देवी दूर्गालाई समर्पित चाड, दशैँ मेरो मन पर्ने चाड मध्ये एक हो ।  हुन नि किन नहोस् ?  हरेक पटक असोज महिनामा दसैँअघि एउटा त्रैमासिक परीक्षा हुने गरेको थियो । त्यसपछि परीक्षा सकिएपछि दसैँ बिदा सुरु हुन्थ्यो । बाल्यकालदेखि अहिलेसम्म दसैँ आउनु भनेकै नयाँ लुगा लगाउन पाउनु, नयाँ जुत्ता लाउन पाउनु र मिष्ठान्न भोजन जस्तै सेलरोटी, फिनी, पक्कु आदि खान पाउनु थियो ।  मेरो लागि दसैँको मुख्य आकर्षण  चङ्गा उडाउने र  गाउँको पिङ नै थियो । अर्कोतर्फ हेऱ्यो भने मलाई दसैँको मौसम असाध्यै मन पर्छ । शरद ऋतुमा रमाएको प्रकृति हेर्दा मनले आनन्द प्राप्त गर्छ । दशैँमा पन्ध्र दिनहरू हुन्छन्: घटस्थापना, फूलपाती, महाअष्टमी, नवमी र विजयादशमी । जसमा दशैँको पहिलो नौ दिनलाई नवरात्री भनिन्छ ।  हरेक दश दिनमा फरक फरक कामहरू गरिन्छ । यसपालीको दसैँ कार्तिक महिनामा थियो । घटस्थापना दसैँको पहिलो दिन हो । आज बिहान हामी परिवारका सबैजनाले  नुहायौँ र चोखो लुगा लगायौँ । आमा छिमेकी कल्पना काकीको घरमा गाईको गोबर लिन जानुभयो ।  पूजाको लागि आवश्यक सामान ल्याउन बाबा बजार जानुभयो । त्यसपछि हामी सबैले पूजाकोठालाई सफा गरिसकेपछि बुबाले जमाराको स्थापनाको लागि गोबर, कलश र अन्य सामग्रीहरू ल्याएर पूजा गर्न थाल्नुभयो । गुरुवाबाट मैले पहिलोपल्ट थाहा भयो कलश स्थापना गर्ने कोठालाई दसैँ घर भनिन्छ । हामी सबैजना र मेरो ९६ वर्षको हजुरबुवासँग मन्दिर  गयौँ  । पूजापाठले नै घटस्थापनाको दिन सिद्धियो ।   

घटस्थापानापछि सातौं दिनमा फूलपाती आउँछ । मेरो फुलपाती अघिका दिनहरू घरमै त्यत्तिकै बित्यो ।  आमा र मैले जमरा, बेलपत्र र उखुजस्ता विभिन्न सामग्री ल्यायौँ । यस दिन देवी दुर्गा र कालीलाई स्वागत गर्न उखुको डण्डीलाई कलशसँगै रातो कपडाले बाँधेपछि पूजा गर्यौ ।  त्यो दिन महिले गृहकार्य गर्नुपर्ने थियो त्यसैले म दिनभरी गृहकार्य गरे  र दिन त्यसै बित्यो । भोलिपल्ट महाअष्टमी थियो । यस दिन मेरी आमा व्रत बस्नुभएको थियो। त्यसैले म र मेरो बाबा चामुण्डा मन्दिरमा चामुण्डा माताको पूजा गर्न गयौँ । यस दिन देवीको मन्दिरमा धेरै  भैँसी बोकाको  बलि चढाइन्छ । आजको रातलाई कालरात्री भनिन्छ भन्ने पनि कुरा मलाई थाहा भयो ।  यही दिन मैले पहिलोपल्ट ढिढो पनि चाखेँ । नवमी दसैँको नवौँ दिन हो । यसै दिन सृजनात्मकताका देवता विश्वकर्माको पनि पूजा गरिन्छ । त्यसैले यो दिन आमा, बाबा, भाइ र म नरिवल, रातो र पहेँलो कपडाले थाली तयार पारेर गाडीतिर लाग्यौँ। स्कुटर र कारको पूजा गर्यौं । त्यसपछि मेरो बुबाले मेरो निधारमा टीका लगाउनुभयो र मलाई पैसा दिनुभयो । मेरो बुवाले मलाई सवारी साधनको पूजा गर्नुको कारण पनि बताउनुभयो । वर्षभरि हुने दुर्घटनाबाट सवारी साधन र यात्रुको सुरक्षाका लागि दुर्गा देवीबाट आशीर्वाद प्राप्त गर्नको लागि यो हो  भन्ने कुरा थाहा पाएँ  दिनको बीचमा मैले थाहा पाएँ कि यो दशैको नवौँ दिन हो ।

