In Aurlandsfjord The a long inlets of sea carved into the mountains of south-western Norway are quite simply breathtaking. It is no wonder that parts of this Norwegian fjord landscape are UNESCO-listed.
You could say that the Norwegians invented fjords.
Their country is certainly home to some magnificent UNESCO-listed examples, and it is they who originated the word.
A rough line around Norway’s sea borders (the coastal perimeter) adds up to about 2,500 kilometres (1,600 mi). But, if you measure what is called the ‘low-resolution coastline’ which includes the nearly 1,200 fjords, islands, and bays, this perimeter increases tenfold to over 25,000 kilometres (16,000 mi).
The word “fjord” comes from an Old Norse word fjǫrðr (verb: ferd “travelling or ferrying”) for a lake-like body of water used for passage and ferrying. It has been adopted internationally – complete with the Nordic spelling (except in some place names, and in New Zealand English, where ‘fiord’ is preferred) – to describe the long, deep inlets of sea between high cliffs that were formed by the submergence of glaciated valleys. By geographic definition, a true fjord is created when years of glacial weight and abrasion cuts a U-shaped valley into the surrounding bedrock, and this is then flooded by the ocean.
Ironically, in Norwegian, Danish, and Swedish, the word fjord has a more broad and general usage than it does in English and in international scientific terminology. In modern Norwegian, fjord can refer to any inlet, channel, or long narrow body of water – even long, narrow freshwater lakes. This disparity of meaning has often lead to some confusion.
But, there was no doubt or confusion about the two fjords I was on: Aurlandsfjord, and the adjoining Nærøyfjord. Both are branches off the 205-kilometre long Sognefjord in Vestland county, Western Norway. Sognefjord, nicknamed the King of the Fjords, is the largest and deepest fjord in the country; Nærøyfjord, the narrowest and best known arm of the extensive Sognefjord system, has been called part of an “archetypical fjord landscape.”.
I had a full day in Flåm (see: A Walk in a Norwegian Wood), which sits at the inner end of Aurlandsfjord, and I took the opportunity to board a scenic cruise into the fjords. The shoulder season didn’t start until the next day (May 1st), so there were limited offerings. I was lucky, however, and managed the get onto the last afternoon sailing of the new hybrid catamaran, the Vision of the Fjords.
The two hour trip started from Flåm, and paused to take in some of the more spectacular of the many waterfalls in Aurlandsfjord before switching to full-electric mode and sliding quietly along the Unesco-listedNærøyfjord to the tiny settlement of Gudvangen. From there, after the requisite souvenir shopping, we all boarded buses, and rolled back towards Flåm in the dark. The sun had already ducked behind the steep mountains: except in full summer, daylight can disappear pretty quickly in these deep valleys.
This is one of those landscapes you really have to experience for yourself; pictures cannot do justice to the sight of the valley walls rising straight up all around you, the deafening noise of the crashing waterfalls dropping hundreds of feet into the waters below, and the feel of the crisp spring air on your face as your tour boat slices through the narrow fjords.
Even so, I hope these pictures give you a small taste:
Passengers on the Upper Decks The external gangway on the multi-story Vision of the Fjords ship was designed to suggest a twisting mountain road. It allows passengers uninterrupted views of the passing scenery.
Flåm Harbour The upper deck of the award-winning sightseeing catamaran provides a great vantage point over the marina and the harbour.
Leaving Flåm Behind The Vision of the Fjords can travel up to 19 knots; as we motor through Aurlandsvangen, we can no longer see Flåm behind us.
Boats on Aurlandsvangen There is quite a mix of traffic on the fjord.
Marine Equipment Aurlandsfjord is 29 kilometres (18 mi) long and can reach depths of 962 metres (3,156 ft) below sea level. We have every kind of navigational device that our captain could possibly want to help him navigate a channel that is generally less than 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) wide.
Aurlandsvangen on Aurlandsfjord The village of Aurlandsvangen is tiny (pop <1000), but not as isolated as it looks: it is serviced by the fjord, and a national highway.
Aurlandsvangen on Aurlandsfjord Dwarfed by the surrounding mountains, the buildings look bright and cheerful in the afternoon sun.
