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  By DR. P RAVI SHANKAR Pokhara at the foot of the magnificent Annapurnas must surely rank as one of the most beautiful cities on Earth. My association with this beautiful city has been short but sweet! I first landed in Pokhara on February 8, 2000. Before coming, I surfed on the internet looking for more information about the place. The tourist guidebooks are fond of describing Pokhara as a ‘subtropical paradise’. Pokhara is a major tourist center and is the launching pad for treks to the Annapurna region. My good friend, Sanjay, a keen trekker and photographer had described Pokhara as a ‘paradise on earth’ may be partly inclined by the guidebooks and descriptions of fellow trekkers.   Many changes have occurred in Pokhara over the last eight years. Like changes elsewhere, they can be divided into the good, the bad, and the ugly. A noticeable improvement has been seen in surface transport. In 2000, we had the old Tata buses from India. Monsters belching smoke and carbon (in ...

The grim reality is that every year over 10,000 Nepali girls are trafficked to various Indian brothels. Photo credit:feminisminindia.com, Outlook India By LB Thapa Almost a decade ago, I was commissioned by a reputed Kathmandu-based magazine to write an investigative story. The subject was how Nepalese girls are trafficked to Mumbai brothels. Modus oprendi of the agents, girl’s trafficking networking in India and Nepal, and the life of Nepalese sex workers in Kamathipura. The editorial team of the magazine asked me if I was interested in covering the story. I immediately nodded my head in assertion. I had the confidence to accomplish the task successfully because I had the advantage of knowing India a bit. I was born and raised in India and I have already traveled to several parts of India.   Today when I am writing this additional piece of information, the face of old Kamathipura has completely been transformed. Mumbai police took the matter of Kamathipura sex workers seriously. ...

The magnificent stupas of Sanchi. Photos: LB Thapa   By LB THAPA Sanchi stupas hold a special place in the history of India. These stupas are considered one of the most important monuments of Indian architecture. Its grandeur carvings on balusters, pillars, and walls are the master class of art in the recorded history of India.   I feel very lucky to have visited this great historic place several times. I had the privilege because I was born and educated in Bhopal. Sanchi is only 46 kilometers from Bhopal. I continued visiting Sanchi until I completed my Master’s degree in Economics from Bhopal University in 1991. After 1991, I shifted to Nepal, and I could not visit Sanchi every year. But still, whenever I go to India, I never miss an opportunity to visit Sanchi.   A few years ago, I was invited by my college Hamidia Arts, Commerce & Law College, Bhopal, to receive a felicitation. This felicitation was given to me for the recognition of a book that I had written abou...

Baglung Kalika Bhagwati Temple is a must-visit destination for one and all.   A VISIT TO BAGLUNG KALIKA BHAGWATI TEMPLE A temple in the dense forest Around the year, scores of people travel to Baglung Kalika Bhagwati Temple for different reasons. Most people visit there to worship the deity Kalika Bhagwati. These devotees think that Kalika Bhagwati listens to their prayers, and by her grace, things start turning in their favor.   Many foreign visitors, too, visit Kalika Bhagwati temple to see the unique ambiance around the temple. The temple is located on the banks of the Kali Gandaki River in the Baglung district of western Nepal. Surrounded by high hills and dense forests, the location of this temple is unique. Most probably, no temple in Nepal has a similar kind of location. Some foreigners simply enjoy the grandeur of the temple, but many of them will appreciate the heartwarming location of the temple.   Photo: LB Thapa I have visited this temple a few times, but th...