त्यसैगरी हेर्दाहेर्दै दशमी पनि आयो । दशैँका दिनहरूमा मलाई दशमी असाध्यै मन पर्छ। यस दिन म चाँडै उठेर नुहाए। त्यसपछि केही मिनेटपछि मैले चिया र बिस्कुट खाएँ। म मेरो कपाल सुकाएर रमा मामुलाई मद्दत गर्न माथि घर गएँ । किनकि मेरो हजुरबुवाको पनि बाबा बसेको ठाउँमा टिका लगाउने चलन छ । त्यहाँ पुग्दा मलाई थाहा भयो कि टीकासहित ११:०२ बजेको छ। त्यसैले मेरी आमाले अन्य आन्टीसँग विभिन्न परिकार पकाउनुभयो । सबै कुरा तयार भएपछि म र मेरी आमा घर फर्कियौँ । फर्किएपछि म तयार हुन थालेँ । मैले कुर्ता लगाएर कपाल बनाएर आमालाई तयार हुन मद्दत गरें। मेरो भाइ पहिल्यै लुगा लगाएको थियो। १०:३० मा हामी माथी घर गयौं। बिस्तारै काकु र काकी पनि माथीघरमा आउनुभयो । हामी तीनै घर परिवारका सदस्यहरू लगभग २१ जाना थियौं । त्यसपछि ११ बजेदेखि १२ः३० बजेसम्म टीका लगायौँ। त्यसपछि सबै परिवार मिलेर दाल, भाट, कुखुरा, आलुको आचार, दुई आदि खाएपछि आमा, बाबा, भाइ र म मामघर गयौँ र त्यहाँ पनि टीका र जमरा लगाएर आशिर्वाद लियौँ । त्यसपछि हामी ४ बजे घर फर्कियौँ । त्यसपछि दिन सकियो । मेरो दशैँ बिदाको दिन पनि सकियो । त्यसैले तीन दिन मैले आफ्नो काम (गृहकार्य) पूरा गरेँ । हेर्दाहेर्दै नेपालीहरूको महान चाड दशैँ पनि सिद्धियो । 

२०८० दशैँ रमाइलो भयो !

काखमा नागबेली लहराएकी

छातीमा छहरा सजाएकी 

अनि 

शिरमा हिराकाे ताज पहिरेकी विश्व सुन्दरी हुन् मेरी आमा

तर अहिले

मेरी आमा झुत्री भइन्

गरिब भइन् 

जिङ्ग्रिङ्ग भइन् 

त्यसैले त म उनको पहिचान लुकाउँछु 

साइनो बदल्छु,

उस्तै परे नयाँ आमा नै खडा गर्छु

तपाईंहरू छक्क पर्दै सोचिरहनु भएको होला

के आमा पनि फेर्न सकिन्छ र ?

वास्तविकतामा यस्तै भइरहेको छ यहाँ

यहाँ  त

धमाधम आमा फेरिँदै छ

नेपाल आमालाई लत्याईँदै छ

अनि

अँगालिदै छ

अमेरिका, क्यानाडा अस्ट्रेलिया र यस्तै यस्तै अनगिन्ती नक्कली आमाहरू

नेपाल आमालाई लत्याइँदैछ

केही कुसन्तानका कुकर्मले पिरोलेको छ नेपाल आमालाई

ऐया ! ऐया ! भन्न बाध्य बनाएको छ

यद्यपि यस्तो घडीमा आमालाई अँगाल्न नसक्ने 

धिक्कार छ आजको पिडीलाई 

धिक्कार छ यस्तो आधुनिकतालाई 

तर अब उठौँ, जागौँ

टल्किने हिराकाे झल्झलाकार घुम्टाेले 

ढाकेर, 

सञ्जीवनीकाे अत्तर छर्किदै 

संस्कृतिकाे बिगुल फुक्दै 

र यी हाम्रा परिश्रमी हात र कर्मठ मनले भनाैँ 

जननी जन्मभूमिश्च स्वर्गादपि गरियसी ।

Introduction 

Internet is the interconnected wave of networks that connects computers all around the world. Internet allows us to interact with everything all round the world in a short period of time. The Internet is an essential tool for modern civilization since it makes cross-border communication, information sharing, and collaboration accessible to all. Computer scientists Robert Kahn and Vinton Cerf are known as the inventors of the internet as they came up with an idea of Transmission Internet Protocol and Internet Protocol in the 1970s. They are also known as the "Father of internet". Before the 1970s, Larry Robert from MIT invented "Package switching" in 1967 which allowed a way of sending information. Even though the internet was there to communicate and send information, it was not available everywhere. So in the 1990s, Tim Berners Lee created the world wide web and HTML was made the basic building of the computers. It transformed the internet into a user-friendly platform for information access.  The Internet has made everything possible in the world of computers like instant messaging, internet relay chat, and electronic communications through the internet. The internet has both positive and negative impacts on our society. It is true that positive impacts overrule the negative. Talking about the bright side, we find many benefits. 

