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On Jan 22, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Ram. Over 7,500 invited participants are expected to attend the opening ceremony which has drawn international attention.  In 2020, Modi laid the foundation stone of the Ram temple at Ayodhya.

Ayodhya’s Vedic ritual began from Jan 17 which included the Pran Pratishtha ceremony which marked a pivotal step in the festivities following the worship of Lord Ganesha. Thursday will witness the commencement of special rituals like Mandap entry puja, vastu puja and Varun Puja. On Jan 19, a Yagya fire pit will be prepared and on January 20, the sanctum Sanctorum of the Ram Mandir will undergo purification with the placement of 81 Kalash with water from various rivers, and on Jan 22, Indian PM Modi will inaugurate the temple.  

According to AP, the temple is being built at an estimated cost of $217m, but it is far from complete. The site is filled with roaring bulldozers and busy builders still working on the elaboration of 46 doors—42 of which will have a layer of gold totaling around 100 kilograms—and numerous carvings that will form the final architecture of the temple, AP reports.

The temple, a three-story structure clad in pink sandstone stretches across 2.9 hectares in a 28-hectare complex. According to AP, it will have a 1.3 meter idol of Lord Ram. The temple has been divided into six parts, including the sanctum sanctorum and five pavilions—Gun Mandap, Rang Mandap, Nritya Mandap, Kirtan Mandap, Prathana Mandap.

The opposition Indian Congress has declared that it would skip the inauguration ceremony dubbing it a political project of BJP and RSS. “Religion is a personal matter. But RSS\BJP have long made a political project of the temple in Ayodhya. The inauguration of the incomplete temple by the leaders of the BJP and the RSS has been obviously brought forward for electoral gain,” read a statement from senior party leader Jairam Ramesh.

The Ayodhya Ram Temple is one of important pilgrimage sites and it is significant for Hindus worldwide, including the Hindus in Nepal which constitute more than 80 percent population. Janakpurdham has dispatched bhar special gifts as offerings to Ayodhya; a team has gone there carrying the special offerings for Ayodhya under the Janakpurdham-Ayodhyadam religious procession.

According to RSS, upholding the tradition, Janakpurdham, as the maternal home of Sita, who was married to the then crown prince of Ayodhya sent the offerings. The offerings encompass various types of jewelry, utensils, clothing and sweets, decoratively arranged in specially crafted bamboo baskets.  A team of around 300 devotees has left for Aydohya with Gharbasak Bhar or gifts for a housewarming occasion. Two Shila big boulders lifted from the bank of the Kaligandaki River of Nepal were also sent last year.

Soon after signing a long-term power-trade deal with India, Nepal is preparing to export 40 MW electricity to Bangladesh from July this year, according to multiple sources.

Officials from Nepal, Bangladesh and India are working to finalize the modality of power export as soon as possible. During Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s New Delhi visit in May last year, India had agreed to allow Nepal to export 40 MW power to Bangladesh through its grid.

From July, Nepal will start exporting 40 MW to Bangladesh, which will pave the way for more cooperation in the coming days, said a diplomatic source. Now, three countries are working to finalize the tariff and other details to operationalize the agreement.

Nepal and Bangladesh are also working to construct a dedicated transmission line for the export of up to 5000 MW to Bangladesh. But there has been no tripartite agreement regarding the construction of a dedicated transmission line that passes through the Indian territory.  Private investors from Bangladesh are keen to invest in Nepal’s hydropower sector.

The signing of a long-term power trade agreement between Nepal and India has boosted the morale of both Indian and Bangladeshi investors, said the source. With the export of electricity to Bangladesh, the dreams of regional power trade will start materializing, said the government official. Recently, Nepal signed an agreement with India for the export of 10,000 MW over the next 10 years. 

Back when I was a student, I used to explore my mother’s kitchen boxes looking for something, even though I wasn’t sure what exactly. This searching habit would take over when my mother wasn’t around. One day, I opened a case carefully wrapped in cloth, and the wonderful smell immediately hit my nose and mind. It turned out to be Garam Masala. In those days, these spices were rare, but my father, who was an Indian Gurkha Soldier, probably brought them home.