Mountains on the Fjord The mountains rise up to 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) all around us; …
Spring Snow … fresh snow dusts the tops while old snow clings to shady crevices.
Flying the Flag
Village on the Fjords The fjords are only sparsely populated, with tiny hamlets clinging to small valleys in the lee of the mountains.
Undredal With a population of just over 100 people, Undredal is known for its goat cheese, and a wooden stave church dating to 1147.
Gull on the Wing
Aurlandsfjord
Lægdafossen on Nærøyfjord We turn into Nærøyfjord and pause to admire one of the many magnificent waterfalls …
Bottom of the Falls … cascading down the rocky mountainside.
Nærøyfjord
Fjord Safari Thrill-seekers get closer to the waterfalls than we do in our big ship.
Enjoying the Sights But, even on our vessel, it is cool and windy.
Dyrdal Badaplass on the Fjords All these tiny hamlets have substantial wharves: water is the only means of access for many of these settlements.
And the Mountains go Forever!
Another Waterfall
Hamlet on the Fjords The masifs around us are awesome in the sunlight, but can you imagine how oppressive they might feel in the cold, dark of winter?
In Nærøyfjord With only the electric motor running, we glide almost noiselessly through the icy waters.
Bakka Kyrkje Built in 1859, Bakka Church seats about 200 people. I wonder how far the faithful travel, as there can’t be that many people in the village!
Gudvangen Dock This is the end of the 18-kilometre (11 mi) long Nærøyfjord.
Georg Hansen and the Prow of a Knörr As we disembark in Gudvangen, we are greeted by Viking iconography. Dragons and snakes were popular figureheads for Viking longships because they were thought to strike fear into the spirits of the foreign lands being raided.
Falling light over Gudvangen There is still light on the mountaintops around us as the time comes to leave, but very little makes it into the deep valley.
It is a truly magnificent landscape, and notwithstanding some controversy surrounding the touristic Viking Village at Gudvangen, it is clearly being well managed for the future, with respect for the environment, and a regard for past traditions and history.
A Man and his Stool Standing tall against the early morning sky outside his woven home, a Hamar man sets out with his wooden stool. (ISO200 40mm f5.6 1/60sec)
One of the beauties of travelling with a photo-tour is that you have more time to immerse and explore at locations.
This was certainly true for me in the Omo Valley, in southern Ethiopia. Even with improving roads, the region is difficult to access. But, once I and my fellow-photography enthusiasts got there, we had plenty of time to engage with the miriad of local cultures. We were travelling with photographer Ben McRae as part of a small-group Piper Mackay Photo-Tour, and once we had lodged ourselves in the market town of Turmi, we had access to a number of the distinctive tribal ethnic groups that live in the region.
We made several trips to a large Hamar village not far from our accommodation (see: Hamar Village, Hamar Faces, and Hamar Portraits). This was to be our last session with the tribe before we headed to another – even more remote – corner of the cumbersomely-named Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People’s Region (SNNPR) of Ethiopia.
When I’m travelling, I usually try to engage with the local people, and make the odd photos when I can – with consent, of course. The “pay-per-click” photo-tourism ethos common amongst the Omo Valley tribes made getting relaxed and candid shots much more difficult. All the villagers want their pictures made because this supplements their income, and they will present themselves to anyone with a camera and mentally count how many frames have been taken. It took me some time to get used to this, and it naturally resulted in photos that look more staged than I would generally like.
I’m not adept at flash photography, and after some years of carting gear around, have learned to leave my heavy flash units at home. And as I said, I’m not a fan of overly staged photographs – which is what you tend to get when subjects are constrained to the positioning of the flash units. But, the other advantage of traveling with a photo group is the chance to share equipment: if an off-camera flash and a softbox is available, I’m happy to experiment! And, when the pictures will be somewhat stiff and formal anyway because of the “pay-per-click” contracts, playing with the extra light made for a bit of fun.
Unfortunately for anyone who is technically-minded, my phone deleted all my notes on the flash details. But, most of it was pretty informal anyway: we had a helper who held up the softbox, and we told him to point higher or lower, and to stand closer or further away… And even though we arrived at the village early, the ambiant light increased quite quickly, reducing the impact of the fill-flash markedly. I actually can’t remember at what point I stopped being tied to the softbox, and wandered off to work with natural light alone.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy some more Hamar portraits – some of which benefit benefit from a bit of fill-flash.
