Currency Notes' Worth

One day, I went to Nepal Rastra Bank to deposit some of the foreign currencies collected from our customers. Many of them were returned by NRB and you might have guessed the reasons. Many of them were either written over, soggy or mutilated.

Let's discuss about how stringent rules are in the context of handling foreign currencies and equally analyze about the note handling behaviour of general Nepalese. NRB has time and often advised our fellow Nepalese about clean note policy. Since, Nepal is still a developing country and large number of people live in rural areas, financial literacy is relatively low. Access to financial services is also minimum and many adults still struggle or have lesser concerns about digital transaction. Cash in hand can only secure themselves from all probable losses . 

Likewise, currency notes play significant roles in all rituals and festivals in our lives from birth to death. During puja we offer notes to gods, temples, monasteries and to relatives as part of blessings too. During these occasions, notes are often covered by tika, water/oil , wet flowers thereby reducing their texture and crispiness. Further, in Buddhist culture, notes are folded in a certain way to place them in mandal/mendal. Also, during marriage and funeral ceremony notes are sewed to make garlands too.

We cannot comment or discourage people of using notes in such manner during occasions, as it definitely harms the religious tolerance and particularly where people have deep faith towards gods and their religion, numerous other activities have really been a growing concern in Nepalese societies these days.

While globalization has made a huge impact in Nepalese economy, fellow countrymen are huge followers of western culture and traditions creating a very materialistic societies where economy is very slow or in a negative direction. One morning, a young customer asked me fresh notes of 500 rupees, reason only for making a flower bouquet. Now, where did this thing originate from and why are social media influencers promoting such culture? There are enough flowers for making beautiful bouquet but our people have been displaying their wealth and fake affection by exchanging flower bouquet made up of 500 and 1000 rupee notes. 

Sometimes, it triggers me more that our stale minds have become hyper active to only practise and learn cultures that have zero productivity in our lives. Our human tendency or maybe huge unemployment has led us flow ourselves into fake emotions and extravagant splurge of money. 

In a country where we worship Laxmi puja every year, avoid ourselves from stamping our foot on currency notes, we have lost far behind in understanding the core value of money and notes. Our behavioural pattern has not only cost our country's economy but our own social norms and values. 

This year, Nepal Rastra Bank has declared that they won't be distributing fresh notes but only clean notes, the happiest people are the ones who have understood the reason behind it. The comment sections are  often flooded by people blaming this action as a motive to deplete Sanatan dharma. But I'm hopeful that people would gradually immerse into spiritual awakening to identify good and bad and choose be wise to celebrate our rich culture and traditions. Happy Festivities.

The Science of Accepting Bodies

I remember the line from my high school principal who said that everything is the cycle; like the Earth which is round. Early men walked naked, ate raw foods and when human civilization continued, they started wearing clothes and slowly changed their consumption pattern by cooking foods. Now, again the cycle is slowly heading towards the initial phase.

Thousands of years have passed, humans have had maximum accomplishments and advocacies about various agendas keep circulating everyday. But sometimes, there are many hindrances really obstructing people from going extra mil or adapt newer lifestyles. Maybe, we tend to resist change by our human nature.

I recently had this privilege to go on a tour to Andaman and Nicobar Islands, one of the most secluded yet majestically beautiful places of Earth in Southern India. My observations about people, culture and tradition through various activities made me really question about faith.

I could see newlywed couples everywhere for their honeymoon. Men had little mehendi on their palms and feet while ladies had their full hands and legs freshly mehendi painted. Likewise, their hands were also covered fully by huge set of bangles and other accessories around their neck and lastly sindur not to be missed.

They have their own faith in culture and tradition that has abode them to certain rules and regulations as newlywed, but me as an outsider felt, were these all necessary even when they are out of town, far away from their relatives when they are on their non-traditional dresses? Some of them were definitely not very comfortable with their accessories and neither were their dresses complimenting their accessories in any way.

Further ahead, we were on a beach and who doesn't want to dip into the sea and get a little tanned? While there are enough beliefs of people getting dressed in their swimsuit, bikinis, shorts, my interpretation about beach life turned out a different one here. Not only women, men were also not even prepared with their clothing in the seas, I felt, maybe they were not comfortable with their bodies? Or maybe, I was wrong. There were changing rooms too but people were swimming and taking dip into water on their own clothes they wore. Elderly women were obvious to play water on sarees. And finally young girls despite wearing skimpy dresses or shorts weren't really beach friendly enough for beach activities.

One thing I have come to understand is that no matter how far we may go, our inclination towards our culture and tradition doesn't easily fade away. We are constantly clinging onto what ifs for a long time. Not every human is blessed with same physical appearance and feature but it shouldn't obstruct the preferences of our clothing in a modern world. Of course we need to strictly comply with eating healthy and exercise regularly but sometimes we cannot fight with our genetics and body functions. Social media is deceiving and advertisements can lead toxicity too. The beauty standards set by our societies and especially beauty pageants should be considered less.

India, being one of the fastest growing economy in the whole world and blessed with beautiful geography and landscapes with highest population carries enough prospects. It has access to seas for long and major states experience maximum summer. People should be smart enough to adapt lifestyle of their choice with no judgements and explanations.. Fancying bollywood movies cannot only influence unless Indians themselves adapt changing circumstances.