Show In InE InN i N E t v H V Vy P y w or f 9 s A Al l Woman Goods Carrier of Nepal I Prepared Prepare by Ly National Geographic Society Safety Washington D. D C. C C. Service HE capital city of Nepal THE the sequestered k kin kingdom i n g d o 0 m mI I among the Himalayas north of India is a curious mixture of new and old It centers around an immense parade ground a beautiful beautiful beau beau- two-mile two stretch of closely cropped grass Broadly sp speaking aking the old part of the city lies to the west of this area the new part to the cast east Before the conquest in 1768 the predominant and ruling race in Nepal was the The are of Mongolian extraction and emigrated into Nepal from Tibet Tibet Tibet Tib Tib- et in prehistoric times They are responsible for the thc origin and development development development devel devel- of Nepalese art in all its branches is really a comprehensive comprehensive comprehensive compre compre- term embracing both the he foreign and the indigenous races of Nepal other than the Ne Ne- war war- It comes from the little e st state te teof of that name in western Nepal where the immigrant from the plains of India originally settled These ancestors of the present rulers of the kingdom fled to the hills hells after the Moslem sack of in 1303 Here they established established established themselves flourished and gradually extended their territories It was not until 1768 however that they finally effected the complete conquest of Nepal Thenceforth the held undisputed Undisputed Un- Un un undisputed disputed sway over this unique Himalayan Himalayan Himalayan Him Him- alayan kingdom Internally their activities have been directed not so much towards artistic as towards military advancement Out of a total population of some they have today an army of about In times of need they can with the aid of their well-trained well reserve force raise as many as troops Army Really Powerful The bulk bull of the soldiery is drawn from rom the Gurung and Magar tribes Among these peoples are some of the hardiest fighting men In exist exist- ence once When therefore they are placed under leaders the descendants of an ancient race world famous for its deeds of courage courage courage cour cour- age and chivalry on the battlefield the power of this mighty army army is formidable indeed In Katmandu the artistic spirit of the and the martial spirit spir spir- it of the modern modem rulers mingle To the west of the vast parade ground lies the old town with its palaces and temples its tall houses and narrow streets In the Durbar square that essential feature of all nIi cities clUes the principal buildings buildings buildings build build- ings are arc grouped in a rich profusion of pagoda roofs painted wood chiseled stone and shining metaL At one side stands the imposing palace of the former kings built around a spacious courtyard Close by it raised on a high step plinth towers the lofty temple of the household goddess of the royal family All around are temples and shrines and tall slender pillars bearing bronze statues of kings and religious personalities The buildings in the indigenous pagoda style are arc of red dull brick with tiled roofs supported by intricately in in- carved wooden struts The doors too are of wood and the thc lintels lintels lin lin- are invariably extended into the brickwork where they form bold and effective designs The woodwork woodwork woodwork wood wood- work is usually painted in bright colors and the roofs arc are sometimes covered with sheets of beaten brass dazzling in the brilliant sun Lost in this maze of ot the old Ne Ne- war splendor stands the modern Hanuman a large white building containing huge audience halls balls and staterooms used for important important im tm ceremonies es To this palace during a durbar the scarlet lancers of Nepal come clattering through the cobbled streets of Katmandu Modern Modem City Quite Practical Beyond the lovely city grouped around a huge park and stretching away to the east lies lles modern Katmandu the creation of the Here are no romantic roman roman- tic pagodas rising golden tier upon golden tier towards an azure Heaven en en but severely practical barracks schools colleges hospitals and prisons built in the European style Herr Hero too are the Immense modern palaces of the king the Maharaja and imd th the tho cs cN t nobles nobl s dc- dc de signed by French architects in the late Nineteenth and early Twentieth When one recalls the difficult journey journey journey jour jour- ney into the valley over steep and wild mountain passes it seems strange to look upon these vast buildings standing in so remote a country equipped with the most up- up to-date to conveniences and luxuries The roads in the actual town are aregood aregood aregood good and broad and it is amusing to remember that all the motors and lorries which run on them have been carried bodily over the passes by swarms of coolies Though Nepal Nepa is s nominally a kingdom kingdom king king- dom the king in reality is littlemore little littlemore littlemore more than a religious figurehead the actual government of the country country country coun coun- try falling to the tile lot of the prime minister or maharaja He is modern and enlightened in his outlook and anxious to introduce any new invention which may benefit bene bene- fit his country but he prohibits Importation Importation importation Im im- Im- Im of certain Western crea crea- Foremost among these is the motion picture He believes that to show vivid scenes of intimate occidental occidental occidental oc oc- oc- oc life has a a demoralizing effect effect effect ef ef- on the spectators At 10 o'clock every evening a curfew curfew curfew cur cur- few tolls in Katmandu and the other other other oth oth- er big towns of the kingdom and everybody must retire to his house Anyone found in the streets after alter this time has to spend the night in prison Gambling and drinking are forbidden except during certain fes fes- The most popular is the great Durga which lasts ten days during which time hundreds of buffaloes are beheaded in honor honorof of f. f the goddess Durga who is but another form of the famous black Kali Pat an Is Picturesque Besides Katmandu there are two other large towns in the same valley val ley both former capitals of Nepal practically adjoins modern Katmandu Passing through its narrow narrow narrow nar nar- row streets you come into the fantastic fantastic fan fan- an- an Durbar square On one side a graceful group of temples rises in a series of elegant red pagodas ribbed with gleaming bronze Brightly colored struts rich with delicate carving support their myriad roofs shimmering bell ben finials finials finials fin- fin cap their airy upper stories Opposite them and dotted irregularly irregularly irregularly over the spacious square lies liesa a swarm of other temples a fountain fountain fountain foun foun- tain a colossal bell and a number of tall slender pillars bearing the shining bronze bronz figures of gods and kings The pagoda temples have brightly colored stuffs hanging in gay ripples from their eaves There are also temples in silvery stone built up In tiers of intricately carved pillars and pavilions which cluster around the massive curvilinear tower rising rising rising ris ris- ris- ris ing from their midst like some huge gray cactus plant The third large town in the valley valley valley val val- ley is It can be approached approached approached ap ap- ap- ap from by motor over overa a bad uneven road a distance o of some seven miles Far the most delightful way to enter it however is on the back of an ambling Tibetan Tibet Tibet- an pony In the early Eighteenth century the city was the capital of Raja Malla a man of exquisite exquisite ex ex- taste and a patron of the arts It was he who built the stately D Durbar hall with its famous Golden Door one Door one of the chief marvels marvels marvels mar mar- vels of Nepal Nepal and and its richly carved windows is a city of surprises Unlike Pat an its beauty Is not concentrated concentrated concentrated con con- in one colossal anc and taking breath durbar square it Is distributed throughout the length and breadth of f the tile town Here you come upon a little temple temple tem tern pie of silver slIver stone set gracefully upon a high step plinth with an avenue of gods and monsters leading leading leading lead lead- ing up to its portals There you walk through a blue wooden door in a crumbling pink brick waland wall wal walland walland and lol you are in n a wild tangled garden with fruit trees and flowers tall slender palms and in the center center center cen cen- ter a flourishing crop rop c cf rice Beyond the garden you pass down do fascinating little streets of shops and houses with carved windows and suddenly you find yourself inan in inan inan an open square On your right stands another architectural marve marvel of Nepal the Temple of the Five Stager Stage |