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A performance art in the streets of Kathmandu
After suffering the loss of his mother, artist Manish Lal Shrestha disagreed to follow the traditional mourning ritual and chose a more personal way to venerate his departed mother.After suffering the loss of his mother, artist Manish Lal Shrestha disagreed to follow the traditional mourning ritual and chose a more personal way to venerate his departed mother. As a consequence he had to overcome several social taboos and psychological hurdles in the process. His own struggle made him realise how the traditional system is even more biased towards women. Hence, to oppose the perceived oppression, artist Shrestha did a performance art in the streets of Kathmandu, from Indra Chowk to Itumbaha, earlier this week.
During the performance, Shrestha had his head shaved, and wore all white and carried five pindas (instead of one as is traditionally done), which represent the five elements: water, air, fire, sky and the earth. He also carried a bell as a way of signifying the passing of time. In Shrestha’s own words, “The performance is done to remind people of the universal truth—death—and to bring to attention the ongoing destruction of lives in the country.”
He also added that there are several traditional elements that instead of helping the mourners deal with the loss of their near ones make the process even more insufferable. “For instance, a widowed woman is forced to wear white all her life and is prohibited to remarry,” the artist said, “such societal obstructions make life unnecessarily difficult for a lot of people. As an artist, I feel compelled to raise my voice against such malpractices.”