Miscellaneous
Places that change us
Some journeys give you more than what you asked and planned for. In August 2016, when I set out for the small village of Khandeshwori in Darchula,Some journeys give you more than what you asked and planned for. In August 2016, when I set out for the small village of Khandeshwori in Darchula, I knew I would bring back some wonderful memories. But accompanying team Bookmandu distributing books to children at the Khandeswhori Higher Secondary School, little did I anticipate that the place would have so much more to give back to us.
We entered the Far-west through Nepalgunj, a vibrant and colourful Mid-western city and a business hub that connects Mid-west to the Far-west. Then, as we moved upwards into the hills, via long bumpy bus and jeep rides, the region became all the more enchanting. From children dancing in the rain with their pink umbrellas to porters lugging our books on their backs in a monsoon downpour, far west had a lot of hope and optimism, despite the difficult terrain and lifestyle. Even with landslides and flooding rivers hindering our progress, the warm smiles of curious locals made every hurdle worthwhile.
When we finally reached our destination, after a 27-hour busride and a two-day hike, our weariness became an insignificant footnote. The small village of Khandeshwori, blanketed by clouds and home to the most beautiful, happy faces, was the perfect example of why photography is more than just making perfectly-timed shots; it is about experiencing and ‘living’ the place you photograph.
Any new place changes you, and when that place is as enchanting as the far-west, it does so completely. When we set out from Kathmandu, we had left with the hopes of bringing about change to Khandeswori, however little it may have been. But when we returned, we realised that it was Khandeswori that had changed us instead.
- Text and Photos: Pramin Manandhar
Near-death experience as our Jeep meets with an accident on the trails to Ganna,Darchula.
Obsessed with his cup, a kid runs away from us to hide his prized possession in his shorts.
A singer in the making. Abhishek relaxes by singing to the tunes on the radio after his exams.
Bablu (right) from Nepaljung has been selling sunglasses, watches, and wallets for past eight years.
A porter lugs our books on his back en route to Khandeshwori, Darchula.
A bubbly young girl sports an immense smile on her face. When I ask her what she wants to do once she grows up, she replies “I just want to eat and eat.”