .

– ;+:s[lt ;+/If0f ug{ g]jf/ efiffsf] k|rngnfO{ anlbg' kg]{ b]lvG5 . dft[efiffsf] k|rng qmdzM kj{t] efiffdf ?kfGtl/t ePkl5 cfˆgf] ;+:s[ltn] klg lj:tf/} 7fpF 5f8\b} cfPsf] 5 .

pk;+xf/

;do / kl/l:ylt cg';f/ xfd|f Jojxf/ / sd{sf08x? k|ltkflbt x'Fb} cfPsf 5g\ . s]jn hfltkftLs} cfwf/df dfq af}4 wd{ ;+:s[ltnfO{ cufl8 a9fpg ;lsg] l:ylt 5}g . zfSo, jh|frfo{ afx]s cGo y/ ePsf g]jf/ ;d'bfosf af}4x? hf] sf7df8f}+ pkTosfdf / aflx/ klg 5g\ . pgLx?nfO{ r"8fsd{ s} cfwf/df dfq af}4 elgb}g . d'ntM a'4, wd{ / ;+3sf] jf:tljs cy{af]w u/L To;df eujfg a'4n] lbg' ePsf] pkb]znfO{ uxg lrGtg, dgg, ug'{ kg]{ vfFrf] 5 .

;Gbe{ u|Gy ;"rL

!= The Shakyas of

Nepal - Bhuwan Lal Pradhan

@= a'4sflng u|Gyx? – cfrfo{ leIf' cd[tfgGb

#= e/tv08 cf}/ g]kfn – z]v/ l;+x uf}td

$= af}4 ;+:s[lt ljifos ljleGg kqklqsf tyf k':tsx¿

%= lem= k'rM k||sfzs g]kfn efiff tyf ;f+:s[lts ;+3 lj/f6gu/

@ Lotus Research Center

KAPILVASTU UNDER ARCHAEOLOGICAL QUESTION AND OBSESSED NATIONALISM

2010-04-12T15:43:00.043-04:00

[“In short, the location of Kapilavastu is still an unproven archaeological question. Gupta seals, while useful for understanding the fifth century CE are not very solid evidence of the 5 - 4th century BCE. The Ashokan column at Lumbini is far better evidence of what was believed shortly after the Buddha's death but is still not attested evidence.” - John C. Huntington. Two stupas marking King Suddhodhan and his queen's grave near Tilaurakot. Photo courtesy: Satinanda E V]

By B. K. Rana

The Kapilvastu Forum on April 7, 2010, posting something ‘beyond sense’ has brought the Buddha holy sites into another controversy adamantly arguing without taking into account the evidence on the excavated holy sites in Nepal. Foremost of all, it does not recognize Lumbini, the birth place of the Buddha, being in Nepal and seems supporting a scholar who has also produced a relatively large volume of ‘A Social History of India’, in which he writes the Buddha was born in Pedaria in northern part of Gorakhpur district, Uttar Pradesh, India ! There are lots of such deceptive writings flourishing out there in which the Indian scholars differ from each other - from one province to another province - claiming that the Buddha was born 'in their hometown' or some certain place in their respective states or provinces. This is what is called a total distortion and deception of history today.

The Forum even comes forward and offers us a piece of ‘advice’ to study ‘the philosophy of history and historiography’ ! Why would we ? We should thank them for this kind of good ‘advice’ or counsel. In short to such an advice, what may be appropriate to put here is that we unfortunately do not have spare time to study that type of "philosophy of history and historiography" which speculates or refers only to distortion, falsification or deception of the history itself and ignores the standing solid evidence on the ground.

It is very sad to note here that the South Asian history has remained victimized by some fundamentalists, who hold ultra nationalistic view on every issue. These people are also found claiming that the present California derivates from Kapilaranya (Kapil+aranya) or may be they would even add Kapilvastu (Kapil+vastu). This is what actually is called ‘beyond sense’ the Forum people have boastfully put into phraseology in their post. The Buddha is a historical personage we can understand it, yes we really do. But when we talk of his exact birth location today it can’t be ‘beyond (any) sense’ because there was also no such a place on the earth which was called ‘Indian Kingdom’ in the Buddha’s time. There were sixteen Janapadas which also were not collectively called any ‘Indian Kingdom’ either - if not

Nepal

. But surely there was a place called ‘Lumminigame’ in Kapilvastu’ - where the Budddha was born.

Now going back to Kapilvastu again, the Forum has enlightened us with the Piprahawa reliquary casket inscription: “(Sukiti bhatinam sabhaginikam saputdalnam iyam salilnidhane bhagawate bhudhas sakiyanam )”. Many thanks again to them but what virtually we do not understand here again is that why would the Forum have avoided or ignored the some other inscription reading : “ Om Devaputra Vihare Kapilvastu Bhikshu Mahasanghasa. Om Devaputra Vihare Kapilvastu Bhikku Sanghas” in the first place ? The readers can now easily analyze and differentiate here what these inscriptions mean. It simply means that the Vihara in Piprahawa was a member of Kapilvastu Vihara Mahasangh and which most probably might have been built by Kushan King Kaniska later.

Dr. Fuhrer, whom a group of scholar blames as a forger and who is also further blamed to have sold the Buddha relics, which he claimed he had found 15 miles away from Piprahawa’ to the Burmese monk U Ma certainly leaves the Piprahawa Peppe finds into a jungle of doubts. As concerns the Peppe Piprahawa excavation, the eye witnesses: Dr. Fuher himself, Victor. A Smith and Purna C. Mukherjee, held the finds down there “no other monuments than the stupas”. It is here worth quoting Dr. N. R. Banerji, then Director, National Museum, New Delhi as saying, “The capital Kapilvastu is most probably represented by the ruins at Tilaurakot in Nepal Terai’.

Imagine that we disregarded the mentioning of Kapilvastu in Buddhist literatures as: the extensive ruins of Tilaurakot (the King Suddodhan's royal palace which was walled around as narrated by Hwen Tsang i. e. 1600 feet east-west and 1200 feet north-south); being on the bank of present Ban Ganga ( Ganga > Bhagirathi river), near the mountains, (Nepal's Mt. Dhawalagriri can be seen in a fair weather from Tilaurakot), the Asita Stupa etc. and taken Krishna Murari Shribastava’s Piprahawa finds into consideration such as: the Buddha ‘bones and ashes’ in the reliquaries etc ; the relics may only be attested when they are scientifically tested and proven.

Finally, we here below repost few lines from an email posted by another scholar, who seems to be attesting Krishna M. Shribastava’s Piprahawa excavation and other stuff. This scholar has placed one Kapilvastu in Nepal and another Kapilvastu in

India

in his two different articles published in Orientations.

“In short, the location of Kapilavastu is still an unproven archaeological question Gupta seals, while useful for understanding the fifth century CE are not very solid evidence of the 5 - 4th century BCE. The Ashokan column at Lumbini is far better evidence of what was believed shortly after the Buddha's death but is still not attested evidence.”

To be continued ..

THE NEW YEAR ONCE A YEAR: HISTORY OF BIKRAM SAMBAT

2010-04-08T10:02:00.021-04:00

@)^& ;fn gofFaif{sf] pknIfdf

o:tf] 5 – ljqmd ;+jt\sf] Oltxf;

– bL3{/fh k|;fO{[1]

ljqmd ;+jt\ @)^& ;fn j}zfv ! ut]b]lv gofFaif{ k|f/De ePsf] 5 . dLg /flz ;dfKt eO{ d]if /flz k|f/De x'gf;fy cyf{t d]ifdf ;"o{n] k|j]z u/]sf] lbg j}zfv ! ut]b]lv ljqmd ;+jt\sf] gjaif{ k|f/De x'G5 . …cy ;"o{j+z k|efjfGg]]kfn] ls/fFt /fhg lglhTo lnR5lj j+z k|jt{t]M.Ú–-kz'klt k'/f0f_ cyf{t\ ;"o{j+zL lnR5lj /fhfsf]] k|efjn] ls/fFt /fhfnfO{ lhtL lnR5ljj+z z''?ePkl5 lnR5ljj+zsf klxnf /fhf wd{kfn, e"ldjdf{ ljqmdflbTo pkflwjf6 k'sfl/Psf ;"o{j+zL k/fqmdL rqmjtL{ /fhfaf6 ljzfngu/ / aQL;k'tnLdf /fhwfgL :yfkgf u/]/ zf;g u/]sf] a]nfb]lv ljqmd ;+jt\ p7fg ePsf] xf] . j}lbssfnb]lv rNb} cfPsf dlxgf, jf/, yLltx?nfO{ lg/Gt/tf lbO{ /fli6«o ;+jt\sf] ?kdf of] ;+jt\ k|rlnt x'Fb}cfPsf] 5 . lxdjt\v08sf ;–;fgf /fHox? ;]gj+zL, afO;L, rf}la;L tyf sf7df08f}+ pkTosf nufot a|Dxk'qb]lv u+ufsf] cf;kf;;Dd ljqmd ;+jt\ rngrNtLdf cfPsf k|df0fx? 5g\ . ljqmd ;+jt\ nufot Oltxf;sf] km]/abndf g]kfndf rlncfPsf zs ;+jt\, g]kfn ;+jt\x? ltlysf] cfwf/df dfq rln/x]sf] / ltlyx? Uf8a8 eO/xg] x'Fbf zf;g Joj:yfdf c;lhnf] ePsfn] ;'Joj:yfsf] nflu rGb|zDz]/n] Hof]ltifLx?sf] ;Dd]ngaf6 ;Nnfx lnP/ tLly / af/x?df tndfly gu/L ljqmd ;+jt\ !(^! d]if ;+qmflGt j}zfvb]lv ! ut] k|f/De u/L ut]df n]Vg] rng rnfPsf x'g\ . ljqmd ;+jt\ eGbf !#% aif{kl5 zs ;+jt\sf] p7fg / (#& aif{kl5 g]kfn ;+jt\sf] p7fg ePsf] xf] . ljqmd ;+jt\sf] aif{df #^% lbg / zs ;+jt\ / g]kfn ;+jt\sf #%$ lbg dfq x'g]xFbf ljqmd ;+jt\ Jojxfl/s x'guPsf] 5 . ljqmd ;+jt\ h]7f] ;+jt\ ePsfn] P]ltxfl;s tYonfO{ hLjGt /fVg ;kmn ag]sf]5 .

