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Handigaon

Handigaon is the oldest inhabited settlement of the
Kathmandu Valley. A jatra is a festival involving music, devotional
worship, agricultural rituals, and alcohol. "There are no jatras like
those of Handigaon," is a saying that has become synonymous with the
excessive celebratory rites and rituals associated with this
neighborhood. Throughout the year, I can hear beautiful traditional
music being played at night as people go about the festivities, and on a
full moon night in autumn this sound can be especially soulful and
evocative. Here's one of those, which I shot in my neighborhood with my
small digital camera. This photoshow attempts to capture the mixture of
mystery and mundaneness of the festivals. With apologies for not
including the original music, which I shall do very shortly, as soon as I
get hold of some good sound recording equipment...


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