Hamar Elder Woman The sun wasn’t yet risen when we arrived at the Hamar compound – but the locals were up and wearing their best tribal costumes for us. (ISO200 50mm f 5.6 1/60sec Off-Camera Flash-Fill)
Young Hamar Man It is not me who has posed this young man; the villagers are so used to having their portraits made that they all have their favourite formal postures. (ISO200 38mm f5.6 1/60sec Off-Camera Flash-Fill)
First Wife This young woman is wearing a “burkule”, a necklace made of leather and metal that has a distinctive detail in the front. This indicates she is her husband’s high-ranking first wife. (ISO400 35mm f5.0 1/160sec Off-Camera Flash-Fill)
Hamar Wife All married women (first and subsequent wives) wear two heavy iron necklaces. Girls and women wear a goatskin smock, richly decorated with beads and cowrie shells, and dress their hair with ochre. (ISO200 35mm f5.6 1/60sec Off-Camera Flash-Fill)
Hamar Man in a Feathered Headdress The men love their beads and hair adornments. (ISO200 63mm f5.6 1/200sec Off-Camera Flash-Fill)
Tall and Proud Warriors who have proven their courage by killing an enemy or a dangerous animal are entitled to fashion a mud-clay cap into the back of their hair and decorate it with precious feathers. (ISO200 70mm f5.6 1/100sec Off-Camera Flash-Fill)
Working the Scene My companion takes her turn with our Hamar subject and shared softbox.
A Second Wife Second (and third, or fourth) wives wear only the two heavy iron necklaces. This one shows off her copper bracelets: popular with both men and women. (ISO200 70mm f5.6 1/60sec Off-Camera Flash-Fill)
Young Man with his Phone I love the contrasts: the young man in his traditional beads, earrings, and bracelets – with the earbuds of his phone tucked into his ears. The modern world is making inroads into the remotest of communities! I had to work hard to get a smile out of him – but I think it was worth it. (ISO200 54mm f5.6 1/60sec Off-Camera Flash-Fill)
A Man and his Stool This village is so picturesque, with its tidy, woven houses and backdrop of thorn trees and plains. (ISO200 24mm f5.6 1/60sec)
Hamar Man in a Hat By this time it is nine in the morning, and the sky has lightened enough that the flash makes little impact. (ISO200 70mm f5.6 1/60sec)
Hamar Girl This young girl was so adorable that I spent time with her on each of my visits to the kraal. (ISO200 70mm f5.6 1/60sec)
Hamar Warrior Another warrior proudly wears his feathered cap. (ISO200 62mm f5.6 1/60sec)
Beads, Feather and Face Paint The plateau stretches away into the distant mountains. (ISO200 70mm f5.6 1/60sec)
Young Women (ISO200 68mm f5.6 1/60sec)
Mother and Child I have no idea on what basis wives are chosen. Stories are written of second (and subsequent) wives being treated very badly, but all those I met seemed strong and proud. (ISO200 34mm f5.6 1/100sec)
Brother and Sister Side-by-side like this, you can clearly see the difference that the ochre clay makes to one’s hair and skin colour.
Siblings Those solemn little faces!
Woman Outside her Hut
Mother and Daughter These engaging women were two of my favourite subjects. I don’t know why mum isn’t wearing a wedding collar – she is mother to a number of children, including this one.
Mother and Daughter at their Fenceline It seemed fitting that theirs would be the last pictures I took here, as they stood outside their tidy enclosure.
We left the village to head off in search of different tribes, and the Hamar people went back to their lives …
[…] Hamar (e.g.: Visit to a Hamar Village, Face in a Hamar Village; Hamar Village Portraits; and Morning Portraits), Daasanach (see: A Visit to the Daasanach) and Arbore (e.g.: Portraits in an Arbore Village; and […]ReplyCancel
Pharaoh Hatshepsut Hatshepsut (1507–1458 BC), was the daughter, sister, and wife of kings. From around 1493 BC, she was Queen Consort, then Queen Regent, and finally, the fifth pharaoh of Egypt’s Eighteenth Dynasty.