Oltxf;ljb\ >L gogfy kf}8\ofnn] g]kfnsf] k'/ftTj ljefu /fli6«o k':tsfnojf6 k|sflzt efiff j+zfjnLdf ljqmdflbTo /fhf af/]df ls+jbGtLx? k|:t't ub}{ ah|of]lugLjf6 kf/;d0fL ;lxt cfl;/jfb k|fKt u/]sf] /fhk|;fbsf] blIf0ftkm{ -xfnsf] gf/fo0flx6L_ rt'd{'v gf/fo0f :yflkt u/L hf]8Lwf/f agfO{ tLy{:yn ;d]t agfO{ ljqmd ;+jt\ rnfPsf] s'/f pNn]v u/]sf5g\ . ;fFv' ah|of]lugLsf] dlGb/b]lv s]xL dfly Ps dlGb/df ljqmdflbTo /fhfsf] 6fpsf] /x]sf] / h:sf] cWofjlw ah|frfo{j++zsf k"hf/L ljqmdflbTo /fhfsf] 6fpsfsf] k"hf u/]/ a;]sf 5g\ . o;af/]df cg]sf}+ lsd\jbGtL 5g\ . ljqmdflbTon] oxfF /fHo u/]sf of] HjnGt k|df0f xf] . pg}af6 sfe]| lhNnfsf] gfnfdf pQ/fk'/ /fHosf] gfddf ljqmdflbTo /fhfn] /fHo u/]sf] ls+jbGtL k|rlnt 5 . of]uL g/xl/gfyn] eGg' ePsf]5–æ>L jL/ kfnMg[kltMttM ce"t t:dft ce"t ljqmdkfn e"kMÆeGg] pNn]v ub}{ b]jdfnf j+zfjnLdf s'g} rqmjlt{ /fhf ljqmdflbTosf] alQ;k'tnL /fd dlGb/ ePsf] 7fFpdf /fhl;+x;fg lyof] eGg] kfOG5, eGg' ePsf]5 . o;af/]df sfe|] gfnfdf ljqmdflbTon] zf;g u/]sf] s'/f afz'kfzfaf6 sfe|] l;Gw' j[tfGt k':tsdf / sljtf/fd >]i7n] cg]sf} j]j;fO6 / cGgk"0f{ kf]i6df n]Vg' ePsf]5 . lnR5lj zf;gsfndf lgld{t xl/l;l4 d+lGb/df ljqmd ;+jt\ &!! pNn]v ePsf] j+zfjnL 5 / ljqmd ;+jt\ ($%df xl/l;l4gf6s d~rg ePsf] xl/l;l4 pkk'/f0fdf pNn]v 5 . hol:ylt dNnsf] kfnfsf] ;'j0f{kqdf …ljqmd /fhaif{ !$$* >Ldt g]kfnLs]M >]of]:t'Ú pNn]v 5 . To;kl5 To;/L g}+ dNnsfne/L ljqmd ;+jt\ rngrNtLdf ePsf] s'/f clen]vx?df k|fKt 5g\ .

df]/Ësf /fhf xl/ZrGb| ;]g / a[ifz]gsf] :ofxfdf]x/df ljqmd ;+jt\ !&!( kf}if jbL $, dsjfgk'/sf /fhf dflgs;]gn] ljqmd ;+jt\ !&*$ sflt{s z'bL &, ljh}k'/df a'l4s0f{ /fO{n] ljqmd ;+jt\ !*@$ g]kfnL efiffdf n]lvPsf s}of}+ k|df0fx? ePsf] s'/f Oltxf;ljb\ z+s/dfg /fhj+zLn] k'/ftTj ;+u|x -@)!*_df k|sflzt u/fPsf 5g\ . kmlk{ª\df sgs]z/sf] 9f]sf km]/]/ d's'6 r9fPsf] c+lst clen]vdf ljqmd ;+jt\ !@(& pNn]v 5 . uf]/vfsf] /fd]Zj/ dlGb/sf] /fdzfxsf] clen]vdf ljqmd ;+jt\ !^(# pNn]v 5 . c5fdsf] j/bfb]jL d+lb/df ljqmd ;+jt\ !&&( kf}if pNn]v 5 . eQmk'/ b/af/ glhs}sf] ulx/f] wf/fsf] klZrdkl§sf] leQfdf ljqmd ;+jt\ !&#% / eQmk'/ b/af/sf] tn]h' rf]ssf] b]jåf/sf] tf]/0fsf] :j0f{k6\6fdf ljqmd ;+jt\ !&$! / eQmk'/sf] 8f]n]Zj/ dxfb]jsf] dlGb/df ljqmdfAb !&^$ ;fy} g]kfn ;+jt\ *@* df3 pNn]v ePsf] / eQmk'/ /fhb/af/ s'df/L rf]sdf lhtfldq dNnsf] clen]vdf ljqmd ;+jt\ !&#$ pNn]v ePsf] s'/f gogfy kf}8]nnaf6 clen]v ;+u|xdf pNn]v ul/Psf] 5 . /fhf e"kt]Gb| dNnn] ljqmd ;+jt\ !&^# pNn]v u/]sf] s'/f e'jgnfn k|wfgn] pNn]v ug'{ ePsf] / hok|sfz dNnn] ljqmd ;+jt\ !*!$df /fi6«lgdf{tf k[YjLgf/fo0f zfxnfO{ g]kfnL efiffdf wd{kq u/L lbPsf] s'/f Oltxf;ljb\ go/fh kGtn] …Oltxf; ;+zf]wgsf] k|df0f k|d]oÚ df pNn]v ug'{ePsf] 5 .

ljqmd ;+jt\ o;If]qsf] k|rlnt ;Djt\sf] ?kdf dflgPsfn] /fi6«lgdf{tf k[YjLgf/fo0f zfxn] pkTosf ljho u/]kl5 ljqmd ;+jt\ !*@%sf] j;Gtk'/ b/af/sf] clen]vdf– …/fhf k[YjLgf/f0f zfxsf] a+z u'Xo]sfnL / kz'kltsf b'O{ kfpsf w'nfsf k|;fbn] l:y/ eO/xf];\Ú eg]/ ljqmd ;+jt\ !*@% pNn]v u/]sf lyP . h+uaxfb'/n] d'n'sL P]gnfO{ ;+u|x u/L To;df ljqmd ;+jt\ !(!)g}+ pNn]v ePsf] 5 . Oltxf;sf/ lbg]z/fh kGtn] …/fhLjnf]rg hf]zLsf a/fHo"Ú gfds k':tsdf ljqmd ljqmd ;+jt\ !&@!df ndh'ªdf jL/db{g zfx /fhf lyP / ljqmd ;+jt\ !&$!df ndh'ªdf s]xl/gf/fo0f zfx /fhf lyP . s]xl/gf/fo0fsf gftL jL/db{g zfx x'g\ . ljqmd ;+jt\ !&(^df k[YjLgf/fo0f zfx;Fu r]k]3f6df ;lGw ug]{ ndh'ª] /fhf l/k'db{g zfx x'g\ egL -k"l0f{df !) k"0ff{Ísf] #(_ pNn]v ub}{ ljqmd ;+jt\ !&@! df jL/db{g zfxsf b/af/df hf]ltifL sfd u/L ljtf{ ljtnk /flugf;df kfO{{ a:ofsf ;bfgg hf]zL x'g\ eg]/ p;a]nfdf ljqmd ;+jt\ rngrNtLdf nf]slk|o ePsf] s'/f pNn]v 5 . Oltxflsf/ 1fgdl0f g]kfn n]V5g\–΄ljqmd ;+jt\sf] k|rng dWosfndf jfO;L–rf}aL;L, ;]g, dNn, zfx /fhfx/n] ljqmd ;+jt\ rnfpb} cfPsf lyP . s]Gb|sf tLg ;x/sf dNn/fHox/df klg k"j{ dnnsfnb]lv g}= clen]v, x:tlnlvt, kf08'lnlksf k'lIksf jfSox?df ljqm ;+jt\sf] k|of]u x'Fb}cfPsf] lyof] . eQmk'/df gjif{ k|f/De x'fbf wdwfd;fy la:s]6hfqf dgfOF5 . t/fO{df yf?x? j}zfv z/? x'g] lbgb]lv g}+ l;?jfhfqf dgfpF5g\ .Ú To:t} c?0fs'df/ kf08] n]V5g\– ΄;[li6sf] cf/Dedf ;"o{ nufotsf u|xgIfq ;"Go cj:yfdf /x]sf] / ToxL ;"Godf ljqmd ;+jt\sf] u0fgfk$lt z"/ x'G5 . ljqmd ;+jt ljZja|Xdf08sf u|xult / k|fs[lt;Fu ;fk]If 5 . g]kfndf ljqmd ;+jt\n] ;a} hflt, efiff, wd{ / ;+:s[lt / ljljwtfnfO{ ;ld6]sf] 5 .Ú

;+jt\x?sf] ljifodf ljqmd ;+jt\ !(#& df ef/t u'h/ftsf ljåfg vf]hstf{ k+=eujfgnfn OGb|hL g]kfndf cfO{ oxfFaf6 @#j6f clen]v vf]hL nuL lnR5ljsfndf pNn]lvt ;+jt\x?nfO{ ljqmd ;Djt\ 7x¥ofPsf lyP . To;}u/L snsQf ljZjljBfno Oltxf;sf k|fWofks /fwfuf]ljGb af;sn] ef/tsf] pQ/k"j{ efusf] Oltxf;df n]v]sf 5g–…dfgb]jsf] ;Djt\ #*^sf] rfFu'sf] clen]vsf] ;+jt ljqmd ;+jt\ xf] . o;/L ljqmd ;+jt\ #*^b]lv k|f/De eP/ rknL ufpFdf /x]sf] clen]vdf n]lvPsf] ;+jt\ $*( ;Ddsf ;Djt\ ljqmd ;+jt\ x'g\ .Ú o;}u/L g]kfnsf vf]hstf{ Oltxf;ljb\ z+s/dfg /fhj+zLn] k"j{ lnR5ljsfn / pQ/ lnR5ljsfnsf ;+jt\x? zs ;+jt\ xf]Ogg\ eGb} lnR5ljsfnsf clen]vdf pNn]lvt ;+jt\x?nfO{ ljqmd ;+jt\g} dfg]sf 5g\ . lnR5ljsfndf pNn]lvt ;+jt\x?nfO{ zs ;Djt\ xf]Ogg\ -lnR5lj ;+jt\sf] lg0f{o, go/fh kGt–g]kfn /fhsLo k|1fk|lti7fg @)$#_ eg]sf 5g\ . o;}u/L t/, sltko g]kfns} Oltxf;sf/x?n] ljqmd ;+jt\ g]kfnsf] xf]Og . o;sf] p7fg ef/tsf] pHhogLjf6 ePsf] xf], eG5g\ . t/ of] ;To xf]Og . O:jL ;+jt\ $)) lt/ rGb|u'Kt låtLon] cof]Wofsf] ljho u/L 5fnfsf d'b|fdf ljqmdflTo n]Vb}df ljqmd ;+jt\ p7fg ug]{ pg} x'g\ eGg' ePg . Oltxf; lz/f]d0fL afa'/fd cfrfo{n] n]Vg'ePsf] 5– …h'g;do O{zfk"j{ %& aif{df of] ;+jt\sf] p7fg ePsf] lyof] p;;dodf pHhogLdf /fhf ljqmdflbTosf] cl:tTj b]lvFb}g . pHhlogLsf v08x?sf] pTvgg\ x'Fbf klg To; ;dodf ljqmdflbTo /x]sf] lrGx e]l6Psf] 5}g .Ú ljqmdflbTo /fhfsf] ef/tdf pbo ePsf] lyof] eg] To:tf k|tfkL rqmjtL{ /fhfsf] ljifodf To;;dosf ef/tsf slj jf snfsf/x?n] sxL+ g sxL++ To:tf /fhfsf] ljifodf rrf{ uy]{ xf]nfg\, sxL+ st} u'gufg x'GYof], sxL+ d"lt{ klg aGYof] xf]nf .

