Happy Birthday !!!

PRAGYA

Wishing you a day as special as you are .......

Happy Birthday to You!

HAPPY TIHAR

Wishing our dear readers and wellwishers

a very happy, and joyful Tihar .

HAPPY DIPAWALI !!!

PRINCE AND ANIMALS

ONCE upon a time a king had a son named Prince Wicked. He was fierce and cruel, and he spoke to nobody without abuse, or blows. Like grit in the eye, was Prince Wicked to every one, both in the palace and out of it.

His people said to one another, "If he acts this way while he is a prince, how will he act when he is king?"

One day when the prince was swimming in the river, suddenly a great storm came on, and it grew very dark.

In the darkness the servants who were with the prince swam from him, saying to themselves, "Let us leave him alone in the river, and he may drown."

When they reached the shore, some of the servants who had not gone into the river said, "Where is Prince Wicked?" "Isn't he here?" they asked. "Perhaps he came out of the river in the darkness and went home." Then the servants all went back to the palace.

The king asked where his son was, and again the servants said: "Isn't he here, O King? A great storm came on soon after we went into the water. It grew very dark. When we came out of the water the prince was not with us."

At once the king had the gates thrown open. He and all his men searched up and down the banks of the river for the missing prince. But no trace of him could be found.

In the darkness the prince had been swept down the river. He was crying for fear he would drown when he came across a log. He climbed upon the log, and floated farther down the river.
When the great storm arose, the water rushed into the homes of a Rat and a Snake who lived on the river bank. The Rat and the Snake swam out into the river and found the same log the prince had found. The Snake climbed upon one end of the log, and the Rat climbed upon the other.

On the river's bank a cottonwood-tree grew, and a young Parrot lived in its branches. The storm pulled up this tree, and it fell into the river. The heavy rain beat down the Parrot when it tried to fly, and it could not go far. Looking down it saw the log and flew down to rest. Now there were four on the log floating down stream together. Just around the bend in the river a certain poor man had built himself a hut. As he walked to and fro late at night listening to the storm, he heard the loud cries of the prince. The poor man said to himself: "I must get that man out of the water. I must save his life." So he shouted: "I will save you! I will save you!" as he swam out in the river.

Soon he reached the log, and pushing it by one end, he soon pushed it into the bank. The prince jumped up and down, he was so glad to be safe and sound on dry land.Then the poor man saw the Snake, the Rat, and the Parrot, and carried them to his hut. He built a fire, putting the animals near it so they could get dry. He took care of them first, because they were the weaker, and afterwards he looked after the comfort of the prince.

Then the poor man brought food and set it before them, looking after the animals first and the prince afterwards. This made the young prince angry, and he said to himself: "This poor man does not treat me like a prince. He takes care of the animals before taking care of me." Then the prince began to hate the poor man.

A few days later, when the prince, and the Snake, the Rat, and the Parrot were rested, and the storm was all over, the Snake said good-by to the poor man with these words: "Father, you have been very kind to me, I know where there is some buried gold. If ever you want gold, you have only to come to my home and call, 'Snake!' and I will show you the buried gold. It shall all be yours."

Next the Rat said good-by to the poor man. "If ever you want money," said the Rat, "come to my home, and call out, 'Rat!' and I will show you where a great deal of money is buried near my home. It shall all be yours."

Then the Parrot came, saying: "Father, silver and gold have I none, but if you ever want choice rice, come to where I live and call, 'Parrot!' and I will call all my family and friends together, and we will gather the choicest rice in the fields for you."

Last came the prince. In his heart he hated the poor man who had saved his life. But he pretended to be as thankful as the animals had been, saying, "Come to me when I am king, and I will give you great riches." So saying, he went away.

Not long after this the prince's father died, and Prince Wicked was made king. He was then very rich.

By and by the poor man said to himself: "Each of the four whose lives I saved made a promise to me. I will see if they will keep their promises."

