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What to buy in Nepal

2012-02-09T01:21:00.000-08:00

There are so many beautiful, interesting and unusual things in Nepal that no wonder if the question "what to buy?" will arise in your head. To help you with the asnwer to this question I will tell about the most interesting (from my point of view) handicrafts and products of Nepal that are worth to be bought here.

1. Pashmina. Pashmina is a word derived from Persian "Pashm" which means "finest wool fiber". Pashmina is made from the wool of the Himalayan Mountain goat, locally known as Chyangra ( Capra Hircus). This goat is generally found between altitudes of twelve thousand to fourteen thousand feet above sea level, in the mountains of Nepal, India and Pakistan. These goats develop a thin inner coat in winter which they shed during spring. Each hair is twelve to fourteen microns thick which is about one-sixth of the human hair. This unique inner coat of hair serves as material for pashmina.

From a distance a shawl made of pashmina looks like any ordinary shawl made of fine wool. But in touch it has exquisite fine texture and negligible weight. The warmth it provides can hardly be compared with any other type of wool fabric.

Most of the available pashmina in Nepal is woven by hand in local handlooms. Here you can find shawls, scarves, sweaters, mufflers of 100% pashmina wool or 80/20 and 70/30 blends of pahshmina wool and silk. The difference between pure pashmina and blends is the lustrous sheen obvious in the silk/pashmina blend and of course, pure pashmina is much warmer than the blends.

2. Silver jewelry with natural stones. The Nepali silversmiths produce handcrafted jewelry of traditional and modern designs. You can find here necklaces, pendants, bracelets, bangles, earrings, rings and anklets. Silver jewelry usually has stones inlaid to enhance their beauty and some of the popular ones are turquoise, coral, aquamarine, garnet, topaz, amethyst, lapis. Many gemstones are found in Nepal: ruby and sapphire; aquamarine; tourmaline; amethyst; garnets; amazonite; quartz crystal. Many lesser-known gems are also found in Nepal.

3. Tibetan carpets and Tibetan furniture. Tibetan carpets are popular for two reasons: they are made of Tibetan wool that gets better with age and they are decorated with exotic designs of bright colours - red, blue, yellow. Most weavers still use vegetable dyes and the carpets are loop-knotted. Usually 60 knots per square inch (the norm), 80 (fine) or 100 (top quality). Most traditional designs are symbolic in nature and the colours too are chosen on the basis of their symbolism.

The beauty of Tibetan furniture lies in the detailed and brightly coloured paintings that cover their surfaces. They are coated with mandalas, lotus blossoms, conch shells, tigers and elephants. Most of paintings have some sort of Buddhist religious significance. For example, the elephant design is a symbol of the strength of the mind and the intellect.
The majority of Tibetan furniture available in the market today are replicas of original designs but are modeled exactly like pieces that actually come from Tibet and are painted by local experts.

4. Thangka paintings. These paintings on cotton or silk are originally meant for temples and monasteries and so they are religious in nature. Each drawing is based on a particular religious theme, among most popular are Buddha and his disciples, scenes from his life or portraits of Bodhisattvas. Other thangkas may represent Tara in her green or white aspect or show mandalas. There are five basic colours in thangkas: red, blue, yellow, white and black. All are mineral or vegetable based: lapis lazuli stone is the source of blue, orpiment and cinnabar minerals are sources for yellow and red, conch shell powder provides the white colour and black is derived from the soot of burning pine wood.

5. Traditional Nepali knife Khukuri. Its popularity all over the world this knife gained thanks to the Gurkha soldiers who use it as a self-guard or in battle. Khukuri is found in almost every Nepali home and used as a multi-purpose knife for cutting grass, chopping wood, peeling vegatebles and slaughtering game. A longer version of the Khukuri is often used in ritual sacrifice during festivals.

The blade of the khukuri is mostly made with high quality steel and the scabbard out of buffalo hide. The handle of the Khukuri can be made out of either buffalo horn or any type of hard wood. The scabbard of each Khukuri holds two small knives called Karda and Chakmak. Karda is a sharp knife used to hone the master blade and for small cutting jobs. The Chakmak is used as a flint stone to start fires.

6. Nepali tea. Returning home with an assortment of teas cultivated in the Himalayan hills is an excellent way to continue enjoying the flavours of Nepal at home. Nepali tea is of no less quality than Indian tea. Two of the best places to find huge varieties of Nepali teas are Sagarmatha Tea House (Lazimpat) and Himalayan Tea Corner (New Road). Visitors can sample any variety they like there. Among the most popular are sencha and bancha (green teas), Ilam tea, masala spice tea, Dhankuta organic tea. Customers may order small packets of 50 or 100 grams or larger quantities in kilos.

7. Metal craft. Age-old designs and production technologies are still used in creating metal craft in Nepal. Copper, bronze and brass are the most common metals used. For making statues the wax method of metal casting is employed. A wax model is first made and covered with clay. This is heated to a high degree and the melted wax is extracted and molten metal is poured inside. After cooling the clay is broken to reveal the metal image. The craftsman then etches in the finer details after which it is painted according to traditional specifications.

8. Wild Earth products. This company provides a range of herbal products: soaps, massage oils, therapeutic pillows, shampoos and much more. The products are made using the finest selection of organic materials and none of their items are tested on animals. The Wild Earth products can be found in many supermarkets and shops in Kathmandu but the showroom of the company is in Lazimpat.

Bangles - an Indian marriage ornament

2012-02-06T04:56:00.000-08:00

Varied in material and decoration, bangles are among the primary ornaments worn by Indian women and are an important indication that the wearer is a married woman. Gold is especially favoured material for bangels but is less common than other materials. Lac bangles have been widely used in India since ancient times. They are worn singly or in sets and made in many colours and with many forms of surface decoration including tiny mirrors and gold leaf. Iron bangles are sometimes encased in gold and those of conch shell are traditionally worn by married women in West Bengal.
In Rajasthan ivory bangles are common. In some places they are worn in sets that go from wrist to armpit. An ideal set of ivory bangles includes 17 worn on upper arm and 9 worn on the lower arm. A total of 52 in both arms. Because of its high cost ivory is being replaced by white plastic nowadays.

A Rajasthani woman with ivory bangles, photo by Tatyana Pryymak

Glass bangles are the most common of all. Every town has a special bangle bazaar where women spend hours making their selection of patterns and colours. The range of colours available is enormous. Brides usually wear red bangles, and for everyday use the colour is often chosen to match the sari of the day.

Bangles seller in Delhi

Glass bangles are fragile and when broken must be replaced. When a married woman becomes a widow as an expression of grief on losing her husband she smashes her glass bangles.
Glass bangles are worn by women of all classes of society, rich and poor. They may also be worn by girls but for a married woman it is a necessity. Generally between eight and twelve glass bangles are worn on each wrist, twenty four in two matching sets, but no rigid rules about numbers exist. Nowadays glass bangles are often combined with those of gold.

