…….sadly a dejected moment
This friends is Kasthamandap…………….sadly a dejected moment
Was traveling form Pokhara to Kathmandu, For me I went to sit at the end of the bus, thinking I can get a full stretch for my long legs. Fortunately there were not many people on the bus, So was profound that I could stretch my legs and have the whole back bench to my self on the bumpy roads towards Kathmandu. The day was April 25th of 2015. While I was sleeping the bus abruptly stopped, which led me to wake up hitting my head on one of bench of the bus. I slowly look out side my window and there is this commotion of people screaming and shouting out the window. On my right a 4 stories building is swinging from right to left like a rubber. Due to the suspension of the bus or the bumpy road that we were traveling we did not feel anything. Again suddenly the bus drives off towards Kathmandu, most likely there was 1hour drive left reaching Kathmandu. On the bus people were calling there relatives, and my phone started ringing, I assured my parents that I was fine and well and vice versa.
Seeing these modern building swinging left to right my initial thought went to my old house, which was 100years plus plus, which was build by mud and motar and bricks and thought is it still standing?? Suddenly one of the old house roof collapsed, wished that no one go injured at the time, it was a short wait in the open road of Tanahu area. The bus began to move further inward towards Kathmandu; people were getting text from people of the devastation inside Kathmandu Valley. My imagination was getting wild, thinking of the mayhem that was going in Kathmandu. Abruptly some one shouted “ Dhahara has collapsed, killing few dozen people” again someone shouts “Ghantaghar is still intact” then another person mention in a mute tone that the nine story palace in Hanumandhoka Basantapur has collapsed killing few, the bus is still heading towards Kathmandu, but no one mention’s KASTHAMANDAP, the capital city of Nepal, which derived the name Kathmandu.
I was surprised how much people were not aware of Kasthamandap, Did Kasthamandap lost’s it charm??? I was there with my camera just few months ago, walking and feeling proud of the heritage that we had and the tourist, were admiring the beauty that had to offer from an era. Suddenly the bus stops, the driver seems hungry and anxious at the same time, asking people to call their relatives were fine, and asking us if we were fine, we reach Thankot. Looking out of the window there seems to be a huge pile of traffic jam. The roads had been shut, the conductor of the bus shouts abruptly through the doors of the bus “Everyone needs to walk towards the Kathmandu, there is no way the buses are moving”. A few grunts, then suddenly some one says, “I missed the chance to climb Dhahara” and the other says “thankfully I did manage to climb it last year”, and in between a hush whisper says “I did go thorough the old place once and wonder what happened to that white building (Gaddhibhaithak) in Basantapur, and in my Mind I am still thinking of Kasthamandap. As we prepare to walk all the way from thankot, to our designated base. I heared them say which way was the easiest and fasted way to Sundhara or Thamel. So I seek and opportunity to talk to them, and said I know the faster way through Maru, few of them looked at me, as if they have never heard the word Maru. One curious fellow asked me, brother are you a Local of Kathmandu, in my defiance, I said Yes, please follow me. After walking almost 2hours plus plus, we reached Maru, and I told them boldly that this friends is Kasthamandap, were the capital Kathmandu got derived from; sadly it was one of the dejected moments of my life.