Council of Ministers - 2018, Nepal

Prime Minister (41st)
Name:   Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli  (K.P. Oli )
Date of Birth: 22 February, 1952
Political Party: Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Lenninist)
Education: Class 9
Parents: Mohan Prasad and Madhumaya Oli.
Spouse : Radhika Shakya

He joined Communist Party of Nepal in February of 1970 in opposition to Panchayat system.  A year later he became a district committee member of the party and the chief of the Jhapa Movement Organizing Committee in 1972. Oli was imprisoned for 14 consecutive years from 1973 to 1987. After his release from prison in 1987, he became a central committee member of UML in-charge of the Lumbini Zone until 1990. He was elected as a Prime Minister for the first time in a parliamentary vote on 11 October 2015, receiving 338 votes out of 597. Oli's PM candidacy was supported by the UCPN-Maoist, Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal, and Madhesi Rights Forum-Democratic along with 13 other small parties. He was sworn in on 12 October.
K.P Oli is elected as Prime Minister of Nepal for second time on 15 February 2018.

Minister of Federal Affairs and General Administration
Name: Lal Babu Pandit
Political Party: Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist)

He is a Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) leader and the current Minister of Federal Affairs and General Administration. He was elected to the House of Representatives from Morang - 6 in the 2017 election by defeating Congress candidate Shekhar Koirala. He was elected to the First and Second Constituent Assembly under Proportional Representation system

 Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens
Name: Tham Maya Thapa
Political Party: Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Lenninist)

Tham Maya Thapa is a Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare, she has vowed to bring in new programmes to abolish child marriages and dowry system from the society.

Minister of Home Affairs
Name: Ram Bahadur Thapa (Badal)
Political Party: Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre)

Minister of Finance

Name: Yuva Raj Khatiwada
Date of Birth: 14 August, 1956
Political Party: Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Lenninist)

Education: PhD. in Monetary Economics from Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi (1991)

Yuba Raj Khatiwada is an economist and the current Minister of Finance of Nepal. He previously served two tenures as vice-chair of National Planning Commission and as Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank, the central bank of Nepal.

 Minister of Defence
Name: Ishwar Pokhrel
Date of Birth: 4 February, 1954
Political Party: Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Lenninist)
Education: BA in Education & Literature from TU, Kathmandu
Parents: Shiva Hari Pokhrel & Ram Kumari Pokhrel
Spouse : Mira Dhonju Pokhrel
Children: Shreejan Pokhrel, Sajeet Pokhrel
Website: www.ishwarpokhrel.com

He is the Party General Secretary of CPN-UML since 2009 . He is also the Founding member of Central Committee of the Communist Party of Nepal (ML) and the founding member of the Central Committee, CPN (UML).

Minister of Industry, Commerce and Supplies
Name: Matrika Prasad Yadav
Date of Birth: 16 October, 1958
Political Party: Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre)

Born in Sabaila of Dhanusha district in Nepal , Matrika Prasad Yadav was one of the 19 Central Committee member of Communist Party of Nepal(Maoist) when the party declared peoples' war against the Nepalese State . After the peace deal between the government and Maoist , he was appointed twice as the "Minister of Forest and Soil conservation" and once as the "Minister of Land Reform". His political career started at very young age and remained underground throughout most of his political life. He was also jailed several times .
 

Minister of Foreign Affairs
Name: Pradip Kumar Gyawali
Date of Birth: 13 September, 1962
Political Party: Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Lenninist)
Parents: (Late ) Narayan Dutta Gyawali , (Late) Punya Kala Gyawali

Born in Baletaxar -2, Chautara, Gulmi. He is a Central Committee member of the party. In the 2008 parliamentary election he was elected from the Gulmi-2 constituency, winning 24345 votes. In the 2017 Legislative elections, Gyawali is elected from the Gulmi- 1 constituency with 37814 votes.

Minister of Education, Science and Technology
Name: Giri Rajmani Pokharel
Political Party: Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre)

Minister of Physical Infrastructure and Transportation
Name: Raghubir Mahaseth
Political Party: Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Lenninist)

Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation

(16 March 2018 – 27 February 2019)

Name: Late. Rabindra Prasad Adhikari
Date of Birth: 5 May, 1969

Died February 27, 2019, Taplejung
Political Party: Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Lenninist)
Education: Masters in Business Administration, TU, Nepal
                                                      Parents: Indra Prasad Adhikari & Laxmi Adhikar
                                                      Spouse : Bidhya Bhattarai
                                                     Website: www.rabindraadhikari.com

Born in Kaski District, Adhikari was elected from the Kaski-3 constituency, with 13,386 votes and  Constituent Assembly election he was re-elected from the Kaski-3 constituency, with 15456 votes in 2013. He served as Central Committee member of CPN UML and was President of Development Committee of Legislative Parliament of Nepal since then. He wrote books, "Constituent Assembly, Democracy and Re-structuring" and "Samriddha Nepal".

Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs
Name: Sher Bahadur Tamang
Political Party: Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Lenninist)

Minister of Water Resources Energy
Name: Barsa Man Pun
Political Party: Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre)

Minister of Labour, Employment, and Social Security
Name: Gokarna Bista
Date of Birth: 1 July, 1965
Political Party: Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Lenninist)
Education: M.Com Business Administration, TU, Nepal
Parents: Bhim Bahadur and Chinta Kala Bista
Awards:  Hydro Excellence Award 2068; Nagarik Abhinandan 2068

Born in Dohali-3, Gulmi District, he started his political career in 1978 after quitting his government job immediately as disputes erupted with Kaji Man Kandnawa, Anchaladish(zone chief), on the very first day of his job. A locally popular leader Bista became quite popular for his attempts to implement the revolutionary changes in country’s power sector including power cuts.

Minister of Forest and Environment
Name: Shakti Bahadur Basnet
Date of Birth: 14 April, 1971
Political Party: Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre)
Parents: Danda Bir Basnet and mother Dharma Kumari Basnet
Spouse: Satya Pahadi

Born in Khalanga, Jajarkot District in Western Nepal, he got into politics with alias Suresh Singh.  In 1998, he was selected as Central Committee Member of UCPN Maoist and later in 2013 he was elected in the Nepalese Constituent Assembly Election from his hometown.
 

Minister of Water Supply
Name: Bina Magar
Date of Birth: 8 December
Political Party: Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre)
Spouse: Late Prakash Dahal


Bina Magar, who won the Kanchanpur-1 seat in Parliament, has been named Nepal’s new Minister for Water Supply. She was the president of Independent Student Union from ANISU-R in Saraswati Campus and is the daughter-in-law of Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal.
 

Minister of Agriculture, Land Management and Cooperatives
Name: Chakrapani Khanal
Political Party: Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre)

Minister of Youth and Sports
Name: Jagat Bahadur Biswakarma
Political Party: Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Lenninist)
Education: Master's Degree in Political Science, TU, Nepal

The Magars

The general summarization of Magar, being Magar myself, is limited to my family only. I had slim to no chance of having any Magar friends outside my family. But when my brother got married to his long term girl friend, I had chance to see more Magars as my extended family and learn about my clan and culture further. She is from Gorkha and my family is also originally from Gorkha. Been there once in my life when I was in 7th grade, which is like dog's years ago.

My grandfather was an Indian Army, he left his hometown when he was teenager. When he retired he married and settled in Darjeeling. On the birth of a second child his wife died. He then came to Nepal, bought lands in Kathmandu behind Nirmal Niwas at Maharjgunj, married my grandmother, reproduced more children. His children reproduced more children, I am one of the product, and my grandfather never went back to his hometown and consequently we are all disconnected from our roots. That is how I know nothing about Magars. We all became modern day Kathmandunians forgetting our Magar roots everyday.
So back to when my brother married, I learnt about my left behind Gorkha family from my sister-in-law's relatives. Apparantly both our families shared common Padhero (Well or Tap).

Book Cover of "Nepal" by Toni Hagen.

I am reading Toni Hagen's book "Nepal" , probably written in 1960s. I love reading books written by Foreign writers who has lived in Nepal, with locals and texts are from the first hand experince. Like Toni Hagen, who came to Nepal in early 1950s when gates of Nepal were not yet opened to outsiders and one could come into Nepal only with a special invitations by Shah or Rana Maharajas. He first visited Nepal with a first Swiss development assistance mission. In 1952 he was employed by the Government of Nepal and also worked for the United Nations.
Below is excerpt from his book.