g]kfn ;+jt\df aif{df #%$ lbg / tLlyaf6 dfq rNg] / ljqmd ;+jt\sf] aif{df #^% lbg, ut] nufot tLly, af/df cfj4 /xFb} cfPsf] / zs ;+jt\ eGbf !#% aif{ / g]kfn ;+jt\ eGbf (#^ aif{ h]7f] ;+jt\ ePsfn] o;sf] Pltxfl;s ul/df 5 . Hof]ltifL k++= ;"o{k|;fb 9'u]n eGg'x'G5– …ljqmd ;+jt\ k|s[lt;Fu cfj4 5 . lbg / /ft ;"o{n] g}+ lgwf{/0f ug]{ / ;"o{n] Psaif{ cyf{t #^% lbg !% 3l8 #! knf #! k|ltknf, olt ;dodf Ps rSs/ #^) l8u|L k'/f u/]sf] x'G5 . ;"o{n] hj #^) l8u|L cyf{t /f;L, c+zf, snf, ljsnf )) x'G5, ToxL ;dodf dLg /f;L ;dfKt eO{ d]if /f;L ;"o{df k|j]z u5{g\ / ljqmd ;+jt\ cg';f/ gofFaif{ k|f/De x'G5 . o;}u/L #) c+zsf] Ps dxLgf x'g]xFbf klxnf] #) c+z l;l4Pkl5 j}zfv l;l4P/ h]i7 dxLgf k|f/De x'G5 . oxLqmdaf6 #).#) c+z sf6]kl5 aif{ k'/f x'G5 .Ú o:t} Hof]ltifL k++= /fli6«o wd{;efsf cWoIf dfwj e§/fO{ eGg'x'G5– …ljqmd ;+jt\ g]kfnsf pkh / o'uo'ufGt/b]lv k|rlnt x'Fb} cfPsf] df}lns ;+jt\ xf] . jf:tjdf ljqmd ;+jt\ g]kfnL hgdfg;df olt w]/} nf]slk|o 5 ls o;af/] hfgsf/L g/fVg] sf]xL gxf]nf . o;sf dxLgf af/, tLly / ut] ;fwf/0f gful/sx? ;a}nfO{ yfxf /xG5 . o;sf] nf]slk|o ul/dfnfO{ lg/Gt/ hg;dIf k'¥ofpg k|To]s /fi6«k|]dL g]kfnLx?sf] st{Jo xf] .Ú

kmntM ljqmd ;+jt\ g]kfn / ef/tdf sltko :yfgdf Oltxf;sf] k|f/Deb]lv nf]slk|o x'Fb}cfPsf] 5 . clxn] klg ef/tsf sltko 7fpFdf lxdjtv08 g]kfnsf] k|tfjn] ljqmd ;+jt\x?nfO{ g}+ cfwf/ agfP/ k~rfËx? k|sflzt eO/x]sf 5g\ . !@ s/f]8 hg;+Vof ePsf] ef/tsf] a+ufndf ljqmd ;+jt\ cg';f/sf] ;"o{ l;4fGtdf cfwfl/t k~rfËx? rNgrNtLdf 5g\ . ef/tdf c?0f a+znaf6 ;Dkflbt bzf}+nfv 5flkg] km"r/ ;dfrf/ dfl;s / 8f= uLtf zdf{af6 ;Dkflbt k~rfËx? klg ljqmd ;+jt\nfO{ g}+ cfwf/ dfg]/ rngrNtLdf 5g\ . ljqmd ;+jt\ g]kfnsf] df}lns xf] . ;d|fHojfbL zlQmsf] cfqmd0faf6 ;'/lIft aGb} g]kfnn] cfk\mgf] ;fj{ef}d;Qf, df}lnstf / klxrfg arfpFb} cfPsf] k|df0fx?df ljqmd ;+jt\sf] lg/Gt/tf klg Ps xf] . ljqmd ;+jt\ g]kfnsf] uf}/j xf] . @)^& ;fn gofFaif{sf] z'e–pknIodf :jb]z–ljb]zdf /x]sf g]kfnLx? ljrdf ;'v–;d[lbsf] z'esfdgf cfbfg–k|bfg u/f}+ .

[1] The writer is a former parliamentarian of

Nepal

.
[2] A relevant paper 'HINDU SYSTEM OF TIME RECKONING' by Prof.Radhasyam. Brahmachari. University of Calcutta, India

NEPAL’S INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ MOVEMENT-I

2010-04-07T22:41:00.002-04:00

[ What is the Contribution of IP-led Political Parties, namely, the Rastriya Jana Mukti Party? The Rastriya Jana-Mukti Party was registered with the Election Commission in 1991 and contested the General Election of May 1991. Though the party did not win any seats in the first-past-post-election, it received significant number of votes from different constituencies indicating that IPs issues are important for many at the grass roots level. The party, with leadership of its then charismatic leader Gore Bahadur Khapangi, popularized IP issues at the village level and raised IP sentiment against the Bahuns-Chettris and their Bahunbad. His life long investment went ashtray and he betrayed the expectation of millions of IPs when he accepted the Ministerial position in the cabinet formed by King Gyanendra in 2005 and accepted the Tika (“saffron and uncooked rice, yogurt mixed together to wear on the forehead”) from the King during the Dashain festival.]

Dr. Krishna B. Bhattachan

What is the Contribution of IP Academics?

Pratyous Onta, reviewing the contribution of IPs academia in indigenous peoples' movement in his paper "Assessment of Policy and Institutional Framework for addressing Discrimination against Adivasi Janajatis (Indigenous Nationalities) in Nepal and a Review of Public Discourse and Action of the Adivasi Janajati Social Movement", writes, "A quick survey of the works of academic institutions and intellectuals suggests that most of the academic production related to the Janajati movement in Nepal is being done on an individual basis. That is not to say that there aren't some organizational efforts, but their numbers are small. Individual academics who have made important contributions to the movement include Harka Gurung, Krishna Bhattachan, Bairagi Kahinla, Bal Krishna Mabuhang, Om Gurung, Chaitannya Subba, Sitaram Tamang, Parshuram Tamang, B.K. Rana, Ganesh M Gurung, Durgahang Yakha Rai, Yasso Kanti Bhattachan, Sumitra Manandhar Gurung, Suresh Ale Magar, Amrit Yonzan-Tamang, Mahendra Lawoti, Mukta Singh Lama-Tamang, T.B. Pun and others" (Onta 2005:37). Onta further writes, "Krishna Bhattachan has been the most visible and vocal academic amongst those raising issues related to the Janajatis. He has been active in all types of face-to-face interactions and forums and has published widely, both in Nepali and English, on this theme in all kinds of media-mainstream, Janajati print, academic-since 1993. More than anybody else in the academic community, he deserves the credit for putting 'ethno-politics' squarely in the agenda of mainstream politics in post-1990 Nepal" (Onta 2005:38).

The NEFIN’s Shift from IP Socio-cultural to Political Issues?

In 2001, Gyanendra became more autocratic, yet political parties’ agitation and protests became insignificant. In the meantime, civil society and political actors were divided into for and against. The NEFIN had unanimously decided to respond King Gyanendra's move in a mild way – the King must address the political chaos without undermining democratic rights of people, and especially indigenous aspirations and issues. However, it was interpreted by the mainstream media that the NEFIN welcomed the King’s move and General Secretary, Bal Krishna Mabuhang was accused as of being pro-king. Mabuhang, taking moral responsibility as the head of the organization, tried to clarify that the reason for responding to the King's moves was that the NEFIN needs to be proactive in lobbying against the state with IPs' own capacity and strength. Despite the King's move with his own vested autocratic interest, a political chaos was created after Deuba's unconstitutional proposal of extension of date of general election had left a political space for everybody.

When King Gyanendra dismantled the elected Parliament and took all the executive power in his hand, Gore Bahadur Khapangi was not only inducted as the Minister in the Council of Ministers but he accepted Tika from the King during the Dashain festival of the Hindus. Most of the indigenous peoples felt that his action was nothing but a betrayal against IPs legitimate cause. As a result, those indigenous peoples who had faith in monarchy were alienated and supported for democratic movement to eliminate the institution of the King for good, and those who had faith on IPs led political parties moved away to stick with the main political parties controlled by the Bahun-Chhetris.

With increasing pressure from the Maoist, the NEFIN leadership began to shift its thinking from confining its activities in social and cultural sphere to transforming itself by looking beyond it by campaigning for the elimination of the institution of the King. As the people’s movement and indigenous peoples’ movement gained momentum going against monarchy it became clear that IPs cannot preserve and protect not only rights to ancestral land but also cultural identity without securing first the IPs political rights. Democracy (Loktantra) is most important to IPs and we have to have active role. NEFIN leadership decided that IPs should not go as far as forming its own political party or parties.

Maoists talk about class war and not ethnicity. Parties do not want IPs to come out in the streets. However, for our political rights we have to come out in the streets otherwise our rights are not guaranteed. We need to warn the political parties and go ahead with mass protest. We have to work together with sister organizations of political parties and move forward. We must warn the political parties and pressure them constantly. Seven political parties have to give their commitment to IPs cause. We have to hit the iron while it’s hot. Dr. Harka Gurung was the strong supporter of take advantage of the weak political parties.

In 2005-2006 movement our main issues were: proportional representation and re-structuring of the state. With these two slogans IPs movement was popularized. Media was censored before the IPs movement. The movement gave space IPs voices to put their issues on the mainstream media. IPs learned that without mass movement we cannot achieve anything. This increased IPs’ expectations and the NEFIN leaders did not know how to meet these high expectations. Today’s dialogue on IPs demands is based on the outcome of the IPs movement. By now, the NEFIN slowly moved from cultural issue to political right; not political party based, but right based politics. Everything is decided by the majority. But in majority decision, the number of IPs with small population is large; hence some times IPs with large population feel that their aspirations are ignored during the course of majority decisions.

Did the NEFIN Shift its Focus from Political Issues to Political Parties Pockets?

When Dr. Om Gurung became the General Secretary of the NEFIN, he pushed that it must go against autocratic steps of King Gyanendra while political parties were also seeking support of various groups of people. Dr. Om Gurung, the General Secretary of the NEFIN, was also the one of the cadres of Nepal Communist Party (Mashal) and had an active political responsibility. It was indeed keeping two legs on two boats. Though he had a responsibility to move IPs independent initiative, he could not convince that IPs can hold such a political movement. There was an urgent need to have independent move, different from SPA, to navigate IPs movement against autocratic rule of King Gyanendra. Instead, the NEFIN followed the Seven Party Alliance (SPA). It resulted in confusion in IPs movement that whether it was an independent movement or of the SPA's. In fact, it became a hybrid, like 'Khachhada' i.e. the offspring of horse and donkey, of independent IPs married with the parties' cadres. Many of the NEFIN's decisions were influenced and taken away from IPO's to cadres, IPs wings/sister organizations of various political parties, including the NCP (UML), NCP (Mashal), and NC (Democratic). The NFEIN turned out to be a good spring board for IPs cadres associated with various political parties, so that whoever stepped in NEFIN's premise and became IPs leaders, (s)he would be granted either minister or state minister by the main political parties. Thus, IPs leaders fell pray of co-optation strategy used by the dominant caste group.

When Dr. Om Gurung became the General Secretary of the NEFIN, he pushed the idea that it must take political stance and not just go after social cause only. The thinking at that time was, i, it would not help to stay common because political parties have an ideological framework and the NEFIN was, at the time, issue based organization. The NEFIN never became the sister organization of any political party, the political party instead followed the NEFIN. IPs must give credit to everyone who brought and gave benefit to the IPs cause.

When Pasang Sherpa became the president of the NEFIN, political party became dominant and Indigenous People’s issues became less important within it. When sister organizations of political parties entered the NEFIN, that was the turning point for the NEFIN and the IPs movement in general. It’s looking like it is not possible to build a solid state anytime soon. Thus we are at a critical point where we can’t be just a lobbying group at this historical juncture of making of the new constitution and restructuring of the state. Historically, the NEFIN leaders have had a love-hate relationship with the NEFIN. While in power within the NEFIN, they have remained very close with it; once they leave their official leadership positions in it, on the one hand, they are alienated by their successors, and on the other, they begin to denounce the NEFIN and its leadership. It is indeed a very unfortunate reoccurrence in the NEFIN.

Did the IPOs including the NEFIN and IPs Movement turn into a NGO Movement?

