Saraswati

Saraswati
Betrawati, November 2002

I took this photo during the rice harvest. The ground all about us was littered with dry rick stalks, and children played on the mounds stacked on the side of the path. Later these stalks would be used as feed for the family buffalo.

Saraswati was named after the Hindu goddess of art, knowledge, learning, music, and wisdom. 

I find Saraswati’s smile in this photo so warm and true.

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Kanche

Kanche
Betrawati, November 2002

A closeup of Kanche, as seen in yesterday's post with her friend Sarita.

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Kanche and Sarita

Kanche and Sarita
Betrawati, November 2002

Going home means walking up the gentle slope of a dusty, rocky road.
Along the left side, there is a long fence made from welded strips of corner-iron.

If you stand by the fence, you can look down upon the corrugated roof of the long building below. In between some of the old tires—used to help hold the roof steady in high winds—there are piles of what look like husks of rice. I think this building may process rice in some manner, but I never really checked.

Beyond this building, you can see a couple of kidney-shaped rice fields and then the Falakhu river as it feeds into the Trishuli.

I came across these two friends on my walk—perhaps walking home like me, perhaps just passing their time and enjoying each other's company.

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Parvati, now and then

Parvati, now and then
Betrawati, 2011 and 2000

Parvati, who lives next door. Coincidentally, the two photos—taken 11 years apart—were taken in the same exact place.

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Sunil shares a bench

Sunil shares a bench
Betrawati, 2002

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Deepak

Deepak
Betrawati, 2002

On a wooden bench near the bridge, Deepak has a rest while he takes in a view of his village around him.

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To his left, here’s a view similar to what he’d see.

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In the above photo from 2000, you can see the bridge that crosses the Falakhu river—tributary to the mighty Trishuli—in the background.

Below is a June 2011 photo taken looking up the Falakhu river from the middle of that bridge.

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Nisha's laugh

Nisha's laugh
Betrawati, June 2011

...as powerful and full-of-life as the mighty Trishuli river.

On a visit to Betrawati during the first few days of June 2011, I was able to visit Nisha and her family. I took these photos with the roar of the Trishuli tumbling by in the background.

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Barsha

Barsha
Betrawati, 2004

My sweet, strong bahini [younger sister] in Betrawati.

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Friends doing laundry

Friends doing laundry
Betrawati, 2002?

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Anju

Anju
Betrawati, 2002

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