The small container was filled with cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamom, cloves, mace (javitri), peppercorns, black cardamom (alachi), nutmeg (jayphal), and lots of Pipala – the Piper Longum. I never asked why there was more Pipala than other spices. Many years later, I realized that it was our own product and was freely available near the river stream next to our home. This spice is what makes our Garam Masala different from others in the Indian Subcontinent. We can compare Pipala to Timur (Sichuan pepper), which helps it stand out and represent Nepali cuisine in the culinary world.

Embarking on a journey through history, culture, and delicious flavors, Long Pepper, or Pipala, emerges as a hero among spices, tracing its roots to the heart of our culture. The cone-shaped pepper is like a hidden gem, connecting tales from ancient Ayurvedic traditions to Mediterranean opulence and medieval European kitchens.

Long pepper, known for its medicinal benefits in Ayurveda, has made a strong comeback in modern kitchens. This spice goes beyond just cooking; ancient texts highlight its role in improving health, desire, and vitality. From Ayurvedic remedies to aiding sleep and acting as a stimulant, long pepper adds an interesting layer to its culinary and medicinal significance.

Moving westward, Romans loved long pepper even more than black pepper. In ancient Rome, it was prestigious, commanding double the price of black pepper. The complexities of distinguishing between these peppers intrigued scholars like Pliny, emphasizing the mystery surrounding this spice. Throughout the medieval era, long pepper remained popular, with people even using it as currency and esteemed chefs listing it as an essential spice.

However, trade winds changed during the 15th and 16th centuries, favoring the accessibility of black pepper through sea routes. This flooded European markets and cast a shadow over long pepper. Forgotten for a while, long pepper recently reemerged.

In the modern culinary scene, Long Pepper is making a comeback, captivating chefs and spice enthusiasts alike. Dubbed the ‘forgotten spice,’ the unique flavor, reminiscent of Garam Masala, adds a special touch to dishes. With its inch-long cone structure and a blend of heat, musk, and sweetness, Long Pepper offers a sensory journey similar to an accordion playing out exotic flavors.

Nepal’s hilly and subtropical regions are where long pepper is cultivated. Flourishing in well-drained soils and thriving in slightly warm climates, this perennial climber often finds support in trees or other structures. The cultivation process, mainly organic, utilizes natural soil fertility, occasionally supplemented by cow dung as fertilizer. Harvesting long pepper spikes, the flowering parts of the plant, happens when they retain their green, pungent essence. Sun-drying these spikes until they achieve a distinctive grayish hue is crucial to the process.

The yield of long pepper in Nepal increases over time, with a substantial harvest following the plant’s third year. To maintain productivity, farmers periodically replace older vines. The economic and medicinal importance of long pepper in Nepal is significant. Serving as a financial safety net, its ability to be stored for extended periods post-drying allows farmers to sell it gradually, supplementing their income as needed. In traditional medicine, the roots and thicker stem parts are essential components in Ayurvedic and traditional healing systems.

In Nepali cuisine, long pepper fruits add a pungent flavor to dishes and contribute to pickles, preserves, and the revered Nepali Garam Masala. Medicinally, this spice is a go-to remedy for respiratory ailments such as cough, bronchitis, and asthma. Its peppery taste induces salivation and oral numbness, also serving as a counter-irritant and analgesic for muscular pains and inflammation.

Moreover, long pepper has diverse medicinal applications in Nepal, acting as a sedative, general tonic, hematinic, cholagogue, emmenagogue, anthelmintic, and addressing maladies like dysentery and leprosy.

To wrap it up, I want to share a quote from someone who commented anonymously on an article about Pipala: “I realized that we Nepali are like Kasturi (Deer musk), running around in search of prosperity. Even though valuable products like Pipala are abundant in the hills of Nepal, we are still facing challenges globally. I was hoping this article would guide me on how to connect Pipala to the market.” I completely agree with this line of thought. The issue is connecting the market to the people who harvest Pipala.

The author is a UK-based R&D chef

One day, back in 2014, at the Central Department of Environmental Science, Tribhuvan University, 19 aspiring wildlife biologists, who had taken Wildlife Conservation and Management as a major, were discussing the human influence on biodiversity, wildlife species in particular. The late Man Kumar Dhamala, who was moderating the class as a faculty, gave an example of a species—Bengal Fox. According to him, the species, which was quite common a few decades earlier, is experiencing tremendous pressure and is declining rapidly despite having a wide dietary niche. Among the 19 folks, only one person, Narayan Niraula, who also hailed from Jhapa like the late Dhamala, said he knew about the species while others had no idea. Later on, Narayan Niraula went on to conduct his Masters dissertation to explore the conservation ecology of Bengal Fox in West Jhapa. As far as I know, thus far, this is the only dissertation written in Nepal with Bengal Fox as primary subject. This highlights the attention that this species has received from wildlife biologists in the country.