First of all he went to the Snake, and standing, near his hole, the poor man called out, "Snake!"
At once the Snake darted forth, and with every mark of respect he said: "Father, in this place there is much gold. Dig it up and take it all."

"Very well," said the poor man. "When I need it, I will not forget."

After visiting for a while, the poor man said good-by to the Snake, and went to where the Rat lived, calling out, "Rat!"

The Rat came at once, and did as the Snake had done, showing the poor man where the money was buried.

"When I need it, I will come for it," said the poor man.
Going next to the Parrot, he called out, "Parrot!" and the bird flew down from the tree-top as soon as he heard the call.

"O Father," said the Parrot, "shall I call together all my family and friends to gather choice rice for you?"

The poor man, seeing that the Parrot was willing and ready to keep his promise, said: "I do not need rice now. If ever I do, I will not forget your offer."

Last of all, the poor man went into the city where the king lived. The king, seated on his great white elephant, was riding through the city. The king saw the poor man, and said to himself: "That poor man has come to ask me for the great riches I promised to give him. I must have his head cut off before he can tell the people how he saved my life when I was the prince."

So the king called his servants to him and said: "You see that poor man over there? Seize him and bind him, beat him at every corner of the street as you march him out of the city, and then chop off his head."

The servants had to obey their king. So they seized and bound the poor man. They beat him at every corner of the street. The poor man did not cry out, but he said, over and over again, "It is better to save poor, weak animals than to save a prince."

At last some wise men among the crowds along the street asked the poor man what prince he had saved. Then the poor man told the whole story, ending with the words, "By saving your king, I brought all this pain upon myself."

The wise men and all the rest of the crowd cried out: "This poor man saved the life of our king, and now the king has ordered him to be killed. How can we be sure that he will not have any, or all, of us killed? Let us kill him." And in their anger they rushed from every side upon the king as he rode on his elephant, and with arrows and stones they killed him then and there.
Then they made the poor man king, and set him to rule over them.

The poor man ruled his people well. One day he decided once more to try the Snake, the Rat, and the Parrot. So, followed by many servants, the king went to where the Snake lived.

At the call of "Snake!" out came the Snake from his hole saying, "Here, O King, is your treasure; take it."

"I will," said the king. "And I want you to come with me."

Then the king had his servants dig up the gold.

Going to where the Rat lived, the king called, "Rat!" Out came the Rat, and bowing low to the king, the Rat said, "Take all the money buried here and have your servants carry it away."
"I will," said the king, and he asked the Rat to go with him and the Snake.

Then the king went to where the Parrot lived, and called, "Parrot!" The Parrot flew down to the king's feet and said, "O King, shall I and my family and my friends gather choice rice for you?"
"Not now, not until rice is needed," said the king. "Will you come with us?" The Parrot was glad to join them.

So with the gold, and the money, and with the Snake, the Rat, and the Parrot as well, the king went back to the city.

The king had the gold and the money hidden away in the palace. He had a tube of gold made for the Snake to live in. He had a glass box made for the Rat's home, and a cage of gold for the Parrot. Each had the food he liked best of all to eat every day, and so these four lived happily all their lives.

Moral -"Be greatful to those who help you in need."

The National Emblem

The new emblem reflects spirit of loktantra marked by inclusiveness and gender parity. The description of the emblem is as follows: "It is round in shape with national flag on the top of its centre encircled by rhododendron, the national flower. Inside the circle lies Mt. Everest, hill, map of Nepal and handshake of a man and a woman. Below the circle reads the Sanskrit verse 'janani janmbhumisch sworgadapi gariyasi' which means the 'mother and the motherland are greater than heaven'."