Connectivity and communication

The internet has connected the world now. It is possible to communicate to and from anywhere in the world via this hub of networks. More than ever, communication is now more convenient. Thanks to the Internet. The internet has connected us through different social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and many others. Social media sites, email, and messaging apps have completely changed how people interact with one another, bridging geographical gaps in relationships.

Information

Through the means of internet, on social media platforms we can get live news from all around the world. Information about almost any topic is available on the internet. It is a helpful resource for communicating and conducting research on a wide range of subjects. You can obtain directions to practically any location in a city, nation by using GPS technology. Nearby services such as restaurants and shopping centers are easily accessible. We can know the real time events around the world by sitting at our home. We can learn about anything through the internet in ChatGPT, YouTube and different platforms. With the development of e-learning platforms, online courses, and educational resources, the internet has completely changed the way people learn. A wide range of information is available to students, which improves their educational experience.

Entertainment

Internet has made our lives much easier. It has become the source of income for many people. It has made it possible to make money online by selling goods or services. It expands the consumer base, which boosts revenue and profit.  We can now work from home. Many businesses now permit their staff members to work from home. We can listen to online music, watch movies, videos of our choices and play video games. By sitting at our office we can check everything happening at our home. By creating entertaining videos or about any content now we can earn a lot of money. This can learn about the vacancies and about anything through the internet.

Digital Divide

However, the internet also has some dark sides. The term "digital divide" refers to the unseen gap that exists between those who have easy access to the internet and others who find it difficult to use it. People from the richer background have access to everything but the marginalized people can face many problems as they are not introduced to the world of internet. They find it hard to get computers, phones as they are expensive. So, the internet has also divided the world into two halves where one has access to knowledge about the e world and the other one is still left behind making it hard to get job opportunities, education and information.

Privacy concerns

The internet poses privacy risks. Cybercriminals attempt to steal passwords, do Cyber bullying credential numbers and so much digital information. Third-party apps that are linked to social network accounts may also have access to user data. Businesses track user behavior online, build user profiles, and target you with customized advertisements using cookies and other tracking technologies. Loss of identity and violation of privacy may result from this. Personal information like name, email address, and browsing history is frequently collected by websites and online services. This information may be sold to unaffiliated parties, used for targeted advertising, or even made public through hacking.
 

Conclusion

Therefore, the internet has numerous other disadvantages like Social isolation, spread of misinformation and it leads to addiction and distraction. It has both positive and negative impacts on our society. So, it must be used wisely in order to learn new things. The internet has countless benefits if it is used wisely. We must be aware of the disadvantages and digital literacy, security measures and mindful behaviors should be applied while using the internet.

Hi there, do you know what quantum computers are? Quantum computers use quantum physics' odd features to tackle problems that traditional computers find unsolvable. They may conduct calculations with unprecedented speed and efficiency by encoding information as quantum bits, or ‘qubits.’ While still in their infancy, quantum systems are expected to revolutionize everything from medicine development to artificial intelligence in the next decades.

The strange effects of quantum physics only manifest at microscopic scales. So building functional quantum devices requires extreme isolation and control. Superconducting quantum computers are made using electrical circuits cooled to temperatures near absolute zero. Their quantum state remains stable just long enough to manipulate via precision lasers and perform processing. Other platforms like trapped ions and photons show promise as well. Thus far, deployed quantum computers remain small scale prototypes. Google recently announced its newest quantum processor contains 72 functional qubits. For comparison, experts estimate it may take between 500 to several thousand logical qubits to outperform classical supercomputers. We are still years away from this point of “quantum advantage” but rapid progress is underway.

Quantum computing promises to revolutionize several fields. In pharmaceuticals, quantum simulation can model molecular interactions at the subatomic level. This enables in silico drug design to create new life-saving medications. Quantum machine learning methods like gradient descent can massively accelerate AI training for pattern recognition, optimization, and predictive analytics.

Financial institutions plan to use quantum computing for risk analysis, fraud detection, and complex portfolio optimization. Quantum enhanced cryptography will also provide communication security for transmitted data. Other proposed applications span from climate modeling to decrypting current blockchain encryptions once robust quantum computers emerge.

Overall, quantum computing seems poised to initiate the next era of technological transformation. But realizing its full potential while mitigating risks requires sustained investment along with vision. Governments must fund basic research and balance both ethical and national security issues raised by quantum advances. Startups need support to convert abstract discoveries into concrete quantum hardware. And the public should stay informed regarding quantum's benefits versus potential perils. With prudent progress, this quantum leap could positively impact humanity for decades to come.

