Happy May Day

The rise of Madhesh

In a shocking drama, the minister of Forest Matrika Prasad Yadav made a revolution in the spehere of love for mother langauge. Well said.

But I would like to know if he had through of it when he delivered speech in Nepali. What if the audience also want to listen to him in Magar, Tamang or Newari? And I would like to know what was his role when kathmandu failed to make Newari a second language.

Love to mother language is always welcome. But it should not be a isnturment for cheap stunt of impsonig anarchy.

Is this the kind of Madhesh Mahanthais is provoking?

On resignation of Madheshi leaders

I was just wondering why people make a hue and cry over the “resignation” of some impotent leaders from their corrupt parties. On one hand they themselves were doing nothing for the country and nobody would be sorry to see them leaving, on the other, the new “front” is also not dong anything ground-breaking, the way they have mobilized poor and innocent Madheshi fellows in past one year have proved it.. Rather, lots of people would be happy that they will not have to see their wicked faces through the TV screens.

NC nominated Minister for Science and technology minister Mahantha Thakur, Hridayesh Tripathi, an MP from Nepal Sadbhawana Party-Anandi Devi, Mehendra Yadav of CPN (UML) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party lawmaker Ram Chandra Raya announced their resignations on Monday.

What the state and the people have gained from their presence or rather existence in our holy country? Will anybody tell me what misfoturne our country would have gone through if they were not ministers or lawmakers? Did you ever hear that minister Manata Thakur, for instance, doing some thing to save Nepal’s environment from further deterioration? Has he done something to encourage, honour or facilitate Nepal’s emerging scientists or their technology? No. Then what so fuss about his leaving?

Then, do you remember what good other “bhagoda” Madheshi leaders Hridayesh Tripathi and others?

Their political parties gave them a space, a platform to do corruption and to become leaders at their locality for past several decades. See what their neighbours earned in past 17 years and what they earned in the same period of time. The “profession” of polics is indeed a lucrative one in our context. And now, after licking the cream of party policis, they think Madheshi policis is better than the party politics. What a great idea!

Among others, I would like to ask the former Panchayati leader Ram Chandra Raya what could he do/ why he could not do anything during the Panchayati period and the King’s dictatorship that now he thinks that he could do with the alliance with the Madheshi leaders?

I have no grumble against the Madheshi antolan going around in some Terai districts. They have genuine causes to battle against this centralist political system. Still, I wonder why they cannot do so in their own parties and make their suprimos understand? It was not the failure of their respective parties alone, the same blame could also go to themselves. I’m I right dear Madhshi leaders?

I'm sorry, you died at wrong time

I’m sorry for Birendra Shah, the unfortunate journalist from Bara who was killed by the dirty hands of the Maosits, (who say they do everything for the people and for poor, marginalised and suppressed class of people).

Shah’s body was found today afternoon. The body was to be found after it was buried. I’m not talking about the killers who are buried in laps of Prachanda or Baburam Bhaatrai.

I’m sorry in many senses. First being a journalist, I am sorry because I see my face in his photograph when his photos were pinned on my friends’ T-shirts. I can imagine what payment he had from the four media houses he worked with – Avenues TV, Nepal FM, Drishti and one other. I was looking at the eyes of his wife and I could see so many unwritten stories of Shah. It was like I read all the stories he could not write.

Next sorry because he was killed by the Maoists. I’m not personally biased for or against the revolutionists. But I was concerned because I was hearing too much of their kind of press freedom when the started the strategy of blocking newspapers at Kantipur, Nepal Samacharpatra and Annapurna Post. I could imagine how they could support press freedom. And when I look at their faces in the TV programmes, either sitting on the pile of newspapers at the office of Annapurna Post or smashing the windscreen of vehicles at Kantipur Publication premises, I can see who were behind him and why it took place.