The Hindu wedding

2012-01-31T23:47:00.000-08:00

Indian weddings are traditionally three or four day affairs and begin with the mehendi rat - the woman's symbolic evening where the bride's hands and feet are covered with mehendi. A party of the bride's women relatives and in-laws spend several hours at this task during which they sing appropriate songs. For the bride the process is therapeutic in calming and preparing her for the event.
Mehendi is one element of the Hindu woman's "complete decoration", shringar, and is the symbol of satisfaction and happiness in marriage. Traditionally the bride has her groom's initials incorporated secretly into the design and the groom must locate them before he is allowed to share a bedroom with his new wife. Mehendi may also be applied to the groom's hands and feet.

the bride's decorated hands

the groom's hands

Another pre-wedding ceremony - sangeet, a music evening, where the bride and the women relatives from the both sides dance for the groom and the guests. Food and drinks are served.

the bride and groom are dancing for the guests

On the day of the ceremony the groom wearing a crown or a turban, necklaces and other ornaments sets out in procession from his house. As this procession usually takes place after dark it is accompanied by several men bearing portable arc lamps, with a brass band leading the way, followed by a throng of male relatives and wedding guests.

The groom's party is met outside the bride's house or the place of marriage by her female relatives. To honour the groom the bride's mother performs the oil-lamp ceremony waving the flame in a circle around his face. The groom is then met by the bride and they exchange with flower garlands.
The marriage ceremony is performed within a special canopy, pandal, decorated with auspicious mango leaf and marigold flower garlands. The groom is brought under the pandal and seated, followed by the bride, who is seated to his left. Married women bring in the sacred fire and place it at the pandal centre. Fire represents Agni, the fire god, who witnesses the marriage ceremony.

During the ceremony several rituals are performed, one of the most important is "the gift of a virgin" which symbolizes the bride's transference to the groom: the bride's father places his daughter's hand into that of the groom. Then the groom ties the mangalsutram, the marriage cord, on his bride's neck. This act symbolizes the groom's acceptance of the gift of a virgin and signifies that from then on she is his property.

The concluding ritual of the Hindu marriage is the Saptapada ceremony: the groom's lower garment is knotted to that of the bride and they then take seven steps around the sacred fire, each step symbolizing force, strength, well-being, offspring, luck, wealth, and their eternal friendship. This rite solemnizes the marriage.

Amazing dragonflies

2012-01-25T22:55:00.000-08:00

All these dragonflies were shot in Kathmandu - in the Botanical garden or in the yard of my house. It is not an easy task to take photos of dragonflies but it is always fun. These creatures are so strange looking and at the same time so beautiful. There is some interesting facts about these amazing insects.
Dragonflies are fast flyers and the fastest is Austrophlebia costali that can swoop downhill at 98 km/h, but more usually dashes about its territory at about 58 km/h.
Dragonflies flap their wings relatively slowly, at about 30 beats per second (compared with a honey bee at 300 b/s). Their body temperature varies with the air temperature. If their muscles are cold they are unable to fly, so they need to warm up first by basking in the sun or shivering their muscles.

Once airborne dragonflies tend to overheat, so they make 15 second glides to help to cool their body.
The dragonfly's huge bulging eyes cover more or less its entire head. Thanks to these the dragonfly can see nearly all the way round, scanning for prey while keeping a watch for hungry birds that may be interested in a meal themselves.
Its compound eyes are composed of more than 20 000 tiny six-sided facets each with its own tiny lens. The dragonfly can detect even the slightest possible movement.

The dragonfly keeps itself airborne by creating whirlwinds and vortices in the air. It has four wings, the front pair beating alternately with the pair at the back. Each wing moves in a figure-of-eight pattern. The dragonfly can fly in any direction without turning its body and can hover in one spot. The wings are almost identical to those of ancient dragonflies that flew some 320 million years ago.

In China, people associate the dragonfly with prosperity, harmony and as a good luck charm.
Amongst Native Americans, it is a sign of happiness, speed and purity.
The Welsh call the dragonfly "the snake’s servant" and think they follow snakes and stitch up their wounds. And in Portugal they are called "eye pokers" and "eye snatchers".
To the Japanese, it symbolizes summer and autumn and is admired and respected all over. Tthe Samurai used it as a symbol of power, agility and victory.

Some Japanese poetry about dragonflies.

The beginning of autumn,

Decided

By the red dragon-fly.

Shirao

Bright red pepper-pod . . .

it needs but shiny

wings and look . . .

Darting dragon-fly!

Basho

The dragon-fly,

It tried in vain to settle

On a blade of grass.

Basho

The dragon-fly

Perches on the stick

That strikes at him.

Kohyo

The instant it flies up

a dragonfly

loses its shadow

Inahata Teiko

Kirtipur - the defeated kingdom

2012-01-23T23:26:00.000-08:00

Not far away from Kathmandu (just 5 km) there is a small town named Kirtipur which once was the forth kingdom of the valley. Today it is the only one that remains relatively untouched by tourism or development.
History of the town goes back to the 12th century when it was established as a kind of outpost of Patan becoming an independent kingdom later and falling to king Prithvi Narayan Shah in 1769 after a prolonged and terrible siege. The Gorkha army lost 400 men then including their general Kalu Pandey. The vengeful Shah king had the noses and lips of all the men in the town cut off. However, there is another version as well. After defeat the Kirtipuris were ahsamed. They used the phrase "Nakh katnu" which expresses shame. But literally translated it means "to cut one's nose". So, in some opinions British explorers recording the history of the Gorkha army's conquest of the Kathmandu valley took the words literally and in reality there was no mutilation.

The three-roofed Bagh Bhairav temle

The 18th century weapons of defeated Kirtipuris

There are only two attractions that bring outsiders up to the top of Kirtipur and both are temples. The famous three-roofed Bagh Bhairav temple is enclosed within a courtyard full of smaller shrines and temples and contains an image of Bhairav in his tiger form. Also, on the third floor of the temple the shields and swords of the defeated Kirtipuris collecting dust and rust still can be seen.

The wood carving of the Uma Maheshwar Temple

The view of the Kathmandu valley from the hill top of Kirtipur

A couple of hundred meters further up the hill is the Uma Maheshwar temple. It is in typical Nepali pagoda style decorated with wood carvings. From the site a 360 degree amazing panorama of the Kathmandu valley opens up.