Hatshepsut, fifth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty, has been called one of Ancient Egypt’s most successful pharaohs.
And yet, she was almost removed from history!
Hatshepsut, whose name means: “Foremost of Noble Ladies” was born to power. She was the only surviving child of King Thutmose I, the third pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty, and his primary wife. However, Thutmose I had a son: Thutmose II, by a minor wife, and this ‘lesser son’ became the next pharaoh.
The politics and timelines are fuzzy, but at around age 12, Hatshepsut married her half-brother Thutmose II and thus became Queen; some say the marriage was to strengthen Thutmose II’s claim to the succession. Others believe that Hatshepsut was the true power behind the throne. She always maintained that she was her father’s intended heir.
Thutmose II fathered a son by a minor wife before his death, and the widowed Hatshepsut took the role of Regent for the infant Thutmose III before declaring herself Pharaoh in her own right. She was not Egypt’s first female pharaoh, but she was the first to proclaim herself such when there was a living male heir.
Again, the motives behind this unusual move have been debated, with traditional Egyptologists arguing that it was her ambition that drove her. More recent scholars have suggested that there was a political crisis, and Hatshepsut was once again shoring up the lineage. She could not have become pharaoh without strong allies at court. She was well trained in royal administrative and religious duties, and she was clearly seen as a competent ruler by her subjects.
Hatshepsut’s 21-year reign is now recognised as a time of peace and prosperity for Egypt. She reopened trade routes, including to to the fabled land of Punt – believed to be the coastal regions of the Horn of Africa. The riches of the realm allowed her to commission hundreds of building projects; she is said to have been one of the most prolific builders in Ancient Egypt.
All records suggest that she and her stepson worked well together, and there is no evidence that her rule was ever challenged. This makes it only more strange that long after her death -two decades into the reign of her successor, Thutmose III – much of her legacy was erased. Her name was removed from the list of kings, many of her monuments were defaced, her cartouches and images were chiseled off stone walls, her statues were toppled, and depictions of her in hieroglyphics were painted over with male figures. Future pharaohs took credit for many of her building projects.
Once again, the motivation is unclear: the classic argument is that Thutmose III was acting out of jealousy and spite after being denied his rightful rule for so long. However, this belies the fact that he was politically active and commanded armies during his stepmother’s reign, and one would have to ask why he waited twenty years! It is more likely that this erasure from history was to protect the place of Thutmose III’s son, co-regent, and successor: Amenhotep II.
For many years, Egyptologists knew very little about Hatshepsut. Fortunately, the attempts to expunge her were incomplete, and many images of the female pharaoh still exist. Her rule was rediscovered in 1822 when scholars of Ancient Egypt were able to decode and read the hieroglyphics on the walls of Deir el-Bahri.
Alabaster Factory After a hot morning in the tombs of the Valley of the Kings (see: The Writing on the Walls and Take me to the Afterlife), a stop in an air-conditioned alabaster factory was a welcome break.
Carving Alabaster The workers show us how it’s done.
Explaining Alabaster Using chant, rhyme, and humour, our host tells us all about alabaster.
Alabaster for Sale There is plenty of product for sale – and there is also coffee and tea.
Gift Sales Markets are ubiquitous at the entries to all the historical sites. Sales are obviously slow!
Model of the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut Hatshepsut’s steward and architect, Senenmut, designed her mortuary temple.
Deir Al Bahri This natural amphitheatre is vast. At first, Hatshepsut’s Mortuary Temple seems dwarfed by the magnificent limestone cliffs that rise nearly 300m above the the valley basin of Deir Al Bahri (Deir el-Bahari).
Bus Parking in the Ruins
Ruins in the Cliffs UNESCO-listed as part of the Theban Necropolis, the area is dotted with remains of temples and tombs.
Outside the Memorial Temple of Queen Hatshepsut Painstakingly restored, the temple originally took 15 years to build. The stunning classic lines and columns bring to mind Greek architecture that wasn’t the norm for another 1000 years.
Sphinx of Hatshepsut Originally, the temple was approached by a grand, sphinx-lined causeway; one lonely and badly damaged sphinx remains.
