We have heard of and dealt with various shades of racial superiority and we have heard of feudal system and caste system. There are people who consider themselves superior to them who dress differently or speak differently or are known by different names or simply by the color of their skin. Accumulation of wealth and power seems to have become one of the outcomes of aforementioned …
While the world remains focused on Gaza Truce or Israel Palestinian War or even Climate Change, the World is quietly moving on its measured pace towards something else, the renminbi. I had briefly mentioned in my last post about how India scored a jackpot buying Russian crude in Indian Rupees and selling them to the West in US dollars. Now Russia has accumulated so many billions …
The World is hurtling through space at a breakneck speed and here we are the mere helpless witnesses. Make sure you have got as much information as you possibly can because once we lose the connection it may never be reestablished. Obviously we have been watching news of severe weather conditions in the Middle-East; so much unprecedented hailstorm and rain flooding everywhere in the desert, it …
Of all the happenings around the world right now, nothing comes close to what the Hamas and Israelis are involved in. Hamas had the decided advantage of initiative and in a battlefield it is of great advantage particularly when it is coupled with secrecy. Nevertheless, Hamas could gain little or no advantage of initiative as Israel was able to quickly gain composure and strike back with …
In the wee hours of October 07, in a daring surprise but very well coordinated attack, Hamas caught Israel in its most unprepared position. Israel was actually wrapping up its seven day long festival of Sukkot, a festival to celebrate gathering of harvest and thanking God Almighty for His protection when Hamas attacked Israel by land, air and sea. The air attack was so massive that …
It rarely happens, but it has happened. Recent G20 is one of those rarest of the rare events but it happened. It has written and having writ, moved on. It has written in indelible ink that the world is now bipolar, half the world is now pro-Russian while the other half remains anti-Russian. How did the Russians manage to split the world? While the West had …
Our world is moving at a breakneck speed, everywhere. Difficult to keep a track of myriads of specters passing by. Unconsciously, we let them fall into trash. Nevertheless, some of them attract our attention while some of them demand our attention before we consign them all into oblivion. First and foremost comes the name of Yevgeny Prigozhin, a man rose into prominence as the personal chef …
Some Republicans are showing signs of election fatigue and I don’t blame them, but they are showing, nevertheless. They are somewhat hazy about the objects of their blame but also are ready to exonerate them at the same time if they could find an excuse, any excuse. The Republicans don’t know exactly why their best bet failed and are prepared to blame anyone just to give …
What does the word Sanskrit mean? Not even the most erudite of scholars has been able to answer that question yet the literal meaning of the word sanskrit is “refined” or “cultured”. The question hence remains unanswered; what was it refined from or what was cultured to become “sanskrit”? Sanskrit was yet in a formative stage and being consolidated in India when the mighty sword of …
These five pictures introduce the History of the Kiratis; who they are and how they perceive themselves. So, let us see, from left to right: Manjusri is seen here with his right arm holding a sword raised in anticipation of the strike which drained lake Naag Baas rendering Kathmandu Valley dry. This is the symbolic act of creation of dry land which was bequeathed to the …
In this Our History Series 2 are presented here five illustrations related to our ancient history, some of them well known while others may be unfamiliar to some and briefly they are, from Left to Right: We are familiar with the first, it is Swayambhunath of Kathmandu, Nepal. We have learned in Our History Series 1 that it was created by the divine hands of Manjusri, …
We are here to witness the third series of our history something quite unusual, very unusual because it is virtually unknown in the history of modern India. In the picture above, on the left, is seen the nativity of the Buddha-to-be, Siddhartha Gautam, in the Garden of Lumbini, in mid-western Nepal. What is unusual about this picture is that the Hindu trinity gods, ie, Brahma, Bisnu …
In this fourth Series of Our History we will explore how Buddhism began to spread worldwide and how we have been misled by disinformation, some spread by interested elements and some by ignorance. Let us begin, at the very beginning. The Buddha was not deified for well over four centuries after his attainment of his nirwan (nirvana) but many iconic representations of the Buddha had taken …
Our fifth lesson have the Panch Dhyani Buddhas or Five Buddhas of Eternal Meditation of Nepalese Buddhist Cosmology but they are totally unknown in India. These Five Dhyani Buddhas are eternally in heaven and we know nothing beside their names. However, from Left to Right above are namely Ratnasambhawa, whose aura is Gold who is placed at the base of a chaitya facing cardinal direction of …