Perak - an amazing headdress of Ladakhi women

2012-01-21T03:43:00.000-08:00

photo by Sandro Lacarbona

Some time ago in one of the jewelry shops of Kathmandu I saw something unkown to me and looking very unusual. As it turned out it was a perak, the head ornament of women of Ladakh, India. I was curious to find out more about this amazing headdress.
The perak is a status symbol for a Ladakhi woman, her wealth and position are shown by the number and quality of the stones decorating it. Turquoise is the perak's dominant element. In fact, the word "perak" is said to be derived from the word "per", an old Ladakhi term for turquoise.
The perak is worn by young girls starting at the age of five or six, but these are small and simple. The full perak is worn by a married woman as her most valued possession, if possible, untill old age. The value of the perak's turquoise stones acts as a form of old-age security. The perak also has a practical function: it protects against cold weather.
The perak traditionally is given to the eldest daughter when she marries. So, its many turquoises may represent pieces collected and passed down over several generations. When a woman has no daughter her perak can be inherited by a close female relative. Sometimes a woman gives it to a monastery.

photo by Sandro Lacarbona

The typical perak has a base about 1 m long, made of brown or red dyed leather or thick felt, covered with a layer of thinner red felt all stitched together. When laid flat the perak resembles a snakeskin which actually it represents. Draped over the top of a woman's head it looks like a raised cobra poised to strike. Resemblance is made stronger by the two black wool ear flaps worn at each side of the head. In Hindu and Buddhist iconography the cobra with expanded hood represents protection of a deity image and the perak by this analogy offers protection to the wearer.
Most of the perak's visible surface is covered with turquoise stones pierced and sewn or glued to the base. So, between 100 to 400 stones may be arranged in as many as 7 rows, their total weighing as much as 3 kg. The single biggest and best stone is usually placed at the very front point followed by the next best where they are most easily seen.

photos from www.christies.com

Besides turquoise other stones may be included in the perak composition: carnelian, coral, mother-of-pearl, amber. The wealthiest women have a further side decoration of up to ten strings of coral beads hung from a silver bar down the back on the left side.
Metal ornaments are another element in perak embelishment. Most important is the gold or silver Tibetan ga'u box centrally placed among turquoise stones. Some peraks display a series of ga'us usually the best one on top but also at the back.
While doing research on perak I found out about another interesting headdress named kupa or kupasi. It is worn by the Kalash women of Pakistan. The kupa consists of a long, thick piece of wool, which the women would spin, weave and dye themselves. This is then covered in cowrie shells, beads, metal pendants, bells and buttons. It may also be stuck with feathers and pieces of lavender. The cowrie shells represent fertility, symbolize life force and protect the wearer from bad luck. They are traded from the coast, so these indicate wealth and influence.

photos found here

The kupa is given to girls by their uncle at around five years of age. This signifies that they are no longer sexless children, but little girls who will grow into women. From this point on, the girls are not allowed to cut their hair. It is braided into five long plaits worn by all Kalash women, with one at the front and an extra long one at the back that extends down to the lower back and is tied with a small bell.
For everyday wear,women wear a cowrie-decorated pillbox-type hat (shushut). The kupa is only worn on special occasions and, after receiving their first one, the girls and women are responsible for making their own, often during the cold winter months.

Lotus and its symbolism

2012-01-16T00:35:00.000-08:00

Lotus is one of the most beautiful and amazing flowers in the world. First time I saw it "alive" while travelling in Thailand: the surfaces of the small ponds were completely covered with these beautiful flowers. Later I noticed that most devotees visiting Buddhist temples carry lotuses with them. For those people the lotus is the flower of Buddha. According to legend, Buddha was born with the ability to walk and lotus flowers bloomed wherever he stepped.
The thing that has always amazed people in lotus is that it always looks clean and fresh in spite of growing in muddy and stagnant waters. The whole secret is in the special structure of the leaves and petals of the lotus - they have the ability to repel moisture and self-cleaning. Moisture on the surface of the lotus forms the drops and rolls, taking with them all the dirt. And every night the lotus flower closes and hides under the water, to reappear in the morning.

So in Buddhism these amazing qualities of the flower signify the progress of the soul from the primeval mud of materialism, through the waters of experience and into the bright sunshine of enlightenment. The colour of lotus is important in Buddhism. The white lotus represents the state of spiritual perfection and total mental purity. The pink lotus is the supreme lotus, generally reserved for the highest deity, Buddha himself. The red lotus signifies the original nature and purity of the heart. It is the lotus of love, compassion and all other qualities of the heart. The blue lotus is a symbol of the victory of the spirit over the senses and signifies the wisdom of knowledge.

In Chinese Buddhism lotus has even more symbolic associations - rectitude, firmness, harmony and prosperity, especially the blessing of many children, represented by a boy holding a lotus.
In ancient Egypt lotus was depicted on tombs and on the altars of sacrifice, where it symbolized resurrection from the dead, and the lotus hieroglyphs signified joy and pleasure. Pharaohs in the sign of their divine origin wore wreaths of lotus flowers on their heads and their sovereign scepter was also made in the form of a lotus.
As a decorative funerary motif symbolizing resurrection lotus appeared in ancient Greece and Italy. In Japan lotus is emblem of incorruptible morality.
In Hinduism lotus is a symbol of what is divine or immortal in humanity, and is almost a synonym of perfection.

Besides its sacred status and great symbolism lotus is a valuable food and dietary product in some countries. In Japan and China various dishes from the roots and leaves of this plant are cooked. Flour, starch, sugar and oil are made from seeds and roots of lotus . Among the Chinese confectionery you can find small slices of chopped candied lotus root, resembling marmalade, as well as lotus seeds cooked in sugar syrup. In addition, the Chinese eat the stamens and stems of lotus in the belief that eating them returns beauty and youth to the old ones.

What to eat in Sri Lanka

2012-01-12T21:53:00.000-08:00

Visiting another country, I always try the local cuisine, the more different dishes I can try the better. And Sri Lanka was no exception. Sri Lankan traditional main dish is "rice and curry": a huge portion of rice, fried in butter or cooked in coconut milk, with added raisins or green onions or nuts or turmeric - and a few dishes that make up the "curry". Curry is a savoury sauce of coconut milk in which meat, fish or vegetables are cooked. There are "dry" curries also and "dal" - soup made from lentils. Unlike the Indian version Sri Lankan dal is very thick, almost like porridge.

What can I say about this dish? Rice with raisins, served with chicken curry - to my taste it is not very compatible; rice, seasoned with green onion has a specific smell. Fish curry was prepared with so much cinnamon that it gave the dish a little bit unusual and offbeat flavour. I even tried fried aubergines with honey - also not very familiar to me combination. And now, add chilli pepper to all this unusualness! Even to me, accustomed to spicy food, Sri Lankan dishes seemed too "hot." In general, I can't say that I really liked the Sri Lankan "rice and curry," but it was interesting to experience a new taste sensation.

In addition to the Sri Lankans' love for cinnamon and chilli, I noticed their love for garlic as well. And they don't bother themselves to finely chop it but simply cut a glove in half or at best, in four parts - and that goes in salad. Or in shrimps. As result, this flavour of garlic is stalking you for a long time after lunch or dinner. It seemed to me that Sri Lankans prepare salads literally from what they had in the kitchen at the moment. I was lucky to taste the fresh tomatoes, onions and sweet pineapple salad, seasoned, of course, with a few slices of garlic.

Many hotels offer so called "continental" breakfast. It consists of a glass of juice, a few toasts (sometimes slightly burnt), served with butter or jam, fried eggs and coffee or tea. Imagine this for breakfast every day, especially eggs ... Boring ... One day my husband asked for sausages instead of eggs. They did bring them - burnt, salty and cold .... I do not even know how they did it - burnt and at the same time cold. It was not just untasty, it was very untasty. So, I don't recommend anyone to order sausages in Sri Lanka. Actually, instead of that continental breakfast I advise to take traditional Sri Lankan breakfast (where it is on the menu of course) - it would be more interesting and cheaper.

