“Welcome to the land of Lord Buddha”

Mr Ajay Khatri and Mr Bhagat Khatri, residents of Madhyapur Thimi, are two cyclists on a world tour are back to home after making experience 18 nations altogether. Mr Rudra Pangeni interviewed them and their interview goes on like this.
Interviewer: How are you Bhagatji and Ajayaji? Which countries you have travelled recently?
Khatri & Mishra: Oh, we are fine. We have travelled Indonesia, Philippines, Taiwan, Macau, Brunei, Korea, China, Japan etc. We have travelled 18 countries altogether. We started our travelling from India and Bangladesh 4 years ago.
Interviewer: What are you doing now?
Khatri & Mishra: We are preparing for the next trip to Russia, northern Europe and then to Middle East.
Interviewer: What are your objectives behind your world tour on cycle?
Khatri & Mishra: To assist the Nepal prospers. We have slogan “Let us enlighten peace in the world” and “the world is our: let us save and develop it for our future generation.”
Basically to identify Nepal to the world. We identify Nepal with its distinct culture, the geography, country of Himalaya. Our attempt is to make her known unlike the mainstream media doing to the world. They identify Nepal as a war troubled nation alone. But we try to give the message of peace. We depict other prospects of Nepal. The war was for transformation and restructuring the nation.
To know the world, to feel it. To realize different societies their art, culture. To gain first hand experience of the world. To know the development process of the other countries and to contribute Nepali society what is the world like by the information to the Nepali. Aware Nepali we should start from ourselves to develop Nepal. Our exploration ahead will give us more clear insight and vision.

Interviewer: From where did you start this world tour on cycle?
Khatri & Mishra: We made up our mind to do something distinct. We wanted to make an adventurous journey on cycle around the world. We shared our concept to Mohan Krishna Shrestha, mayor of Madhyapur municipality. He inspired us. He also helped with fund. Then we took ideas from Nepal Tourism Board and Foreign Ministry.
Interviewer: What is the source of your travelling cost?
Khatri & Mishra: At first we got financial assistance from Madhyapur municipality and then Rs. 40,000 from the cabinet of ministers in 2004. Locals of Madhyapur municipality helped us a lot. We are helped by many other Nepalese and the natives of the respective countries. We use the money for food and Visa processing. We tell them our clear vision and goals then they appreciate our work. We find warm welcome from the Nepalese Diaspora. We do not stay in hotels. We stay in public places, like temples, Gumbas, etc we make tent there for sleeping. Sometimes we live in private houses when the people let us be there.
Interviewer: Let us know an interesting incident from your tour on cycle.
Khatri & Mishra: Every moment is memorable and interesting. We are overwhelmed when Diaspora Nepali welcomes us. It is most memorable. We met an ex police of Nepal in Hong Kong. Gyanu Pulami Magar and Madhu Pulami Magar a couple, we could not afford in this most expensive country if we were not helped by this couple. We stayed with them one and half month. Every day we found them hospitable. They loved us a lot.
One embarrassing moment we dealt with at the Indian Embassy in Laos. A big statue is kept at the gate. “Welcome to the country of Lord Buddha” Was written at the footage of the statue. We were shocked by this.
Interviewer: Are the people similar to your assumption?
Khatri & Mishra: Rarely it happens. The Buddhists of Thailand differs to the Buddhists of Japan. The culture so various that we can’t make our guess justufied. That’s why every moment is exploring. We thought Bangkok was the most magnificent city. But when we entered into Malyasia we were compelled to change our assumption.
Interviewer: In what extent are your objectives fulfilled.
Khatri & Mishra: we have been continuing the journey. We have seen the poorest country like Combodia, Laos etc. We have seen people living there very miserable life. But the youths in these countries are very serious, they are energetic, curious and they are interested to know something new. Whereas we have seen the life very prosperous like in Japan, Thailand, and many more. By seeing them we come to conclude that we should manage agriculture to develop the nation. Every citizen must be self dependent. Thinking of what I can do to my nation should be inculcated in every Nepalese people rather than what I get from the nation. Every citizen has to labor. We can see the waste management in the Japan, Hong Kong. In Nepal we do not take it’s our responsibility. There they think that they should contribute. We saw a baby running after a chocolate wrapper which was blown up by the wind soon after she ate up. She did not mind to forget the taste of chocolate. She had to keep it in her pocket because there was not any dustbin. They are brought up in the responsible beings.
Finally, after completing our journey we are going to publish a book to give the whole experience of our journey to all the Nepali people.
Interviewer: Is there any person who became most memorable in the journey?
Khatri & Mishra: Yes, we have already mentioned the Pulami Magar family. Another is Songhang, a man of Phnom Penh the capital city of Cambodia. It was at the time of world cup 2006. We were in the process of visa to Thailand. He invited us to his home. We stayed with his family for 10 days. He loved us a lot. He becomes very close to the guests. We saw tears in his eyes at the time they bid farewell to us. We were highly impressed by him and his family. We have found no such amicable man yet.
Interviewer: What will you do after this tour?
Khatri & Mishra: We will be in social work. We will be helping to the orphans and destitute.
Interviewer: Can you estimate your achievement at the completion of your world journey on cycle?
Khatri & Mishra: We give message to the world our country is peaceful. We are the country of God Buddha. We welcome all the people to the nation where Buddha was born. We tell them the present peace less situation is temporary. Buddha was also at peace less but he achieved enlightenment by meditation. We will have peace in our country. We will assist the tourism of our country by identifying our country to the world.