म कक्षा  पाँच पढ्थेँ । मेरो स्कुलले पहिलो पटक भ्रमणका लागि यसरी बाहिर लैजाँदै थियो । म र मेरा साथीहरू जानका लागि एकदम उत्सुक थियौँ तर भने जस्ताे केही पनि सजिलो हुँदैनरहेछ । सबैभन्दा गारो काम भनेको घरका सदस्यलाई राजी पार्नु रहेछ । जसोतसो गरी घरमा मैले कुरा मिलाएँ अब भ्रमण जाने बेला भयो ।

म भ्रमण जाने एक दिन अगाडिको कुरा हो । मैले चाहिने लुगाफाटो र सरसामग्री झोलामा हालेँ ।  म त्यो रात सोचेर बसिराथेँ । कस्तो हुन्छ होला, मेरो यो भ्रमण भनेर । त्यो रात म सुत्नै सकिनँ। तर भोलि सबेरै उठ्नुछ भनेर म यताउता फर्कँदै सुतेँ।

भोलि बिहान भएछ । म सूर्यको पहिलो किरणसँगै उठेँ । बिहान उठेपछि म मुख धोएर तयार भएँ । तयार भएर म आफ्नो स्कुलतिर लागेँ । हामी सबै स्कुलमा भेटेपछि पोखरा जाने कुरा थियो । हामी आफ्नो बसमा बस्यौँ अनि पोखराको यात्रा सुरु भयो । हामी काठमाडौँको मुख्य सडक हुँदै काठमाडौँ बाहिर निस्क्यौँ । हामीले बसबाट धेरै राम्रा दृश्य देख्याैँ । बस एकैपटक मुग्लिङगमा गएर राेकियाे । हामीले खाना खाएर एकछिन आराम गर्यौं ।

त्यहाँबाट हाम्रो गोर्खातिरको यात्रा सुरु भयो । हामी एकछिनको यात्रा पछि गोर्खा दरबार पुग्यौँ । गोर्खा दरबार पुगेपछि हामीले त्यहाँको इतिहास र त्यहाँका मन्दिरका बारेमा जानकारी लियाैँ । त्यहाँ सिक्नका साथै घुमघाम पनि भयो । गोर्खा दरबारमा रहेको राजाको खाट हेर्यौँ । त्यहाँ हामीले फोटोहरू खिच्याैँ । 

त्यसपछि हामी बसमा बसेर पोखराको यात्रा सुरु भयो । हामी बसमा नाच्दै गाउँदै पोखरा पुग्यौँ । छ बजेकाे थियाे होला हामी त्यहाँ पुग्दा । हामी त्यहाँ पुगेपछि आफ्नो झोला बोकेर होटेलको रूमतर्फ लाग्यौँ । रूममा पुगेपछि निकै आनन्द भयो । त्यहाँ पुगेपछि झोला राखेर पल्टियाैँ । एकछिन थकाई मारेर खाना खान गयौँ । खाना खाएपछि हामी सबै साथी मेरो रूममा भेट्यौँ । हामी रूममा तीन जना थियौ र कक्षा पाँचका जम्मा सात जना थियौँ। हामी सबैले त्यो रात मोनोपोली जस्ता गेम खेल्यौँ । त्यो रात मलाई अझैँ याद छ । हामीले गीत गायौँ । खेल्याैँ र  रमायौँ । त्यो दिन मलाई थाहा भयो साथी भए सबै कुरा रमाईलो हुँदो रहेछ । अरू दुई दिन बाँकी थियो पोखरामा । भोलि र पर्सि हामी त्यहाँका भ्रमण गर्ने ठाउँ घुम्ने थियाे । हामीले त्यहाँ चमेरो गुफा, महेन्द्र गुफा, फेवा तल, बेगनास ताल, शान्ति स्तुपा र एउटा सङ्ग्रहालय पनि घुम्यौँ । हामीले त्यहाँ मिठो मिठो खायौँ । 

याे रमाइलाे भ्रमण कसरी सकियाे मैले पत्ताे नै पाइनँ । घर फर्कने दिन पनि भइसकेकाे थियाे । हामी सबैले सामुहिक तस्बिर पनि लियाैँ अनि रमाइलाे गर्दै फर्कियाैँ ।

यी चार दिन मेरा लागि चार वर्ष जत्तिकै यादगार बने !