IPOs including the umbrella organizations such as the NEFIN, the NIWF Nepal and their affiliated IPOs are neither traditional nor modern NGOs. However due to the government's rule that all non-profit organizations must be registered with the Nepal Government under the Social Organization Act enacted during the party less Panchayat system, the structure and functioning of these IPOs resemble NGOs. Before the year 1996, all these IPOs, with few exceptions, such as the Chepangs, were neither government dependent nor international donor dependent as both grossly ignored the IPs existence, identity and their issues. The Nepal Government recognized the existence and identity of indigenous peoples in the late nineties and provided nominal financial support with inclusion of IPs issues in the Ninth Five Year Plan. Later a few international donors, following the Government, began to provide financial support to the NEFIN and other IPOs. The Government's as well as donors' conditionality along with their "easy" money pampered leaders of the IPOs including the NEFIN and began to work like NGOs rather than a social movement. As a result individual passion, fire and a sense of voluntarism began to extinguish. The fate of IP leaders has been suicidal like those insects that are attracted by bright lights during night time and get killed.

What is the Contribution of IP-led Political Parties, namely, the Rastriya Jana Mukti Party? The Rastriya Jana-Mukti Party was registered with the Election Commission in 1991 and contested the General Election of May 1991. Though the party did not win any seats in the first-past-post-election, it received significant number of votes from different constituencies indicating that IPs issues are important for many at the grass roots level. The party, with leadership of its then charismatic leader Gore Bahadur Khapangi, popularized IP issues at the village level and raised IP sentiment against the Bahuns-Chettris and their Bahunbad. His life long investment went ashtray and he betrayed the expectation of millions of IPs when he accepted the Ministerial position in the cabinet formed by King Gyanendra in 2005 and accepted the Tika (“saffron and uncooked rice, yogurt mixed together to wear on the forehead”) from the King during the Dashain festival.

Although the party has raised the issue of federalism it is more about administrative federalism than ethnic or linguistic or regional federalism.

(To be continued)
The Weekly Telegraph, March 7, 2010

BUDDHA'S KAPILVASTU UNDER NATIONALISM AND OBSESSION

2010-04-06T17:18:00.066-04:00

[ We can not leave Tilaurakot without seeing a “ terracotta seal engraved with — “Sa - ka - na – sya” which means ‘it belonged to the Sakyas’. Archaeologists have dated it falling in between 2nd and 5th Century B. C. We do not insist that present Tilaurakot must have been the ancient Kapilvastu but what we hold is that there are lots of evidences down there which suggest present Tilaurakot is the ancient Kapilvastu. Piprahawa vase photo courtesy:Satinanda E V]

Dear Kapilvastu Forum,

Many thanks for your comment on our postings in connection with the Buddha birth place Lumbini, Tilaurakot, Aligadhwa of Uttar Pradesh and also some other stuff media have reported recently. We post relevant issues concerning the entire Himalayan region, no matter which country they originate from. Yes, we really do.

Now coming to the point, we do not believe there was any India or Nepal in the Buddha’s time so it is unnecessary to point out in the present context that ‘the Buddha was born in a small Indian kingdom’. It is absolutely wrong because we are talking of the Buddha today. There is no denying that Kapilvastu was a relatively weak and small kingdom but it is also unfair to claim that there was any country like India in the Buddha’s time. But it is of course yes, there were, Mala, Magadha, Kosala, Kalinga, Sravasti etc. and Kapilvastu also.

Basically, we are more concerned about the birth place of the Buddha than Kapilvastu and other issues posted. We also fully understand that there persist at least two different views on the exact location of ancient Kapilvastu. A group of scholars believes it is in present Tilaurakot of Nepal and another group holds it is in Piprahawa of India.

As of the Lumbini, as the Buddha birth place, the Ashokan Pillar’s ‘Hid Bhagavam Jateti Luminigamme’ inscription is enough, therefore, no more discussion needed. You have also accepted it. Enough said.

Now moving back again, if the Orissan scholars also disregarded Lembai to be another Lumbini and Kapileshowr as another purported Kapilvastu in Bhuvaneshowr, at least two Kapilvastus are on the scene since long (which virtually was not and, therefore is not); one in Uttar Pradesh of India and the other in present Tilaurakot of Nepal. This proposition of two ancient Kapilvastus forwarded by Prof. Thomas William Rhys Davids was rejected long before because there can’t be, at a time, two such Kapilvastus where the Buddha grew up and which he renounced later. There was only one ancient Kapilvastu. No question about it.

Archaeologist P. C. Mukherjee and Historian Vincent A. Smith recognized Nepal’s Tilaurakot as the ancient Kapilvastu which Debala Mitra dismissed in 1961 telling that the structural remains around there do not go beyond the 7th A D. It prompted K. M. Shrivastava to claim Piprahawa as the actual Kapilvastu which William Claxton Peppé had excavated in 1898 and “unearthed a hefty stone coffer containing five reliquary vases. Besides a glittering heap of jewels and gold, one of the vases held ashes. An inscription around the rim recorded that the ashes were the remains of the Buddha, and that they had been deposited by members of his Sakya clan”.(Read more)

The Piprahawa find can’t be denied they belonged to the Buddha and his clan but they alone can not certainly ascertain that Piprahawa is the ancient Kapilvastu. Therefore P. C. Mukherjee thought it was one of the Sakya colonies with some ruined monasteries. Let evidence speak here.(Read more)

As concerns the forging of another Lumbini in Aligadawa, we have received couple of emails from the Archaeological Survey of India Superintendent in which he does not clearly mention whether another Lumbini is being constructed or not. This is our major concern. And if no other Lumbini is being 'forged or constructed' then that's fine.

We can not leave Tilaurakot without seeing a “ terracotta seal engraved with — “Sa - ka - na – sya” which means ‘it belonged to the Sakyas’. Archaeologists have dated it falling in between 2nd and 5th Century B. C. We do not insist that present Tilaurakot must have been the ancient Kapilvastu but what we hold is that there are lots of evidence down there which suggest present Tilaurakot is the ancient Kapilvastu.

We have no knowledge at all what the concerned departments such as: Archaeological Survey of India and Department of Archaeology, Kathmandu Nepal would say about it. But we can surely say that the Department of Archaeology, Kathmandu lacks manpower to post vital information like: the on going activities, excavation reports and other important papers on its website. It has even failed to publish its own official journal 'Ancient Nepal' on the website in such a fast moving digital age.

It seems that both Nepalese and Indian people are obsessed with nationalism. It may seem not that bad. Nationalism is something we must always hold onto but as concern issues of such profound significance we must let evidence speak for the benefit of the humanity first.

Sincerely yours,

B. K. Rana
__________
1. Comment from ' Kapilvastu Forum'
A plenty of blogs had been posted by the Himalayan voice team under the behest of Dr. B K Rana, most of them are related with Lumbini, Tilaurakot and Aligadhwa- all are related to Buddhist circuit. Some of the statements of the several articles are inviting attention of the students of history. For example-
1. They have objection on the statement that Buddha born in a small Indian King.
2. That India is forging another Lumbini at Aligadhwa.
Their main point of objection is that there was no existence of India and Nepal at the time of Buddha born. This is correct. The political history of the area is very much interesting that the Nepalese terai was governed by the Koshal and and the many small republics including the Sakyas of Kapilvastu were under the direct subordination of the Koshal kings. This is why they were compelled to marry a girl to Koshal king Passenadi who wanted to marry a Sakyan Girl. After their all unwillingness they could not deny and married a girl whose father was Sakya but mother was a home med. Even the Rummindei inscription is a strong evidence of Political control of Pataliputra over the land of modern Nepalese terai.
Then how the Buddha was not from a small Indian kingdom ?
The control of Indian kings further carried on over the nepal through the ages. Samudragupta clearly mentions his concurrence over Nepal as a Pratyant Rajya and Harsha also did the same thing. The B K Rana and his team (edited) making another propaganda that India is forging another Lumbini at Aligadhwa. They clearly ignore the epigraphical evidences found from the excavations of Aligadhwa sites and with arguments they try to deny the fact that Piparahwa is the ancient site of Kapilvastu. I have gone through the press report of a Nepalese publication on Chaitra 3 which is full of wrong informations. Why the India will construct the Lumbini? Lumbini is very much in present day Nepal and in Aligadhwa the ancient Kapilvastu is situated. The Photo published in the paper is of Piprahawa -that is Kapilvastu. Mr. B K Rana should react carefully on the such narrow minded reportings. And at the end The Himalayan voice published many articles which are not historically correct ,particularly one of the Srilankan person.
POSTED BY KAPILVASTU FORUM AT 10:45 AM 1 COMMENTS

HIMALAYAN KINGDOMS AND INDIA’S FOREIGN POLICY

2010-04-06T12:35:00.006-04:00

[Note: Prof. S. D. Muni is widely known figure in Nepalese political circle as he has very keen interest in Nepal's foreign policy and development also. He has specialized in Nepalese foreign policy. It is also widely believed that he is one of prominent figures to bring the Maoists back onto peaceful political process in Nepal as the rebels signed on a 12 Point deal with Nepal's Seven Political Parties on Nov 22, 2005 in New Delhi. The 12 point deal is the basis for the present political spectrum of Nepal].

By S. D. Muni

India

’s pursuance of the democracy factor in Bhutan and Sikkim was different from the Nepalese case. Though the security concern emanating out of the communist victory in China was the same, but the pressure of democratic forces was much weaker in Bhutan and Sikkim. The other pressing consideration of the Western intervention, present in Nepal, was almost completely absent in Bhutan and Sikkim. Nepal’s Rana rulers had an active relationship with the UK, US and France, and were keen to exploit that relationship for their political survival as already noted. In view of the absence of the Western concerns and the presence of weak democratic movements, India found it advisable to support and sustain feudal regimes in these two Himalayan countries in the interest of stability.

India’s policy towards all the Himalayan kingdoms had a similar thrust of retaining the core British strategic framework of keeping these kingdoms as an integral art of India’s defense structure, while shedding off its imperial and colonial façade. Emerging aspirations of people in these countries for democratization were responded to within this framework, i.e., without sacrificing the security interests. This was evident in Nepal as this was also evident in Bhutan and Sikkim.

There were also the nuanced differences in the legal status of sovereignty and degree of independence to be exercised by each of them. Nepal was considered a fully sovereign country. Sikkim was treated as a protectorate, slightly higher than the Indian princely states, but lower than Bhutan which gradually evolved into a full sovereign, independent state. Sikkim was eventually incorporated as an integral part of the Indian Union in 1975. These differences in legal status of the three Himalayan kingdoms were clearly reflected in the Treaties signed with Bhutan in 1948 and with Nepal and Sikkim (separately) in 1950. The Treaties laid down that while Bhutan was free in its internal affairs, its foreign relations were to be ‘guided’ by

India

’s advice.
Being an Indian protectorate, Sikkim’s foreign affairs were India’s responsibility and its internal autonomy was conditioned on ‘good governance’ to be overlooked by India. Yet another factor that accounted for a more accommodative Treaty with Bhutan as compared to Sikkim as that India’s treaty with Bhutan was concluded in 1949, before the victory of communist forces in China and the Chinese assertion in Tibet.

The demand for political liberalization in Sikkim dates back to the victory of India’s struggle for independence. Inspired by the Indian example, and with the support and encouragement from the Indian leadership, political parties were organized both in Bhutan and Sikkim.

The Sikkim State Congress (SSC) was formed in 1947. It demanded abolition of feudal land holdings, an interim government having representation of popular leaders and eventual merger of Sikkim into India. The Government of India forded the Sikkim princely ruler (the Maharaja) to introduce land reforms and install a government of popular representatives – two to be the Maharaja’s representatives and three nominees of the SSC. India at that time refused to discuss the proposal of Sikkim’s merger into India. This is an example of New Delhi siding with the feudal system in the interest of stability and order in Sikkim. Any support to change, if at all, had to be gradual.

