"Driving it is all about confidence. Without that it is almost impossible” says Brinda, a 47 year old Nepali, and an electric powered 'Tempo' driver (rickshaw is usually called 'Tempo' in Nepal). Introduced in Nepal in the early 1990s, the electric three-wheel rickshaw is a clean alternative solution to the high polluting diesel powered tempo.
These small vehicles operate as a collective minibus, which can transport up to 12 passengers including the driver. Each tempo uses two big sets of batteries that provide Brinda with enough power for eight round trips on her 16 km circle route from Kathmandu Mall to Galfutar, a nearby town in the Kathmandu valley.
Brinda is a successful mother and business woman, working for almost 14 hours a day from 5.30 am to 7 pm. She manages to have a daily income of 30 USD. Out of that she has to pay expenses for battery recharges, drivers labor union organization fees and parking fees, a total of 7 USD per day.
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Women drivers at the "Tempo" parking terminal at Kathmandu mall. The electric powered rickshaws start service at 7 am.
The parking attendant at the Katmandu Mall rickshaw terminal. He gets paid a daily fee by each driver to deal with the queue of departing rickshaws.
"Driving it is all about confidence, without that it is almost impossible" says Brinda Raut, a 47 year old Nepali and an electric powered Tempo driver. While parking at the garage, she does maintenance on her vehicle. In Nepal, a rickshaw is usually called "Tempo".
Brinda Raut, 47, drives carefully through the chaotic Kathmandu traffic.
"I think a woman drives more carefully than a man. In Nepal, a man is usually a bully on the road. Many have no family and do not care if they have an accident. Women have to take care for their daughters and sons" Brinda recalls.
Brinda (left side) having some fun with another female driver of an electric powered rickshaw during a battery recharge pit stop. Fifty per cent of these vehicles are driven by women.
During rush hours, passengers queue at Ratna park bus stop in downtown Kathmandu to get a ride in a rickshaw.
The small electric tricycle called 'Tempo' can transport only 12 passengers, including the driver.
Brinda guides her "Tempo" through traffic on her 16 kilometer circle route inside Kathmandu valley.
Passengers in an electric powered rickshaw Tempo drivens by Brinda. Many people think it is much safer and cheaper to travel by the slow speed white colored three-wheeled 'Tempo'.
A passenger pays the driver after the ride. Sometimes in a crowd a customer will run off without paying. fortunately with the low cost of a ticket, at the end of the day that is not a big loss for the driver.
Workers of the Nepali Electric Vehicle Company changing the batteries in Brinda's rickshaw.
Brinda waits for her spare battery to be replaced with a fully charged one so she can drive eight 16 kilometer round trips.
Brinda finishes work at 7 pm and heads home to take care of her son Shakti.
A three-wheel rickshaw in Katmandu's Ratna Park, If a driver is caught with more than 10 passengers or a customer leaves the vehicle outside of a designated pick-up or drop-off area, the driver will have to pay a fine.
An electric three-wheeled "Tempo" navigates through evening rush hour traffic in Katmandu.
Around a million devotees visited Pashupatinath temple on Monday March 7, 2016 in the occasion of the Mahashivaratri Festival in Kathmandu. The gate of the temple opened at 3 a.m. allowing people to queue from the early morning. Mahashivaratri literally means the greatest night for devotion to Lord Shiva.
The festival falls on the 13th day in the dark fortnight in Falgun on the Hindu calendar. Pashupatinath Temple is regarded as one of the holiest Shiva shrines in the world. The festival consists of ‘warming’ Shiva in the belief that the lord also feels cold on this day. People start bonfires at public squares, houses, temples and shrines and perform prayers.
According to the authorities, 3,000 personnel from Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force were deployed to provide security. More than 5000 Shadus (holy men) arrived for Nepal and India, camping in the temporary shelters set up by the organization.
Crowd of devotees in the area around Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu during the Mahashivaratri festival.
Devotees chanting holy songs and prayer in the early morning at Pashupatinath temple.
A Sadhu, holy man, sitting in his shelter during the Mahashivaratri festival in Kathmandu.
Sadhu giving speeches to people along the hill of Pashupatinath temple where he is camping.
A Sadhu, holy man, stands near the Pashupatinath temple during the Mahashivaratri festival in Kathmandu.
Devotees pray on the banks of Bagmati river at the crematory besides Pashupatinath temple during the Mahashivaratri festival.
Female sadhus, known as sadhvis, sitting at Pashupatinath temple during the Mahashivaratri festival.
A Naga (naked) Sadhu sanding on the terrace of a temple facing the crematory inside Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu.
A foreign tourist is trapped in the crowd during the Mahashivaratri festival in Kathmandu.
Beggers surround a devotee holding some amount of money.
A TV journalist from a local channel broadcasting live from Pashupatinath temple during the Mahashivaratri festival.
Devotees praying to Lord Shiva at the Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu.
An elder Sadhu woman performing a prayer in front of a small shrine at the gate of the Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu.
A Nepali devotee coming out from the Pashupatinath temple after his prayer on the occasion of the Mahashivaratri festival.
Sadhu, holy man, touches a devotee as a sign of blessing during the night of Shivaratri at the Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu.
Devotees walking inside a temple during the night of the Mahashivaratri festival in Kathmandu.
On the 27th of April 2015 a second earthquake of 6.5 magnitude struck 17 km south of the village of Liping on the Nepali - Tibet border. Eleven months after the destructive earthquake the northern border with China remains closed. Nowadays the main Sino - Nepal border crossing point is at Rasuwagadhi - Kerung north of Kathmandu. Liping village, which was once a busy crossing point for businessmen from China, India and Nepal, looks today like a ghost town. Around 75% to the population left the village and moved to nearby villages or Kathmandu. The Nepal government is still assessing the damage but the area looks untouched since the quake hit. The Chinese decision to close the border for security reasons has affected the local population whose livelihood depended on trade and tourism. Is not clear when the road will be reopened. At the moment there is still a big risk of landslides, especially with the coming raining season. Liping residents who remain in the village try to have a normal day by day life and keep the spirit of the community alive.
People fled their homes leaving their belongings, not knowing when the situation would normalize.
A pharmacy remains mainly as it was on the day the earthquake hit Liping.
Kahn Sherwin, 51 in front the ruins of her house. During the earthquake a giant rock hit the roof of the building. She is now living in a nearby village.
A food and tea shop on the main road of Liping that was abandoned after the earthquake.
A four wheel drive vehicle drives toward the border where cars are not allowed to cross into China.
Two local people walk along the main road of Liping, moving quickly and watching carefully to avoid rocks falling from a landslide.
Several big landslides destroyed houses after the earthquake.