उनीहरूले भने 

आफूलाई माया गर्न गल्ति थियो

आफूलाई बचाउनु गल्ति थियो मेरो 

जब समाजले मेरो चरित्रमाथि औँला उठायो 

आवाज उठाउनु गल्ति थियो मेरो l

उनीहरूले भने जब कसैलाई नराम्रो नजरले हेर्छ 

आफू आँखा झुकाई बस्नु 

जब कसैले जिस्काउँछ 

चुप लाग्नु । 

तर म भन्छु 

जब चरित्रमा प्रश्न उठ्छ 

मेरो लागि म उठ्छु 

जब मलाई समाजले हेप्छ 

मेरो लागि म आवाज उठाउँछु। 

म यो समाजमा शिर उठाई हिड्छु 

जब कसैले म को हुँ भन्ने सोध्छ 

गर्वका साथ म भन्छु 

म एक नारी हुँ ।।  

Money is a must to live in this modern age. As a curious teen, I wanted to learn about money, how it works. As I believe that the things you cannot understand, cannot be attained by you. I had a lot of spare time as I was a student who stayed at a hostel as my thirst of knowing the basic principles and terminologies used to define money, I came across a book named ‘Why The Rich Are Getting Richer’ in my leisure time. I devoured the ideas given in the book as it had deeply interested me in knowing more about finance and how money is circulated. After reading various books my personal perspective on money has changed a lot. 

There is a great saying that money is something but not everything. According to my understanding, no matter how much money you give to the poor, it runs in a loop into a never ending cycle. Money flows backwards to the person who invests it. This is a never ending loop where the reach who own different factories, businesses, clothes companies, and other vital supplies. As social creatures, there is always a thirst for power and superiority between their own species for their basic human nature. This loop cannot be directly defeated. This is how the world runs. The people whom the government controls is also a form of slavery as the money that the people in most countries obtain is taxed up to 40% at the highest. If you see that, you are just going to see that you are contributing to the development of the nation, but what most people don't see is that 40% of the money is 40% of your labor that you did. People feel that approximately four months is directly paid to the government where you get nothing in return but have to work for the government for 4 months. In a country like this, there are not many facilities after paying taxes; it can also be seen as a way that the government controls and maintains the system. These words could sound harsh, but this is a bitter truth. As an example, the rich get richer and the poor get even poorer. The inflation of money in cities like Kathmandu is up to 8 percent per annum, but the increase in salary per year of a middle class clerk is even less. Which also illustrates that there will be a point where there will be no middle class; they will only be two classes in society. Everything that people take as a resource or services provided by industrialists and rich people, which means even if rich people give all the money to the poor and homeless, it will circulate to them in one way or the other. Even in our own country Nepal, there is so much observable corruption that everyone gets richer by corruption. Is it an incident that the financial minister and other high financial personnels of this country are giving insights to many groups or huge companies. They treat the information for you, like the songs of money which cost the country in the long run. What do you consider an accident of the government’s corruption leaked by the people in the authority? There was an incident that new plans were published to the common people, the highest amount of Electronics vehicles was imported in a single day which broke many records. Just after that day, the budget passed. There was a 10% increase in tax of electronic vehicles which profit millions to the company. 

Nepal is a country which is drowning in debt. There are many financial incidents which have led to my lack of trust in the government of Nepal. Even for the development of his country new financial and promotional laws should be established before his country falls into a huge ditch. Hence, the working mechanism of money, how banks work and how the money determines most of the factors in our life is produced in how it is being circulated. It is a vital knowledge that every child should know as growing up to be wise with their hard earned money. I found this question in many books: why is basic knowledge of money not being taught in schools? I would have to guess that the difference between two human beings is the fact that one knows what the other doesn't. Which concludes my opinion on money as an irresistible option chosen by many but truly obtained by few. 

There is foolishness in the soul, I confess,

Sometimes  bad things I do.

I chase dreams that don't make sense,

I revel in stupidity.

I laugh at jokes that others don't understand,

I am always happy in my own.

Nobody's watching me as I dance,

I embrace the sweet madness of life.

There is foolishness in my soul, is true,

But it gives a wave of joy.

I am lost in the power of foolishness,

I am absorbed in my own thoughts.

In my soul, folly dances and plays,

And there is no semblance of knowledge anywhere.

But in these mistakes, the lessons are many,

Who will teach me to be wise.

But there is foolishness in my soul.

And from this foolishness I will learn and change.