The Sikkim ruler promptly introduced some reforms in the legal system and judicial procedures. But he was not forthcoming on the popular representation in the government. The Sikkim Maharaja virtually handed over his power to his son, Palden Thondup who floated a royalist political organization called Sikkim National Party (SNP), on April 30, 1948 with the objective of opposing the SSC. With the help of this party, the feudal ruler of Sikkim tried to consolidate his power provoking the SSC to agitate in 1949 their demands. The agitators marched to the palace in support of their demands. Under the pressure of the agitators and the Indian Political Officer in Gantok, Mr. Harishwar Dayal, the Maharaja was forced to constitute a new Ministry with popular representation from the SSC.

The inherent political contradictions between the Maharaja and the popular representatives, with Crown Prince working the popular ministry all the time, did not allow the compromise devised by India to function. The popular representatives threatened to resign from the government and to resume their agitation for democratization. The Indian Political Officer interviewed in favour of the Maharaja by dismissing all the popular representatives. To access the situation created by the agitation, Nehru had sent his Deputy Minister of External Affaires to Sikkim. He, it seems, went back with the impression that the Maharaja would be a better ally in strengthening India’s security interests in Sikkim than the democratic leaders. That is why, soon after the Minister’s departure, the Indian representative in Gantok dismissed the popular government and took the administration in his own hands. That was the end of struggle for democracy in Sikkim. Subsequently, India continued to strengthen Sikkim Monarchy in the interest of stability until the beginning of the seventies, when again, the larger interests of India’s perceived security, democratic movement was encouraged and Sikkim was eventually integrated into the Indian Union.

On the lines of Sikkim, Bhutanese expatriates of Nepali origin inspired by India’s independence and struggle of democratization in Sikkim and

Nepal

, also organized a political party called Bhutan State Congress (BSC) in 1952. This party called for the grant of citizenship rights and political representation to all the Nepalese settled in Bhutan. Inherent in the party’s demands was also the issue of democratization of Bhutan’s Monarchical system. In support of these demands, the BSC launched a Satyagraha (non violence resistance) in 1954. This political movement was quickly suppressed by the Bhutan government by mobilizing their militia. There were sections in Indian civil society that lead support to the movement because of the expatriate Nepali population but the Government of India backed the Monarchy and did not let the resistance movement gather any political strength. The Bhutanese government was advised to sort out the citizenship issue which was done in 1958. Subsequently, the Advisory assembly was also setup to perform legislative functions.

An important aspect behind India’s support to Monarchies in Sikkim and Bhutan, related to its security interests has been that the resistance movements and forces of democratization in both of these countries had a strong ethnic character. In both Bhutan and Sikkim, democratization demand was raised by the Nepali groups and the Monarchies have been Bhotias and Lepchas in Sikkim and Drukpas in Bhutan; having closer cultural and religious linkages with Tibet. As a result, supporting democratic movement would have amounted to favoring one side in the ethnic divide and as a consequence, alienating the other one. Indian policy makers did take into account the possibility, howsoever remote, of the ruling Mongoloid ethnic groups in Bhutan and Sikkim seeking China’s support in case of India leading its weight with their Nepali protesters. Political instability precipitated in the process would surely have been exploited by China.

a) Please refer to Himalayan Watch

HIMALAYAN KINGDOMS AND INDIA’S FOREIGN POLICY
(Extracted from his book Foreign Policy of India, the democracy dimension)
b) [Review on INDIA'S FOREIGN POLICY : THE DEMOCRACY DIMENSION: In the new millennium, India has joined global initiatives like the Community of Democracies (2000) and the UN Democracy Fund (2005) for promoting democracy. This marks a significant shift in India's foreign policy as never earlier had India claimed or committed itself to playing a proactive role in promoting and protecting democracy in other countries. India has always remained engaged with the democracy question, particularly in its immediate neighbourhood. India's Foreign Policy: the Democracy Dimension is a study of India's responses to the challenge of democracy in other countries before and after its participation in the global democratic initiatives. India's similar responses in the past have been dictated and defined by its perceived vital strategic and political interests, and this continues to be so. The newly acquired obligations for promoting democracy may have tempered its foreign policy rhetoric and style on the democracy question but it has not, and will not, override India's critical strategic concerns and interests.]

LUMBINI MAYADEVI TEMPLE: RECENT DISCOVERIES AND IMPLICATIONS ON HISTORY

2010-04-05T12:42:00.018-04:00

[Blogger's Note: We have posted this article as the writer has,from different perspective, discussed in it some important issues and evidences found recently in Lumbini.]

By Sudarshan Raj Tiwari[1]

Introduction

The garden of Lumbini and its beauty attracted Queen Mayadevi for a rest 2500 years ago as she was on her way to maternal home from Kapilvastu. The beauty and spiritual serenity of Lumbini garden formed the backdrop to the birth of Lord Buddha and Buddhism. Since then it has remained a place of pilgrimage for Buddhists as well as others who seek peace and universal understanding. Since the acceptance of the Master Plan for the Development of Lumbini prepared by Prof. Kenzo Tange in 1978, Lumbini, the birthday of Lord Buddha, has been the scene of activities designed and executed to develop it as an international pilgrimage and tourist centre. Most of these activities, however, were located outside the central circular levee designated as the Sacred Garden in the Master Plan. This sacred garden and its conservation and reconstruction form the crux of the philosophical continuance of Lumbini as a pilgrimage site. Any misconceived approach will bring forth the wrath of world criticism at the same time leading to the destruction of a prime heritage of the world and of Nepal in particular. The current archeological excavations and its natural follow-up - the conservation activities on Mayadevi Temple - can be one such action, which depending upon how it is done, can be a matter of great irrevocable regret or a one to set the trend for all activities to come in future in this area. The Master Plan report (Tange, 1978) recognized then that.” one important decision which awaits the outcome of archaeological research is whether to keep the ‘Nativity Sculpture’ in its original location or to remove it to the museum. If it is found that the village, which will be undergoing excavation until 1980, is really the exact location of the nativity, efforts must be made to display the nativity sculpture there and not in the museum”. Here Prof. Tange already appears to have assumed that the Mayadevi temple is not where the image belongs.

About the physical structure of the temple itself, the Master Plan goes on to recommend that “structure on the grade shall be removed and ancient foundation work and basements are to be restored”. At that time the decision had not been made as to up to ‘ which period to be finally preserved for display among multiple layers of remains extending various historical periods’ and about ‘preservation techniques such as chemical treatment to improve durability of ancient bricks, or use of new bricks as substitute for the old to restore original structure’.

The latest structure of Mayadevi temple above grade belongs to late-Rana period[2] and when and by whom was the anthropomorphic form and temple of Rumminidei, the earlier name of the Nativity sculpture, built are historically unanswered questions. Stylistic considerations could date the image to about 4^th century AD. The remains of the decorative brick socle, though reconstructed, does suggest a temple structure close to the period of Kodan temples of the seventh century AD. Archaeological excavations done under the aegis of Japan Buddhist Federation (JBF) and Lumbini Development Trust (LDT) have made momentous discovery of a series of structures under the latest temple attesting the fact that the site has been of great importance throughout the history possibly starting with trace construction very soon after the life time of the Lord. The Mayadevi image and the temple, thus, are in their rightful place and earlier speculation that it might have belonged to the Lumbini village or some nearby site are proved wrong.

Although full report is yet to be made public, observations at the site indicate that the spot of ground practically below the pedestal of Nativity sculpture has been the focus of worship and central to the various stages of construction in the past. At the earliest stage exposed so far, however, the element of veneration was a square brick platform (1.22m square) of seven courses height including the no natural looking 'stone' tablet of longish shape on top, is not centric to the immediate next stage of building - the rectangular shrine. The archeologists have, based on focal location of the stone in relation to all the different structural layers spanning over 2000 years of construction and reconstruction history and the Ashokan Pillar inscriptional wording " sila vibada vicha"[3] (which could mean at the centre of the marking stone slab”)[4] concluded that the exact spot of the birth of Lord Buddha is directly below the center of the Mayadevi image. As Ashokan records say that his preceptor Upagupta had shown to Ashok the spot where the lord was born and also as the geological nature of the marker is clearly non-Ashokan, It can also be concluded that at the very least the stone marker and the brickwork platform below it, was existing at the time of the visit of Ashok." Go http://kailashkut.com/ and (Read more)

[1] The writer is a Professor of Architecture.

[2] The structure was put up by General Keshar Sumsher JB Rana in 1939.

[3] The full reading of the inscription is:

De va na pi ya na pi ya da si na la ji na vi sa ti va sa bhi si te na

a ta na a ga cha ma hi yi te hi da bu dhe ja te sa kya mu ni ti

si la vi ga da bhi cha ka la pi ta si la tha bhe cha u sa pa pi te

hi da bha ga vm ja te ti lu mi ni ga me u ba li ke ka te a tha bha gi ya cha.

[4] The interpretation of meaning varies. For example, D.C. Sircar ('Inscriptions of Asoka'

Publication Division, Govt. of India, 1967; pp. 69) translates as "...., because the Buddha, the sage of the Sakyas, was born here. He caused to be built a stone wall around the place and also erected this stone pillar to commemorate his visit." The nature of marking stone found and no find of stone wall refutes this translation fully.

THE HIMALAYAS: A THIRD POLAR REGION

2010-04-05T11:44:00.001-04:00

[Abstract: The 1963 American Scientific Expedition to Everest first suggested that the Himalayas are effectively a third pole. In this article, some salient aspects of Himalaya and polar environments are dealt with and similarities between the Himalaya and the Arctic and the Antarctic are investigated. Nationally and internationally coordinated efforts aimed at monitoring the unique Himalayan environment are essential from several considerations [1]].

By JAGDISH BAHADUR[2]

INTRODUCTION

Ice on earth takes a variety of forms ranging from snow cover to continental ice sheets to mountain glaciers. The origin of these forms and their variations over short or long periods of time depends to a large extent on the details of their thermal history. Microclimates control their short term behaviour and the long term effects are observed in global (or regional) climate affecting the movement and distribution of moisture. Massive reorganizations of the ocean-atmosphere system are the key events that link cyclic changes in the earth's orbit to the advance and retreat of ice sheets (Broker & Denton, 1990). For over three decades, evidence has mounted that the glacial cycles are ultimately driven by astronomical factors: slow cyclic changes in the eccentricity of the earth's orbit and the tilt and orientation of its axis of rotation. As large bodies of ice exist near poles and at higher altitudes, the present article deals with the cold environments over the Himalaya, theArctic and the Antarctic. The Himalayan region has been considered to encompass the mountain area from the Pamir region adjoining the Karakoram-Hindukush-Zaskar ranges in the West-northwest, the Tibetan plateau at the centre bordered by the Kunlun Shan in the North and the Heng Tuan Shan in the East and by the great Himalayan range in the South. The Chinese call it the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau (Fig. 1). In this perennially cold region, the locale of the three peaks. Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse resemble the environment of a pole and the Himalayan region resembles the Arctic and the Antarctic. The prolonged periods of day and night over the North and South polar regions are not existing in the Himalayan region. But the outflow of cold from the Himalayas produces a steeper temperature gradient due to their extremely high altitude and proximity to the highly energetic tropical environment. Unlike the other two poles, the Himalayan region has long supported civilizations, and yet it is one of the least explored geographical areas on earth deserving a renewed thrust from international scientific community, helping those who live in the region and its environs.

