Nepali.com

The Everest Climber Whose Traffic Jam Photo Went Viral

Nirmal Purja snapped the photograph of an overcrowded Mount Everest summit while on a quest to climb the 14 tallest mountains in the world in record time.

The photograph of a traffic jam of climbers leading to the summit of Mount Everest in May went viral, evidence of the mountain’s surging appeal among thrill-seekers and the overcrowding that has caused deaths and pollution.

The photographer — Nirmal Purja, known as Nims — is a Nepali mountaineer who has been on a journey to climb the world’s tallest peaks in rapid succession, showcasing local climbers as central actors in the history of Himalayan feats.

He and his all-star Sherpa team call the mission Project Possible, with a goal of summiting all 14 of the world’s peaks higher than 8,000 meters (a little more than 26,000 feet) in seven months.

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Mount Everest

Amnesty International issues travel warning for the USA over high levels of gun violence

Amnesty International today issued a travel warning calling for possible travelers and visitors to the United States to exercise extreme caution when traveling throughout the country due to rampant gun violence, which has become so prevalent in the United States that it amounts to a human rights crisis. It aims to hold up a mirror to the U.S. using the model of the United States Department of State’s travel advice for U.S. travelers to other countries.

“Travelers to the United States should remain cautious that the country does not adequately protect people’s right to be safe, regardless of who they might be. People in the United States cannot reasonably expect to be free from harm – a guarantee of not being shot is impossible,” said Ernest Coverson, campaign manager for the End Gun Violence Campaign at Amnesty International USA. “Once again, it is chillingly clear that the U.S. government is unwilling to ensure protection against gun violence.”

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Breaking down the concept of the mandala

In the ancient days, long before Nepal was mapped in the world, the Kathmandu Valley was known as Nepal Mandala. One of the verifications for this is a Gyaneshwar inscription that dates back to the reign of Jayadeva Malla in the 13th century that mentions the Kathmandu Valley as a mandala. It is also believed that the valley is in the form of Cakrasamvara–the most important Buddhist esoteric deity that is surrounded by the sites of eight Bodhisattvas.

Over time, the presence of mandalas in the Kathmandu Valley spread–especially in the Buddhist community. Even Pancha Buddha, the five celestial Buddhas which is represented widely in mandalas, are omnipresent in the valley. With changing times, mandalas have now morphed into commercial business products and its prints can be seen in paubhas, thangkas, even t-shirts. But, what is a mandala and what do they signify?

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Nepali Times: Culture Revolution

Foreigners are often puzzled why Nepalis never take to the streets despite the chronic failure of the government to provide basic services. It is true, Nepalis are a tolerant lot. But this week, something snapped.

Citizens have been gathering on the streets, braving water cannons and tear gas to oppose a bill in Parliament that would dismantle the centuries-old tradition of guthi community trusts to manage religious sites and festivals.

Galbandi गलबन्दी | Prakash Saput & Shanti Shree Pariyar | Anjali Adhikari | Bola Maya | 5K

Golfer Pratima Sherpa is one step closer to her professional dreams

Pratima Sherpa’s drive from Santa Barbara to Beaumont, California, is about four hours, on highways and interstates, past strip malls and mountains, into the California desert.

Awaiting her is the unofficial start of her professional golfing career.

The 19-year-old amateur from Nepal was given a Symetra Tour sponsor’s exemption to this weekend’s IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort & Spa at the Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon.

Immigrants from 10 nations have temporary protected status in the US

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Meet the 10-year-old coder grabbing the attention of Google, Microsoft and Michelle Obama

Scroll through Samaira Mehta’s Instagram and you’ll see that she is a lot like other kids her age. She posts about having a lemonade stand, going swimming and doing the “In My Feelings” dance challenge.

But she also stands out from other 10-year-olds — Mehta is CEO, founder and inventor of CoderBunnyz, a board game that teaches players as young as 4 basic coding concepts. Players draw and move their bunny piece along the board with the goal of eating carrots and hopping to their final destination.

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