BUDHANILKANTHA - SLEEPING BEAUTY

SYNOPSIS: A visit to the Budhanilkantha Temple and a few scenes of daily life, cows, and dust from Kathmandu.

STREET WITH RESTING COWS

A bit off the beaten path on the northern outskirts of Kathmandu, there is a temple I learned about in graduate school called Budhanilkantha. It has nothing to do with the Buddha but is rather the temple housing a large (16 feet) image of a reclining Vishnu.

Once again, I hired Bishwa. He has his flaws but by now I have full confidence in his motorcycling skills.Even on less frequented side roads, traffic in Nepal has its challenges.As cows are proverbially sacred, they seem to know it!Shamelessly, they position themselves in the middle of roads and either lay down or stand there motionless, nonplussed by honking horns and buses rushing by within inches. What do they think they are doing there?! There is nothing but traffic and dust. No food, no comfort. They just seem to dare the patience of the Hindus who would rather die than harm a cow.