The MAGAR

The Magars are the westermost of the Tibeto-Nepali groups of the midlands and are the largest of these ethnic. Neighbours of the Gurungs, the Magars live on the westen and southern flanks of the Dhulagiri massif. Scattered colonies are found as far afield as eastern, Nepal, however and down in the Tarai of eastern Nepal and there is a large compact settlement area situated in the wide sweep of the Karnali river, between Dhundras and Chhapre. The Magars have not developed a type of house peculiar to themseles, but adopted their neighbours' type of dwelling. At the western end of the Dhualgiri massif and on the upper course of the Uttar Ganga river they live in massive houses with flat roofs, whose form looks similar to the houses in neighbouring Tibetan settlements to the north. On the southern flank of the Dhaulagiri massif, on the other hand, they build their houses, as do the Gurungs, of drystone walls roofed with slate.
Like the Gurungs, the Magars have gained fame as gallant soldiers in British Service. Besides this, however, back home they are known to possess considereable skill as craftsmen in carpentary, masonry, stonecutting etc. They are the bridge-builders among the Nepalis, and the little primitive mining that goes on in Central Nepal is largely in thier hands. From the more southernly regions, that is to say on the lower courses of the Bheri and the Karnali rivers, a great number of Magars annually migrate to the Terai and there manufacture bamboo panniers, baskets, and mats for sale in the Bazaars along the borders. In their for sale in the Bazaars along the borders. In their most norhterly settlement, on the other hands, the important trading center of tarakot on the Barbung river. they have largely adapted their way of life, their clothes, and their religion to that of the Tibetans, like the latter they also live by the salt trade. Here are found numbers lamaseries with Magar lamas; in the lower zones, however, Hinduism of the Tantrist tendency prevails.

Okay, they were the Magars of 1960, probably that is what my grandfather would  do had he not migrated to India to become an Indian Army. I was two when he passed away, I remember him from my parents and cousins only, he certainly was great farmer and grew ample food to feed his family. Imagine Maharjgunj area immediately behind Nirmal Niwas, as vast cultivable field that he owned, 40 years ago, exactly like present day Khokana.

Anyway, in nutshell, we are not the Magars from Toni Hagen's book anymore, we do not live in houses like our Neighbour Gurungs, nor we are skilled craftsmen in carpentary, masonary or stonecutting, although I would love it if I encounter Magars from those times and their offsprings keeping the legacy on and yet prospering from that.

Jhorley!!

P.S: The only Magar word I know, and I am not proud about it.

Gujeshwari Mandir

Gujeshwari temple is not my every day or even an every month temple, but once a year, in the Holy Month of Magh, i.e when Swasthani Brata starts. The route remaining same, starting at Gauri Ghat, Kirtaeshwar Temple, Gujeshwari, Pashupatinath and if energy allows finishing the chain of pilgrimage at Chabahil Ganeshthan.

I don't like the idea of how Gujeshwari mandir perched above hill is hidden behind the wall or even houses. It is the most beautiful temple, one of the all-time masterpieces of Hindu Surrealism on top of that its one of 51 Shakti Pithas (holy place of a cosmic power), while non-Hindus are forbidden to enter, they could at least see the temple if the houses were not blocking them. Also, wrecked chortens that line up outside the temple is a complete eyesore.

It would be wonderful to see sketches when King Pratap Malla constructed this temple back in 17th century.

The primary amusement is that this temple doesn't have regular idol rather has a Kalasha (vessel) kept in a sunken pit and containing an odiferous liquid. As mentioned in Shree Swasthani Katha, when Sati Devi's father insults her husband, Lord Shiva, she threw herself onto a fire. Shiva retrieved her corpse, blinded by grief, walked across the world, scattering her parts of the body at 51 sacred places. Gujeshwari is the place where Sati Devi's vagina fell, and the consequence is kalasha worship.
  This cosmic power site is equally sacred to Buddhist, who worship Sati Devi as Vajrayogini, a Powerful Tantric Goddess and also believe that the site to be the seed from with the Swayambhu lotus grew.


Location: Chabahil
Getting There: Walk from Pashupatinath downhill Gorakhnath temple.
                         Alternatively walk along the lane of Gauri Ghat from Chabahil

Seto Bhairab

Seto Bhairab aka Swett Bhairab as termed in Sanskrit or White Bhairab, a literal translation is set against the Basantapur Palace wall but not very well visible behind the wooden screen. One could easily miss it unless the guide pointed him out. A snarling ten-foot-high gilded head of Seto Bhairab is the fierce manifestation terrifying and blood swilling aspect of Lord Shiva, one of the most revered deities of Nepal, sacred to Hindus and Buddhists alike. Bhairab is invoked in prayers to destroy enemies.

Basantapur Durbar square is a good place to hang out for all generations at any time of day. I go there once in a while with my mother almost like a pilgrimage, starting at the  Shiva Parbati temple which is actually at the end of Durbar Square or could also be beginning if you want to explore Durbar Square from the northern side. You enter the square and then opens out to another temple-clogged area. We then see Kaal Bhairab, The large stone deity wearing a garland of skulls, has six arms and stands on a demon. Ranged along the left (western side) are the Taleju Bell, the octagonal Vamsagopala, and a pair of ceremonial drums from the eighteenth century, and to its right is Seto Bhairab housed. The huge mask dates from 176, during the reign of Rana Bahadur Shah, the third Shah-dynasty king.