Bengal Fox

Bengal Fox, a member of the Canid family, is a medium-sized carnivore species known to occur in Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan and is endemic to South Asia. The range of the species is reported up to an elevation of 1,500m, however, the claim is still debated. There is a report claiming the record of the species from Lamtang National Park, however, as the species has not been recorded in mid-hills and the Himalayan Range, the case could be one of misidentification.

Bengal Fox mostly live in the interface of agricultural fields and forests and they usually avoid heavily forested areas. They are an omnivorous species with a wide dietary niche, consuming arthropods, rodents, reptiles, fruits and birds. This dietary niche means, Bengal Fox can have wider adaptability and significant impact to balance the ecosystem.   

Threats to Bengal Fox

In a recent assessment conducted in 2016, the global population of Bengal Fox was listed as least concerned species in IUCN Red List. However, the species is facing diverse forms of threats. As the species has not been studied well, we do not have ample evidence to prove the threats facing it. However, there are incidental records of Bengal Fox killed in road accidents and some records of poaching. Furthermore, the species prefers the small scrubs or short grassland; nowadays they usually build dens in the Agricultural field, escalating the threats to the species.

Back in 2016, when I was at Sundarpur area of Udayapur district for my dissertation, I noticed a den of Bengal Fox in the middle of the paddy field. One person was nearby and I had a conservation with him, who admitted that the species is causing the damage to the field and people usually damage the den and try to kill the species. 

Furthermore, the species is widely hunted in parts of Nepal for food. According to Narayan Niraula, some indigenous groups like Satar regularly hunt and consume the species in Jhapa. Given its status in Nepal. “Status of Nepal’s Mammals: The National Red List Series” has listed the species as vulnerable (VU).  

In Nepal and elsewhere, hunting on localized scale for trade of skin, tail, teeth and claws for medicinal and charm purposes is rampant. Furthermore, they undergo population fluctuations due to prey population cycles and disease outbreaks. In some cases, they may undergo local extirpation.

Local extirpation

On 2 July 2022, I was chitchatting in Tanahun with one of my relatives in his early 60s. We were discussing how the environmental factors, especially wildlife and their distribution, have changed. He recalled his childhood and teen years when the animal called “Khyak” that looked like a jackal but was smaller than them was common in Khairanitar of Tanahun district.  Back then, the Kumal community, an indigenous group known for their clay pot making skills, used to set the animals’ den afire and kill them. 

The species is extinct now, according to him. Based on his description, I thought the species could be Bengal Fox. When I wrote a post on social media, especially Facebook, stressing the need for conversation of the species, I received many comments. Narayan Niraula said that the species is known with different names in local dialects such as Khirkhire, Khek Shyal and Khekri. Sagar Dahal, a wildlife biologist, who works on research and conservation of small mammals, informed that Kanchan Parajuli from Hetaunda, Makwanpur district, had once spotted the species in Khairenitar (Kaski district) and taken its pictures. The elevation range of Khairenitar is nearly 600m, meaning the climatic condition was suitable for the species. 

According to Shashank Sharma, who was doing a PhD on Common Leopard, in the survey of nearly 600 sq km across Tanahun, Lamjung and Kaski, he had found no trace of the Bengal Fox. He adds, even the Asiatic Golden Jackal were also missing. This highlights the fate of wild canids as a whole.

Conservation measures

Owing to threats resulting from international trade in the species, India has kept the population of Bengal Fox in their country in Appendix III of Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). However, the Bengal Fox Population in Nepal has not seen any such measures. 

Way forward

As we lack information about the species in Nepal, it is essential to establish a baseline. Thus, the first initiatives should be exploring the distribution of the species and the threats facing them in those areas. Furthermore, based on the baseline, we need to plan and implement tailored conservation measures. Drawing from the concluding lines of the late Dhamala’s lectures, I reiterate here that all conservation biologists should aim to keep common species common. We all have to work together to keep Bengal Fox common.

The author is an assistant professor at the Department of Environmental Science, Padma Kanya Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University