How did the followers of The Enlightened One fare as time went by will be the subject of Our History Series 6. It was very eventful must be the short answer. The extreme Left image above is an image cast in silver and comes from Nepal, his native land. As can be seen here, it was very austere while its most prominent feature was its curly …
In this Our History Series 7, we are going to witness something more tangible that our forebears have left behind, something to base our study upon how a Kirati Mongolian Prince became a household word centuries ago in our neighbourhood. Let us examine: The first picture above is of the script carved on rock by Ashok the Great; it is written in Pali language the lingua …
Our History Series 8 has brought us right across our northern border and it is that part of our history which has remained virtually sealed off from us. Its significance is very grave and it demands our serious attention, so let us get on: The first picture is that of Princess Bhrikuty of Nepal, daughter of King Angsuburman Thakuri of Kathmandu, she was married to King …
Here is Our History Series 9 and as you can see we have suddenly landed in modern times. So, let’s get acquainted with it: The first picture is the Memorial the Brits had erected in a remote corner of India in Uttarakhand at a place called Kalunga. The Left Obelisk is inscribed to the sacred memory of General Rollo Gillespie and the Right Obelisk is for …
Our History Series 10 is eclectic, it shows how our forebears have passed through in the past ages some hitherto unrecorded stages of history. The first picture shows Alexander the Great hunting lion barefoot. This ancient fresco depicts Alexander killing a lion with a single stroke of a khukuri and there is another picture which shows Alexander severing the Gordian Knot with a single stroke of …
With this Eleventh Episode of Our History Series, we are planning to exit. However, it will be prudent to remember, these are rather emotive issues and have never been told before by historians. So, let’s proceed: The first picture is of a now forgotten Gurkha Regiment. In 1850, a battalion of Native Infantry of British Indian Army had mutinied and seized the Fort of Govindgarh. Finally …
We have followed the Coronavirus Episode from Day One, from its very beginning until today which has led us unto something. We are now ready to conclude this Episode. We have done all our China-bashing and it has led to nowhere, we wasted our time. It had all begun in a belief that Chinese will be grossly embarrassed and come out with the truth. What truth, …
Of all the things that have captivated our imagination as nothing before, coronavirus most certainly comes up first and foremost. Yet, we seem to know so little about it and none seem to care. The pandemic had at times created itself an aura of negativity and many ignorantly believed it to be a gift from China. There were instances when some Chinese people were treated offensively …
Now that the Primaries are safely behind, I feel like reminiscing how we have arrived where we are now. From the very beginning of the Primaries, I have been lamenting that no Candidates has even mentioned the name of President Obama. As if that was not enough, they all had their own Health Care program which clearly suggested they had done away with ObamaCare. No candidate …
Come to think of it: Europe in the Middle Ages was ravaged by The Plague decimating its population and we know it now that it was spread by rats. Coronavirus today however, is being spread entirely by humans. We are not happy that it was neither rats nor bats nor pigs who spread the disease, it was humans who alone are entirely responsible for the coronavirus …
Imagine the Dark Ages when Europe was struck down by the Plague and compare and contrast it with the prevalent situation worldwide today. From what records that are available to us of the days gone by and the fortitude with which Europeans fought the scourge encourages us to take similar steps towards coronavirus. Cleanliness is next to Godliness the Europeans were taught and our noble leaders …
It has been quite a while since we have been gripped by the unwelcome stories about the coronavirus and its manifestations in American soil. Mercifully, the fog is now slowly lifting and we are better informed to form an opinion, an independent unbiased opinion. We have now learned that the pandemic virus had entered American soil long before we knew of Wuhan Episode. Coronavirus had come …
The world is still reeling under the onslaught of corona virus which really caught us unaware. Even months after months of relentless attack, the world at large hasn’t got fully informed of the nature and strength of the enemy numero uno. All that we know of this dreadful disease is that it was first detected in Wuhan Province of China some seven months ago. We will …
Nothing has had ever so totally gripped our Lonely Planet than by this ubiquitous malady called corona virus. There appears to be a rather enigmatic halo surrounding the true color of covid-19 which it has managed to keep shrouded in mystery, even after it has decimated several thousands of victims on its wake. It has at the same time some very useful lessons for us humankind. …
