I have lived and worked in Kathmandu for many years but, it seems, every day there is something new to see and discover. Kathmandu never fails to take me by surprise. Just when I think I know the nooks and crannies like the back of my hand, there is something or the other that makes the city feel new and alive.
Over the years, Kathmandu has been teeming with people, and when I look around I see stories everywhere. It’s in the lines of the wrinkly face of an old woman selling gooseberries in New Road, it’s in the folds of the sari of the woman with the bulging blue plastic bag that has Winnie-the-Pooh on it, and it’s in the careless strides of teenagers hanging around with friends after college. Sometimes, I think I could people-watch and conjure up these stories for them in my head all day long.
Then there’s the fast changing urban landscape of Kathmandu. I remember these windows that used reward you of views of lush green fields and hills. Now those very windows frame images of fancy glass façade tall buildings or scenes of new ones being constructed. I know it might sound depressing and many say that Kathmandu is slowly turning into a concrete jungle, but all these changes show how life is changing in the capital city. It’s fascinating to watch, if you take the time to do so.
At the moment, it might seem like Kathmandu has a lot of problems. Yes, the roads are dusty and muddy, the traffic can be horrifying, and there seems to be a lot more chaos than order. But Kathmandu also has a lot of good things to offer. You have to be able to look past the niggling issues that are a part of every city that’s changing. Through my photos, I urge people to, every once in a while, turn a blind eye to everything that infuriates them and search for the beauty that lies beyond.
bijay.gajmer@gmail.com