Show in E ed it 4 IL woman goods carrier of nepal liy anonia anoni 1 ge society Wali ington D 1 C service ice HE capital city of nepal THE the sequestered k kingdom I 1 n g d 0 m among the himalayas north of india is a curious mixture of new and old it centers around an immense parade ground a beautiful two mile stretch of closely cropped grass broadly speaking the old part of the city lies to the west of this area the new part to the east cast before the conquest in 1768 the predominant and ruling race in nepal was the the dewars are of mongolian extraction and emigrated into nepal from tibet in prehistoric times they are responsible for the origin and development of nepalese Nc palese art in all its branches is really a comprehensive term embracing both the foreign and the indigenous races of nepal other than the it comes from the little state of that name in western nepal where the immigrant from the plains of india originally settled these Raj puts ancestors of the present rulers of the kingdom fled to the hills after the moslem sack of chator in 1303 here they established themselves flourished and gradually extended their territories it was not until however that they finally effected the complete conquest of nepal thenceforth the held undisputed sway over this unique himalayan 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 reserve force raise as many as troops army really powerful the bulk of the soldiery is drawn from the gurung curling and magar tribes among these peoples are some of the hardiest handiest har diest righting fighting men in existence when therefore they are placed under leaders the descendants of an ancient race world famous for its deeds of courage and chivalry on the battlefield the power of this mighty army is formidable indeed in katmandu the artistic spirit of the dewars and the martial spirit of the modern 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 cities the principal buildings are 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 of dull red brick with tiled roofs supported by intricately tri carved wooden struts the doors too are of wood and the lin aels are invariably extended into the brickwork where they form bold and effective designs the woodwork is usually painted in brig bright ht colors color s and the roots roof s are sometimes covered with sheets of beaten brass dazzling in the brilliant sun lost in this maze of the old splendor stands the modern hanuman docha a large white building containing huge audience halls and staterooms state rooms used for important ceremonies to this palace during a durbar the scarlet lancers of nepal come clattering through the cobb cobbled IC d streets of katmandu modern city quite practical beyond the lovely city grouped around a huge park and stretching away to the east lies modern katmandu the creation of the Gur khas here are no romantic pagodas rising golden tier upon golden tier towards an azure heaven but severely practical barracks schools colleges hospitals and prisons built in the european style here too are the immense modern palaces of the king the maharaja and the chief nobles de signed by french architects in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries when one recalls the difficult journey 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 to date conveniences and luxuries the roads in the actual town are 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 is nominally a kingdom the king in reality is little more than a religious figurehead the actual government of the country falling to the lot of the prime minister or maharaja he is modern and enlightened in in his outlook and anxious to introduce any new invention which may benefit his country but he prohibits importation por tation of certain western creations foremost among these is the motion picture he believes that to show vivid scenes of intimate occidental ci life has a demoralizing effect on the spectators at 10 every evening a curfew tolls in katmandu and the other big towns of the kingdom and everybody must retire to his house anyone found in the streets after this time has to spend the night in prison gambling and drinking are for forbidden lidden except during certain festivals the most popular is the great durga which lasts ten days during which time hundreds of buffaloes are be headed in honor of the goddess durga who is but another form of the famous black kali Is picturesque besides katmandu there are two other large towns in the same valley both former capitals of nepal practically adjoins modern katmandu passing through its narrow streets you come into the fantastic durbar square on one side a graceful group of temples rises in a series of elegant red lia pagodas godas ribbed with gleaming bronze brightly colored struts rich with delicate carving support their myriad roofs shimmering bell in fin bals cap their airy upper stories opposite them and dotted irregularly over the spacious square lies a swarm of other temples i fountain a colossal bell and a number of tall slender pillars bearing the shining bronze 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 from their midst like some huge gray cactus plant the third large town in the valley is Bhat gaon it can be approached pro ached from by motor over a bad uneven road a distance of some seven miles far the most delightful way to enter it however is on the back of an ambling tibetan pony in the early eighteenth century the city was the capital of raja malla a man of exquisite taste and a patron of the arts it was he who built the stately durbar liall with its famous golden door one of the chief marvels of nepal and its richly carved windows Bhat gaon is a city of surprises unlike its beauty is not concentrated cent rated in one colossal and breathtaking breath taking durbar square it is distributed throughout the length and breadth of the town here you come upon a little temple of silver stone set gracefully upon a high step plinth with an avenue of gods and monsters leading up to its portals there you walk through a blue wooden door in a crumbling pink brick wall and lot you are in a wild tangled garden with fruit trees and flowers tall slender palms and in the center a flourishing crop of rice beyond the garden you pass down fascinating little streets of shops and houses with carved windows and suddenly you find yourself in an open square on your right stands another architectural marvel of nepal the temple ol of the five stages |