नेपाललाई सुन्दर फुलबारी भनिन्छ । त्यही फूलबारीभित्र अनेकौँ जातजाति, वेशभूषा, धर्म, संस्कृतिहरू छन् । यसैगरी नेपालमा पनि धेरै जातजाति छन् । तीमध्ये नेवारी जातिलाई नेपालको एउटा भाषिक समुदायको रुपमा चिनिन्छ। काठमाडौंलाई कलामा उचाइ ल्याउने नै नेवार जाति भनेर चिनिन्छ । नेवार जातिलाई नेपालभन्दा बाहिर पनि चिनिन्छ। नेवारहरू आफ्ना धर्म संस्कृतिका लागि धेरै चिनिन्छन् । फरकफरक खाले चाडपर्व भएको जात हो नेवार। म्ह पूजा, नेवाः समुदायको एक वर्ष प्रतीक्षा क्षण हो । नेपालको नेवार समुदायद्वारा गरिने एक वार्षिक अनुष्ठान हो जसको अर्थ आफ्नो पूजा गर्नु हो । म्ह पूजा र नेवारी नयाँ वर्ष एकै मितिमा हुन्छ।

नेपाली पात्रोअनुसार प्रत्येक वर्ष कार्तिक शुक्लपक्ष प्रतिपदाका दिन नेवार समुदायले राष्ट्रिय विभूति शंङ्खधर साख्वाःलाई सम्मान गर्छन् । उनको स्मृतिमा ऋणको मारमा परेका गरिब नेपाली जनताको सबै प्रकारका ऋण चुक्ता गरेको सम्झनामा नेपाल संवत्‌काे नयाँ वर्षको रूपमा मनाइन्छ। म्ह: पूजा यमपञ्चक तिहारको चौथो दिनमा पर्छ । म्ह: पूजा नेवारीहरूलाई धेरै महत्त्वपूर्ण चाड हो किनभने यो अनुष्ठान नयाँ वर्ष उत्सवको एक भागको रूपमा आत्माको शुद्धिकरण र सशक्तीकरणको लागि गरिन्छ। ‘न्हु:दया’ भनेर पनि यस दिनलाई चिनिन्छ। म्ह: शब्दको अर्थ शरीर हो, जसले परिवारमा बस्ने प्रत्येक व्यक्तिको गतिशील आशनलाई स्पष्ट रूपमा प्रतिनिधित्व गर्दछ । म्ह: पूजा भनेको परिवारका प्रत्येक सदस्यको पनि पूजा गर्नु हो अनि त्यो काम घरकी उच्च सक्रिय स्त्रीले गर्छिन्। म्ह: पूजा साँझ वा दिउँसो, कहीँ न कहीँ रातको समयमा गरिन्छ । काठमाडौँ उपत्यकाका तीन सहरका आगन्ड्य: (कुलकी देवी) र देवी तलेजु भवानीको म्हः पूजा उच्च नेवार पुजारीले सञ्चालन गरिसकेका छन् कि छैनन् भन्ने कुरा सुनिश्चित गर्नका लागि यो पर्व साँझतिर मनाइन्छ।

यस पालिको तिहारमा पनि हामीले म्ह:पूजा राम्ररी मनायौँ। म्ह:पूजाका लागि मण्डला आवश्यक छ र हामीले यसलाई भुइँको परिष्कृत सतहमा कोर्यौँ। प्रत्येक परिवारका सदस्यहरूका लागि यो बनाउनु आवश्यक छ। यो परिवारका ती सदस्यहरूको लागि पनि बनाउनुपर्छ जो क्षणिक रूपमा अनुपस्थित हुन्छन् । मण्डला सुकुन्डा र कुचोलाई पनि बनाइन्छ । हामीले मण्डलाहरू सबै नकुहिने चामलले सजायौँ लगभग पाँच वटा थुप्रोमा । यो विश्वास गरिन्छ कि यसले पाँच प्रमुख तत्त्वहरूको प्रतिनिधित्व गर्दछ। पृथ्वी, जल, अग्नि, वायु, तेजजस्ता तत्त्वहरू जसबाट मानव शरीरको गठन हुनु पर्दछ र जसमा यो समाप्त हुन्छ। हामीले मण्डलाहरूलाई गोलो आकारका रूपमा सुरु र अन्त्य गर्यौँ । ती मण्डलाहरूमाथि पातहरूको आवरण राख्यौँ र त्यसमाथि विभिन्न प्रकारका भेटीहरू पनि राख्यौँ । भेटीहरूजस्तै पिटेको चामल, पानी, क्वोखा जस्ता औपचारिक धागोहरू, फूलहरू, धूप, बत्तीका धागोहरू । त्यससँग फल कम्तिमा पनि पाँच प्रकार राख्यौँ। हाम्रो घरको सबैभन्दा जेठी महिला सदस्य अर्थात् परिवारको नकि:ले परिवारका प्रत्येक सदस्यको पूजा गर्नुभयो। सदस्यलाई पूजा गर्नुअघि पहिले सुकुन्डा र कुचोलाई पुज्नुभयो। अनि बल्ल त्यहाँ उनले पूजा गर्न पुरुषहरूबाट सुरु गर्नुभयो, त्यसपछि महिलाहरूमा घट्दो उमेरको क्रममा पूजा गर्नुभयो । त्यसपछि उनले परिवारका प्रत्येक सदस्यलाई टीका लगाइदिनुभयो र सबैलाई धागो, फूल, माला, मिठाइ र फलफूल चढाउन थाल्नुभयो। उनले परम्परागत कलश समातेकी थिइन् जुन कुछी भ्वेमा प्रयोग गरिन्छ, जहाँ उनले केही फूलहरू, मुटुमारी (स्वश्विको लागि विशेष रूपमा तयार पारिएको परम्परागत नेवारी पकवान) र अन्य साना सामग्रीहरू राख्नुभयो । त्यो कलशले एक एक जना गरी खुट्टा, काँध र टाउको छोएर हाम्रो टाउकोमा खन्याउनुभयो। यो गरिसकेपछि उनले प्रत्येक परिवारका सदस्यलाई सगुन स्वरुप (माछा, मासु, रक्सी) प्रदान गर्नुभयो, जुन भोजपछि परिवारका सदस्यहरूको लागि लामो जीवन र सौभाग्य सुनिश्चित गर्न पोषणको रूपमा लिइन्छ। पूजा सकिएपछि कुचोले त्यहाँ बनाइएका सबै मण्डलाहरूलाई बिगारिन्छ र कुचोलाई सुकुन्डासँगै लगेर राखिन्छ। यति गरेपछि म्ह:पूजा समाप्त हुन्छ। यसरी नै हाम्रो पनि म्ह:पूजा सकियो।

