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| Ganesh "removing obstacles" from the road ahead. |
I board the bus that is to take me Lumbini, and immediately notice the statue of Ganesh glued to the dashboard. Ganesh is the elephant-headed Hindu god who is the remover of obstacles. This is usually meant not quite so literally, but I decided it's still a good sign for the 6 hour bus journey ahead of me.
I have a short vacation during the Nepal Open Paragliding Competition (no tandem flights are to scheduled during the competetion), so I decide to see a bit more of Nepal. I've heard a bit about the birthplace of the Buddha and want to go see it for myself.
The Lumbini complex consists of the simple, square Maya Devi temple and numerous Buddhist temples representing Buddhists from every corner of the globe. The main attraction, the Maya Devi temple, is built upon the ruins of many former temples, and houses a small flat stone that research has determined was the exact stone on which the Buddha was born. Maya Devi, Buddha's mother, took a ritual bath in the pond (seen below) before giving birth to the baby boy who would become the Buddha. There are Buddhist pilgrims from all over the world who come to worship at this site.
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Maya Devi temple, built around the stone upon
which the Buddha was born. |
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| Buddhists chanting and praying facing towards Maya Devi temple. |
The area is very spread out, so I rent a bicycle for the day to tour around and see everything. Surrounding Maya Devi temple are Buddhist monasteries or temples built in the styles of their home countries. Monasteries from Japan, Germany, India, Cambodia, France, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Indonesia, sit along either side of a central canal. Japan has also built a World Peace Stupa to promote peace in all regions of the world.
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| Lumbini World Peace Stupa |
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| My ride for the day in Lumbini |
Since Lumbini is located in Nepal's terai region, as is Chitwan National Park, there are many species of birds that call the area home. The bike path takes me past, not only monasteries, but many ponds, streams, forests and grasslands perfect for birdwatching. I have my Birds of Nepal book with me, and attempt to identify every bird I haven't seen before. The key word is "attempt." I love working with birds, but I'm a pretty poor birdwatcher. One I am able to identify is a pied kingfisher, a striking black and white bird hovering over a stream and then diving in to catch a fish in its hefty beak.
After biking around Lumbini, I board another bus to the hillside town of Tansen, which is known for its historic Newari architecture and narrow quaint streets. Although there is one man at the tourist information center in Tansen who is doing his best to turn Tansen into a tourist destination, the main attraction of the town is that it isn't filled with shops catering to tourists. Unlike Pokhara, where the main strip is packed with pizza restaurants, dance clubs and gift shops galare, the shops in Tansen sell grains and chilis, plastic buckets and rope, bindis and shoes - catering to the Nepalis, not the tourists.
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| Central square and market of Tansen |
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Tansen is known for its woven fabrics.
This fabric will be made into traditional
Nepalese vests and hats (topis). |
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| In the woods above Tansen |
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| Newari architecture |
My day in Tansen, I spend the morning wandering around the steep, narrow streets, and then head in the direction of Shreenagar Hill, the wooded hillside above the town. I find a path heading into the woods and I keep walking until the smell of pine trees overpowers the smell of burning plastic and until the sound of the wind in the trees drowns out the sound of high decibel bus horns from the town below. Walking through the pine woods, I feel as though I could be in the woods of the Northern Midwest US – as long as I ignore the mango trees.
I’m not sure where this particular trail is taking me, but I had noticed on the map there is a Buddha statue and stupa at one end of the ridge top. I keep climbing, wondering if that is where my path is taking me. I’ve often admired the Buddhist philosophy of doing no harm to other creatures and being content with what you have instead of always striving for more stuff, bigger houses, fancier cars, more, more, more – this is what we are told is the only thing that can make us happy in America - more. I’ve never been particularly religious, but being in Nepal where their unique blend of Buddhism and Hinduism permeates every aspect of daily life, and after spending time in Lumbini surrounded by Buddhist pilgrims, I begin to wonder, is this where my path is taking me?
The stone path under my feet still climbs towards the top of the ridge, as I think about life and religion. Soon the view begins to open up before me, and I see the tell-tale golden spire on a round roof. This path has led me directly to the Buddhist statue… but as I top the ridge and the scene fully comes into view, it’s not quite as expected. The Buddha is enshrined in a plastic tarp blowing in the wind, the hilltop is scraped bare of vegetation and there is a new building being constructed there, the ground littered with re-bar and trash. I stare at the scene for a moment, jarred back into the reality of the world, then give the workers, who are staring at me in return, a smile and a “Namaste.” I turn and head back into the woods. I guess today is not my day for enlightenment.
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| My bus home. Taken before the tire blew. |
The next morning, I board what I thought would be my final bus of the trip, heading back to Pokhara. After maybe two hours on the road, I hear a loud bang and the bus starts to slide to the side – not a pleasant experience on these steep mountain roads with a wall of rock on one side and drop off on the other. The bus is filled with screams, and people are grabbing hold of each other, the seats, the walls. We come to a stop, still on the road, no one harmed, but the tire blown. Whether through the skill of our driver or by pure luck, our bus had slid around a bend in the narrow road.
After calming down, we all pile out of the bus to inspect the problem. Within 5 minutes, two other buses headed in the same direction are stopped next to us, both already full of people. Nepal is a country where the term “maximum capacity” is unheard of. We are all able to cram into those two buses and continue along our journey with barely any delay. Standing in the narrow aisle in the back of the bus, with my head smacking into the ceiling with every bump in the road, I am very thankful.