Doctor Who Understood Birds' Language

कथा
चराको भाषा बुझ्ने वैद्य

-उद्धव उपाध्याय

धेरै पुराना कुरा हो । यूनान (ग्रीस) मा एकजना भविष्य बताउने मानिस थियो । उसको नाम मेलाम्पस थियो । उसले भविष्य त बताउथ्यो नै, राम्रो उपचार गर्ने वैद्य पनि थियो । उसले उपचार गरेपछि रोग र्फकंदैनथ्यो ।

पहिले उसमा यस्तो शक्ति थिएन । भविष्य देख्ने र औषीध गर्ने शक्ति उसलाई सर्पले दिएको थियो । एकदिनको कुरा हो मेलाम्पसका नोकरहरूले सर्पका जोडीलाई मारेछन् । उनीहरू त सर्पका बच्चाहरूलाई पनि मार्न चाहन्थे तर मेलाम्पसले उनीहरूलाई बचाए । सर्पका बच्चाहरू खुसी भए । एकदिन मेलाम्पस निदाएको बेला, ती सर्पहरूले मेलाम्पसको आखा र कानमा चाटे । यो घटना पछि मेलाम्पसले भविष्य देख्ने र औषधी गर्ने शक्ति पायो । साथै ऊ पशुपन्छी र किराहरूको भाषासमेत बुझ्न सक्ने भयो ।

यसरी दिन बित्दै गयो । एकदिन मेलाम्पसको भाइ दुःखी हुदै बसिरहेको थियो । यसको कारण बताउदै उसले भन्यो, "म राजा निलियसकी छोरी पेरोसाग विवाह गर्न चाहन्छु । राजाले यसका लागि एक शर्त राखेका छन् । शर्तअनुसार मैले फिलेकसको गाई लगेर दिनुपर्छ । फिलेकसको गाई ल्याउन असम्भव छ । कहिल्यै नसुत्ने डरलाग्दा कुकुरले रेखदेख गरिरहेको हुन्छ ।

मेलाम्पसले सान्त्वना दिदै भाइलाई भन्यो "चिन्ता नगर । ती गाई म ल्याएर दिउाला ।" गाई चोरी गर्दैगर्दा ऊ पक्राउमा पर्‍यो फिलेकसले एक वर्षको सजाया सुनाई जेलमा बन्द गर्‍यो ।

एक रात विचित्रको घटना भयो । मेलाम्पस जेलको कोठरीमा लेटी रहेको थियो । निद्रा लागेको थिएन । उसले दलिनमा दुईवटा घमिराबीच भएको कुरा सुन्यो । एउटा धमिरा अर्को धमिरालाई भन्दै थियो - भोलि बिहान बाहिरको रूख खोक्रो भएर ढल्छ र यो जेलको कोठा पनि भत्किन्छ ।

धमिराहरूको कुरा सुनेर मेलाम्पस आत्तिएर चिच्याउन थाल्यो । 'मलाई बचाउ । मलाई अर्को कोठामा सार ।' उसको आवाज सुनेर जेलका कर्मचारीहरू हड्बडाउाादै आए । ऊ 'मलाई बचाउ, मलाई अर्को कोठामा लैजाउ' भनी कराइरहेको थियो । कर्मचारीहरूले उसको कोठा बदले । केही बेरपछि बिहान भयो र बाहिर धमिराले मक्किएको रूख पनि ढल्यो र जेलको कोठा भत्कियो ।

यो देखेर जेलका अफिसरहरू छक्क परे । उनीहरूलाई मेलाम्पस निकै ठूला भविष्य बताउन सक्ने मानिस जस्तो लाग्यो । उसाग अलौकिक शक्ति भएको अनुमान पनि उनीहरूले गरे । जेलका अफिसरहरू तत्कालै फिलेकसकहा गई सबै वृत्तान्त बताए । उसलाई पनि फिलेकससाग ईश्वरीय शक्ति रहेको जस्तो लाग्यो ।
उसले मेलाम्पसलाई जेलमुक्त गर्‍यो । फिलेकसको छोरा इम्पmीकल्सको सन्तान थिएन । त्यसैले उनीहरू दुःखी थिए । फिलेकसले छोराको उपचार गरिदिन मेलाम्पससाग अनुरोध गरे । मेलाम्पस मौका हेरिरहेका थिए । उसले पनि शर्त राख्यो र भन्यो -"म उपचार त गरिदिन्छु तर बदलामा मलाई तपाइर्ाको गाई चाहिन्छ ।