HIMALAYA

Himalaya, the abode of eternal snow forms a unique environment: the highest mountain environment on earth where snow and icy environmental conditions rival those existing at polar regions (Bahadur, 1972, 1992). Also called the Roof of the World the region extends through eight countries:

Russia, The Peoples Republic of

China,

India,

Bhutan,

Myanmar,

Nepal,

Pakistan

and

Afghanistan. The conditions on gale-whipped Himalayan summits covered by perennial snow and ice above 5000 m altitude resemble the environment in Arctic and Antarctic polar regions. The Leader of the 1963 American Scientific Expedition to Everest Norman Dyhrenfurth called it a third pole (Miller, The Himalayas: a third polar region 183 1964). The triumvirate of peaks Everest (8903 m), Lhotse (8501 m) and Nuptse (7879 m) and the upper Khumbu glaciers (4600 m to 8200 m) have been called in a meteorological sense, the "Mother Goddess of the Winds" (The Tibetan name of Mt. Everest is Chomolongma — the goddess mother of the world). The extremely high altitude of Himalaya probably provides a unique glacial climate on earth and there is need to study the primary atmospheric processes operating here which affect regional and global weather.

Climate of the Himalaya

The Himalaya are characterized by cold arid to wet tropical conditions seasonal alterations of dry and moist conditions in wide range of altitudes. The climate of the Himalaya may be said to consist of four broad and contrasting regions (Mani, 1981):

— the rain forest of the East, ranging in altitude to 2000 m;

— the wet alpine zone above the tree-line rising to 6000 m or more;

— transitional semi-wet region in the central portion of the mountains;

— an arid region in the Hindu Kush far to the West.

The four parallel ranges which constitute the Himalaya and the Sub, Lower, Higher and Tibetan Himalayan Ranges have their own physiographic features, geological history and climate. The following aspects are noteworthy:(Read more)

HIMALAYAN SNOW AND GLACIERS: ASSOCIATED ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS, PROGRESS AND PROSPECTS - Google Books Result, Jagdish Bahadur - 2004 - Juvenile Fiction - 164 pages, With reference to

India

[1] [Snow and Glacier Hydrology (Proceedings of the Kathmandu Symposium, November 1992).IAHSPubl.no. 218,1993]

[2] National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting, Department of Science and Technology, Government of

India, New Delhi 110016,India

WE NEPALIS: AN ESSAY BY LAXMI PRASHAD DEVAKOTA

2010-04-04T17:17:00.027-04:00

[We have here posted below two poems and an essay by Mahakavi[1] Laxmi Prasad Devakota (November 12, 1909 – September 14, 1959). His Muna Madan, a poetic creation on rustic life, love and struggle against state of privation and lack of necessities, is the most popular publication in Nepal until today. While in the death bed the poet is said to have wished,“ except for Muna Madan, you may burn down all my other creations” - giving an impression he himself liked it the most. - Blogger]

We Nepalis

[Translation by: David Ravin]

We are the children of Aurora,
Offspring of Asia's reawakened age,
Sons of the Hiamlayas we crave,
To climb the peaks wreathed with the golden rays.
We are the products of the Buddha's soil
The honey-sweet playmates of Janaki, the flower of our earth,
We are the effulgence of the fingers of Araniko,
And the ripe harvest of Prithvinarayana.

We are the golden dreams of Tribhuvana.
We are Mahendra's garden rich in flowering shrubs,
We are the rivals of the tiger,
And the sentinels of democracy.
We are the still small voice of humanity’s dove,
With the Danphe's prismatic plumes of fancy,
We are the scented breath of the Himalayan flowers that grow
out of the dust of the sages that lie in their long silence.
We are the songsters of the luxuriant wilds
That trill and warble love upon the leafy boughs of the world,
We are the mountain temples, of humanity,
We are the liberal liquefaction of the Himalaya's snow-breast
that nourishes the life of India in network of serpentine rills.
We are the prophetic angels of the east,
That dwell in the dominion of the first sun-beam.

We are the partners of this round home, this terrestrial sphere,
Partaking of a single plate.
We are the worshippers of self sacrifice,
We are the citizens of the world.

THE FIFTEENTH OF [THE MONTH OF] ASADHA

[Translation by: Manfred C. Teru ]

There is rejoicing in

Nepal

. The heart extends a loving welcome to the newly arrived guest. As soon as the enchanting countenance of today’s dawn at the edge of the horizon over the eastern ridges became visible, the red-rose colour of blissfulness ascended to the many coloured stretch of scattered clouds, for a second the colour of heaven slightly[making] the earth reddish brown. There was a particular charm in the rosy dawn of today. A distinctive merriment of the heart was lying in today’s sunrise. The look of love adds wonderment to the beauty nature, the colour of emotion ennobles the world. Sweet waves are rolling in the heart of Nepal. Today there is that thankfulness and delight which occurs when heaven responds on hearing one’s call. By the command of God and through His mercy for His children the earth has acquired youthfulness. We go to plant rice in the hope of a golden harvest: in our hands are the green rice seedlings, in our minds are joyfulness and longing, in our hearts is a light rhythmic quivering, in our throats surge up the sweet songs of our hearts. Today we enter the soft, the swampy fields. Today is the planting of joy in

Nepal

, today is the fifteenth of Asadhja[2].

In this mainly agricultural country the day of rice planting is a nationwide festival. On this day the magic of life touches the cottages standing squeezed together in different corners [of the country side]. In the twilight of the morning the gladly messenger of Vanaspati[3] raises his voice in the courtyard of the farmhouse. The farmers’ children welcome the morning by clapping their small hands with joy. Blinking his eyes in the pleasant state of waking up to reality. After he noted the agreeable speech, the gentle laughter and the jumping of the young boys, [his] folksong makes them dance for a moment, fervently snapping the fingers of his open, honest hands. The moment, however, the mother of these boys’ lights up her sparkling eyes laughing in an open, innocent way, the preparations for the planting start. The villages and the farmers, who on the other days are engaged in manifold activities, all go dancing, jumping, and singing with mattocks in their hands to every field and plantable space. Taking a fistful of seedlings, the exuberant lasses laugh, singing little songs only, some in a loud, same in a restrained manner, whilst, in between, teasingly looking at each other .. [Read more]
Crazy

[Translation by: David Ravin]

Oh yes, friend ! I'm crazy-

that's just the way I am.

I see sounds,
I hear sights,
I taste smells,
I touch not heaven but things from the underworld,
things people do not believe exist,
whose shapes the world does not suspect.
Stones I see as flowers,
lying water-smothered by the water's edge,
rocks of tender forms
in the moonlight
when the heavenly sorceress smiles at me,
putting out leaves, softening, glistening,
throbbing, they rise up like mute maniacs,
like flowers, a kind of moon-bird's flowers.
I talk to them the way they talk to me,
a language, friend,
that can't be written or printed or spoken,
can't be understood, can't be heard.
Their language comes in ripples to the moonlit Ganges banks,
ripple by ripple..
Oh yes, friend ! I am crazy-
that's just the way I am.

You're clever, quick with words,
your exact equations are right forever and forever.
But in my arithmetic take one from one...
and there's still one left.
You get along with five senses,
I with a sixth.
You have a brain, friend,
I have a heart.
A rose is just a rose to you...
to me it's Helen and Padmaini.
You are forceful prose,
I liquid verse.
When you freeze I melt,
when you're clear I get muddled
and then it works the other way round.
Your world is solid,
mine vapor,
yours coarse, mine subtle.
You think a stone reality;
harsh cruelty is real for you.
I try to catch a dream,
the way you grasp the rounded truth of cold, sweet coin.
I have the sharpness of the thorn,
You think the hills are mute...
I call them eloquent.
Oh yes, friend !
I'm free in my inebriation-
that's just the way I am. (Read more)

Also in Nepali Poems

A comprehensive collection of Nepali poems of all times @ Sanjaal Corps

[1] Great Poet: A poet of great popularity almost like a poet laureate.

[2] Name of the month with which rains of summer monsoon starts

[3] God of plants

HILLARY & TENZING: TWO OF THE GREAT HEROES OF THE 20TH CENTURY

2010-04-04T12:35:00.020-04:00

[“Well, George, we've knocked the bastard off !” said, Edmund Hillary on May 29, 1953, upon conquering the Mt. Everest. There was a kind of fuss in Kathmandu about this 'Hillary remark' when

Nepal

was preparing to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the conquest of Mt. Everest, May 29, 2003. It was actually like what Vice President Joe Biden had ‘secretly whispered’ in front of media in the White House, “This is a big F*****g deal” to President Obama upon signing of the health care bill into law on March 23, 2010. Perhaps overcome by excitement of joy of some achievement of greater magnitude, people make this kind of expression. The Sherpas did not take it otherwise although they revere Mount Everest as Chomolungma or Qomolangma which means the ‘Holy Mother’ or "the goddess mother of the world". The phrase has been immortalized also by dedicating a Blog to it. Posted photos are from TIME MAGAZINE. Blogger]

By JAN MORRIS

On May 29, 1953, Edmund Hillary of

New Zealand

and Tenzing Norgay of

Nepal

became the first human beings to conquer Mount Everest--Chomolungma, to its people--at 29,028 ft. the highest place on earth. By any rational standards, this was no big deal. Aircraft had long before flown over the summit, and within a few decades literally hundreds of other people from many nations would climb Everest too. And what is particularly remarkable, anyway, about getting to the top of a mountain?

Geography was not furthered by the achievement, scientific progress was scarcely hastened, and nothing new was discovered. Yet the names of Hillary and Tenzing went instantly into all languages as the names of heroes, partly because they really were men of heroic mold but chiefly because they represented so compellingly the spirit of their time. The world of the early 1950s was still a little punch-drunk from World War II, which had ended less than a decade before. Everything was changing. Great old powers were falling, virile new ones were rising, and the huge, poor mass of Asia and Africawas stirring into self-awareness. Hillary and Tenzing went to the Himalayas under the auspices of theBritish Empire, then recognizably in terminal decline. The expedition was the British Everest Expedition, 1953, and it was led by Colonel John Hunt, the truest of true English gentlemen. It was proper to the historical moment that one of the two climbers immortalized by the event came from a remote former colony of the Crown and the other from a nation that had long served as a buffer state of the imperial Raj.

I am sure they felt no Zeitgeist in them when they labored up the last snow slope to the summit. They were both very straightforward men. Tenzing was a professional mountaineer from the Sherpa community of the Everest foothills. After several expeditions to the mountain, he certainly wanted to get to the top for vocational reasons, but he also planned to deposit in the highest of all snows some offerings to the divinities that had long made Chomolungma sacred to his people. Hillary was by profession a beekeeper, and he would have been less than human if he had not occasionally thought, buckling his crampons, that reaching the summit would make him famous.

They were not, though, heroes of the old epic kind, dedicated to colossal purposes, tight of jaw and stiff of upper lip. That was George Mallory, who said most famously in 1924 that he was climbing Mount Everest "because it is there." But if he ever reached the summit, he never lived to tell the tale. Hillary and Tenzing were two cheerful and courageous fellows doing what they liked doing, and did, best, and they made an oddly assorted pair. Hillary was tall, lanky, big-boned and long-faced, and he moved with an incongruous grace, rather like a giraffe. He habitually wore on his head a homemade cap with a cotton flap behind, as seen in old movies of the French Foreign Legion. Tenzing was by comparison a Himalayan fashion model: small, neat, rather delicate, brown as a berry, with the confident movements of a cat. Hillary grinned; Tenzing smiled. Hillary guffawed; Tenzing chuckled. Neither of them seemed particularly perturbed by anything; on the other hand, neither went in for unnecessary bravado.

As it happened, their enterprise involved no great sacrifice. Nobody was killed, maimed or even frostbitten during the British Everest Expedition of 1953. They were not in the least aggressive, except in a technical sense. They were considerate members of a team, and it was true to the temper of their adventure that Hillary's first words when he returned from the summit, to his fellow New Zealander George Lowe, were "Well, George, we've knocked the bastard off!"

