Bajracharya 1

Shristi Bajracharya
Professor Malvin
English 114A
1 November 2015
Tears of the Himalayas
Earlier in 2015, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Nepal. Located at the foothills of the
Himalayas, Kathmandu, Gorkha, Sindhupalchok and Namche were the most unfortunate cities
and towns to suffer the terrible consequences of this earthquake. April 25th was labeled by most
people as the dark day for it was on this day, the unforeseen tragedy took place. Many people
lost their houses, properties, friends and family. Speaking as a witness of the earthquake, I can
relate to the stories of all the victims who were completely frightened during the earthquake. .
Although the rest of the world may not be aware of whats been happening in a small country
such as Nepal, I want to inform people of the aftermath of this earthquake that shook my country
and tell them about the horrible consequences of such a natural disaster. One of the moments
from the tragic event was captured in an image of a young couple, embracing each other for the
last time before death fell upon them. The condition of the couples bodies and the pieces of the
buildings ruins are perfect examples for the state of the earthquake, both emotionally and
physically.
Covered in ruins of an old tower called Dharahara and surrounded by a pool of brick and
dust, the couples bodies lie motionless. The wife seems to have fallen on top of her husband, all
the while embracing him with all her strength. The bloody spot on the mans head suggests that
he might have died from a severe hit to the head, but, their bodies arent nearly as disfigured as

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one might expect from a fall such as this one. The only other people we can witness in the
picture are the policeman and an on-looker. The couple in the picture are surrounded by dust and
bricks, making them appear as a sand dune if one were to take a short glimpse at the picture. The
chaotic way that the concrete pieces of the towers remains are scattered all over the picture, and,
the angle of the picture radiate an intense energy. This phenomena is explained by Molly Bang in
her article when she explains how diagonal shapes imply motion or tension (Bang). This also
explains the quality of the picture since the photographer must have been in motion or in an
unstable condition while taking the picture. This proves that whoever the photographer might
have been, his only motive was to capture the tragic scene of the couple without any regard to
the surroundings.
In the heart of Kathmandu, where the busiest roads and the busiest businesses meet,
Dharahara stood tall in all its glory. In just a couple of seconds, the historical figure fell to the
ground, bringing with itself the unfortunate group of people who were visiting the old tower.
Among those people were a man and his wife who suffered a tragic death that day. This is a
picture of them, found in the vicinity of Dharahara after its collapse. It was a landmark in the
heart or the city and a symbol of the countrys history. According to an online article, this was the
second time the tower had collapsed due to an earthquake in 1934, but was rebuilt soon after,
only to have suffered the same tragic fate (Deutsch). Not only did the loss of human life affect
the country, but, the loss of such an old monument brought tears to the eyes of the people and
grief to their hearts.
Though the picture does not contain many details and the atmosphere surrounding the
couples bodies cannot be seen, one can easily say that the picture must have been taken during a
time of chaos and confusion. Their bodies must have remained in that condition for a while

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before the police and paramedics tended to them. They werent the only ones in the building who
suffered the terrible fate. Around two hundred people died that day due to the collapse of the
Dharahara. While most of them were inside the building when it collapsed, some were in the area
surrounding the tall building and were hit by the concrete pieces that caused their death. The loss
of human life was a terrible shock to every single person. People lost their families, friends,
neighbors, and were in mourning for months, some even to this day.
I feel very fortunate to have survived this quake. I know how traumatized they must have
felt after the earthquake, but, what I cannot relate to is, the loss of loved ones. My family
managed to survive the quake without any injuries, and so did my friends. I heard heartbreaking
stories about parents losing their children, children losing their parents and many more. People
were talking about a whole family who lost their lives in the Dharahara. One of the stories that I
heard were about a man and his wife who covered their children to protect them from the fall, the
couple died but the children survived. This was one of the most heartbreaking stories Ive come
across. Among the two hundred people who died in the tower and the countless number of
people who died in all the affected areas, Im sure there are stories that are worse than what our
ears have heard or our eyes have seen. But, this picture does the job of simply conveying a
message of loss and grief to anyone who is oblivious to the situation of Nepal after the tragedy.
The immediate effects of the earthquake was an immensely painful sight. Right after the
earthquake, the entire city was covered with dust from the recently collapsed buildings. People
were rushing in search for their loved ones, hoping to find them and bring them home. The police
and paramedics were everywhere. Even with the army and the police working together, the
number of rescuers could not meet the number of injured and trapped people. Rubble was
everywhere, surrounding the ruins of houses, temples, and most of the historical monuments

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which were over a hundred years old. What made the impact of the earthquake worse was the
terrain of the places. The epicenter was in Gorkha, a hilly area that also suffered from landslides
after the earthquake. The other affected areas all have hilly terrain which made the impact of the
earthquake only worse. People were missing for days. Some were fortunate enough to be found
and rescued, but, for some, only their bodies could be found. The loss of the historical temples
proved to be a severe hit to the sentiments of the country and its people. Since Nepal has a
reputation for being rich in culture and ancient architecture, the destruction of the ancient sites
brought grief upon the citizens of the entire country. Even the people living in parts of the
country that werent affected by the earthquake felt terrible about the loss of human life and the
damage done to the countrys infrastructure.
Looking at the couple in the picture first made me wonder, were they a married couple or
were they young teenagers? Did they have family who knew where they were at the time of the
earthquake? But most of all, I wonder what they must have felt when they felt the building and
knew at that moment that they were going to die. Wikinepal stated that the womans name was
Manisha Rijal and the mans name was Nishant Khadka, they were a young couple from Jhapa,
eastern Nepal, who were holidaying in Kathmandu (25 Photos). This is a very touching
story, especially since it didnt happen at home or even the town they belonged to. It was merely
a result of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I asked my friend Mariana to look at the
picture and asked her a couple of questions based on it. When I questioned her thoughts on the
picture, she said it was depressing. Considering the fact that her arms were still embracing her
husbands body even when they fell to the ground, one can tell that they were scared to death
when they felt the earthquake and saw their death coming.

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The picture, in general, is an example of fate and natures will. One can never say when
and how the lives of thousands could be put to an end. The catastrophic earthquake has caused
wounds to the country and its people which may take years to heal. Even though it was a
moment of despair and grief, the citizens of Nepal never gave up on each other. It is times like
this that help us acknowledge our true friends. As long as the people of Nepal support and
encourage each other, the country will rise again in no time. The wounds will heal, the people
will smile, and, the ancient tower of Dharahara will stand tall again.

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Works Cited
"25 Photos from Nepal's Earthquake That Will Make You Cry The Last Embrace.
Wikinepal.org. Wikinepal Faces and Places of Nepal. Wikinepal, 28 Apr. 2015. Web. 27
Oct. 2015.
Bang, Molly. Picture This: How Pictures Work. San Francisco: Chronicle, 2000. PDF. 29 Oct.
2014.
Deutsch, Lindsay. "Nepal's Historic Dharahara Tower Collapses, Trapping Hundreds." USA
Today News

26 Apr. 2015: n. pag. Web. 29 Oct. 2015.