Traveling to Kuri Village

When one travels, it’s an experience that they want to share with others. They want to tell a story of the things they have seen. Most people tell this story through photographs, videos or even travel blogs.

It’s not always bragging but it is about sharing the sheer beauty and magnanimity of our surroundings. One of the finest and self satisfying adventures of my life so far was “Traveling to Kuri Village”. This has brought extra joy in my life.

Picturesque hilly terrains and mountains are considered to be the ultimate adventure. From hiking hilly terrains to trekking snow covered peaks, Nepal is choke full of iconic outdoor adventures. At the same time, the thrills and excitements of these adventures are unparallel.

It was quite an experience to see those huge mountains up close. I love and adore mountains not to prove anything to anybody but to remind myself that how small and insignificant am I in the scheme of larger things. Whenever I have nowhere to go, mountains are my go to partner.

The desire to see those huge mountains was fulfilled after tripping the places which were completely destroyed by a 2015 earthquake. Those places are still under reconstruction. I felt very sad after seeing the villages of Sindhupalchok.

Keeping the thoughts on my mind along the Arniko Highway to Jiri Highway, I finally reached to Kuri Village. Kuri Village as many of us know, is situated at eastern hilly region of  Nepal in Dolakha district. Dolakha is 132 km from Kathmandu and 18 km off to Kuri Village from Charikot. Local vehicles do not reach to Kuri Village but on reserve it may reach to Kuri Village from where on 1hr hike is Kalinchok Temple, on top of the mountain, around 13000ft above the sea level. The temple on the top of 3842m from the sea level is exquisite to get lost. It is part of Gauri Sankar conservation Area from where Sun Koshi and Tama Koshi rivers are originated. Hiking or Trekking to Kuri village can be back breaking.

Mountains, sometimes, are not considered to be the source of serenity. They more often teach you more than anyone else. The perfidious curlings of hikes or treks, the fights for basic in life, the veer gratification of having fruits on the top of the mountain after walking straight up to the mountain, the mind blowing winds, the chirping of the birds, the steep dives of the valleys, the capricious moods of the clouds, the freshness of icy water like washing away all your sorrows. Everything has a message for you. Diving into that emptiness, you can completely find new you. That is why, little breaks are so important to move on.

If you want to know yourself, then travel all alone. If it is hard to make, travel with your loved ones or close friends.

BEHIND BRICK INDUSTRY

 I have been doing “Behind Brick Industry” photo essay since 2012. It is my sixth year in a row photographing people and their life in brick industry. This year, I have focused their hard work as a theme. So, how their hard work has influenced the making of our country? This is quite interesting question for everyone of us.

People are not aware of their hard work and I decided to capture their painstaking work in the camera. As a travel photographer, I travel and visit the brick industries of my area most of the time. Visiting the brick industry always makes me sad. The situation is not good as we think of. There is no proper sanitation as people do toilet around the bushes, no proper water distribution and other facilities. But this year, I found distribution of electricity in all temporary huts. Now, children can read under the light.

Handicapped man carrying bricks

                                                 

Brick industry is million dollar business place where everyone gets a job for living. People from around the country come here for work. Brick makers, other workers, truck drivers, land owners, industry share holders etc get benefits from here. Not only them, there are many people who make benefits from brick industry.

Usually, brick makers come here in early winter and live here for almost six months. During this time period, they make the copious number of bricks. The brick industry where I go and photograph has the best quality of bricks. They are very expensive too. The technique which they make brick is mechanical. They make by themselves. It takes so much hard work to make a single brick. As technology is around the country, it has been little easy for making clay now. They use JCB dozer for making clay and it is distributed to everyone and they make bricks from it.

Beside how they make bricks! I focused how they live in brick industry this year? How children from brick industry spend their everyday? What I have noticed that some children do not attend the school. I do not know why……? Probably their parents do not know where is the public school?
Well, I have informed some of the parents (brick makers) that public governmental school is few blocks away from there where children can attend the school for free. They just need school uniform…………..Later after few weeks what I have noticed that some children are going to school. How happy they are attending the school!

Sadly, some children do not attend the school. They spend most of the time in brick industry playing around and looking after young ones. Some underage children are working there. It is against law that underage children are not forced or allowed to work. We have to give them education as per with their right. But what should we do?

Everyone has to take a meal twice a day. They are working for their daily bread and butter. Without any proper clothes, they are working so hard.  They don't have socks to get warm but they have sunlight to get warm and cozy. I have no idea how they spend their nights in small temporary huts! Seeing them with their slippers made me totally sad and their runny noses made me even more heart breaking. They all have flu.

They work hard to fill the stomach of their children. No matter what! They have to work, either working at brick industry or working somewhere else, they have to be good mom or dad for their children. They work almost 6 months to collect money for a year. It includes all the children's expenses and household expenses.

How much important is your work? It is important to get things for living. It is important to make better future.  Without work, nobody can survive in Kathmandu Valley. Kathmandu is one of the expensive cities in Nepal if you talk about in Rupee. Although, some International magazines like Rough Guides, have taken Nepal is one of the cheapest countries but for all Nepalese it is wrong.

People work so hard in Nepal to get paid. As you can see here, as the sun rises people start working no matter what the weather is; cold or freezy cold. As the temperature drops down, their hands have become swollen and bruised.

I have much to tell regarding their life in brick industry. Hopefully in my next blog, I will say!

Thinking them with compassion, they also play an important role in making big cities, transforming our country in a good way. I appreciate them and their hard work, devotion. They are one of my inspirations and motivations.

Every brick which we make our house has a story.