The real point of mountain climbing, as of most hard sports, is that it voluntarily tests the human spirit against the fiercest odds, not that it achieves anything more substantial--or even wins the contest, for that matter. For the most part, its heroism is of a subjective kind. It was the fate of Hillary and Tenzing, though, to become very public heroes indeed, and it was a measure of the men that over the years they truly grew into the condition. Perhaps they thought that just being the first to climb a hill was hardly qualification for immortality; perhaps they instinctively realized destiny had another place for them. For they both became, in the course of time, representatives not merely of their particular nations but of half of humanity. Astronauts might justly claim that they were envoys of all humanity; Hillary and Tenzing, in a less spectacular kind, came to stand for the small nations of the world, the young ones, the tucked-away and the up-and-coming.

Both, of course, were showered with worldly honors, and accepted them with aplomb. Both became the most celebrated citizens of their respective countries and went around the world on their behalf. But both devoted much of their lives to the happiness of an archetypically unprivileged segment of mankind: the Sherpas, Tenzing's people, true natives of the Everest region. Tenzing, who died in 1986, became their charismatic champion and a living model of their potential. Grand old Ed Hillary, who is still robustly with us, has spent years in their country supervising the building of airfields, schools and hospitals and making the Sherpas' existence better known to the world. Thus the two of them rose above celebrity to stand up for the unluckier third of humanity, who generally cannot spare the time or energy, let alone the money, to mess around in mountains.

I liked these men very much when I first met them on the mountain nearly a half-century ago, but I came to admire them far more in the years that followed. I thought their brand of heroism - the heroism of example, the heroism of debts repaid and causes sustained -far more inspiring than the gung-ho kind. Did it really mean much to the human race when Everest was conquered for the first time? Only because there became attached to the memory of the exploit, in the years that followed, a reputation for decency, kindness and stylish simplicity. Hillary and Tenzing fixed it when they knocked the bastard off.

Jan Morris accompanied the 1953 British Everest Expedition.
What did Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay tell the world about the Expedition ? Please watch the video here.

Monday, Jun. 14, 1999

The Conquerors HILLARY & TENZING

INDIAN BABAS' GOLD RUSH IN NEPAL

2010-04-03T18:51:00.010-04:00

[The Babas, Saints, Mahantas, Swamis, Yogis and Yoga Grurus etc. have always remained on top of Indian sub-continental politics. Mrs. Indira Gandhi, the late Indian prime minister, also was reported to have sought counsel from Satya Sai Baba and other holy gurus of her time. So, these holy spiritual leaders offer good counsel - all heads of governments believe. In Nepal, days are drawing near to promulgate a new Constitution. It seems the government may not be able to promulgate any constitution by May the 29^th this year. And these Gurus seem to have been exercising their spiritual [kind of supernatural?] power to bring peace and harmony back in the country. They may also be wanting to reinstall the dethroned king, for whose ouster the Maoist rebel apparently fought for over a decade which caused 16,000 deaths in the country. It is unbelievable that the Maoist Chief, who rigorously campaigned for closure of Sanskrit University, Colleges and schools protesting Hindu culture including such kinds of Yoga Practices, also took part in the recent Yoga Camp the Yoga Guru conducted in Kathmandu ! These yoga lessons did not help Buddha attain enlightenment. The problem is that these spiritual leaders could not save Indira Gandhi or Rajiv Gandhi or even King Brenda’s’ family form assassins while they seem to be possessing some kind of ‘supernatural’ power. Blogger's Note]

KATHMANDU, April 3, 2010

They might have large fan followings in India and larger controversies but Indian babas have begun to enjoy a headier experience in neighbouring Nepal: incredible political clout.

The recent camp held by Indian yoga guru Ram Dev is a case in point. The saffron-clad bearded yoga teacher turned politician was feted by the President of Nepal, the prime minister of Nepal laid the foundation of his yoga ashram and Maoist chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda attended his camp where he advocated a fusion of Maoism and spiritualism.

Now even before the ripples created by Ram Dev die down, Kripalu Maharaj, the man hailed by his followers as the greatest seer of his age, will be holding a two-day discourse at Bankali, the sprawling land close to the famed Pashupatinath temple, from April 10.

Last month, the 88-year-old maharaj faced a lot of negative publicity in India after a stampede in his Radha Madhav Society ashram in Uttar Pradesh killed at least 63 people. The disaster made the media resurrect at least two old allegations of rape levelled against the self-styled godman and he was reported as having gone underground. However, the furore in India has had no effect in Nepal, where Kripalu Maharaj owns a sprawling ashram in Bhaktapur city and his discourses are aired by Nepal’s television channels in the early morning. During an earlier visit to Nepal, the deposed king, Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah, went to meet the Indian preacher.

Ravi Shankar and his Art of Living also enjoy a large fan following in Nepal; so does Sai Baba, who has several ashrams with Nepal’s late prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala and his daughter Sujata, the current deputy prime minister of Nepal, being his devotees. Bhagwan Rajneesh aka Osho has had a resurrection in Nepal with his Nepali disciples now taking the movement to the UK, Russia and other western countries.

Another controversial self-styled holy man, Asaram Bapu, whose ashram in Madhya Pradesh faced CID investigation after four children were found dead, was also in Nepal about two years ago to hold a discourse at the same Bankali grounds. At that time, only the Maoists had objected to his visit, citing the controversy surrounding him.

Earlier this year, another controversial seer with self-claimed magic powers, Chandraswami, visited Nepal to show support for the campaign to restore Hinduism as the state religion. Chandraswami was welcomed by a prominent industrialist who is also a member of parliament from the ruling Nepali Congress party, and had a meeting with Gyanendra.

The Times of India
April3,2010

* Yoga Guru Swami Ramdev inaugurates a week-long Yoga camp for Armed Police Force personnel at the APF headquarters in Halchowk, Swayambhu, on Saturday, Apr 03, 10. www.nepalnews.com/ANA

THE BALWADI : BINDING THE HIMALAYAN VILLAGE

2010-04-03T17:28:00.013-04:00

[ After a three hour tiring trip to collect fodder for her cattle (a trip made everyday), Rekha Devi comes straight to the Balwadi to pick up her little daughter. Her hair is dishevelled and streaked from the intense sun. She enters the Balwadi and sinks to the floor. Her daughter, bursting with excitement jumps into her lap and starts singing a song full-throatedly. Rekha Devi, looking at her daughter says, almost to herself: ‘Jab yeh goed mein hi naachna gana shuru karti hai, to meri thakaan door ho jati hai’ (When she starts singing and dancing like this in my lap, my tiredness vanishes). Her eyes brim with tears, her exhaustion truly seems to have evaporated.]

By: Mangala Nanda

A programme for adult literacy in villages in Uttarakhand was proposed in the mid 1980s. The women responded to the proposal by saying that education for them at this point in their lives was redundant. They said, ‘Hamara ab kuch nahi hoga, humare bachhon ke liye kuch karo.’ (Nothing will change in our lives, but do something for our children.) It was our policy then, as now, to work in conjunction with the villagers and to value their suggestions and inputs – for who knows what they need better than they do themselves? Two Balwadis were started in 1987, and the Balwadi programme had begun: a direct response to the desires of the village women themselves.

A Balwadi is a pre-primary centre: a safe haven and a stimulating environment for children. This leaves the mother free to carry out the heavy task of cutting and bringing frewood and fodder from the forest everyday, with the reassurance that her child is being well looked after. In a region where women raise children and have the load of all the agricultural work, the Balwadi has been a godsend. (Men are unable to contribute to agriculture because of a mass male urban migration to seek employment; many villages in Uttarakhand are almost devoid of able-bodied men.) The importance of the Balwadi in such circumstances is therefore apparent.

After a three hour tiring trip to collect fodder for her cattle (a trip made everyday), Rekha Devi comes straight to the Balwadi to pick up her little daughter. Her hair is dishevelled and streaked from the intense sun. She enters the Balwadi and sinks to the floor. Her daughter, bursting with excitement jumps into her lap and starts singing a song full-throatedly. Rekha Devi, looking at her daughter says, almost to herself: ‘Jab yeh goed mein hi naachna gana shuru karti hai, to meri thakaan door ho jati hai’ (When she starts singing and dancing like this in my lap, my tiredness vanishes). Her eyes brim with tears, her exhaustion truly seems to have evaporated.

Village: Gartherha, Kumaun - Year 1994

The Balwadi runs for four hours a day. In these four hours,

through being given the freedom to play and explore uninhibitedly, the children learn about the world around them. A special emphasis is given to paryavaran or environment, helping the children to relate to their immediate surroundings. As the children learn through play, not from being burdened, their self-confidence and eagerness to learn increases immensely. A searching and questioning mentality is induced in them through this openness.(Read more)

Also in NEELAM SOOD's report on 'Early Childhood Care and Education Reflections on an Innovative Programme'.

WORLD MISLED OVER HIMALAYAN GLACIER MELTDOWN

2010-04-02T23:17:00.003-04:00

(The west Himalayan range includes 15,000 glaciers. Photo by: Simon Fraser/Science Photo Library)

By: Jonathan Leake and Chris Hastings

A WARNING that climate change will melt most of the Himalayan glaciers by 2035 is likely to be retracted after a series of scientific blunders by the United Nations body that issued it.

Two years ago the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued a benchmark report that was claimed to incorporate the latest and most detailed research into the impact of global warming. A central claim was the world's glaciers were melting so fast that those in the Himalayas could vanish by 2035.

In the past few days the scientists behind the warning have admitted that it was based on a news story in the New Scientist, a popular science journal, published eight years before the IPCC's 2007 report.

It has also emerged that the New Scientist report was itself based on a short telephone interview with Syed Hasnain, a little-known Indian scientist then based at Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi.

Hasnain has since admitted that the claim was "speculation" and was not supported by any formal research. If confirmed it would be one of the most serious failures yet seen in climate research. The IPCC was set up precisely to ensure that world leaders had the best possible scientific advice on climate change.

Professor Murari Lal, who oversaw the chapter on glaciers in the IPCC report, said he would recommend that the claim about glaciers be dropped: "If Hasnain says officially that he never asserted this, or that it is a wrong presumption, than I will recommend that the assertion about Himalayan glaciers be removed from future IPCC assessments."

The IPCC's reliance on Hasnain's 1999 interview has been highlighted by Fred Pearce, the journalist who carried out the original interview for the New Scientist. Pearce said he rang Hasnain in India in 1999 after spotting his claims in an Indian magazine. Pearce said: "Hasnain told me then that he was bringing a report containing those numbers to Britain. The report had not been peer reviewed or formally published in a scientific journal and it had no formal status so I reported his work on that basis.

"Since then I have obtained a copy and it does not say what Hasnain said. In other words it does not mention 2035 as a date by which any Himalayan glaciers will melt. However, he did make clear that his comments related only to part of the Himalayan glaciers. not the whole massif."

The New Scientist report was apparently forgotten until 2005 when WWF cited it in a report called An Overview of Glaciers, Glacier Retreat, and Subsequent Impacts in Nepal, India and China. The report credited Hasnain's 1999 interview with the New Scientist. But it was a campaigning report rather than an academic paper so it was not subjected to any formal scientific review. Despite this it rapidly became a key source for the IPCC when Lal and his colleagues came to write the section on the Himalayas.

When finally published, the IPCC report did give its source as the WWF study but went further, suggesting the likelihood of the glaciers melting was "very high". The IPCC defines this as having a probability of greater than 90%.

The report read: "Glaciers in the Himalaya are receding faster than in any other part of the world and, if the present rate continues, the likelihood of them disappearing by the year 2035 and perhaps sooner is very high if the Earth keeps warming at the current rate."