I had peeked through lattice windows to get a view of the Bhairab, seen his images over-pouring on Internet but it was only 2013 Indra Jatra that I saw His avataar. The golden crown of serpents, skulls and rock-sized jewels and the petrifying smile which was terrifying yet magnificent.  I can tell you it is one of the most dramatic sights I have ever seen. Bhairab's face was covered in flowers; at the start of the aila (liquor) was poured through the pipe attached to the horrific mouth and crowds of men fought hard to get a drink of the blessed brew. It is believed that men who drink the brew are blessed with son.

Although I missed the main chariot pulling event, I returned feeling blessed with the view Seto Bhairab which is rare or any other normal days.

Location: Kathmandu Durbar Square or Basantapur Durbar Square
Getting There: 10 minutes of walking distance from the New Road Gate.

Mahendra Gufa (Cave)

My sister is a Ghostess of the Cave

You know what I like about Mahendra Cave the most, especially in Summer, the chill you feel as you enter the cave due to continuously dripping water. :D

Driving across the K I Singh pul (bridge), at the top end of the Pokhara, heading north past the Gurkha Camp, turning right up to a paved road 600 m beyond the bridge and following it for about 3 km to the end. Literally, end, if you walk further you will hit nose against gigantic hills that surround the Pokhara Valley.

There were not many tourists on that day. We visited very early as a next stop and final stop from Bindyabashini temple. Bought a ticket, I don't remember the ticket fare, could be Rs 25. It was a springtime and greenery greeted as I entered the cave vicinity. Warm weather, bright sky, cool breeze and shade of tall trees. Heaven on earth. Trees really excite me but "Hariyo Ban Nepal ko Dhan" (‘Green forests are Nepal‘s wealth’), an age old adage in Nepal, alarms me concerning the loss of rich bio-diverse resources every day, all in the name of development. 

Anyway, there on the right end of the botanical garden was stone laid stairs that take you down to the cave. It is as if I am walking into the wide-opened mouth of some mammoth, the only missings are tusks and grinding teeth, if you know what I mean.   
This limestone and honeycomb kinda cave's corridors are dark with occasional punctuation of installed lights that sparkled the rocks and also tricked eyes. I easily tripped the entire time plus continuously dripping water overhead added merry to the falling. I don't think I walked all the 2 km inside the cave but managed to reach Shiva altar. The atmosphere was mysterious, away from hustle bustle. I sat on a big rock, turned on my mobile phone light and looked at rock formations carefully, one by one, wondering how must they have formed. After that, I took lots of photos of them and stone shrines.

Stone offerings.

I read, Mahendra cave used to be well-known for its limestone stalactites, but these have unfortunately been ransacked by vandals, and few surviving stalagmites are daubed with red sindur or vermilion powder and revered as Shiva Lingam because of the resemblances to phalluses. 

After spending good amount of time in there, I happily departed from  Pokhara the same afternoon.

And of course how can I forget, The name Mahendra Cave is named after our Late King Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev and place is Batulechaur, at the northern end of the Pokhara city.

Location: Batule Chaur
Getting there: Bus from Prithivi Chowk

Kavre Palanchok Bhagwati

I have planned this trip for a while. Actually I had a bhakal (a commitment homage and offering to a Hindu Deity) for a very long time, and I am going there after almost 5 years, that is before the massive 2015 earthquake. Kavre was one of the most seriously hit district at that time. I saw photos of crumbled temple on newspapers and social media. More harrowing part was that the Sathi Ghar, the beautiful village of array of 60 mud houses, 1 km away from the temple, was completely annihilated during that time.

Finally, I have a date and time to go to Palanchowk Bhagwati. Called a car, collected few relatives and off I went.

It's 2 hours drive from where I live to the destination, about 55 km north-east of Kathmandu, Panchkhal municipality of Kavrepalanchok District. 8:30 AM by the time we reached and almost time for Nitya Puja. Nitya Puja is an everyday ritual offered by designated Priest at a designated time. We quickly queued for darshan (ritual) and did our prayer and made our offerings to a three feet tall stone idol of Goddess Bhagwati. My mom says the more you look at Her, the more you are spellbound by Her beauty, which is so true, I could not take my eyes off her. Let me try describing her: A polished black stone idol with 18 arms. Bedecked with silver ornaments. Drenched in vermillion. The Goddess Bhagwati holds Astra/Nastra (weaponry and symbols) Patra (vessel), Trishul (trident), Kulhadi (Axe), Damaru (two headed drum), Chakra (disc), Gadha (mace), Khunda (scimitar), Matsya (Fish), and Ghanta (bell) on her hands. More prodigious arms of Bhagwati extend and grab Mahisasur’s (Buffalo Demon King) toupee and tail. Slained Shumbha and Nishumbha, Mahisasur's henchmen lie by Her feet. Mounted on Her stride lion, one feet tramples Mahisasur, while the hand holding the trident stabs him.