It consists of one curry, usually it is potato curry, and so-called hoppers. Hoppers are thin flat pancakes made of rice flour with crispy edges and soft center. In the middle an egg can be placed - then it is egg hoppers. And you can order string-hoppers as well. These are kind of long thin noodles from the same flour, twisted in circles. Along with these sambol is served - grated coconut with lemon, chilli and spices. Very good indeed.

But of course, the most delicious dish in Sri Lanka is a plate of seafood. It is mostly served with rice or a salad. On such a plate you will find shrimps, a lobster and a crab, an octopus, not to mention the variety of fish.

European food of good quality can be found only in Colombo,and more or less in Galle. In other places I got impression that they have no idea about European cuisine. Even Pizza Hut: the most disgusting lasagna I've ever eaten was served there.

For lovers of sweets there is a huge selection of them in Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan sweets differ from the Indian ones, not so sweet, perhaps because as the sweeting agent they use not sugar but coconut treacle. Made from rice flour, coconut, dry fruit and nuts mixed with oil, spices and rose water the sweets can be rich and oily, or like slightly granulated jelly, or hard and chewy. Actually, to any taste and liking.

Don't forget to enjoy Sri Lankan fruits. There is a big choice of them on the island but what is interesting that grapes and apples are not local, they are imported. Another interesting thing for me was to see bananas of not usual colour, red ones. Of course, I just had to try them but the taste was quite disappointing - no big difference from the common yellow bananas.

And finally, about local drinks. There are two Sri Lankan alcoholic beverages. One is toddy, the fermented sap of the coconut flower, and the other arrack, a distillate of toddy. Sri Lankan arrack has the appearance of whisky but tastes completely different. The alcohol content is generally between 30 and 40%. Arrack is the national drink and can be found everywhere in Sri Lanka. Much cheaper than imported wiskies or vodka.

Kailashnath Mahadev - the tallest statue of Shiva

2012-01-11T04:36:00.000-08:00

High up on the hill top in Sanga, which is 20 km away from Kathmandu, stands the tallest Shiva sculpture in the world. The statue is 108 feet tall, after the holy number in Hindu mythology. When the foundation of 35 feet is added the total height of the statue comes to be 143 feet. The statue is made of cement, concrete and iron and then is coated with zinc and copper to protect the statue from natural factors like sun, wind, and rain. It It is said that the amount of these metals in the outer cover of the statue is 6000 kg.

Alongside these massive sculpture are smaller ones of Parvati, Ganesha and Shiva's gate keeper bull Nandi and numerous lingas of different design.

There is also a nature care treatment center there on the hill, offering yoga, spa, colon-cleansing and various other therapies. There is also a children's park, swimming pool and a meditation centre on the territory. The views from the hill are really picturesque.

So, it's no wonder that the place attracts around 8000-10000 visitors on weekends and public holidays.

Traditional jewelry of the Tharu

2012-01-05T00:01:00.000-08:00

The Tharu live in parts of the Nepalese wet lowlands along the Indian border. Before the drainage of these areas in the twentieth century, the malaria-resistant Tharus lived isolated along the malaria infested jungles and developed their own distinct culture and religion. They usually settle in small villages and make a living from agriculture.
The main characteristics of Tharu jewelry are that it is made of silver or silver substitutes and that is worn in great quantity though the amount of jewelry worn by the Tharu today is much less then what was worn in the past.
The hair ornament called ali band is popular with many different groups. It is a metal band that runs from the centre of the forehead over the part of the hair and around the sides of the head. The Tharu version is large with a prominent centre design and may not have the centre band.

photo by Susil Saurav

Tharu woman wearing ali band hair ornament, bir earrings, taunk necklace, bangles

All Tharu necklaces are visually significant. They are often large and heavy and the Tharu wear them in multiples. The har necklace is made up of two large flat triangles from which hang a number of chains of increasing lengths. The hansuli necklace is a round collar worn tight around the neck or resting on the collar bones. It is made of solid silver and up to 2.5cm in diameter, so can be quite heavy.
The kanthshri necklace is worn by the Rana Tharu of the west. A multitude of repeated small metal elements are strung on two fabric strings.

Woman on the left wearing kanthshri necklace, woman on the left - kanthula necklace and nath. Photo by Devaki

Rana Tharu woman wearing kanthula necklace, photo by Deepak Krishna Chaturvedi

A necklace of silver coins is called kanthula. The Tharu use silver coins not only in jewelry but as decorations of garments. What is interesting that sometimes Tharu men too wear coin necklaces.

photo by Prakash Kafle

Another heavy silver necklace, taunk, has a lunular shape supporting a fringe of pendants. The lunula is decorated with floral designs. As a nose decoration the Tharu wear a round and fairly large stud, called nagbeshar. In some areas large nose rings, nath, are also worn.
Jimile is the most popular earrings design among the Tharu. It consist of a triangular pendant with rows of chains. In western Nepal jimile is very large, up to 17cm in length. Another popular design is bir - these are round earrings of flower design, quite large and heavy. Besides, the main earring often supports another pendant, a hoop, or a bell.

Rana Tharu wearing nagbeshar. Photo by Deepak Krishna Chaturvedi

Jimile earrings. Photo by Prakash Kafle

Anklets worn by Rana Tharu. Photo source www.free-photos.biz

Tharu women wear many bracelets as well: wrist bracelets, upper arm bracelets and anklets. The wrist bracelets are often just simple silver cuffs or bangles. The upper arm bracelets, called teria, are formed from a wide sheet of silver and decorated with fish designs. The anklets are plain unworked silver cuffs worn in pairs on each ankle, making width of 15cm.

Rudraksha - the super seed

2012-01-02T01:55:00.000-08:00

Near many religious places of Kathmandu and even in souvenir shops for tourists you can see quite uncomely necklaces made of dark-brown grooved beads. These are rudraksha necklaces and in spite of their unattractiveness they are very popular among Hindus. The Rudraksha tree, botanical name Elaeocarpus Ganitrus, is one of the sacred trees in Hinduism. It is a large evergreen blue-berry tree that grows in South and Southeast Asia, the Asia Pacific region and China at an attitude of 2000 m. It is the seed of its fruit that is used as Rudraksha bead. Rudra is the fiercest form of Lord Shiva and Aksha means eyes in Sanskrit. So rudraksha literally means what is born out of Lord Shiva's eyes, his tears. After meditating for many years for the welfare of all creatures, when Shiva finally opened his eyes tears rolled down his face to the ground, thus creating the rudraksha trees. The rudraksha is the only ornament that Shiva wears, besides a coiled snake. The Shaivite (followers of Shiva) sadhus too wear rudraksha beads as a part of adornment.

The rudraksha tree is as big as banyan tree and takes 15 to 18 years to take full shape. Rudraksha seeds are covered by an outer shell of blue colour when fully ripe. A common type has five divisions, and these are considered to be symbolic of the five faces of Shiva. The seeds, about an inch in diameter, are round and grooved. These grooves are referred to as mukhs or faces. A seed can have one to 21 faces, each having a governing deity with specific powers and properties. Five, four and six-faced beads are most common. The one-faced rudraksha is considered the "King of all Mukhis", it is extremely rare and religiously very important. The Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal has two such beads, one of which is displayed to devotees during auspicious occasions. Hundreds of rudraksha beads grow on the same tree, but only one in a hundred is said to possess the magical powers. Rosaries of 108 beads are also made of rudraksha and they are considered auspicious.