फिलेकस गाई दिन तयार भयो । अनि मेलाम्पस औषधी उपचारमा तल्लिन रहृयो । एकैछिन पछि, महलको छानामा दुईवटा गिद्ध आएर बसे । उनीहरू कुरा गर्न थाले । एउटा गिद्धले भन्यो -'यो यही स्थान त हो नि हामी धेरै वर्ष पहिले पनि आएको थियौं ।"

अर्को गिद्धले भन्यो - 'अ, हो त नि ! त्यतिबेला इम्पmीकल्स सानै थियो । बुबाको हातमा छुरा देखेर इम्पmीकल्स कस्तो डराएको थियो । त्यो देखेर इम्पmीकल्स भाग्यो, उसलाई रोक्न बाबु पनि पछिपछि दौडे । छुरा भुइमा खस्ला भन्ने डरले बुबाले छुरालाई नास्पातीको रूखमा घोपेर छोराको पछिपछि लागे । त्यो छुरा आजसम्म पनि रूखमै गाडिएरै रहेको छ ।"

गिद्धको कुरा सुनेर मेलाम्पसले भन्यो - "तिमीहरूलाई धेरै धन्यवाद ! इम्पmीकल्स सन्तान हुने उपाए के छ, त्यो पनि त बताऊ ।" एउटा गिद्धले भन्यो- "छुरालाई रूखबाट झिकेर पखाल्नु । छुरा धोएको पानी इम्पmीकल्सलाई दस दिनसम्म खुवाउनु । उसलाई ठीक हुन्छ ।"

मेलाम्पसले गिद्धले सिकाएजस्तै उपचार गर्‍यो । एक वर्षभित्र इम्पmीकल्स बाबु बन्यो । फिलेकस नाति देखेर दङ्ग पर्‍यो । मेलाम्पसले गाई पायो । मेलाम्पसले गाई लगेर भाइलाई दियो । राजा निलियसले गाईर् पाएपछि आˆनी छोरीसाग मेलाम्पसको भाइसाग विवाह गरिदियो ।

मेलाम्पसलाई आज पनि अनौठो चिकित्सक तथा भविष्यवक्ताको रूपमा सम्झना गरिन्छ ।

(Source: Muna 2063 Kartik)

The True Truth

-महाकवि लक्ष्मीप्रसाद देवकोटा

Last letter of Laxmi Prasad Devkota to his friend

हरि श्रेष्ठजी,

मेरो अगाडि मृत्युको भयङ्कर रूप खडा भइसकेको छ । अहिले कृत्तिम शरीर धारण गर्दैछु । आकाशका तारामण्डल छुन खोज्छु, सक्तिनँ । मैले आफूलाई शान्ति दिन सकिनँ । म उठ्नसके आफैँ पनि आत्महत्या गर्ने थिएँ, अनि मेरा बालबच्चालाई पनि ... । म यस दुनियाँलाई बोझ र चिन्ता दिन चाहन्न । अरूले मलाई बुद्धिजीवी भने तापनि म आˆनो निमित्त मूर्ख भएँ, अन्धो भएँ, म त्यो ज्योतितिर ढल्कन खोज्छु तर अन्धकारले मलाई बोलाइरहन्छ । म यो असहृय वेदना खप्न सक्तिन । पोटासियम साइनेड कसैले दिए म उसलाई आˆनो जीवनको सच्चा साथी सम्झने थिएँ । म अपराधी हुँ, त्यसैले म अपराध मेट्न चाहन्छु । कसैले सके मेरा प्रकाशनका नाम पनि । म विलीन हुन चाहन्छु, मरुभूमिमा जलकणझैँ अब कसले मलाई न चिनून् ।

एक साथी
लक्ष्मीप्रसाद

(सावार : मधुपर्क २०६६ कार्तिक)

Ashok died for a better future

Twenty-one year old Ashok Bhattarai's death in Texas on 28 September wasn't the first time that a Nepali has been a victim of crime abroad. But it was among the first to receive an overwhelming response.

