Basantapur bazar is my hometown. Technically because it’s my father’s birthplace and his current home exists there. It has been just one day since I left and my heart aches to visit it one more time before leaving for Singapore. Basantapur is a naturally gifted town. Despite its bitter weather, Basantapur is gorgeous in terms of natural features and its town people. The small town overlooks many holla and also a beautiful range of hills and mountains. It is honestly a blessing to be able to see the stunning beauty of nature, instead of tall high-rise buildings and skyscrapers. It really took a toll on me that the world is a growing indeed quickly and soon enough, all there is left of Earth includes only modernity. As days pass, a new portion of Earth is constructed to make it either a house or even mines. It is pretty sad that habitats of other species are being destroyed as well. However, global population continues growing and we have no other option. Thus, I often thought to myself ‘ This might be all gone when I return in two years ‘ as I looked out my window.
It had been a habit already, Singapore was a technically-efficient country. Thus so, it is a very man-made country. Many people do like this change, it has gotten so much easier to spread messages online, rather than writing letters which might take days, or even weeks to deliver. However, despite having a phone in my hands and an Instagram account, the joy of writing hand-written letters make feel a different type of joy.
Regardless of my knowledge on the fast growth of the world, I felt glad that I was given the privilege to tell people that Nepal is my country and Basantapur is my hometown.
Having said all this above, I shall tell a brief story about my short period spent there.
We took 35-minute flight from Kathmandu and reached at Biratnagar Airport. From there
it was about a five hours drive to get to the Basantapur bazaar. Usually, I get motion sickness on long rides. However, I had no issue at all during this ride. This was all because of the fresh air I was receiving as we went up the hills in a zig-zag manner. The air was nothing like I had breathed before. All I had known in Kathmandu was polluted air , air which contained dust and smoke from passing vehicles. It was quite awful indeed. Thus, the air I got to breathe was pure air, crisp and cool. It was all an opportunity I was gifted with.
As soon as we stepped foot out from the car, there was a significant temperature drop. The cold was bitterly painful and soon enough we started shivering. We unloaded out luggages and rushed upstairs. There was one of our most important tasks in our ‘ must-visit ‘ list. It was to see my dearest grandmother, my father’s mother. The moment I met her, I felt like she was such a ray of sunshine. Despite being old in age, she was a bright and positive person. I am glad I got to talk to my grandmother now, when I am a little more mature and understood many more things than when I was a child. This was not the case with my grandfather. Now that I think of it, I am upset that I did not get to spend much time with my late grandfather. Regardless, I put my past behind and will always keep my grandmother’s warmth with me. When we left, she barely said anything to us. However, it was all sadness and loneliness embedded in her eyes. I was beyond dejected having had to leave her.
Alright, sad moments aside. My stay there was a very great one. Some of the places we visited include Tinjure Height, Chitre, Pathibara Temple , Dhanrupa Park and Patle Pokhari in Lasune. Needless to say, each place was incredibly beautiful. Did I mention that I got to touch snow for the first time? It was like a dream! Moreover, snow covered hills are more than beautiful, gorgeous! Although, walking in snow was pretty tough. Most places were extremely cold due to their high altitudes. The trek up, however was usually slippery and difficult, but the view that we received was all that matters.
After the visit to these places, we went to Musangkhel village which is also my father’s childhood home-village.It was a very peaceful and scenic place. We visited some of my village’s grandparents, which were some of my father’s old uncles and aunts (tumba and tumma). My father also gave out some money, thus so to see smiles on their faces. It was indeed a very joyful place. Not only that, the houses were old, and had its own sense of uniqueness. Lastly, most of Musangkhel’s people live on agriculture. Thus, there were many paddy fields, and different species of plants present. The best part was the farm animals, goats, cows and even buffaloes!
Even after my several visits to these unexplainably magnificent places, they could never replace one place, Cho?lung Park. Even by its name, it sounds unique. It is unique indeed. When my father first mentioned the park, I paid absolutely no attention to it. I mean, I have gone to many parks, the ones with playgrounds and swings, what is so good about this one? Yet I got forced out of the house and I was sent to visit the park with my grandmother. It was absolutely different as expected but so interesting . What was wrong with me when I said I did not want to visit it? It was aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. The park was mainly made out of stones and mud, and overlooked many layers of hills. Not to mention, the park even had a man made pond with a picnic spot. Needless to say, it had a fantastic view. A cultural museum named Yuma was built within the park too. The whole park was built as a heritage site. I was more than proud to say that my father’s older brother, now town mayor, took the time and effort to construct such a masterpiece. It is indeed a gift to the town and something I am very appreciative of. All I could hope for was that the park maintains its cleanliness, and people would spare a thought and bin their rubbish instead. Even so, Cho?lung Park will always have a special place in my heart.
This was how my stay at Basantapur went. There is so much more about this wonderful town, such as it’s food. However, it is now getting late.
Look around, appreciate what is around you before it transforms into a memory. Life’s not all about gadgets and the internet. Life’s a beautiful journey and there is so much more to it.