Kathmandu's Allure Amidst Chaos

Bishalya Gautam

One of the most serene capital cities in the world to visit is Kathmandu, often known as the city of temples, due to its vibrant architecture, multicultural population, and extensive history and culture. From the perspective of a tourist, it appears to be a metropolis with everything from temples to museums and if you drive for a little over an hour, you can also take in the breathtaking natural beauty of lush green forests and captivating mountains.

Moreover, its attraction is not only limited to tourists but also people all over the country willing to pursue their education and careers. Here lies a plethora of interests and opportunities to explore. The sole place in the nation where practically anything can be acquired with the right tools or contacts. It's reasonable to question if these attributes are real given their abundance.

This peaceful valley is the meeting place for people from all across the nation who come to share their virtues and to collectively conceal their vices. People swarm from one location to another, with some appreciating and others spitting at it. An ordinary person is limited to selecting one side. Either be an optimist and admire the only place in the country that is good enough to attract you or be pessimist and despise the only place in the country you could go.

This is where the opportunities and issues that come with living in a small nation's extremely dense capital are found. All races, religions, and creeds have been able to live in relative harmony as a result of it, but it has also brought in so many people that the streets are overflowing, the resources are running out, and the opportunities are disappearing.

The major problem of this revered valley is its inability to manage anything crucial. A perfect example of unplanned urbanisation where one is compelled to find beauty in this chaos. The never-ending wait for everything from the commute of daily lives to buying things. In our daily lives, the never-ending wait for necessities like grocery shopping and transportation can be a cause of aggravation and irritation. These seemingly simple but necessary chores for our survival can become major sources of stress when there are lengthy delays involved.

The nature of the present, which is extremely erratic, defines everything in this realm of duality, of hope and despair. Both the residents of this area and visitors who stop here on their way to other more fascinating locations overseas may never fully comprehend this place's mystique.

People in Kathmandu remain even after many have come and gone, administrations have fallen, and politics have changed. Not giving up, not expecting too much from reality. A paradise that is truly conflicted, where people may have changed or even died, but the collective will always remain the same and can never be clearly defined.