नेवार समुदायमा रीतिरिवाज र परम्पराअनुसार एउटै घरमा बस्ने परिवारका सबै सदस्य परिवारका ज्येष्ठ सदस्यबाट टीका ग्रहण गर्न एक ठाउँमा भेला हुन्छन् । त्यसपछि आफ्नै शरीरको पूजा गरेपछि सबैको सुस्वास्थ्य र दीर्घायुको कामनासहित आशीर्वाद लिन्छन् । विवाहित छोरीहरूले यो पूजा प्राय: जसो गर्दैनन् । मण्डलाको गोलाकारले पूर्णतालाई सङ्केत गर्दछ । मण्डला संसारको प्रतीक हो र फल र सगुन पृथ्वीले चढाएको प्रसादको प्रतीक हो। यसरी नै म्ह:पूजा नेवारहरूद्वारा समापन गरिन्छ ।

रगतको नालीमा कदम सर्दासर्दै 

श्रद्धञ्जली मानवतालाई मानिस मर्दामार्दै 

थाके यी हात उठाउँदा ती औजारहरू 

म त आगाडि छु कति थाके ती फौजहरू 

हिड अगाडी बढ नथाक भनेको छु यी पाइलालाई 

आज छु भोलि नहुँला कात्राे किन्न भनेको छु मैलालाई 

साहस, हिम्मत अनि मूर्खता, अङ्गअङ्ग चढेपछि 

न त आमा वा बुबा भानुँला, एकै बन्दुकमा ढलेपछि 

यता रगत बगिरख्दा खोला, उता सिन्दुर पखालिँदा 

आशा साथै ढले भरोसा, मनै थाके काध दिँदादिँदा 

प्रथम जीत हर्ष उल्लास, गगन नै छ चुमेसरि 

भिन्न थिए न कुनै रुपमा, रोधन अनि आँशु झरी 

मेरो बालक र तिनका शब्द बोल्दा तोते थियो 

प्रश्न प्रश्न नै रह्यो, कसले कसलाई के दियो 

टोलाएँ, सोचेँ जब साथी, मुकुटमाथि नाच्दछन् 

पीडा भयो होला कती, नली खुट्टा जब भाच्दछन् 

पिएँ, तानेँ लिएँ युद्धको नसा, छोड्न पछि गारो होला 

छोड्छौँ कि लुट्छौँ अझै अघि भरिसके तिम्रा झोला     

बिच अरु आशाहिन प्रार्थना सुन्न सक्दिनँ भावना 

नशा सूची गाँस्दै सुलीमा चड्ने आफ्नो कामना 

चोरिएको खुसी, चुरा र पाउजु, सुत्न नदीकन बज्दछन् 

आदर्शसँगै झरेका टाउका स्वप्न सराप्दै सज्दछन् 

कालो परिसक्यो यो जिब्रो, झुठाे चाट्दाचाट्दै 

अपराधी हुँ म सोचको धर्म काट्दाकाट्दै 

संसार पालूँ भनी काखमा, च्याति अरुको गर्भ 

खोज्दिनँ मोक्ष यस कालमा पाउँछु कहिले मर्न

“It never ceases to amaze me: we all love ourselves more than other people, but care more about their opinion than our own” -Marcus Aurelius