Hatshepsut Colonnades Some say Hatshepsut portrayed herself as a ‘man’, but she appears in traditional female form and dress in many images. In formal pictures and statues, she is shown as a ‘pharaoh’, with the same false beard, symbols of office, and stylised form that other pharaohs – typically male – are depicted with.
“Lady of the Two Lands” Dressed in pharaoh robes, Hatshepsut’s breasts are shielded behind her crossed arms and the royal staffs of the kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt.
Hatshepsut Colonnades The extensive mortuary complex is considered Hatshepsut’s greatest achievement and one of the architectural wonders of Ancient Egypt.
Ruined Columns Much of the complex is still under reconstruction and is out of bounds to visitors.
Bas-Relief Wall Decorations Hatshepsut associated herself with Hathor, incorporating a shrine to the cow-goddess at the southern end of the second level of the mortuary temple. Bas-relief pictures at the entry to Hathor’s Temple depict the goddess in her cow form: in this one, Hathor is licking Hatshepsut’s hand.
Egyptian Goddess Hathor Hathor had a place in every aspect of Egyptian life – and death. A personification of love, beauty, music, dance, motherhood, and joy, she was originally associated with the Milky Way, which was considered to be the milk that flowed from the udders of a heavenly cow. It was she who gave birth to and protected the pharaohs.
Hathor on the Columns Originally, the temple featured twelve Hathor-headed columns, but only a few remain. I particularly like this one, because it shows off her cow-ears.
Hatshepsut clearly wanted to be remembered. On her obelisk, she inscribed:
Seventy-Five Mile Beach This has to be one of the most beautiful stretches of ‘highway’ anywhere! Voted one of the best coastal drives in the world, Seventy-Five Mile Beach on Fraser Island is part of Australia’sNational Highway system: speed limits apply – and you need to give way to approaching aircraft!
Paradise.
That’s what the Butchulla people, the Traditonal Owners of what is now Fraser Island in Southeast Queensland, called it: K’gari, Paradise.
According to the Aboriginal Dreamtime story, the great God in the sky, Beiral, created all the people, but the people had no lands. Yendingie, a messenger, was sent down from the sky to make the sea and the land. When Yendingie arrived at what is now known as Hervey Bay, he had a helper – the beautiful white spirit-princess K’gari. She worked long and hard with Yendingie, and fell in love with the beautiful place they had created. She begged to be able to stay there forever.
When I was told a version of this story, I was standing somewhere along a Fraser Island beach, where, looking back over the landscape, it was easy to imaging a sleeping spirit princess, draped in jewel-green forests and silver clouds.
Thanks to Air Fraser, like Yendingie and K’gari, I could appreciate those mirrors-lakes and lush forests from above. UNESCO-listedFraser Island truly is a unique place of uncommon beauty: the world’s largest sand island with a remarkable eco-system (see: Fraser Island Forests and Waters).
Come meet K’gari.
Air Fraser Island and Fraser Explorer Tours Fraser Island’s unique conditions require built-for-purpose transportation. Our tour bus is a 4-wheel-drive multi-geared MAN vehicle, custom-designed in Germany. The Gippsland GA8 Airvan is a single-engined utility aircraft manufactured in Australia. Both are at home on the sand.
Pilot in the GippsAero I love small planes, and I reckon there is almost no better travel souvenir than aerial views of a place you are exploring.
Whistling Kite A raptor circles overhead to show us how it is done.
Taxiing Watching the waves on the beach as we cruise along it in a plane is a new experience for me! (iPhone6)
Over Lake McKenzie Lake McKenzie is truly a heart-shaped gem from the air! As a ‘perched’ lake, it has no river inflow or outflow and contains only rainwater. The white sands surrounding it are almost pure silica.
Lake Mckenzie The acidity of the water keeps it crystal clear and free of growing organisms, as I had discovered myself the day before when I ventured into it. The waters feel like warm silk, and the sands are soft underfoot.
Over Lake Wabby I love the different perspective you get from the air! Lake Wabby is a barrage lake that came about because the encroaching young sand dune, the Hammerstone Sandblow, blocked its water supply.
Hammerstone Sandblow The sands look quite different when you are trying to traverse them!
Lake Wabby Lake Wabby’s emerald colour was more intense at ground level, but the lake’s distinctive half-moon shape was harder to appreciate.