Palanchok Bhagwati Goddess is believed to manifest herself in three different incarnations in parts of day. She is Goddess Bhagwati, the embodiment of Supreme Power, the Divine Mother of the Universe, and the Savior of mankind from evil and misery in the mornings. Goddess Saraswoti, the Goddess of Learning and Wisdom in the afternoon. And Goddess Kali, destroyer of evil forces at night. The priests at the temple perform Nitya Puja every morning at 9 and evenings are scheduled for Aarati, rites of offering oil wick lamps.

Revered as a pilgrimage site, the Bhagwati temple overflows with pilgrims on Saturdays and Tuesdays. On every Chandi Purnima or Baisakh Purnima (full moon day in May/June), a festival marks the temple site with people streaming in from the nearby villages, and towns mostly located‘ by the Arniko highway. Twice every year, during Dashain and on Buddha Jayanti (Lord Buddha’s birth anniversary), chariots bearing the images of Goddess Bhagwati and Kali are driven around the village of Palanchok Bhagwati.

The myth has it, King Manadeva I (464-505 A.D.) dreamt of Goddess Bhagwati wishing her idol from a village of Buchhakot (Kavre district) to be relocated at some place with a northerly bearing. The King with his queen set forth on this mission with Her idol to fulfilling Her wish. Her idol could not be hoisted at any force from Jagpankpur where they had camped the previous night. Stunned King called in Royal Priests for consultation. They advised it was Her wish to be enshrined here. The foundation stone of Palanchok Bhagwati temple was laid then and there. Every year, the residents of Buchhakot which sits atop a hill to the south of Palanchok (visible from the temple site) on the Sindhuli /Bardibas highway in Kavre district, visit Palanchok Bhagwati to pay their homage performing Kshama Puja (a ritual perfomed to seek forgiveness) on the full moon day of Baisakh (May/June)

A five minute’s walk from the Bhagwati temple is Kalika temple dedicated to Goddess Kali who is an elder sister of Palanchok Bhagwati, Sobha Bhagwati and Naxal Bhagwati in Kathmandu. The idol of Kali, resembling a stone pillar, is lodged in an inverted stance. Myth has it, a 65 year old priest of Palanchok temple, Vidyamananda Bajracharya, with the assistance of Newari Priests did it to forbid the Kali’s frequent devouring of humans who visited the Goddess after sun set. This site as well is under construction. And behind it I saw re-constructions going on of Saathi Ghar I mentioned earlier. I read that all the houses of the village will be restored to its former glory. It's a happy thing, isn't it.

Location:Panchkhal, Kavre Palanchok
Getting There: Bus from Ratna Park, Kathmandu

Kirateshwar Mahadev

I was born and brought up here, and I with millions of other Kathmandunians fit the Nepali says "Kuwa ko Bhyguta" or a Toad of a Pond if you literally translate. Never been outside of Kathmandu, very much soaked up in our own little world and confined to commute between home to office slash home to school slash home to college.

For the first time in how many years, I won't tell you, or you know my age, which I am not so happy about at the moment talking about where I am in life career wise and relationship status wise, pun not intended, this was my first visit to Kirateshwar. I had seen many photos of relatively huge red phallus (if I am allowed to say that) carved OM on it, centring rotunda type room, many women in red worshipping it with the regular ritual offerings, a Sadhu Maharaj on the side singing his bhajans or waiting for his turn to collect alms from visitors. But I had not visited the place before and also didn't know this god was Kirateshwar.

Once you are done worshipping at Gauri Ghat after you go to Kirateshwar before you go to Guheswari temple followed by Pashupatinath, the Dev of Devas (Lord of the Lords). Taking stairs uphill about 200 meters, you reach rather unusual Shiva Linga Palace, where God Shiva resides in the manifestation of Lord Kirateshwar. It is just one house that has Him and pilgrims go round and round offering there best of prayers, especially on the holy month of Magh. You have bhajan mandali, devotional song singers too.

Location: Near Guheswari Temple
Getting There: Walking distance of 10 minutes from Chahabil.