Dashain is here

Religion is so intertwined with everyday life here in Nepal that it is impossible to ignore or neglect. At times it appears that every streetcorner has a small image of a Hindu deity, a minor shrine or a stupa. Some of the most interesting exploring to be done, is to leave the main roads behind and simply dive into the narrow alleys and backyards in different parts of the city. You will be richly rewarded.

With religion being so pervasive, religious festivals will of course be celebrated with great gusto. We are now celebrating Dashain. Yesterday, several goats had their heads not-so-gently removed from their bodies here at the office, and the resulting blood was splashed liberally over cars, offices and so on. This is a blessing, and will help keep the cars accident-free for the next year. If nothing else, the perception among Hindu Nepalis is that this will prevent accidents, and perception is reality as we all know. So who are we to argue or express disbelief?

In addition to the blood, they also festooned the interior of the cars in myriad ways. The steering-wheel, the handbrake, the pedals and the gear-shift had all been ceremoniously decorated - to the point where small garlands had been hung around the pedals. If there is as much as a scratch on "my" car the next year, there will be nothing to do but buy more goats next Dashain!