The beneficial powers of rudraksha are believed to be associated with its electrical and magnetic properties. Rudraksha beads have been worn by yogis to maintain health and gain self empowerment. It is supposed to free the wearer of all sins, grant knowledge, self realisation, peace of mind, stimulate the mind, sharpen intellect, grant wealth, health, luck, power, prosperity and attain salvation. Various writings also mention of powerful anti-ageing properties of rudraksha beads.

Maha Shivaratri: the sacred night of Lord Shiva

2011-12-30T00:00:00.000-08:00

Shiva Ratri, literally meaning "the night dedicated to Shiva", is one of the most important festivals of the Hindu calendar. It is celebrated on the fourteenth day of the waning moon in February or in some years early March (20 February in 2012) in all Shiva temples but the main place for this festival is the Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu. At this day as much as 100 000 worshippers pass through the temple gates. Thousands and thousands of pilgrims come here from all over Nepal and India.

Many devotees commence their 24-hour fast before dawn on Shiva Ratri day. Everyone brings something to the Linga: the poor - holy water to splash over it; the wealthy - costly gifts; many give bitter margosa tree leaves. In return the Brahman priest smudges the pilgrim's forehead with tika, a mixture of blessed coloured powder, rice, flower petals and holy water, which signifies the pilgrim's act of union with Shiva.

There are many sadhus in the Pashupatinath area at this day. They are almost naked, covered with ashes, with dreads on their heads and rudraksha beads on their chests. They sit in meditation, smoke ganja (marijuana) or talk quietly to each others.

However, many young guys come, it seems, just to hang out in the crowd, to see the sadhus, to smoke bought from them ganja, to drink and dance. Interestingly, some drunken/stoned fans of Lord Shiva, all of them men, gather in groups of 15-20 people, invite a hijra (eunuch) and then dance around him and sing songs. I do not know whether the hijra is supposed to represent a woman for more fun or he's there simply to attract good luck, which is more likely in my opinion.

Those who did not go to the temple or have returned, have something interesting to see as well - on the main field of Kathmandu (Tundikhel) on this day the military performance is shown and antique guns are fired.

By the end of the day, when darkness sets in, thousands of lamps are lit inside the temple compound. Bonfires are lit on the nearby hills and on the cross roads. Prayers, singing and chanting of mantras continue all through the night. Many take holy baths in the Bagmati river and return to the temple every three hours with offerings and prayer.

The Linga-Purana text says: "Those who fast on the fourteenth day of the moon in February (Shiva Ratri) in honour of my lingam, and those who that night do puja and present me with leaves of the margosa shall be certain of a place in Kailas." These are the words of Lord Shiva himself. And devotees believe him.

Tangerines and strawberries season in Nepal

2011-12-27T22:50:00.000-08:00

Starting from December and to early March there is tangerines and strawberries season in Nepal. They can be bought at supermarkets, packaged in a civilized manner in plastic bags. And you can find them on the streets as well, where vendors with baskets or trolleys filled to the top offer these fruits and berries. Strawberries can be bought not only by weight, but also in paper bags, twisted up of old newspapers by skillful hands of the sellers.

Following Sita's steps in Sri Lanka

2011-12-23T02:50:00.000-08:00

I think every Hindu has read or has heard the Ramayana story. And even many non-Hindu people have a knowledge of the main characters and the plot of this ancient Indian epic. Sita, Rama's wife, was kidnapped by Ravana, the king of Lanka at those times. He brought her to his kingdom and she spent there some time before Rama came and freed her. So, in today's Sri Lanka you can visit the places connected with this story. First of all, Sita was brought to Lankapura, then the capital of Lanka, and was kept at Ravana's queen's palace there, but not for long. From there he moved her to Ashok Vatika, a beautiful garden in the mountains. This place is called Sita Eliya and is situated near Nuwara Eliya town.

That is exactly the place where Hanuman found Sita. There is a famous Sita Amman temple here dedicated to the event. Near the temple there is a huge print in the rock said to be of Hanuman's foot. The temple is decorated in South Indian style, with bright coloured sculptures of Rama, Sita, Hanuman and other dieties. The walls are covered with the paintings telling the Ramayana story.

Hanuman's print

After the visit of Hanuman Ravana took Sita yet to another place. He hid her in the cave behind a waterfall, now known as the Ravana falls. This waterfall is the widest in Sri Lanka and is 25 m high. The cave where Sita was held captive lies 1,370 m above sea level on the foundation of a cliff.

After the war between Ravana and Rama Sita met finally her husband and, as we know, had to undergo "Agni Pariksha", or fire test to prove her innocence and purity to Rama. Divurumpola is the place where it happened and the name itself means "the Place of Oath".

The spot was fenced and walled to protect it from surrounding wilderness. Then a sapling of the Anuradhapura bodhi tree was planted as a mark of respect of the place and a small dagoba was built under the tree. The temple depicts paintings of the Ramayana epic.

Mala - symbol of luck, happiness and respect

2011-12-22T20:55:00.000-08:00

Streets are full of marigold garlands on sale at the Divali eve

Flowers in Hinduism are symbol of creation and regeneration. Perhaps that is why they are the most common decoration material in India and Nepal. And the most popular form of the floral decorations is the garland, or flower necklace, called mala in Nepal and the northern India, and malai in the southern India. During the festival season houses are decorated with flower garlands, they are offered to a temple deity, they are presented to honorary guests as a sign of respect. During the wedding ceremony both bride and groom wear them as good-luck symbols. After a theatrical performance, appreciation to an actor, dancer or musician is expressed by the bestowal of a flower garland.

Bride and groom exchanging malas

Deity with a garland

That's the way guests are greeted in Nepal, photo by Sara Parker

Mala can be made of a single kind of flower or a combination of several, alternating in type, colour and size. Not all flowers are suited to garland making, and some are longer lasting than others. The most favored garland flowers, as far as I can judge, are marigold and jasmine. Sometimes you can see a garland of roses and lotus. Actually, today garlands are also made of a variety of natural and synthetic materials: paper, sandalwood shavings, cloves, metallic ribbon. For the groom at the wedding day a garland can be made even from Indian rupee banknotes, as wish of wealth.

Nepali dubo ko mala made of Dubo grass

Flower garlands can be made by anyone but their professional creators have always been men and women of the Mali caste. For centuries, Malis have provided flowers for use in Hindu temples and have made garlands for offerings to the gods. Today also some of the larger and wealthier temples, where prayers and rituals are performed every day, employ Malis permanently to make the garlands needed for ceremonial use.

Bride and groom with marigold malas

In ancient times a special kind of flower garland played a significant role in one event, which is described in the Mahabharata: a noble girl if she wished, had the right to choose her husband in what was called a svayambara marriage. Her intentions were announced and a tournament was proclaimed to which many men gathered. At the contest's conclusion, the girl made her choice of husband, usually the best performing participant. Her preference was indicated to all present when she placed a white flower garland around that man's neck.
So, as we can see, mala or flower garland has always played an important role in Hinduism.

