Kathmandu is the greatest city of the Himalaya; a place where unique cultural practices that died out in India a thousand years ago have survived. It is a carnival of sexual license and hypocrisy, a jewel of world art, a hotbed of communist revolution, a paradigm of failed democracy.
FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand NewOne 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. 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.
A fascinating chronicle of the unique city of Kathmandu in Nepal, the greatest city of the Himalaya. Looks at how it's been affected by the destabilising spirits of consumer aspiration, individuality, egalitarianism, communism and democracy.
Thomas Bell studied at Oxford and the Courtauld Institute of Art before moving to Kathmandu to cover the civil war in Nepal for the Daily Telegraph and the Economist. He left Kathmandu in 2016 and now lives in the United States.
Photos and Illustrations Preface Part I-The Beginning 1. The rooftops of Patan-- The allies and squares-- The traffic system-- The caste system-- The chariot festival of Bungadya-- The arrival of the monsoon 2. A teddy bear bomb--The beginning of the ''people''s war'' - The royal massacre--The state of emergency--It leads to the dissolution of parliament--A journey to meet the Maoists in the countryside--Elections would not be possible 3. Ancient stones--The discoveries of Cecil Bendall M.A. - Daniel Wright''s Ancient Chronicle--The monastery of Sunayasri Mishra--The city''s foundation and development -A visit to the chronicler family 4. Is Kathmandu a process or a system? - The declining community of ghosts--The electricity, telephone, water, and god networks-- Gayahbajye of Pimbaha-- His daughter-in-law, their house--Consecrating a new building--The city as a mandala--Interview with the gubhaju--The ideology of the mandala--Dhana Laksmi''s story of the Konti hangings 5. Another year of festival-- A man needs a maid--The king dismisses the prime minister--A dinner at the British embassy-- An assassination, and the ceasefire-- The Maoist contact office--Another trip to the hills--Maria 6. Sylvain L
-A wonderful literary journey through the streets and history of Kathmandu.---Sir Ranulph Fiennes
"A wonderfully discursive account of the personal discovery of a great city. Looping through centuries and slaloming between journalism, history memoir, mythology, and gossip, Tom Bell has written a portrait of Kathmandu like no other, taking us from Manjushree to the Maoists via witches, colonial Orientalists, LSD cults, spies wars, and old Serge Gainsbourg movies. A splendidly eccentric and enjoyable first book."
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