Dewan Rai

Kathmandu:

It is said a picture can say more than a thousand words. An exhibition of hotographs “Thalara Framed — Glimpses of Western Nepal” by Devendra S Rana at Siddhartha Art Gallery, Babarmahal Revisited, tells the story of day-to-day life in Thalara. His black and white photographs, which he calls “his long cherished dream to share his impressions and experiences of Thalara”, give us a “video shot” of life in this remote part of far-western Nepal. Madhukar SJB Rana, finance minister, jokingly commented in his inaugural speech,

“We need to increase the Gross Domestic Happiness (GDH) along with Gross Domestic Product (GDP). These are powerful images that depict the dignity and serenity in the lives of these simple people.” Rana seemed to have assimilated the idea behind the work of this young artist. A conservation and development consultant turned photographer, Devendra, who’s spent his childhood in India and his growing years in UK, said he has focused on the feudal relationships, the heavy work burden on women and abject poverty in this remote region.

Sangeeta Thapa, curator of the gallery, also seemed to agree with the point of the pictures.

“I was struck by the immense poverty of the region. Much-touted words like

“decentralisation” and “development” seem to have eluded these rural poor,” she said. As said Devendra, “It takes over two days’ of hard walking to reach the nearest road from the village, health posts are crumbling, there are hardly any medicines and there is hardly any working drinking water system. When I first arrived in 1991 my first impressions were of shock and sadness.” During his stay of five years, he thoroughly studied the prevailing situation and the society founded on ancient beliefs and practices. Stretching from Seti river to Khaptad plateau, Thalara lies on the border of Bajhang and Doti districts of Seti Zone. Owing to its plentiful water and fertile land, people cultivate summer rice and winter wheat in a year. They work all round the year yet are unable to feed themselves. Devendra uses the black and white scheme to express the starkness and bleakness of his subject. Titled

“Manpower”, one of his photographs depicts men ploughing the field themselves instead of with oxen. Another depicts a hardy old woman minding her grandchild and a buffalo kid with the gentlest of smiles on her face. The exhibition will continue till April 30.