Portobello - the market where you can find anything

2011-12-16T03:49:00.000-08:00

I have been to London many times and seen many different places and museums there. But somehow I have not managed to find time to go to the famous Portobello market, that surprised my London friends very much. And finally, in my last trip to London, one warm Saturday morning I found myself wandering about this market. Having heard enthusiastic reviews, I still felt fairly skeptical - a market is a market, even in Africa, after all. What I can say right away - I was captivated by this place's special atmosphere. Yes, this is a market: it's noisy and crowded here, people are selling, buying, bargaining, there are many pickpockets (about which policemen at the entrance warn the visitors, handing out leaflets with tips on how to protect yourself from them). And yet ... there is something special, joyful in this place, there is a sense of celebration in the air and you just feel that you want to come here again. Not for shopping, but just for this feeling.

Many guidebooks advise to come to Portobello early, at 6 o'clock. But my friends said that it would be quite deserted at this time and that it is better to come by at least 8. I followed their advice and made the right decision: the place was no longer lonely, deserted, but still not crowded (the crowd appeared by 11). What can you find in the Portobello market? It would be simpler to ask "what can not be found at Portobello?". Because I have the impression that there is everything, from cheap little things to the museum exhibits, things for every purse and taste: furniture, utensils (coffee and tea sets made of silver are especially popular), clothing, paintings, clocks, books, toys, vintage cameras and sewing machines. And even gas-masks.

There is a lot of jewelry - costume, silver and gold, with gems and precious stones, modern and vintage (for me, as lover, it was very difficult to refrain from buying an unnecessary, but such a beautiful little thing). There is many vintage handbags as well. I liked porcelain figurines of the late 19th - early 20th centuries. Different sizes and themes. However, I could not afford one, too expensive for me. So I just admired. Actually, I came to the market without a goal to buy something, just wanted to hang out, get acquainted with the place. But as it turned out, even if you have had no plans for purchase, there are so many interesting, diverse things around that it will be not easy to resist buying someting that you see and like and want to have.

Once there was a farm on this territory, named after the port Puerto Bella in the Caribbean, captured by the British in 1739. And now Portobello is the longest market in Europe, its length - more than 3 kilometers. Portobello is divided into several parts: antique, vegetable and fruit, flea-market, second-hand stuff. Although the shops are open all week except Sunday, the "main" day at Portobello is Saturday. According to the "Antique Road Show" program approximately 60 thousand people visit Portobello market on Saturdays.

Wandering about this big market you will sure work up an appetite. Do not worry! You will find where to satisfy your hunger: the numerous bars, pubs, cafes, restaurants, street stalls offer different kinds of food and drinks. What to choose is a matter of personal liking, but street food is no worse here than the one that you will be offered in the cafe - only cheaper. Hot dogs and pancakes, pizza and falafel, paella with seafood and strawberries with cream - the choice is yours.

The market is located in Notting Hill, famous throughout the world after the release of the film with the same name. The area is very quiet, comfortable, respectable ... and expensive - an average family can not afford to live here. They say that life in Notting Hill would be terribly boring if it were not enlivened with the Portobello Market.

And finally, about how to reach this market. Go to the subway station Notting Hill Gate, and then all you need to do is just to follow the crowd (although there are signs, too.)

The Highgate Cemetery of London

2011-12-14T01:29:00.000-08:00

I can't say that I am such a big lover of walking around cemeteries. And I found myself in the London's Highgate cemetery quite by accident: a friend of mine, a fashion designer, was making a "Gothic" collection. And she wanted to visit the cemetery "for inspiration". She didn't feel like going alone and so, she talked me into accompanying her.
Want to say that the cemetery did not look terrible or ominous (at least for me). Admission was 3 pounds, simbolic fee, rather to ward off vagrants and idlers from the place.

The cemetery was opened in 1839 at the beginning of the reign of Queen Victoria, and quickly became a popular resting place of wealthy families. Many famous people - Faraday, Karl Marx, Dickens family - are buried here. However, we were not looking for the graves of celebrities, and just wandered along the paths and alleys. Cemetery gives the impression of mild neglect: some graves are ivied, some looks rickety, while others are lost in the bush. Actually, it only adds charm and romanticism to the place. Overall impression - mystically beautiful and sadly picturesque.

In the 70s of last century, London's newspapers were full of reports of allegedly appeared vampire at the Highgate Cemetery, who preyed on passers-by. Immediately those who were willing to hunt the vampire turned up. Several graves were smashed open, cadavers strewn about, and the disfigured headless or heart-pierced corpses were found by police. Some time later the High Priest of the British Occult Society Allan Farrant was arrested, armed with a stake and crucifix with which he hoped to destroy "the Highgate Vampire". He was eventually sentenced to 4 years's imprisonment, after being found guilty of damaging graves, interfering with corpses and sending death-spell dolls to two policemen.

Well, it's good that my friend did not know anything about these rumors of the vampire at the time of our visit . She is a sensitive girl, especially when it comes to vampires, werewolves and other evil spirits. Anyway, as she admitted later, my friend had put a head of garlic in the pocket after all. Just in case you know...

The Museum of Childhood

2011-12-12T22:47:00.000-08:00

Clock-work monkeys-musicians, 1870-80

If you are in London with kids, or do not mind to feel like a kid for a while again , go to the Museum of Childhood. This branch of the Victoria and Albert Museum is devoted to everything that is connected with this tender age: furniture - from the old cradle of 1641 to the modern IKEA tables and chairs, children's clothing - from the nappies of the 16th century to the modern jeans, and of course toys - wooden horses, tin soldiers, stuffed bears, dogs, dolls, clock-work monkeys, puppets of various designs, moving trains, bricks, and computer games. Bring some 20-pence coins because there are many mechanical exhibits in the museum , whose work can be seen with the help of a coin.

Russian bears, 1975

Japanese soldiers, 1932

Chinese puppets, 1875-1900

Birmanese puppets, 1920-30

To me, still having weakness for dolls, a museum's collection of dolls was of the greatest interest. This collection numbers about 8000 dolls. Porcelain, wood, wax, English, German, Japanese, vintage and modern - you name it they have it. In addition to the dolls, a collection of doll houses, mostly Victorian, is no less interesting to see. There are over 30 doll houses in the museum and looking at their interior can hold you for more than an hour.

German doll, 1868

German doll, 1840

British doll, 1800

Queen Elizabeth doll, 1977

English doll, 1969

Doll, 1920s

Japanese dolls for the girls festival, 1991

Korean bride-doll, 1960-70

English puppets, 1960-70

One of the rooms of the 1870 doll house

French doll, 1885

English doll, 1923

Admission to the museum is free, it is opened seven days a week, from 10 am to 5:45 pm.

London's street musicians

2011-12-12T03:10:00.000-08:00

Street musicians can be seen on many streets of London. Someone is playing for fun, another - to earn some money and someone - to announce about their upcoming concert or to sell a CD with their music or songs. Street musicians in London are called buskers. "Busking" means " performing in public places," and the name "buskers" was originally given to the traveling musicians or actors. There were many musicians in the Portobello market: a band, playing country; serious-looking men, who played jazz; a guy with a guitar, who played his own romantic compositions; and a young man in funny glasses and clothes, who played the double-bass with large painted daisies on it.