“The fear of being judged” is the fear that keeps us in chains and holds us from achieving our true potential. This fear alone has destroyed many potentials of a human being. For instance in the beginning of human civilization a human needed another human for food, shelter and to protect one another from predators, even now that our society has evolved to a point where we no longer have to worry about predators and we have the resources to provide us food, shelter and clothing, they need to be part of a group/society still has been maladapted. Then came the time where we were scared of the cold and the dark. Today we are scared of being canceled on twitter or being commented on Facebook because of something we said or even being insulted for posting pictures wearing the same dress on instagram. This feeling of being ostracized has worsened due to social media like for example the like and dislike button created the feeling of being validated and seen by others. Watching the numbers go up can be addicting to the point where we stop saying the stuff we really want to say, stop posting the pictures we want to post and start writing our opinion, posting our pictures to earn “fame” and to earn validity by some strangers on the internet and to be “seen”.

Caring about what others think is healthy, but it becomes hurtful when we try to change ourselves just to be liked by others. The problem today is we are taking criticism from people we wouldn’t even take advice from. In today’s modern society there is freedom of speech, but only when your microphone is turned off because today people don’t speak about their opinion freely in open mics rather write about it in social media anonymously because they have a constant fear of being judged, canceled and  to fit in this society full of lies. If you wouldn’t let a stranger into your house for fear of invading your privacy, why would you let them into your head which is the most private place or all?  The problem is that when you are different, friends and family don’t interact with you anymore, and that is hard to bear for many. This is the reason many people change their opinion just to be “validated”. We shouldn’t take to heart what other people say about you if they aren’t very close to you because you cannot please everyone. 

Thus the title concludes with the idea of having the resilience and inner fortitude to endure being disliked by others while maintaining a sense of dignity and composure. I remember a closing note here: “Care about people’s approval, and you’ll be their prisoner”

“The Picture of Dorian Gray” a famous literary classic novel written by Oscar Wilde, explores themes of aestheticism, the duality of human nature, the consequences of greed and obsession and the mortality of beauty, youth and appearance. This novel is considered a classic of Victorian literature and a significant work in the Gothic tradition. With his phenomenal writing skills, Oscar Wilde was also known for his sharp wit and humor, his sense of aesthetics, and his flamboyant fashion sense, which later sparked a huge controversy.

The novel was first published in a Monthly Magazine in June 1890. It explored mortality, dark human behavior and some homoerotic themes and indulgent lifestyles. As The societal norms of the Victorian era were very conservative the public response to the book was utter shock and moral outrage. The magazine editors censored certain “controversial” and “scandalous” parts from the book but it did not help at all because people were already against it, some saying that it supports “satanism” and "gross indecency" (a term formerly used to denote certain criminal offenses, in particular sexual activity between men). As a response to the public criticism and controversy, later in 1891 when the novel was published in a book form, Oscar Wilde added a preface in his book where he starts by saying, “The artist is the creator of beautiful things. To reveal art and conceal the artist is art's aim.” Basically explaining that art allows the audience to appreciate its beauty without being overly concerned with the personal life or identity of the artist. He also mentions that “those who find ugly meanings in beautiful things are corrupt without being charming” and straightforwardly calls this trait a fault. In the same preface Wild also delivers a powerful line addressing people calling him and his writing “immoral” by saying "There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written or badly written. That is all." This line suggests that the only meaningful difference is whether a book is well or poorly written, rather than making moral judgments about its content. And ends the preface by saying “All art is quite useless” implying that art is not meant to serve a specific purpose and that the art's value is in its beauty and the enjoyment one feels. But, since Wilde himself had a flamboyant lifestyle and an open acknowledgment of his homosexuality, it made the situation even worse as the public started questioning Wilde's personal choices and started calling him out for his “immoral acts.” The matters got so bad that in 1895, Wilde faced legal troubles and the trial led to revelations about Wilde's private life which resulted in his arrest and subsequent conviction for "gross indecency,” and he was sentenced to two years of prison. This had an intense impact on his personal and professional life. He faced public disgrace, financial ruin, and imprisonment. Wilde's health became progressively worse in prison, and after his release, he lived in exile in France until his death in 1900. Oscar Wilde's reputation suffered greatly for years, and he went through a rough period of social and personal issues. The controversy surrounding the novel did not immediately die down, but over time, the work gained recognition for its literary value. After Wildes death, his reputation was restored, and "The Picture of Dorian Gray" came to be appreciated as a significant contribution to literature.

This situation shows how writers in Wilde's time (Victorian era) had a tough time trying new ideas as society expected them to follow strict moral and social rules. The controversy around Wilde's work shows how challenging it was for writers to break free from these expectations and explore new themes or styles. It also shows how Oscar Wilde tried to normalize various elements in writing as well as in the society and its people of his time.