Super Tuesday has come and gone but on its wake tremendous lot of speculations are afoot. Obviously, first and foremost question in every Democrat’s mind is whether it will be Joe Biden or Bernie Sanders. But some of them know it, some who orchestrated the Act I, Scene II from behind and when the denouement comes it will not be what everyone has in their mind. …
Opening scene was filled with suspense, a young lad just idling around a pile of nondescript lot of bundles when his fierce looking master wearing a pompous turban enters the scene. The master settles down on the floor cross legged and starts playing his flute when lo and behold, the pile of rope comes to life and slowly begins to rise up and up and beyond. …
An historic peace treaty has been signed by USA and the Taliban, which is a recognized terrorist organization and based largely within Afghanistan. However, the two very much affected parties namely Afghanistan and Pakistan, were not invited. This deal was necessitated due to the promise President Trump had made to the nation that he would bring back home US Military from Afghanistan where they had been …
We watched President Trump in India and clearly the hosts love fanfare. It is in their psyche. The Brits loved it too but for a reason, Brits actually ruled over India through series of fanfare, all mesmerizing fanfare. The Viceroy rarely took part in fanfare personally so he let his Second-in-Command, the Commander-in-Chief of India stand in for him. Fanfares showed off the glory British Royalty …
A cursory glance at the Democratic Primary lends us a very serious image of the Party in disarray. It is so serious the organizers are unable to declare the results of the primary which gives us a hint of shady deal behind the screen. Perhaps, it is not in Bernie Sander’s backyard syndrome, not just yet. While the entire machinery of Democratic establishment remained firmly occupied …
China is comfortably settled down with its new found position of authority in Asia, its right none there to dispute. Here and there, India has been trying its subtle tactics but its feeble efforts are visible to the Chinese even without having made any effort. In total desperation in India’s urge to exert its influence, its right foot seems to be stumbling upon its own left …
Her Majesty the Queen described the year as Annus Horribilis to express her sad experience not as a Sovereign Monarch but as a mother, she was actually chastising her offsprings. The Right Royals do not normally use harsher words, the year was 1992 Anno Domini. But since then, her children and grand-children have offended the august monarch even worse. The concupiscible Prince Charles of Wales gave …
In 1936, justice is served when King Edward VIII decided to abdicate on his own to marry Mrs Wallis Simpson, a divorcee. In 1953, justice is served when Princess Margaret was denied permission to marry Gp Capt Peter Townsend, a divorced man, whom she loved. But when Prince Charles insisted on keeping a mistress when he was still married to Princess Diana, their fairytale marriage ended …
The nation has had been held hostage for the past four months by an undiagnosed fever of impeachment which eventually proved to be just a hoax. However, it has managed to divide the nation irreversibly further into two, we and they, just as I had written earlier like Shias and Sunnis of the Moslem World. To imagine the Democrats knew all along that they have been …
If I were the speech writer, I would be the last person to advise the President to go out showing V for Victory sign, neither would I make a hit list of all those who have out of sheer malice moved heaven and earth in their attempt to bring dishonor to the name of President Donald Trump. We know who they are but it would be …
Current news about Russian President Putin’s impending visit to Nepal appears to have been held in abeyance. Perhaps, for a good reason. I have written more than once about the desirability and wisdom of USA getting involved in the affairs of Nepal and its surroundings. That China has been playing a major role there should surprise none because it was the Chinese who had been culturally …
President Donald Trump has granted clemency to Gov Rod Blagojevich for a reason not quite well known as on today but we can reasonably hope to know the details by and by. One very obvious reason of President Trump pardoning Gov Blagojevich could be that he is showing off; that he can undo what his predecessor had done. But wasn’t Gov Blagojevich found guilty of moral …
On 12/13 Oct 2019 President Xi Jinping made a State visit to Kathmandu and this historic event has raised certain concern in international arena. It is therefore the opportune moment to let my readers know how His Holiness the Dalai Lama is connected to Nepal and China through history. Read on: Srong Tsen Gampo had become the powerful monarch of Tibet during the seventh century A.D., …
Nepal has often been described as a poor landlocked country and in essence Nepal has been an India-locked country; Indian leaders have always believed they controlled Nepal’s destiny. Nepal was virtually at India’s mercy and oftentimes Indian truck-drivers would declare road block cutting off all supplies on way to Nepal. Nepal saw it as a political strong arm twisting just disguised as truck drivers’ strike. That …