The Coast from the Cockpit I love watching the coastline from the cockpit – even when the skies are closing in.
Light on the Pacific The weather was rainy, and squalls came and went. It was wonderful to watch the dramas of light play out over the water.
Mists over Fraser Island The soft rains drape the sleeping form of Princess K’gari as we continue our flight.
Bus on the Beach We circle back toward Seventy-Five Mile Beach; the tour bus and its earth-bound occupants come into view.
Vehicles on Seventy-Five Mile Beach Special permits, extra insurance, and driving orientations are required by anyone wanting to drive on Fraser Island. Road rules apply, and Nature takes a dim view of operators who don’t respect the conditions (Evening – 07June2019).
Wreck in the Water We had seen this vehicle the evening before (07June2019), not long after it had bogged itself at Yidney Rocks. The tourists on board managed to exit safely through the roof, but the incoming tides made rescuing the bus itself impossible. (Our driver had opted for the longer, inland route – even there, we had to stop to rescue a police 4WD vehicle that had strayed too far into the soft sandy shoulders.) When we saw this vehicle again less than 12 hours later (as pictured here), it was pretty much destroyed by the overnight seas.
The Maheno on the Horizon The skeleton of the SS Maheno, on the other hand, has been weathering the waves since washing up here in 1935.
Snapping the Shipwreck Between 1856 and 1935, twenty-three shipwrecks were recorded in the waters around Fraser Island. The Maheno is the best known, and is a stop on most tourist itineraries.
Maheno – The Island Although the ship was built in Scotland, the name Maheno is the Maori (New Zealand) word for ‘island’.
Splash on the Maheno The Maheno started life as a luxury passenger liner in 1904, and was at one time the fastest ship to cross the Tasman between Australia and New Zealand.
Waves over the Maheno She served as a hospital ship during World War I, making runs in the English Channel and between the British Isles and New Zealand.
Sculpture in Rust and Water
Waves and Rust At the end of her days, she was sold for scrap, and was under tow from Sydney to Japan …
Waves over the Cabin … when she was caught and beached here in a 1935 cyclone that devastated parts of the Queensland coast.
Rusty Skeleton
Almost Abstract : Water and Rusty Iron
Seventy-Five Mile Beach Looking north from the shipwreck, the beach looks quiet and inviting … but: Users, Beware!
Paradise, yes.
But, also a land of bogs, wrecks, and ruins.
It always pays to respect Nature – and Princess K’gari.
[…] I’m not much of a geology student, but the landscape of Fraser Island is a living, pulsing thing that transcends time. As written in the UNESCO-World Heritage listing, the “immense sand dunes are part of the longest and most complete age sequence of coastal dune systems in the world and are still evolving”. The system dates back at least 700,000 years, and some of the dunes may be 400,000 years old. The sculpting of the magnificent silica sand blows by the wind is ongoing today, changing the island’s profile as we watch (see: Airways, Highways, and Waterways). […]ReplyCancel
Man with Prayer Beads – Patan’s Royal Palace Patan’s Durbar (Palace) Square is an integral part of the Kathmandu ValleyUNESCO World Heritage Listing. The former Royal Palace houses the Patan Museum; but it is much more than that. It is a living, breathing place of architectural beauty, where life continues amid precious buildings and earthquake ruins.
Religious expression is a part of daily life in Nepal, and even the buildings are a declaration of faith and a demonstration of artistry.
Patan (or Lalitpur (ललितपुर), or Manigal) is the oldest of the three cities in the Kathmandu Valley. It is known for its rich cultural heritage, cottage industries, and skilled craftsmanship – particularly in metal and stone.
In Patan, even the city plan itself is an iconographic expression of Buddhist principles: the city was designed in the shape of the Dharma-Chakra(Wheel of Righteousness). According to the most popular story, Emperor Aśoka (Ashoka), the legendary King of India (r. 268-232 BCE), who embraced Buddhism and ruled across the vast Mauyran Empire, visited this region in 250 BCE while on pilgrimage with his daughter. He directed that five stupas be built: one at each of the four cardinal points, and one in the middle of Patan.
As a consequence, Patan is one of the oldest Buddhist cities in the world.
