From Kathmandu to Kuala Lumpur

Ram Dayal Rakesh

My main motto was to visit Malaysia since a long time but it is not easy to visit any foreign country as a tourist for an ordinary man like me. It became possible only when my son -in-law Tarini was posted as an officer at Nepal Airlines office situated in Kuala Lumpur. He was requesting me time and again to visit Kuala Lampur but I was not in a position to visit it due to so many reasons. We all know that on 25 April 2015 Nepal faced a major and massive earthquake. It was very dangerous and devastating natural calamity in which near about 10 thousand people lost their lives. All people faced this natural calamity directly or indirectly. Many people became homeless like refugees certainly for sometimes. We were experiencing shocks aftershocks. Mr. Tarini was anxious and worried about our deplorable condition. So he requested me to visit Kuala Lumpur to avoid aftershocks for some time. I also thought that by visiting it we may get relief and may be free from psychological fear. So I decided to visit Kuala Lumpur with my family members. My grandson has visited it many times. He has also presented a dissertation about Kuala Lumpur airport for his bachelor degree in Architect Engineering. So he became ready to be our guide. He managed everything from visa to foreign currency needed for this visit. Even he managed our complementary air tickets, which we are entitled to get it because my daughter Poonam is also an employee of Nepal Airlines. So, everything was ready but our flight was not certain for scheduled day.

It was confirmed after two days because we are not allowed to fly as bona fide passengers. It depends on availability of seats meant for FOC (free of cost tickets). At last, our tickets were confirmed for 19th may 2015. We started our journey early in the morning at 8 o’ clock after taking breakfast. We reached at right reporting time. Our flight was also on time. There were some seats vacant in the executive class. So, we were allowed to occupy our seats in that class with the permission of the flying authority. The food was also fine and well served on time. We met Dr. Ram Prasad Upadhayaya who was also travelling in that class. He is a medical Doctor working there on Travel visa. We became very friendly in the first meeting. We took a comfortable cup of coffee on special request. We enjoyed our flight very much. He requested us to visit Bate Cave, a famous Hindu shrine in Malaysia. He also cautioned us to beware of mosquito, which is very malicious because it causes Dengue fever, a very dangerous disease. On the arrival at Kuala Lampur airport first time, we saw air train which runs without driver within the complex of the airport.

We reached Tarini’s apartment situated at Bistari condominium in the evening. His apartment is very cozy and comfortable and it is on the 29th floor from where we can encounter KL TOWER and Twin Tower, which are world famous, now next to Burj tower of Dubai. We took our dinner and slept well forgetting airsickness. Bistari condominium is also nearby PWTC (Putra World Trade Centre).

Next day after taking lunch, we started our journey to Bate Cave. It is very popular religious pilgrimage place for Hindus where they pray in the morning as well as in the evening. It is situated in Selangor. It attracts thousands of Hindu pilgrims and tourists throughout the day. It is also a peaceful place where worshippers can get mental peace and solace. Its main attraction is the grand  idol of Hanuman, the monkey god at the entrance of the cave. If worshippers enter the cave then they can see Ramayana Cave in which the whole story of the Ramayana is engraved with pretty pictures. Then they can encounter Suyambhu Lingam, Sri Maha Mariamman Temple Dhevasthanam Temple, Sri Subramanian Swamy Temple, the Bate Cave, Sri Amarnath SIVA lingam. After visiting Bate caves, I composed a Haiku poem, which runs like this:

Batu Caves
Creation of Tamils
Wonderful

Besides a steep 272 climb up which is very difficult to climb for weak and old worshippers? The climate of Kuala Lumpur was very hazy since two weeks. We could not visit KL Tower in our first visit though we were very curious to visit it. I read a report about the air pollution of Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Indonesia in the Sun daily paper, which goes like this:

“Air pollution has created a test of political co-operation that Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore have yet to face.” Malaysia’s air pollution index, assigns scores to common pollutant gases and particulate matter based on their concentration in the atmosphere, and then gives an aggregate reading. In September, the index in some parts of the country persisted above 200 mark. In Singapore, readings peaked at341. So, it was not possible to visit KL Tower because it is meant to visit it to have a complete view of the city. So, we postponed our program in our first visit but in second visit the weather was very fine and crystal clear. So, we started our journey to have a full look of the city by GO KL Tourist bus which is free for foreign visitors and it goes near the tower. We stepped down the bus near by bus station. From there is a shuttle bus which goes to the tower and it is also free. We were fortunate enough to visit it. There were many visitors going and coming. Some of them have very pleasant experience and sharing with visitors. First of all, we went to the ground floor where there were many souvenir shops and guides. We went to have a comfortable cup of coffee to fresh ourselves. That cafe has a very interesting name Tea, Coffee and Me. KL tower is worth visiting tourist place. The garden around is also very neat and clean. It soothes our tired eyes and provides pretty look to visiting tourists. This is very interesting and enchanting man-made monument, a marvelous one. I remember a poem written by WB Yeats 150 years ago entitled “The tower that enchanted Yeats”. I would like to quote here some of the lines:

I, the poet William Yeats,
With old mill boards and sea-green states
And smithy work from the Gort forge
Restored the tower for my wife Ceorge
And may these characters remain
When all is ruin once again.

 The name of the tower is Thoor Ballylee Tower.

Commercial complexes are decorated with lanterns on the Spring festival. One can sense the scent of cherry blossoms and oranges everywhere in the capital city. 30 million people take part in it cheerfully. They exchange’ pineapples because they are considered the harbinger of good luck. Malaysia is considered as Meccas where in many events like this happen every year. The KLCC hosts lion and dragon dances throughout the festivals. Main center of attraction is in Bukit Bintang area where there are many Chinese restaurants are located and they are full with these revelers.

[Prof. Ram Dayal Rakesh, PhD, is a professor of Hindi, who retired from Tribhuvan University. A folklorist, writer, critic and translator of high repute, he is also the winner of the prestigious Fukuoka Prize from Japan.  He is also the former Chief of the Department of Culture at Nepal Academy.]