Now, for the third sense. I’m sorry that he died in this critical condition. No doubt, he was a supporter (or a cadre) of CPN-UML. One can imagine how difficult it is for common people to be member of the UML-affiliated Press Chautari and how meaning for it is to be in that position who dream of being in the UML politics. See, he died………..he really died. But the party has been silent for whole month. When the journalists were making all hue and cry in the capital and also in other districts. The only person we see in the crowd is Raguji Panta, who come to the mass as an ex-journlaist than a UML central committee member. We know, the UML is intereseted to bag the prime minister’s set with the help of Maoists and it is the worst time for the Maoists to say thing thing that counld be unpleasant to the Maoists (If the UML only could remember the slogan of the Maoists to “dhad ma chadera tauko ma hirkaune”). Otherwise, the UML knows the best way to do politics over dead bodies. I’m sorry Shah was not fortunate enough to receive party flag on his body. This is politics. Sorry man.

Discussion on Newar art in a blog

An interesting and intelligent discussion on Nepali/Newar painting is taking place at a blog these days. I want to share this feeling, looking at the height the old topic has recently gained.

On 13 August 2006, a gentleman named Lain Sinclair presented a “nice” piece of comment on Vajrayan art. The piece, entitles “Naïve Vajrayana Art (III)” which is flanked by Dinesh Charan Shrestha’s famous painting ‘Bajrayogini’. The piece can be found in www.jinajik.blospot.com

Here goes the text what he has written:

“The depiction of a deity whose visage obscures her own mandala would be considered in unthinkably poor taste in premodern Nepal. Such mutations are triggered by the needs of the thangka industry, in which output increases while profit margins and overall levels of knowledge decrease. Hence the requirement for cheap (uninformed) differentiation, to generate new 'product lines' and revenues.

The style of this Vajrayoginī reflects that of Uday & Dinesh Shrestha, whose recent oils-painted 'Annapūrna Devī' (=JñānaDākinī) at Āsan turned heads in the Kathmandu Valley. But there is miscalculation in the details as well as in the bigger picture: emaciated Cāmundā is voluptuous, while vāmana Bhairava is vīra — and these figures are extraneous to the deity's iconography anyway.

It's one of many Nepalese paintings peddled by dealer Siddhartha Shah to his mostly Californian clientele. In some cases they might be offered something semi-authentic and new: this portrait of "courting" Amoghasiddhi and Tārā is a startling example of forward thinking within tradition. But any endeavour to act as "God's Pimp", as the dealer puts it, is not likely to find much favour in the West these days.”

Though there the illustrated painting depicts Vajrayogini, the write up basically concerns Annapurna Devi.

There is no dobut, the author has deep knowledge on Newar style of thanka painting and iconography. Still, he has come up with some unacceptable words and phrases.

And after 15 months, the blog was accidentally read by Udaya Charan Shrestha, another famous artist, who had painted Annapurna, which was a topic of the blogger’s discussion.

Naturally, it caught Shrestha’s eyes and he sent his comments. And the give-and-take took place for quite some time.

Please feel free to what the healthy communication took place afterwards. I feel sorry I could not beg the blogger’s permission to cite the stuff.

“Anonymous said...

regarding the images posted to your blog, is it not true that Vajrayogini stands on Kalaratri and not Chamunda, neither of whom should be depicted as "voluptuous"?? Just curious...

2:24 PM

Anonymous said...

What is Vajrayogini ?

10:00 PM

ratna said...

This post has been removed by the author.

12:01 AM

Udaya said...

Glad to see our own Newar Ranjana script as the title "Jinajik" . I can’t say anything about other artists and their works. But I want to clear my view. – About my art work "Annapurna Devi" at Asan . First of all, it is not my recent work, I painted it in the year 1993 and was published in the local Newar newspaper "Swonegaa" as a calendar of Nepal era 1120 (almost eight years back). It is one of my most copied paintings by others. The original painting is in the collections of Mr. Narottam Das Shrestha, one of the best collectors of antiques and paintings in Nepal. After published as the calendar, one can see it everywhere in Kathmandu, framed and offering with "Khada" and Tika in most the houses, shops and Temple’s "Bhajan Ghars". It was appreciated by the contemporary artists as well.