This guy played hot Latin-American tunes on the London bridge.

And these are true Bolivian Indians (at least they said so and they looked like ones). I was simply enchanted with the melodies they played and so, could not resist to buy a CD with the records of those tunes.

And these are not musicians but "invisible people". I liked their performance and outfit.

What to see at the V&A museum

2011-12-11T06:10:00.001-08:00

Altar piece, Florence, 1500-1510

My second favorite museum in London, after the British museum, is the Victoria and Albert Museum. It is the world's largest (more than 4 million items) and greatest museum of applied arts and design. Everyone can find something to his/her liking in this museum: pottery, clothing, jewelry, furniture, paintings, sculpture.

The history of the museum started in 1852 as the Museum of Manufactures. Nowadays the museum is huge, it has six levels and 145 galleries. To view all of that you will need several days. And if your time is short, what rooms is it better to visit first of all?

My advice would be to go to the Cast Courts. These rooms are filled with plaster casts of famous works of art and architecture. In one place you will see the famous Trajan's column from the forum in Rome, and Raphael's "School of Athens" (the original is in the Vatican), altar decorations, chairs and other furniture of some famous cathedrals, including works by Giovanni Pisano, the sculpture "Moses and Slaves" by Michelangelo, as well as his famous six-meter high David.

The Trajan column (and tiny me near it)

In 1857 this replica of David was presented to Queen Victoria. The queen was so shocked by some masculine details of this unexpected gift, that she immediately gave it to the museum.

But poor David shocked not only her but the museum's visitors as well. Many ladies fainted, while their husbands wrote complaints to the director of the museum. Therefore, in order to spare the blushes of wives of senior officials a large fig leaf was made, which had to cover David's "embarassing" part of body during any high officials visits. The leaf was attached with two special hooks.
The next rooms, which you should certainly visit are Jewelry galleries. There are some 3500 jewelry pieces from the very old ones - like Bronze Age gold collar from Ireland, to the modern ones made from recycled materials.

Empress Josephine's jewelry, 19c

Necklace: diamonds, pearls, saphire. France, 1670

The necklace given by Napoleon to his adopted daughter, 1806г

I was particularly impressed with gold papal rings (one is so huge, 5-6 cm); the emeralds and diamonds given by Napoleon to his adopted daughter in 1806; the emeralds and rubies from Seringapatam captured by the British in 1799; the rare Siberian amethysts given by Tsar Alexander I to the wife of the Third Marqueess of Londonderry. There is also the Elizabeth's I pendants, her maids's of honor jewelry, Catherine's the Great diamonds, and the jewelry from Tiffany and Cartier.
One of the most beautiful rooms of the museum are the halls of the Asian art: Indian, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and Islamic. Each of them is decorated in the style of a particular culture. Works of art, brought from the British colonies - everyday and ritual objects, clothing, games, furniture, carpets, weapons, ornaments, books - are now on display in these rooms.

Tippoo's tiger, India, 18c

Chess set, India, 19c

A goddess, India, 1150-1200

The most famous exhibit of the Indian galleries is Tippoo's Tiger. This life-size mechanical wooden toy was made for the fun of Tipu Sultan. It depicts a tiger mauling a British soldier, and a miniature keyboard inside the tiger simulates the groans of the dying man. Some other objects in the Indian collection are jewelry, miniatures, chests and chess.

Ceramics, Тurkey, 1550-1575

The number one exhibit of the Islamic collection is the world's oldest Persian carpet, the silk-and-wool Ardabit Carpet dating from the 1540. There are many examples of Islamic ceramics, clothing and several oil paintings in this room as well.

Sitting Buddha, Tibet, 1700-1800

Samurai armour, Japan, 1741

Ivory ship model, China, 1800

In the hall of Japan I was impressed with samurai armour and jade and marble netsuke collection. You can also see some pieces of the medieval Japanese household.
Another interesting rooms are those devoted to Europe. Clothing, guns, knives, figurines, fans, dishes, mantel clocks, sculpted busts, altars, stained glass, paintings and drawings are here on display.

Madonna with a child, Austria, 1480

Stained glass window, Germany, 1520-30

St.Margueritte altar, Germany, 1520

The main part of the museum is devoted to the art of Britain. Highlights include bust of Henry VIII, Holbein's miniature of Anne of Cleves, the Great Bed of Ware, a king-sized Elizabethan oak bed in which 26 buthcers and their wives are said to have once spent the night, the tapestries embroidered by Mary, Queen of Scots.

Clock, Britain, 1824

Snuff-box, Germany, 1765

You can see a few period interiors there like the music room, transported to the museum from the mansion of the XVIII century; the Strawberry room; the Venetian-red Glass Drawing room.
For those who is interested in fashion, a collection of the European clothing from the early 19th century to the present day will be interesting . There is a wedding dress of the 1830, the dresses of Grace Kelly and Princess Diana, and stunning evening gowns by famous designers.

Wedding dress, 1830

Grace Kelly's dress, 1959

The Theatre and Performance galleries are also interesting to see, especially the rooms displaying costumes. You can see there the most interesting costumes from theatrical productions of different years (such as "The Lion King" musical's costumes), some of Elton John's clothes, as well as Kylie Minogue's dressing room's replica.

Many rooms in the museum display collections of silver, ceramics, glass and metal. Porcelain figurines, glass vases, iron keys and locks, silver bowls - the rooms are stuffed with high-quality artefacts.

Silver wine cooler, Britain, 1884г

The admission to the museum is free. You can take photos everywhere except the Jewelry Gallery. This is one of the few museums that is open seven days a week, except Christmas (24, 25 and 26 December).

What to see at the British Museum

2011-12-06T22:29:00.001-08:00

The British Museum in London is one of the largest in the world. Its collection numbers more than 7 million items, which are exhibited in 95 galleries. To go through all the halls, it took me 4 days. If you are a tourist then you have just a few hours or maybe one day. So before going to the museum, it is better to think of what you really want to see, what will be interesting to you personally. And then coming to the place all you'll have do is to take the museum map at the entrance and go straight to the gallery you are interested in, and not to wander around many rooms of the museum.

The most visited and popular galleries are the ancient Egypt halls. They are always crowded. And it is no wonder: who would want to miss the opportunity to see the mummies of the pharaohs and their coffins? Besides those mummies there are many other interesting Egyptian things to see: the wall paintings dating 1350 BC, depicting the life of wealthy Egyptians of that time, collections of amulets, jewelry, mummies of cats and other animals.

In addition to all that, the museum has a large collection of Egyptian sculptures. There are huge and small statues of pharaohs; the famous Rosetta Stone, with the help of which the secret of Egyptian hieroglyphs was unlocked; the amazingly beautiful sculpture of the cat goddess Bastet with a gold nose ring and earrings; and the colossal granite scarab beetle.

