Kathmandu

by Thomas Bell
Kathmandu
Author: Thomas Bell
Publisher: Haus Publishing
Total Pages: 592
Release: 2016-04-15
Genre: Travel
ISBN: 1910376396
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One of the greatest cities of the Himalaya, Kathmandu, Nepal, is a unique blend of thousand-year-old cultural practices and accelerated urban development. In this book, Thomas Bell recounts his experiences from his many years in the city—exploring in the process the rich history of Kathmandu and its many instances of self-reinvention. Closed to the outside world until 1951 and trapped in a medieval time warp, Kathmandu is, as Bell argues, a jewel of the art world, a carnival of sexual license, a hotbed of communist revolution, a paradigm of failed democracy, a case study in bungled western intervention, and an environmental catastrophe. The layered development of the city can be seen in the successive generations of its gods and goddesses; its comfort in the caste system and ethos of aristocracy and kingship; and the recent destabilizing effects of consumerist approaches and the push for egalitarianism and democracy. In important ways, Kathmandu’s rapid modernization can be seen as an extreme version of what is happening in other traditional societies. Bell also discusses the ramifications of the recent Nepal earthquake. A comprehensive look at a top global destination, Kathmandu is an entertaining and accessible chronicle for anyone eager to learn more about this fascinating city.

Arresting God in Kathmandu

by Samrat Upadhyay
Arresting God in Kathmandu
Author: Samrat Upadhyay
Publisher: HMH
Total Pages: 207
Release: 2014-09-23
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0547526210
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From “a major new talent” come short stories set in modern Nepal, about arranged marriages, forbidden desires, and the universal yearning for human connection (Amitav Ghosh). Set in a city where gods are omnipresent, privacy is elusive, and family defines identity, these are stories of men and women caught between their own needs and the demands of their society and culture. Psychologically rich and astonishingly acute, with “a masterful narrative style” (Ian MacMillan), Arresting God in Kathmandu introduces a potent new voice in contemporary fiction. “Upadhyay brings to readers the flavor of Nepal and its culture in this impressive collection of nine short stories. Like Ha Jin’s Bridegroom, Upadhyay’s stories portray the lives of simple yet psychologically complex characters and reveal much about the universal human condition in us all. . . . Upadhyay’s stories leave the reader with much food for thought and will make a good choice for book discussion groups.” —Library Journal

Kathmandu, the Novel

by Gerry Virtue
Kathmandu, the Novel
Author: Gerry Virtue
Publisher: Australian Self Publishing
Total Pages: 270
Release: 2011
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0980635799
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In the mountains of Nepal, a young boy, Ashok, flees Maoist violence in his village. Sadananda, an old Kathmandu holy man, takes him in and teaches him how to survive in the city. Five years pass, and Andrew, an aid worker, is accidentally given a cryptic, confidential letter in his Kathmandu hotel. He quickly becomes the target of menacing figures, including Merrick, an urbane, dangerous Englishman. As the hunt intensifies, Andrew meets Ashok and his English friend, Kate, who take him to Sadananda for advice. While he considers the problem, the old sadhu distracts them with tales of the ancient Himalayas: how a primeval lake became the Kathmandu Valley; how the Buddha’s disciple overcame murderous robbers in the Great Forest; and how a Kathmandu prince escaped Nepal to forge an alliance with the king of Tibet and regain his throne. But when Ashok goes missing, Andrew is plunged into a frightening world of conspiracy and deception

Improving Water Governance in Kathmandu: Insights from Systems Thinking and Behavioural Science

by Dale Whittington
Improving Water Governance in Kathmandu: Insights from Systems Thinking and Behavioural Science
Author: Dale Whittington
Publisher: IWA Publishing
Total Pages: 145
Release: 2020-04-15
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1789061458
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The global water and sanitation community is currently wrestling with the policy implications of two important realizations. The first is that it is quite possible for cities to actually run out of water–for the piped network to run dry. The second is that in many locations, basic water and sanitation interventions do not result in the large public health improvements that many water and sanitation professionals had hoped. As water and sanitation professionals work out the implications of these two realizations on policy and planning for water and sanitation improvements in the Global South, they will require an in-depth knowledge of local housing, water, and sanitation conditions, as well as a nuanced understanding of how households prioritize improvements in housing, water, and sanitation. The chapters in this book about Kathmandu illustrate the types of analyses of local conditions that are needed. Kathmandu holds many lessons for the global community about households’ responses to water scarcity and the management of water and sanitation services in periods of rapid urbanization and climate change. In Focus – a book series that showcases the latest accomplishments in water research. Each book focuses on a specialist area with papers from top experts in the field. It aims to be a vehicle for in-depth understanding and inspire further conversations in the secto

