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Last Updated: Jul 20, 2008 - 5:55:13 AM |
When Hillary Clinton visited Nepal, legend has it that the hotel
swimming pool was drained and replenished with bottled mineral water at
her request. For the hospitable Nepalese, no effort is too big; no
request too outrageous.
These are a people who have successfully seen off centuries of attempts
at foreign invasion, lived on subsistence farming and hand-to-mouth
petty commerce for millennia, while still finding the time to keep
alive intricate cultures, rituals and ceremonies.
More recently, they have lived through oppressive regimes, and a
10-year Maoist insurgency - only to come out the other side with even
wider smiles.
Nowhere was this more clearly demonstrated than in the celebrations in
May this year, when the Nepalese monarchy was formally abolished. Up
and down the country, there were vibrant scenes of jubilation and
commemoration, with revellers taking to the streets, not just with
banners and megaphones, but with musical instruments, singing and
dancing in the hope of a better future.
The atmosphere was less that of a political rally, and more of a
festival or carnival - but there was a very serious point to all this,
too. The people of this small but incredibly proud country were
welcoming the long-awaited arrival of what is now the Republic of
Nepal, as well as marking the end of the ‘transitional period' and
successful April elections.
The citizens of the new republic, as well as the international
community, are now sanguine about the future. According to United
Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon "The people of Nepal have clearly
spoken for peace and change through the 10 April election."
And as the UN personnel prepares to leave, so the foreign visitors
begin to arrive. The tourist industry is anticipating a massive upsurge
in visitor numbers - and nowhere is this more true than in the upper
end of the market, which was also the hardest-hit by the civil conflict
and political instability.
"When the conflict began in the mid 1990s, our guest numbers plummeted
overnight', says Rajiv Desraj Shrestha, executive manager of the
Dwarika's Group, the upmarket outfit that hosted Hillary Clinton during
her eponymous stay in Nepal's capital Kathmandu. "And then, just as
suddenly, our visitor numbers shot up again.
We had a very good season last year, and we are solidly booked for the
whole of the next season. If you want a room from September onwards, it
is simply not possible to stay at the Dwarika's".
The lucky few that have secured a reservation for one of the 73 rooms
in this exclusive ‘boutique heritage hotel' have obviously been savvy
enough to know that Nepal is about to become the next big thing.
But these are also people who will gladly part with US$270 per night -
and that is just the entry level price. If you really have your heart
set on joining the likes of Hillary Clinton, Orlando Bloom and Richard
Gere, you might still be able to find an opening for the Royal Suite
(US$2,020 per night).
Just make sure you don't bother asking if this is a five-star hotel:
"The type of guests we have here are people who are tired of
presidential suites and five-star hotels - the reason they come to us
is because we can offer them a personalised service in an environment
that is unique.
The tourist authorities have repeatedly offered us five-star
accreditation, which we have declined, as we are a boutique heritage
hotel," says Shrestha.
This self-proclaimed status refers to the overall philosophy of the
Dwarika's, which is to keep alive the centuries-old culture and
architecture of the Newari people, the ethnic group that has inhabited
the Kathmandu valley for over two millennia.
But this is much more than just a philosophy - it is visible in the use
of traditional terracotta bricks, but especially in the wood carvings
which adorn all pillars, doors, windows and much more.
This hotel has grown slowly and organically, since the 1970s, mostly
through the use of reclaimed timber, with impressively intricate
carvings, that are acquired from old houses being demolished.
In this part of the world, ‘old' takes on a rather different meaning -
the most recent wooden columns are no less than 200 years old. And the
oldest piece, the Lumbini door, named after the birthplace of Gautama
Buddha and featuring Hindu deities alongside several images of the
Buddha himself, dates from the 13th century.
Anywhere else in the world, such an artifact would be safely guarded
behind museum gates. But in Nepal, it is something that you pass by on
your way to breakfast every morning.
Perhaps the main reason that this country has such an abundance of
‘living heritage' and centuries-old artifacts scattered across its
cities and villages, up in the hills and mountains and down in the
lowlands, is that Nepal has been isolated from the outside world for
most of its history.
The Himalayas, including Mount Everest, have offered protection from
invaders approaching from the North-East. And the ‘stubborn and
indomitable peasants of Nepal', as they were affectionately referred to
by British Army officer Sir Ralph Turner, offered protection from all
other directions.
Successfully fending off Western colonial powers ensured that Nepal's
isolation would continue - in stark contrast to neighbouring India,
which, under British colonial rule, was brought kicking and screaming
into the 19th century global economy. But while a modern railway
infrastructure was constructed in British India, Nepal remained
decidedly medieval.
