Kathmandu:

It rained the night before. November 11 dawned with clear blue skies, just a nip in the air. But what’s a little chill compared to day of fun? And of course jackets and pullovers can protect you against the season’s cold.

With this mindset, hundreds turned up for the second Tewa Carnival (a fundraiser) at the Birendra International Convention Centre (BICC) on this Saturday.

And a carnival it was with something for everyone.

While the children got their faces painted and jumped on the bouncy or went on the rides that dotted the carnival site, the young girls got intricate mehndi designs on their delicate hands and tried to ward off any ‘pushers’ who might smudge the designs.

A total of 63 different stalls had been put up with 14 just dedicated to the gastronomic delights that Kathmanduites love to gorge on. From Bajeko sekuwa to mouth-watering delicacies from the town’s best eateries, one could taste different flavours and tastes. If only, one could eat forever.

Eight stalls had been put up by NGOs. There were not only many stalls, there was a variety of stuff too — from handicrafts to boutique goods to jewellery to beads to branded goods, the Carnival had it all.

And while the womenfolk dilly-dallied and pondered over the beads and would it match the new purse, the menfolk (young and some not-so-young) sauntered around and tested their biking skills, courtesy CBZ test ride, or tried their hand and luck at the various games stalls.

Tattoos were a part of the fest — all the test riders got a CBZ tattoo on their cheeks, while other enthusiasts got their faces painted at the face painting corner.

And to the delight of the children (and even grown-ups), there were mascots moving around among the crowd — some dressed like Spiderman, some like Bugs Bunny, Winnie the Pooh... a truly Wonderland experience.

And what’s a festival organised by lyrical Nepalis without some music? Well, musicians had turned up, tuned to scale the highest notes — Mahastata Bajracharya, Pramod Nirvan, Prem Lama, Nalina Chitrakar among others were lined up.

Hats off to Tewa for such a delightful day. And before we forget Tewa is is an organisation that was established in 1996. It aims to strengthen communities to bring Nepali men and women into equitable partnership in development of the country and assist in empowering emerging groups of rural women.

Till the next Carnival...