While the city is said to contain 1200 Buddhist monuments, it is also a center of Hinduism. A dizzying array of courtyards, major temples, and small shrines radiate out from Durbar (or Palace) Square. It is this collection of culturally important and artistically beautiful buildings, with their brick, stone, timber and bronze ornamentation, that results in Patan’s inclusion as one of the seven Monument Zones contributing to the UNESCO World Heritage-listing of the Kathmandu Valley. As UNESCO says, Buddhism and Hinduism both prospered in Nepal and produced an artistic and architectural fusion that came “into its own in the three hundred year period between 1500 and 1800 AD.”
As much as these intricately decorated Newar monuments and buildings impress me, I am even more taken with the people who go about their lives around this living history, and pause to invite strangers to share a glimpse of their world.
“Follow the Regulations Gently” As soon as you enter Patan’s Durbar Square, you find people draped over the ancient Newar architecture.
Guardian Lions All across Asia, the entrances to homes, public buildings, and temples of various religions, are flanked by a pair of guardian lions. Thought to be stylistically modelled on the Asiatic lion once common across the continent, they are always found in pairs as a manifestation of yin and yang. Unfortunately, they could not protect Durbar Square from catastrophic damage in the earthquake of April 2015.
Oil Lamps in a Temple Countless small temples and shrines are dotted all around the square and the city beyond. They are usually dark, with air that is hot and close from flames, and smoky with spicy incense.
Lighting a Flame in a Temple It is customary to ring a bell, make a small offering, and light a flame to awaken the god or goddess before one worships.
Applying a Bindi Trays of turmeric and vermilion ochre are inside the temple so that people can apply thier own bindis before praying, and then go on with their daily routines.
Guardian in the Stone The Garuda is a legendary bird-like creature in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain mythology. It represents birth and heaven, and is found all around the buildings of Patan.
Brass Goods For Sale Brass vases, door knockers, singing bowls, and various religious iconography are for sale on the streets and in the shops. (iPhone6)
Beautiful Brass
Woman in a Window The are a number of old Newari residential houses around Durbar Square.
Ceramic Shrine Some small shrines are not immediately recognisable as such to outsiders, but if you look carefully, you will see the bell on the left and a burner on the right.
Newari Woman in Pink In Nepal, marigolds are considered pure and called the “herb of the sun”. They are signifiant as a religious symbol in Hindu, Buddhist, and Catholic celebrations.
That Smile! Durbar Square is surrounded with countless shops full of art, craft, and smilling faces.
Carved Struts Everywhere you look, someone has put time and attention into the crafting …
Carved Pillar … of all the woodwork and stonework.
Man on the Museum Stoop And, everywhere, there are people bringing the wood and stone to life.
Ornate Building Front Wood, tiles, brick, and brass: the buildings are a multi-media work of art.
Men in their Dhaka Topi Dhaka ko Topi literally means: “headgear made of dhaka cloth”; dhaka is the hand-spun cotton inlay-pattern weaving used to make the intricately patterned and colourful panels for Nepali hats.
Men on the Palace Stoop The Dhaka topi (ढाका टोपी) is a part of the Nepalese national dress.
Patan Shrines Life goes on around the shrines.
Smiling Woman Wonderful faces are everywhere!
Old Newari Man
Detail: Stone Carving Intricate work is all around, …
Apsara: Female Spirit … dancing out of the clouds, waters, and stones of the city, …
Old Men on the Palace Stoop … and the smiles are contagious.
That belief that life is in the lap of the Gods helps when things go seriously pear-shaped –
– and for that, I truly envy the smiling people of Nepal!
Hi Kevin,
Thanks for looking in! It was, indeed, a long time ago and far away… I do wonder if we will ever be allowed to travel again!
I hope you are staying out of the hot-spots.
Cheers!ReplyCancel
- Performing the Ganga Aarti from Dasaswamedh Ghat, Varanasi
- Buddha Head from Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar
- Harry Clarke Window from Dingle, Ireland
- Novice Monk Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery, Myanmar
Packets of 10 for $AU50.
Or - pick any photo from my Flickr or Wanders blog photos.
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– and for that, I truly envy the smiling people of Nepal!