Within days, the Nepali community sprung into action via the internet to raise the $15,000 required to send his body home. Nepalis here are well aware that Ashok may not be the last.

Within a week, a staggering $104,000 poured in through cash, checks and Paypal donations. The money will not replace Ashok, but hopefully it will help ease the financial burden of his family in Parasi who had taken a Rs 900,000 loan to send their son to America.

Ashok had been in the US for 15 months and was studying bioengineering. He was working as a part-time store clerk at the First Stop Food Store in Missouri City, Texas, where he was shot. The assailant was later identified in close circuit videos as 17-year-old Raymond Whitcher who has been arrested.

Ashok was well liked by residents of Missouri City who frequented the convenience store because of his friendly nature. A following of loyal customers organised a memorial service outside the store on 4 October. The next day, the Nepali Association of Houston had another memorial at a funeral home.

Detective Russell Terry, lead investigator of the case, remembered Ashok, and said: "Every time I walked into the store, he would call me Mister Detective, and made jokes. He knew his customers well and what they wanted." Young Nepali students who work in similarly vulnerable situations in gas stations and convenience stores attended the memorial. "This isn't just about Ashok, it could have been any of us," said Manish Satyal, who works in a gas station not far from Ashok's shop.

The crime rate in Houston is the 15th highest in American cities with a murder rate of 5.9 per 100,000. Nepali students here are well aware of the statistics but shrug and say that they have no choice. Their families have sold land, homes and taken loans to send them to America for better education and good careers.

Students enter the United States on an F1 visa, which does not allow them to work off campus but because of expectations and financial obligations back home, they often work in high-risk and vulnerable settings. Karki says he has been robbed at gunpoint several times. In 2002, Divesh Malla was stabbed during a robbery in Houston, but survived.

Students don't tell their families back home about the dangers because they don't want them to worry. Most students like Ashok work nearly 100 hours a week for $6 an hour. The money goes to pay rent, food and school tuition. If there is anything left over, they send it home.

"If we don't get scholarships, we end up working in gas stations and stores, it's not legal but its work," Satyal said, "you learn to live with the fear." Nepalis in Houston president, Rajendra Shrestha, shrugs his shoulders and says that there isn't much that can be done except encourage students to work on campus where there is better security.

Many of Ashok's friends across the United States did not celebrate Dasain this year out of respect for him. On 10 October, the day after Tika, Ashok's body reached home in Nepal and was cremated at Pashupati.

Ashok's mother, Lila Bhattarai, was inconsolable. She remembered her son's last phone call on the morning before he was killed. He had told her: "I'll come home soon."

(Source: nepalitimes )

Baghdurbar (The Tiger Palace)

The beautiful building complex of BAGHDURBAR

in the Sundhara area.The open space in and around it with lots of tress is impressing. The background is clear with the mountain and Bagmati river. Really it is shangrilla. We have lost the charm of valley with hapazard urbanization . Can this be bring back ? Difficult but not impossible!!!

Singh Durbar (The Lion Palace)

This is the most important Rana palaces as it is still used for the office of the prime minister of Nepal. Built by then prime minister Chandra Shamsher Jung Bahadur Rana. It is an example of the western influence in the architecture in Nepal. The Ranas were great fan of the English people and copy their style be it in architecture or in the custom.

Yeti in Nepal

An undated handout picture from Yeti Project Japan, received on October 20, 2008, shows what is alleged to be the footprint of a Yeti (left) measured on the Dhaulagiri mountain and compared to a human footprint (right). A team of Japanese adventurers say they have discovered footprints they believe were made by the legendary yeti said to roam the Himalayan regions of Nepal and Tibet.(AFP/HO)