Pearls

Rittam Shrestha is one young and talented youth who returned to Nepal after the completion of his masters major in sales and marketing. He did not return empty. He fulfilled the promised he made. He was offered good job with good money in United Kingdom, Japan and Dubai but he came back to Nepal.

He recalls that he had fallen homesick on the very first day in United Kingdom. He missed his parents so much that he was ready to take the next day flight back. However, a phone call to his parents made him change his mind. It was his parents who made him think about the future and all the hardships they had taken to fly him to UK. Today he feels proud because he did not return empty. He returned with a good degree and ample amount of experience. Remember in my first blog we had talked about Pramod Khatiwada and Eros Maharjan, Rittam is another partner of Roots Restaurant and Bar (A Bar first of its kind) and Eros Ink Studio.

Rittam believed and was confident that tattooing his mom and dad´s name on his body would bring a small change in their behavior. And, yes it did. Today, his parents do not fight like they used and they have developed a peaceful relationship. His parents have appreciated his small step to bring a change in their behavior.

The tattoo on his inner left arm reads ¨Krishna and Mangala¨; Dad and Mom. It is inked in Newari Language. It carries two message. The name of his parents dedicated to his parents. He loves and respects his parents equally and dearly. To him, Mr. Krishna and Mrs. Mangala are the two pearls in his life. He says that they are the god´s greatest gift to him.

¨My mom and dad used to quarrel a lot of time. Everyday I questioned myself why they always quarrel? Why did they even get married if they were always going to fight about this and that? Why did they even gave birth to me if they wanted to fight? I tried to find an answer everyday. I could not be in anyone´s side. I was so confused at one time. Then one day I decided to get a tattoo with a hope that it will bring some change in them. And yes it did¨, says Rittam.

I asked him why in Newari language he replied, ¨it represents my culture and language. I always knew if I ever get a tattoo I would get a tattoo in Newari and I did. Our Newari language is disappearing each day. Today´s teens are getting influenced by the western culture, it is a good thing. But we must not forget where we come from and what our values are. We must learn new culture but at the same time we must preserve our religion and culture.¨

The tattoo behind the right ear reads ¨Manufactured in Nepal¨. He believes that Nepal is the country he was born for. Even when he was in the UK he missed Nepal so much. He feels proud to be a Nepali. He says, ¨I am made for Nepal. I will live here. I grew up here and will grow old in here.¨

¨The most difficult part was that we could not computerized it perfectly. We downloaded some unicodes for Ranjana Script but it was not the exact one. One day Eros met his old friend who was a Newari Teacher. He then gave us the correct spelling of the word Krishna and Mangala. I personally felt the miracle. I would have got the wrong name if Eros had not met his friend¨, Rittam shared. 

Newari language is derived from Ranjana Script. Ranjana script is also known as Kutila or Lantsa developed in the 11th century AD. It is derived from Brahmi script. Tibetans call Lantsa for writing the Sanskrit titles of books. Many original Sanskrit manuscripts written in Lantsa preserved in the old monasteries of Tibet but most of these were destroyed after the Chinese take-over.