Two weeks ago, on Maha Shivaratri, the roads in Kathmandu and the surrounding valley were full of children with long ropes. They worked in teams. One or two kids went to each side of the road while holding one end of the rope each. They then could pull it taught and... now the road is blocked. Drivers have several options when this happens. They can intimidate the kids into lowering the rope, trying to drive through or paying a few rupees (the Nepalese currency).
Where does this come from?
On the internet, there is very little information about this tradition. One article states that many Hindus came to the Kathmandu valley to celebrate Shivaratri. As the Pashupatinath temple is one of the most important sites for the festival, travellers asked passers-by for firewood to keep themselves warm during the cold nights.
Somehow, this has evolved into kids becoming bandit children for a day! While in theory, it might seem like a fun game for the children, some adults see it as a nuisance and it is common for the drivers to beep in annoyance until the kids move the rope.
The kids enjoy it though. A small quirk of Maha Shivaratri in Nepal!
Comments