It is not a Thanka painting or any substitute to Thanka.

Though I paint "Paubha"(Thanka ) too and my background is traditional painting. I never claim myself as a pure Thanka painter and I do not want to be one either . I study and try my level best to paint according to Iconography. Annapurna is not "Jnana Dakini" . Jnana Dakini is principal deity of the Janadakini Mandala of the Nispannayogavali . She is described thus :

"Janadakini nilasya ….. savyam suklam……….. vamam raktasringaram ……….. daksinabhujatraye urdvikrtakhatvangam parasum vajranca vamatraye ghantaraktapurnakapala,khadgah"

NSP, p. 12

Translation of above Shloka :

"Janadakini has a blue face ….the right hand is white …..the left hand is red and amorous ……….in the three right hands she carries the raised khatvanga , the axe and the vajra …In the three left hand there are the bell, the skull cup full of blood and the sword".

In some ancient inscription at Ason, Annapurna Temple, she is also called as "Annapurna Gyaneshwori"and "Yogamber Gyaneshwori" but not "Jana Dakini" anywhere.

Lastly, it takes months even years to complete a single original painting. It took eight years to complete "SHAKTI" ( 1995- 2003 ) for me . It is in the permanent collection of Fukuoka Asian Art Museum. Artists are not machines to mass product.

"Vajrayogini" not only reflects the style of Uday and Dinesh Shrestha but it was painted by Dinesh himself . In the ancient temple of "Akashayogini" (Bidhyadhari or Bijayashwori ) there is also a mandala behind the goddess which we cannot see clearly because of the main figure, though it is not considered poor taste in Nepal.

Thank you

Udaya charan Shrestha

12:49 AM

Razeno said...

Udaya Dai,

Jwajalapa. I agree with you. And also congratulate for your spirit to throw the candid comment.

Razen

8:59 PM

I. S. said...

Dear Mr. Shrestha,

Delighted to have some feedback from one of Nepal's leading painters. Allow me to briefly address your points:

- By referring to your work as "recent", I mean recent in the history of Newar painting.

- I referred to your work "Annapurna" as "oils-painted", not as a thangka.

- The Nispannayogāvalī is not the only source for iconographic prescriptions of JñānaDākinī. Perhaps you could share your source for the description of Annapurna as seen in your painting?

- The identity of the deity at the Asan Annapurna temple was confirmed to me by a purohit who performs rituals there. The ritual identity is of course the actual one, regardless of what name(s) are used in public. As you say, the inscriptions at the temple mention Yogāmbara, so it is undoubtedly associated with that deity couple.

- Traditionally a mandala is not supposed to be painted with something else covering it up. They are complete depictions of the deity and its retinue, and meant to be shown as complete. When I say that showing chunks of mandalas is poor taste, I mean poor taste according to traditional prescriptions. Though I appreciate that hardly anyone in Nepal knows what those are.

Hope this helps, yours, etc.

6:35 PM

Anonymous said...

Thank you Uday, for your comments on this web page. I never check any web page and I don’t have time to think what people saying about my art-works (specially those who doesn’t know how much time a art work takes to finished.). When I do the paintings I always follow the iconography, which were available.

Isn’t it ridicules, if some one knows about thangka (Paubha) but use “Thangka Industry” for the Artist who paints thangkas. If you do only those things which these types of web page says OK, then you never can do a new things. Do you know what, I did Vajrayogini as contemporary art in oil paints and that is not Thangka but Len Sinclair using “unthinkable pore test, profit, cheap and new product line” these words for my painting. I don’t understand what he thinks about art? Art is not a goods, which produce in Industry.

Dinesh C Shrestha

11:01 AM

Anonymous said...

I will forever be astonished by Western "experts" proclaiming their profound understanding of Eastern culture to us "Easterners". It's not even worth discussing really...

