An essay-review of Dalit: A Quest for Dignity, and how caste has been central to the imagination of the Nepali state
In 1800, a monk who called himself Swami Nirgunanda arrived in Banaras. His name was Rana Bahadur Shah, king of Nepal, and he was ready to give the kingdom away.
In 1950, a bunch of Nepali revolutionaries decided to smuggle in guns from Burma to overthrow the Ranas. This is their story.
My columns mostly talk about Nepali history, culture and politics, with notes from some travels across the country.
Among all the princely states in South Asia, Nepal had the unique distinction of being ‘independent’ under British colonialism. Why?
The momo’s journey from Lhasa in Tibet to Nepal, India and the rest of the world started with the 17th century Newar traders