The collection of the Assyrian reliefs from the Nineveh palace is worth a look. The reliefs depict scenes from the life of the ancient Assyrians - a review of the captured prisoners, a bull hunt, the soldiers swimming across the sea on inflated animal bladders, the chaos in the city duting its capture, the royal lion hunts. Two awesome five-legged human-headed winged lions are also worthy to be seen. Once they guarded the doorway of the throne room of the palace in Nimrud.

The Asian collection includes items from India, China, Korea, Thailand, Tibet, Japan.

In the gallery devoted to India there are many ancient sculptures in stone and ivory, brought from different parts of India. You will find sculptures of Buddha, Hindu deities, dancers there. There are several interesting specimens of ornaments and weapons as well.

In the Chinese collection it will be interesting to see the ceramic figurines, dishes, parfume bottles, porcelain, and in the Japanese one - complete sets of clothes and weapons of samurai , and a large collection of netsuke.

If you are interested in the art of pre-Columbian America, I recommend to look through a small but impressive collection of Mexican art.

Here you will find basalt and limestone Aztec and Mayan bas-reliefs and stunning mosaic masks and figurines made of turquoise.

The African collection is relatively small, but interesting. There are numerous wooden sculptures from different parts of the black continent; the Mozambican "Tree of Life" sculpture made from decommissioned weapons; masks, knives and daggers; and ceramics.

A collection of reliefs from the former Benin Empire is also interesting. The most impressive are the ornate 16-th century brass plaques, 900 of which once decorated the royal palace in Benin City.

The European collection is divided into several sections - Prehistoric Europe, Medieval, Renaissance, Europe of the 17-18th, 19th and 20th centuries.

Of course, everyone has his/her own preferences, but in my opinion, the medieval Europe and Europe of the 17-18 centuries halls are the most interesting. I particularly liked the collection of jewelry and weapons. Also the collection has many items of religious purpose, glassware, prints.

Well, these are the most interesting collections of the British Museum from my point of view. There are also halls of the ancient Rome and Greece numbering all kinds of ceramics and busts, but personally I was not very interested. The hall of the Islamic world - a small but nice collection, you can see it if you have time. There are some interesting pieces of weapons, as well as beautiful ornaments decorated with precious stones that once belonged to the Great Moguls of India.
Admission to the museum is free, donations are welcomed. Open daily except 24-26 December and 1 January, from 10 to 17:30, Friday - until 20:30. The museum has a cafe where you can have a snack - salads, sandwiches, pastries and drinks. Prices are reasonable.
See also Nepali art from the British Museum
Indian art from the British Museum

What the Sri Lankans wear

2011-12-06T03:35:00.001-08:00

Visiting another country, it is always interesting to see how people dress there. And in the Asian countries it is double interesting. In Sri Lanka many girls and women wear skirts, mostly long and wide, with shirts or blouses over them.

Many married women wear a sari draped in the Indian style. But most popular it seems is a Kandyan style sari called osaria. It looks very much like an Indian sari but the difference is in a fetching frill around the waist and in more pleated than flowing pallu. Osaria really looks very pretty and feminine.

Muslim women in Sri Lanka, like many Muslim women around the world, wear long black robes that cover the entire body, and head covers.

Men in Sri Lanka prefer to wear a traditional Sri Lankan sarong. The colours they choose, I would say, are often bright and, from our point of view, not quite masculine. They pair sarong with a shirt or a T-shirt, and sometimes wear it with a belt. Sarong can be worn long, and if necessary - too hot for example, it can be made short by folding. A very handy thing.

Traditional dances of Sri Lanka

2011-12-03T22:58:00.001-08:00

After reading online reviews about dance shows in Sri Lanka, I was in some doubt: some people found it very nice, others, on the contrary, did not like it at all. But since I like dance performances in principle, so I decided to go and see for myself. What can I say - my voice joins those who loved it.

What impressed first of all was singularity of the costumes and vigour of the dances which really stand out with energy and activity. There was a lot of acrobatic jumps and whirlings, which are generally not characteristic of an oriental dance, at least, it was surprise to me. Almost all the dances were male. As it turned out, it has developed historically, as the Sinhalese consider it improper for women to dance or act before an audience.

All the dances were performed to the accompaniment of drums. Ancient sources name over 50 sorts of Sinhalese drum but over the centuries the number had dwindled to seven. Four of them are so called classical drums: "gete bera", a double-headed drum measuring about 60 cm in lenght; "yak bera", a heavy, dark-coloured, double-headed cylinder; "davula", a tubby-looking drum with two broad heads made of deer-hide, played with one stick and one bare hand; and "tammettama", a small double kettle-drum, played with ringed cane strikers.

There are two main schools of Sinhalese dance, the up-country or Kandyan dance and the low-country or devil dances. The Kandyan dancer wears the ves: the men have their chests, backs and hips covered with silver plates and wear a headdress also of silver.

The low-country dancer puts a mask representing the demon whose character he takes on in the dance. According to Sinhalese folk belief disease is caused by demons who enter the body and cause its illness. To effect a cure the demon must be persuaded to accept an animal victim in place of his human one. And this is what the priest-dancer tries to achive in the ceremony.

Those who wish to learn Sinhalese dancing professionally come to a special school. Training lasts from 3 to 10 years depending on the complexity of the dances. In the first year, students must complete 12 exercises for the legs, in the second - 12 exercises for the body, in the third - the coordination of movements and the body, and so on.

The ending of the dance show was short but impressive: under the rhythmic clatter of drums a few men started to "play" with fire - they took the burning tourches in the mouth, touched their bare hands and chest with them and in the end just walked along the burning path several times. The meaning of this "dance" is to demonstrate the dancer's power and in this way to frighten the demons.

Perahera - Sri Lankan street carnival

2011-12-01T21:50:00.001-08:00

I think nowhere else religious procession reminds a street carnival so much as it does in Sri Lanka. This processions are called peraheras and are staged around the country at regular intervals during a year, dedicated to dirrerent gods and regional deities.Main purpose of any perahera is either to invoke their blessings or to give thanks to them for favours received. The most known and grand is the Dalada Perahera which is held in the streets of Kandy to honour the sacred tooth relic of the Buddha.
The season of peraheras in Sri Lanka is July, August, September. We visited the country in October so I didn't expect to see any perahera. But I was lucky: on the road to Galle we practically ran into one. That was amazing experience. First came the whip-crackers, who heralded the procession's arrival; next the flag-bearers - beautiful ladies in traditional dresses; then decorated elephants, drummers, musicians, acrobats and numerous dancers in different costumes.

Cute monkeys of Sri Lanka

2011-11-30T02:13:00.001-08:00

I would call Sri Lanka "a land of wild monkeys" because you can see them practically anywhere: at the Buddhist monasteries, at the Hindu temples, at the parks, among the ancient ruins and simply on the road.

There are three species of monkey in Sri Lanka. The two most common are the red-faced macaque and the grey langur. The grey langur has a black face and grey body and is usually shy of humans. The red-faced macaque on the other hand is bold: it approaches people in search of food and can be very aggressive and quick-tempered. The third type is the rare purple-faced leaf monkey or bear monkey so named for its robust body and shaggy fur. This one is usually hides in mountain forests.

Aren't they all cute?