84 | TRAVEL HIMALAYA SPRING 2019 http://www.travelhimalayamagazine.com
A ROYAL NEPALI DINNER
at basmati rice seasoned with saffron. The black
dhal is in the middle while circumscribing the
plate is pickle, spinach, potato and many more
items. The unique silver plate is called the Royal
Rana Thali.
Traditionally, the items are then spooned up
and placed on top of the rice while the dhal soup
is poured over it. Rubi follows tradition while I
prefer to eat the dhal soup separately, savoringLWVXQLTXHO\UREXVWÁDYRU,WHQGWRHDWLWDVDVRXSZLWK
its rich lentils and other ingredients. When the waiter
comes to offer more, I greedily accept.
Rubi gives a nod of approval as she slowly tastes a
spoonful to deterine its quality. At another such restaurant,
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here she's able to say it is very good dhal. The waiter explains
that it takes this dhal three hours to make as it simmers
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While we are eating dinner, two young ladies come
out and begin to perform dances on the stage. These
ladies come smiling as they perform dances from a
variety of cultures that are a part of Nepal. In some of
the dances, the young men also join in as they dance
everything thing from romantic songs to one of warriors.
Sangita Shrestha joins us at the table. She is the
dance master who has been teaching and training the
dancers in the traditional dances of the Nepali people.
Sangita tells us that when she was younger, she was
quite the traditional dancer. Now in her new role as dance
master at Baber Mahal Revisted, she has the privilege of
imparting this knowledge of the ancient culture to future
generations of young Nepali men and women.
One of the most unique dances we watched was the
Hudkeli or Warrior Dance as two young men came onto the
stage dressed in traditional battle dress with swords and
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Sangita explained that this was a very old traditional dance
which I had never seen perfomed in all the time I've been
living in Nepal. The movements at times were done slowly
and with a great deal of deliberation.
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dessert made of a thickly sweetened yogurt topped with
pomegranites. i slowly raise my cut class of roxy and
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Every visitor to Nepal must see a cultural program at
least once. And Baithak restaurant at Baber Mahal Revisted
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