KATHMANDU, NEPAL – The narrow alleyways of Nepal’s capital are a maze of shaded lanes dotted with small shrines dedicated to Hindu deities. Morning sees residents line up, ring the temple bells and leave a small offering for the scared idols. The routine is as predictable as the rising of the sun.

Afternoons in Kathmandu are marked with an altogether different ritual these days. Street protests against the monarchy erupt with unfailing frequency in public squares and around campuses, but the program is always cut short when the blue camouflaged policemen arrive swinging their bamboo canes. If there is a big enough mass of protesters, they will try to hold back the advancing police by lobbing bricks and stones. Inevitably a few people are caught and bundled into the waiting police vans, while the rest dash away down the dusty streets to escape.

[Copyright Tomas van Houtryve. Do not copy, archive or re-post without written permission. All rights reserved.]