11:50 AM

I. S. said...

No expertise is needed to point out simple mistakes. This is basic stuff. And try not to worry too much about whether information comes from "Western experts" or "us Easterners". Yours respectfully, etc.”

I don’t have much to say about it. But it is important piece of discussion to show that though we Newars have little time to think about what our grandfathers have left for us, foreigners have spent plenty of energy to study on Newar iconography. We should thank them for really taking our heritage to the whole world.

On the other hand, we also should be aware of what is being written in public about our art, culture and tradition. One person’s wrong information in the Internet may cause havoc among new scholars of Newar art and culture. The authors, bloggers and others should pay little more attention to respect what we have gained in past 1,000 years. It is not a matter of Western experts and Easterns. It is a matter of fact and understanding the fact. All, who love to study and write about somebody’s culture, should be very much careful that their one intentional or unintentional word can hurt feeling of six hundred thousand people, who have done no harm to the westerners or others.

For example, how can somebody be “God’s pimp”?

UML is threatened by press freedom

Raghuji Panta is a known feltist politician of Nepal. He belongs to a party called CPN-UML (which partially supported the king when he started his coup move against democracy). He even won a seat of parliament some eight years ago.

Surprisingly, on Wednesday, the 17th of October, he charged Nepali press of overdoing journalism and enjoying too much of press freedom. He said that Nepali press is given too much of press freedom and they are not at all responsible to the readers. He was addressing an interaction on constitutional crisis and press freedom. He spoke a lot about politics, ie, critised the Maoists (this is what they do, to coverup their plan to avoid the election of constituent assembly) in the programme organised by Nepal Press Institute at Hotel Himalaya.

He also chraged that Nepali Press does mistakes and character assassination every day and opined that they should be penalised. "The law against media in Nepal is very weak. In other countries, many of the newspapers get bankrupted just because they failed to pay compensation against the crime they do to others," he said.

But he failed to name a single crime done by the media and also he did not remember when he or his party filed case against the media and what punishment the court annouced for the media.

In fact, what I know is that, Nepali media are the cheapest parrots to the polticians and they never venture to criticise the leaders. They just make news out of the bullshit bhashan they make here and there. Many of the reporters are just in pockets of the leaders and they do what the leaders want. Some are given political promotion for what they write supporting the impotent and unethical leaders.

Still, the UML leader is not happy with the media. What could be the reason? I guess, he is being appointed as a communication minister. Excactly, the king's communication miniser Shreesh Samshre used to say like that.

I know Raghuji since the time when he was living in a a rented toom at Pulchowk.

In this context, it is to be noted that Nepal surges 20 places in World Press Freedom index. Nepal has surged more than 20 places to be placed at 137th position in the ranking of the world press freedom index owing to revival of basic freedoms after the end of war, according to a report published by Paris based Reporters Sans Frontiers Tuesday (www.nepalnws.com).

Nepal's crown prince did it again

The Crown Prince of Nepal Prarash Shah made an accident again. He hit his vehicle on the middle or the road and got it badly damaged two days ago. Unfortunately, he was safe. He was driving carelessly in the Chabahil area and failed to notice the cement dividers and jammed on it. It is not known whether he was driving but it was clear he was in stress.

And you must be surprised that this republic-oriented government did nothing to the wrong-doer prince. Instead of it, the Traffic Police crane helped the crown prince to take his vehicle safely out of the troubled street.

He had already killed a man named Pravin Gurung some six years ago and he was left free to move wtihout the slightest penalty.

The crown price was found psychologically disturbed when he understood that he would not succeed his father's throne which was acquired through the massacre drama. He had a big dream of being called the king of Nepal (that was impossible, as he was a son of a younger son of the past king Mahendra Shah, and thanks to the massacre he got the right to dream of the impposible). But sad, it happened that the king Gyanendra overacted and even ventured to do a crude coup. What was the result? he even lost the throne for himself.

Since then, Paras was out of order and he stopped driving his Harley Davidson. He drank carelessly and was almost got heart attack.