Unexpected hospitality

Now that my fractured elbow has healed, it is great  to be able to explore the valley on the back of Roger's motorbike again. last weekend  there was a surprising heavy rain storm , probably an indication of climate change and the following morning the dust had been washed out of the atmosphere so we decided to travel o the outlying hills to see some mountain views. We stopped to admire a snow capped peak and noticed lots of nesting house martins swooping around the village houses. A man came out of one of the houses and asked us what we were looking at and what we were doing in Nepal when we explained ( in Nepali) he invited us in to see their small dairy herd.
We spent a happy half hour drinking chya, (sweet spiced tea ) and admiring his three lovely fat milking buffalo and two milking cows. They were tied up outside as is usual here, with food and water brought to them every two hours and their milk sold locally. These water buffalo have very rich, creamy milk but they will only allow themselves to be milked when the calf is close by or suckling too.it was lovely to be sipping tea while stroking the little buffalo calves who were tied up nearby, stretching themselves out in the warm sun and enjoying having their heads scratched. I discussed childrens health and family issues  with the ladies while Roger gave helpful agricultural advice to the farmer.
The same day my Sikh watch mender had invited us to his temple (gaudwara) to see a Sikh service and then have lunch. We were welcomed and provided with headscarves and shown where t wash our hands and leave our shoes. The temple was a large room, largely unadorned with a shrine in the centre behind which the guru sits and people bring offerings and prostrate themselves on arrival. There was a traditional small orchestra a with singers who played continuously and people just came and  sat as long as they wished, it was very relaxed and calm.

Inside the godwara

After the service we all went downstairs to a large hall and sat on strips of carpet before being given a plate and cup each. Within 20 minutes the male servers had given rice, dahl (lentil soup) ,pickles and  a drink of water to each of the 150 or so people who were in the hall. Everyone was served as much as they could eat and this happens every Saturday, regardless of whether people attend the service or not. I was very impressed by the friendly welcome and the provision of hospitality to everyone, including some very poor barefoot landless poor people and several ragged street children who were also welcomed in. Many Christian churches also offer hospitality bu the model of a weekly free meal for everyone in the community whatever their economic or social status is an example to us all.

The womens area of the dining hall