Even the advent of mass tourism in the 20th century failed to have any
real impact on Nepal. Until recently, there were no airports to speak
of, partially because of a lack of funds, and partially because the
geography of mountains and valleys doesn't lend itself to building
runways of the length required by commercial airbuses and jet planes.
As for ‘independent travellers ‘ heading towards South Asia, they tend
to stick to India, where, unlike Nepal, a widespread rail network makes
for easy internal travel, and where the locals can all speak English -
stark legacies of the British colonial era.
Having escaped the twin binds of 19th century colonialism and 20th
century mass tourism, Nepal is, in many ways, blessed. Now, as the
country begins to open up to the outside world, it has the capability
to ensure a well-managed transition.
Despite high rates of illiteracy, there is an emerging class of
well-educated, enlightened and forward-thinking professionals, working
on developing the country to everyone's benefit. Rabin Subedi, for one,
is a lawyer with WAFED, the Water and Energy Users' Federation, Nepal.
"As Nepal joins the global economy and develops its tourism industry,
we have to protect our greatest assets," he says.
"We have to ensure our natural resources and our spots of natural
beauty are properly managed, for the benefit of the Nepalese people, as
well as for the foreigners who want to visit - not just over the next
10 or 20 years, but for generations to come."
Subedi, the son of illiterate subsistence farmers is now on his way to
Columbia University Law School, to further his postgraduate studies on
a highly competitive scholarship - but has every intention of returning
to his home country.
We don't want to become just another mass-market destination - the best
kind of visitors, the ones that we should be encouraging, are the ones
who can appreciate the finer things in life, and who are not reluctant
to splash out in order to have a superb holiday experience.
"I believe that Nepal is in an excellent position to offer this, and
hope that the development of tourism will be properly managed, and
properly integrated with the rest of the economy," he adds.
If the Nepal Tourist Board is anything to go by, with its modern
offices, professional staff and well-designed brochures, then there is
plenty of cause to be optimistic about the future of the industry. And
while it is only right that Nepal's resources should be managed for the
benefit of the Nepalese people, this does not mean that the economic
climate is unfavourable to foreign investors - on the contrary.
Sarad Pradhan, of the Nepal Tourist Board, explains that it is an
active part of government policy to encourage large-scale foreign
investment in Nepal.
"Traditionally, we have had investors from countries such as the UK or
Holland, with companies such as tour operators, organising trekking and
rafting expeditions. In recent years, however, we have seen more
significant investment - much of which is coming from the UAE, and
especially Dubai".
This includes investment in infrastructure such as hotels and civil
aviation. As examples, Sarad cites Flyyeti.com, a joint-venture between
Air Arabia and Yeti Air (a Nepalese airline that operates internal
flights only), and Le Meridien Kathmandu Gokarna Forest Golf Resort and
Spa, which is promoted by a Dubai-based company and staffed by
professionals shuttling between Nepal and the Middle East.
This is all sounds very nice, you might think, but is Nepal safe? Are
wealthy businesspeople not targets for kidnappings?
Nothing could be further from the truth: even during the height of the
Maoist rebellion, foreigners were never targeted - not a single foreign
national has ever come to any harm in Nepal during the period of
political instability.
Because Nepal was never a colony, its people have zero resentment or
anger towards foreigners - unlike many other countries that suffered
under colonial rule. As for petty crime and theft, this is a concept
that is alien to the Nepalese.
Well-seasoned travellers will tell you that Nepal is actually one of
the safest places they have been to.
Rima Zaarour, a Lebanese artist who divides her time between Dubai and
Montreal, says that she was ‘pleasantly surprised' by how safe she felt
during her stay in Nepal. "I was travelling with another female friend,
and not once did either one of us feel threatened or vulnerable.
Being Lebanese, I have first hand-experience of the dangers to
civilians in war-torn countries, but Nepal was nothing like I expected
it to be. I have lived and travelled across North America, Europe, the
Middle East, and North Africa ... in Nepal, even the tourist touts are
polite and discreet - the most pleasant hustlers I have ever
encountered," she jokes.
>From tourist touts to foreign investors, and from home-grown lawyers to
the leaders of the international community, everyone has high hopes for
the brand-new Republic of Nepal. But while much is set to change, the
warmth and cheerfulness with which foreigners are welcomed is certainly
not going to be one of them.
The last Hindu King
On May 28th 2008, Nepal was declared a republic, and the world lost its
last Hindu monarch. For millions of Nepalis, this was marked by
celebration and jubilation.