Seeking Kathmandu

by Mohul Bhowmick
Seeking Kathmandu
Author: Mohul Bhowmick
Publisher: Xpress Publishing
Total Pages: 78
Release: 2021-04-09
Genre: Travel
ISBN: 1638861323
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In early 2020, at the age of 21, leaving all modes of support behind, Mohul Bhowmick set out on a solo trip to Nepal. Out of this came Seeking Kathmandu, which is an acclaimed piece of travel literature. Resplendent with tales of delight and hardship as well as the magnanimity and generosity of his hosts, this book speaks in agonising detail about the pleasures and pains of solo travel. Painting pictures with his flawless lyrical language and deep metaphysical examinations, Bhowmick takes the reader on an extremely pleasing visual journey of the Himalayan kingdom of Nepal, from the finesse of Kathmandu to the squalor of Bhaktapur and the grace of Pokhara. This is a travelogue like no other, albeit it being the author's first venture into non-fiction after three successful books of poetry.

Escape from Kathmandu

by Kim Stanley Robinson
Escape from Kathmandu
Author: Kim Stanley Robinson
Publisher: Macmillan + ORM
Total Pages: 361
Release: 2014-01-07
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1466862211
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Kim Stanley Robinson's Escape From Kathmandu is a light-hearted fantasy tribute to the world of extreme mountain climbing follows the adventures of two American expatriates living in Nepal. Living in the city of Kathmandu in the Kingdom of Nepal are dozens of American and British expatriates who are in love with the Himalayas. George Fergusson is one of them--he works as a trek guide for "Take You Higher, Ltd.", leading groups of tourists into the back country and occasionally assisting on serious climbs. George "Freds" Fredericks is another--a tall, easy-going American who converted to Buddhism while in college. He visited Nepal one year and never went home. The adventures started when George and Freds got together over the capture of a Yeti--an abominable snowman--by a scientific expedition. The thought of such a wild and mysterious creature in captivity--in prison--was too much for them to bear. And in freeing the Yeti, a great partnership was born. George and Freds will go on to greater heights as they explore the mysteries of Nepal, from Shangri-La to Kathmandu's governmental bureaucracy. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Love and Death in Kathmandu

by Amy Willesee
Love and Death in Kathmandu
Author: Amy Willesee
Publisher: Macmillan + ORM
Total Pages: 349
Release: 2014-05-27
Genre: History
ISBN: 1466872322
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On June 1, 2001, the heir to the Nepalese throne, Crown Prince Dipendra, donned military fatigues, armed himself with automatic weapons, walked in on a quiet family gathering, and, without a word, mowed his family down before turning a gun on himself. But Dipendra did not die immediately, and while lying in a coma was declared king. He was now a living god. Award-winning journalists Amy Willesee and Mark Whittaker set out to understand what could have led to such a devastating tragedy, one that fascinated and appalled the world. Exploring Kathmandu and other parts of the kingdom, they conducted exhaustive interviews with everyone from Maoist guerillas to members and friends of the royal family, gaining insight into the people involved in and the events behind the massacre. At the heart of the story is the love affair between Dipendra and the beautiful aristocrat Devyani Rana, whom he was forbidden to marry. Culminating their portrait of Nepal is a chilling reconstruction of the events of that fatal day. As conspiracy theories circulate and rebels threaten to topple the monarchy, the future of this small Himalayan kingdom promises to be as tumultuous as its past. Revealing a country where the twenty-first century mingles uneasily with the fourteenth, Love and Death in Kathmandu is both an enlightening portrait of a place that is a world apart and a riveting investigation of an incredible crime.