However, glaciologists find such figures inherently ludicrous, pointing out that most Himalayan glaciers are hundreds of feet thick and could not melt fast enough to vanish by 2035 unless there was a huge global temperature rise. The maximum rate of decline in thickness seen in glaciers at the moment is 2-3 feet a year and most are far lower.

Professor Julian Dowdeswell, director of the Scott Polar Research Institute at Cambridge University, said: "Even a small glacier such as the Dokriani glacier is up to 120 metres [394ft] thick. A big one would be several hundred metres thick and tens of kilometres long. The average is 300 metres thick so to melt one even at 5 metres a year would take 60 years. That is a lot faster than anything we are seeing now so the idea of losing it all by 2035 is unrealistically high.”

Some scientists have questioned how the IPCC could have allowed such a mistake into print. Perhaps the most likely reason was lack of expertise. Lal himself admits he knows little about glaciers. "I am not an expert on glaciers.and I have not visited the region so I have to rely on credible published research. The comments in the WWF report were made by a respected Indian scientist and it was reasonable to assume he knew what he was talking about," he said.

Rajendra Pachauri, the IPCC chairman, has previously dismissed criticism of the Himalayas claim as "voodoo science".

Last week the IPCC refused to comment so it has yet to explain how someone who admits to little expertise on glaciers was overseeing such a report. Perhaps its one consolation is that the blunder was spotted by climate scientists who quickly made it public.

The lead role in that process was played by Graham Cogley, a geographer from Trent University in Ontario, Canada, who had long been unhappy with the IPCC's finding.

He traced the IPCC claim back to the New Scientist and then contacted Pearce. Pearce then re-interviewed Hasnain, who confirmed that his 1999 comments had been "speculative", and published the update in the New Scientist.

Cogley said: "The reality, that the glaciers are wasting away, is bad enough. But they are not wasting away at the rate suggested by this speculative remark and the IPCC report. The problem is that nobody who studied this material bothered chasing the trail back to the original point when the claim first arose. It is ultimately a trail that leads back to a magazine article and that is not the sort of thing you want to end up in an IPCC report.”

Pearce said the IPCC's reliance on the WWF was "immensely lazy" and the organisation need to explain itself or back up its prediction with another scientific source. Hasnain could not be reached for comment.

The revelation is the latest crack to appear in the scientific concensus over climate change. It follows the so-called climate-gate scandal, where British scientists apparently tried to prevent other researchers from accessing key date. Last week another row broke out when the Met Office criticised suggestions that sea levels were likely to rise 1.9m by 2100, suggesting much lower increases were likely.

FROM: THE SUNDAY TIMES

January 17, 2010

HIMALAYAN GLACIERS WARNING NOT BACKED UP: UN

2010-04-02T22:44:00.000-04:00

A UN warning that Himalayan glaciers were melting faster than any other place in the world and may be gone by 2035 was not backed up by science, UN climate experts said Wednesday — an admission that could energize climate change critics.

In a 2007 report, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said the Himalayan glaciers are very likely to disappear within three decades if the present melting rate continues. But a statement from the panel now says there is not enough scientific evidence to back up those claims.

The warning in the report "refers to poorly substantiated estimates of rate of recession and date for the disappearance of Himalayan glaciers," the IPCC said. "In drafting the paragraph in question, the clear and well-established standards of evidence, required by the IPCC procedures, were not applied properly."

The Himalayan glacier claim, made in the group's voluminous, Nobel-winning report, was little noticed until the Sunday Times said the projection seemed to be based on a news report.

The leaders of the UN panel are investigating how the forecast got into the report, Chris Field, director of the ecology department at the Washington-based Carnegie Institution for Science, told The Associated Press.

The UN panel did not give a new estimate of when Himalayan glaciers might melt away, but said "widespread mass losses from glaciers and reductions in snow cover over recent decades are projected to accelerate throughout the 21st century."

This will reduce the availability of water and change the seasonal water flows in major mountain rangers, including the Himalayas, it said.

India

's Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday repeated his previous criticism of the panel's initial assessment of the Himalayan glaciers.

"The health of the glaciers is a cause of grave concern, but the IPCC's alarmist position that they would melt by 2035 was not based on an iota of scientific evidence," Ramesh was quoted as saying by The Times of India.

The IPCC's Fourth Assessment Report of 2007 said the Himalayan glaciers were receding faster than any other place in the world.

"The likelihood of them disappearing by the year 2035 and perhaps sooner is very high if the Earth keeps warming at the current rate," it said.

But, in a confusing note, the report added the glacier's total area "will likely shrink from the present 500,000 to 100,000 square kilometres by the year 2035."

The UN climate change panel said "the chair, vice-chairs and co-chairs of the IPCC regret the poor application of well-established IPCC procedures in this instance.

Source: CBCNews

WHAT'S REALLY CAUSING HIMALAYAN GLACIERS TO MELT?

2010-04-02T22:37:00.002-04:00

By Moises Velasquez-Manoff

February 8, 2010 at 5:57 am EST

Two weeks ago, it emerged that the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change had made a mistake. The IPCC's last report, completed in 2007, had forecast that, given the current rate of global warming, Himalayan glaciers would "very likely" disappear by 2035.

This date, it turns out, wasn't based on a study appearing in a peer-reviewed science journal, but on an article published in the popular science magazine New Scientist a decade ago. The article apparently misquoted Indian glaciologist Syed Iqbal Hasnain.

Hasnain has said that he noted the error when it first appeared in print all those years ago, but never contacted the magazine about correcting it. How an article in the popular press made it into the pool of studies considered by the IPCC — the panel says it focuses on peer-reviewed studies — remains something of a mystery.

But, it should be noted, the erroneous estimate did not make it into the guide for policymakers. It appears only in the full report. So what about those glaciers?

Although there's still disagreement on how much Himalayan glaciers, sometimes called "the third polar region," are melting (see Monitor colleague Ben Arnoldy's story on the difficulties of studying ice in the volatile region) glaciologists tend to agree that they are melting, and that this poses a significant problem in the long run.

More than a billion people in Asia rely on glacial meltwater for a steady, year-round supply of fresh water. If the glaciers disappear, the region's water supply might be threatened.

Now, a new study by scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, and NCAR, finds that human-emitted aerosols are the single major contributor to glacial melt in the Himalayas.

In this case, increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide are not melting the mountain glaciers, say the authors. Particulate matter, particularly black carbon from cooking fires and coal-fired plants in India, is the real culprit.

These particulates can melt ice in two ways. First, floating in the air, they absorb sunlight and heat the surrounding atmosphere. Warmer air melts glaciers and changes precipitation patters.

In fact, weather stations across India measured a decrease in sunlight reaching the ground of about 0.5 watts per square meter per year between 1964 to 1990. After 1990, that rate of decrease went up to 1.1 watts per square meter per year.

Particulates can also melt the ice when they precipitate out of the air and land on it. Snow and ice normally reflects much of the sun's energy — up to 90 percent — back the way it came. But a layer of soot on top of the ice will absorb the sunlight, warm the ice beneath, and melt it.

The current study, which appears in the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, finds that 90 percent of observed Himalayan glacial loss in recent decades is from aerosols. Black carbon soot alone, which occurs when combustion is incomplete, is responsible for 30 percent of that melt.

The amount of soot in the air has increased substantially in the area.

Between 1990 and 2000, black carbon emissions from India increased by 46 percent, say the authors. They increased by another 51 percent in the past decade.

According the National Snow and Ice Data Center, while some parts of the Himalayas have actually seen an increase in snow in recent decades, a large swath of the Himalayas has seen a decrease of about 16 percent in the same period.

The authors propose that the increases in snow in some regions is also an effect of black carbon — specifically, it heats the atmosphere, increases upward movement, or convection, of air, and that alters precipitation patterns. Rain and snow decrease in some areas and increase in others.

The good news is, while CO2 stays in the atmosphere for a century, black carbon lingers for a much shorter time. So if most of the Himalayan glacial melt observed in recent decades is due to not to increases in carbon dioxide but to more particulate pollution, then it can be much more easily addressed, at least theoretically: Simply burn coal and biomass more cleanly.

How difficult this may be to achieve is, of course, another story.

Source: The Christian Science Monitor

EXPERTS CATCH HIMALAYAN MELTDOWN ERROR AS CLIMATEGATE SCIENTIST GOT STIMULUS FUNDS

2010-04-02T22:25:00.003-04:00

[Ed. note: We incorrectly listed the amount Mann received as "half a billion" in the initial post. We re-checked the source and realized the actual amount was approximately half a million. We located the exact figure at The Wall Street Journal and we have corrected our error. We apologize for the mistake. The US Report]

by Kay B. Day

Global warming alarmists love to post charts, graphs and scientific data on message boards and comment threads. Most of the laymen alarmists aren’t scientists and take their talking points directly from alarmist websites. They are like little parrots of science, repeating whatever dogma is drilled into their willing brains.

But ClimateGate has expanded with another revelation—actually a couple of them. And since Big Branded Media in the U.S. probably won’t tell you about it, we figured we’d share the news. For starters, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has some explaining to do about those Himalayan glaciers that are supposed to disappear by 2035. The Times (London) said, “In the past few days the scientists behind the warning have admitted that it was based on a news story in the New Scientist, a popular science journal, published eight years before the IPCC's 2007 report.”

That news story, by the way, wasn’t peer reviewed. Recall how the alarmists love that term ‘peer reviewed.’ The glacier meltdown claim originated with an obscure Indian scientist who was giving comments to a reporter via telephone. The claim began to pop up in various places all those esteemed alarmist scientists like to cite and next thing you know, it was taken as fact by disciples of Gore, from the haughtiest alarmist expert to the fanatical political class activist. The journalist who actually did real journalism work—digging for the source—should receive an award.

Meanwhile, back at the glacier farm, Michael Mann, the professor who has received dozens of awards for his global warming warnings even after his famous hockey stick turned out to be incorrect, has received $541,184 U.S. taxpayer dollars to conduct even more climate change research. By the way, the Environmental Protection Agency switched from global warming alarmism to climate change alarmism—a manner of hedging the bets perhaps. Mann’s university, Penn State, got another $1.9 million. These grants came from the Stimulus Funds. How brazen can politics get?

All that money despite the fact Mann is also at the center of the ClimateGate scandal wherein hacked emails proved many of those associated with global warming alarmism permitted politics to govern science. They also conducted smear campaigns against experts who disagreed with their theories.

All these revelations come after another Brit newspaper revealed the head of the UN IPCC had ties to a big oil group and that group stands to make lots of money off climate change policy/politics.

The US Report had questioned Dr. R.K. Pachauri’s status based on two minutes of research before the paper ran their story. We actually took the time to read his biography, discovering his ties to India’s state-owned oil company.

Meanwhile an earthquake has devastated Haiti and all the carbon sequestration in the world would not have prevented it. Deforestation is still occurring, over-grazing still occurs and religious conflicts wreck the landscape in many countries. In addition, global warming propaganda about industrialized countries from alarmists are a major reason for hatred of the U.S. in the developing world.

The good news: alarmists can rest a little easier now. Those Himalayan glaciers’ death is much exaggerated, just like many other claims coming from the camp of failed Democrat presidential candidate Al Gore. The website Watts Up With That questioned the Himalayan predictions in November, 2009. Turns out the skeptics were, once again, right.

You’d think someone in the Party that rules the U.S. government would have the decency to admit global warming alarmism is overblown instead of pushing Cap and Trade, legislation that will transfer American wealth to 'developing countries' like India and China. Then again, decency is in short supply in Washington these days.

The US Report

Monday, January 18, 2010 at 04:41PM