Nepal grabbed world headlines in 2001 with the infamous royal massacre,
when a drunken Crown Prince Dipendra killed nine members of the royal
family, including his parents, the King and Queen of Nepal, before
killing himself.
The late King Birendra, who had been on the throne for almost 30 years
was popular and well-loved; his brother, who became King Gyanendra Bir
Bikram Shah Deva in the aftermath of the massacre, was met with
suspicion from the very beginning, not least because many Nepalis
believe that he masterminded the killings in order to fulfill his
personal ambitions.
After assuming power, he famously declared that ‘the "days of monarchy
being seen but not heard... are over". In the seven years that he has
been on the throne he has done little to make himself likeable; he
dismissed Nepal's elected government on two separate occasions,
repressed popular dissent and ordered troops to crack down on Maoist
rebels who enjoyed a strong following in many parts of the country.
In a country where 68% of the population lives on less than US$2 a day,
Gyanendra's personal wealth is so vast that he was considered to be one
of the world's richest monarchs. With the abolishment of the monarchy,
such wealth will come in handy, helping Gyanendra ease into his new
life as a private citizen.
A long time coming
Gyanendra's Shah dynasty has ruled Nepal for 240 years, the last seven
of which have seen his gradual decline and now final exit.
Over these seven years, the then king has seen the masses chipping away
at his power: it was decided he should be taxed just like any other
citizen, that his spending should be controlled, and his acts open to
scrutiny in court or parliament.
In 2006, he was divested from his title of Supreme Commander of the
army. In 2007, Nepal's parliament approved a bill to amend the
constitution so as to make the country a republic. This happened when
the newly-elected Constituent Assembly held its first meeting on May
28th.
Alongside these very real, material changes, there have also been the
symbolic ones. This is, after all, a country where everyday life is
redolent with symbolism, not least of a cultural and religious nature.
Especially interesting has been the gradual move away from any
references to ‘royal', a sort of rebranding exercise unfolding in Nepal
over the past five years or so.
As it moved from being a Royal Kingdom to a Constitutional Monarchy and
now a Federal Democratic Republic, there have been a number of
accompanying changes: ‘Royal Nepal Airlines', ‘His Majesty's Government
of Nepal' and ‘Royal Nepalese Army' have all been scrapped in favour of
more republican alternatives.
And the national anthem, with its opening line of ‘May glory crown you,
courageous sovereign' is soon to be re-written from scratch - it is the
responsibility of the Constituent Assembly to commission a brand-new
national anthem.
But perhaps the most dramatic transformation, both symbolic and
material, is the one that took place on June 16th, when the erstwhile
Royal Palace in Kathmandu was officially inaugurated as the Narayanhiti
Palace Museum, in what was the first ever public function held in the
building by the government of Nepal.
Officials have said that it will take several months before the museum
is ready to open to the public. Amongst the main attractions will be a
1939 Mercedes Benz given to King Tribhuvan, the grandfather of the last
King, by Adolf Hitler. The car had been delivered by hand, quite
literally, as it was carried to Kathmandu across rural Nepal, at a time
that pre-dated the construction of roads.
It is expected that the priceless crown and sceptre, which Gyanendra
handed to government officials and has since been verified by experts
for its authenticity, will also be on display, alongside the throne.
What future for an ex-King?
It is still early days, but Mr Gyanendra Shah, as he is now to be
known, has repeatedly declared his intention to remain in Nepal,
denying rumours that he is considering a relocation to India, Dubai or
London. In order to remain in Nepal, he will first need to apply for
citizenship, something which none of the monarchs ever troubled
themselves with.
Assuming he won't be given too much grief with the Nepalese
bureaucracy, he then plans to dedicate himself to his business
activities - he owns an array of commercial interests, including a
brewery, a tobacco company, countless factories and a large stake in
the Soaltee Group, a Nepali business group with estimated net assets of
$100m.
Whilst money will not be a problem, the real question is how easy it
will be for him to adjust to life without the pomp and ceremony of high
office. Or indeed without the intrigue, paranoia and superstition that
have been the hallmark of his entire life.
Soon after his birth, a court astrologer told his father, Crown Prince
Mahendra, that he would be cursed with bad luck if he were to look at
his newborn son, and so the young Gyanendra was sent to live with his
grandmother. With such an inauspicious start, it is perhaps not
surprising that his entire life thus far has been marred by a series of
calamities.
Story continues below ↓
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Some sympathetic observers believe that the end of the monarchy is the
best thing that could happen to Gyanendra, as well as for the future of
Nepal.
Source:Ocnus.net 2008
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