This is a game someone invented while in a state of amnesia. What about people? There are billions of people more on the surface of our planet than only a lifetime ago and do you know they breathe out billions of cubic feet of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. What about the huge poultry farms and the hog farms and the cattle farms? and what about …
A while ago, I happened to be reading an article on “Atacama Desert in Chile” by Sarah Gibbens in National Geographic Magazine and what I found so fascinating is how the lifeless desert comes to bloom, not just bloom but how a colourful carpet seems to cover the arid landscape in response to the overwhelming urge of nature after a shower of rain that falls once …
It suddenly dawned upon me that what I was reading is actually one of the pages of history which had been misplaced for nearly a millennia and a half. In the year circa 636 A.D. the famous Chinese pilgrim, Hiuen Tsiang had visited Kathmandu, Nepal and made the following entry in his famous autobiographical journal “Buddhist Records of the Western World”: “To the south-east of the …
It suddenly dawned upon me that what I was reading is actually one of the pages of history which had been misplaced for nearly a millennia and a half. In the year 618 A.D. the famous Chinese pilgrim, Hiuen Tsiang had visited Kathmandu, Nepal and made the following entry in his “Buddhist Records of the Western World”: “To the south-east of the capital (Kathmandu) is a …
Kiratis of ancient Nepal worshipped a pre-brahminic deity called Paru Hang which actually is not a name of the divinity but simply means the Lord (or King) of Paru. Although it may sound odd to our modern ears, it is traditional cultural heritage of the Kiratis, it is considered to be an expression of respect to so address; for example, a man may be called so-and-so’s …
Queen Elizabeth I had played her cards exceedingly well, she had betted all in upon Hon’ble East India Company. Up against her two Iberian rivals, she was a century behind but she was depending more upon her astuteness than those who were rolling in money gained from their recently acquired lands. Portuguese had their visions clear; that theirs was a small country and couldn’t afford to …
Guru Padmasambhawa, the Founder of Lamaism or the Tibetan form of Mahayana Buddhism, is believed to have possessed tremendous power, physical and spiritual which he is known to have used particularly in Tibet subjugating the demonic power of ancient Bon faith practiced by the Tibetans beforehand. It is an oral tradition that his source of power lay in the artefact he possessed known to his followers …
To maintain integrity of history let General Nigel Woodyatt, the Editor of the Regimental History of The 3rd Queen Alexandra’s Own Gurkhas tell his own story; he has written: “When it was announced that the Indian troops had left France for ‘another field of action’, General Hutchinson, the Colonel of the Regiment, forwarded to Queen Alexandra’s equerry, for Her Majesty’s information, some details of the second …
It will never be possible to define and certainly even more complicated to understand what Caste System really means. While it is a very complex social code it also is unwritten law of the Hindu Religion based entirely upon tradition and supported by various orthodox books held by Brahmin priests. Entire Hindu Society, or the Brahminic Society has divided human-kind into four categories; namely the Brahmins, …
Once, during World War II in Burma, Lord Slim found himself uncomfortably pinned down by vicious Japanese machine gun fire and he was shocked, perhaps a bit amused to find a Gurkha Officer stand up and burst out laughing at his discomfiture. Lord Slim, being a Gurkha himself understood well the Gurkha sense of humour, a typical Gurkha reaction to such a situation and offers this …
No one was pleased more than Queen Victoria at the defeat the mutineers had suffered at the hands of the Gurkhas, personally led by Jungbahadur Rana Magar, Prime Minister of Nepal. Her Majesty had befriended the visiting Prime Minister of Nepal only a decade ago and had lavishly entertained him in Buckingham Palace and elsewhere in the UK. One of the immediate consequences of the reestablishment …
Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, or the Mutiny of the Sepoy (or Sipahi or Soldiers), is so-called as the mutineers were almost entirely the soldiers of North India. Today, it is generally known as First War of Independence in India. However, it must be emphasized here that the Brits were totally taken by surprise and they were absolutely unprepared to face it. Without the effective intervention of …
One of the most vicious battles ever fought by the Brits during World War I was on September 25, 1915 at Neuve Chapelle, France. There when troops withdrew from an unsuccessful assault on German trenches, three Gurkhas and one soldier of Leicestershire Regiment were inadvertently left behind on the wrong side of the No-Mans-Land. While one of the Gurkha soldiers was only slightly wounded, the other …
