I recently saw several falchas in Baneshwor and around Singha Durbar being used as bus stops. I disliked them, not because of the falchas themselves, but because they were being used as a bus stop. To me, they misrepresent what a falcha actually is, or rather, what it once was. First, let's understand what a falcha is. In the days before hotels and guest houses, falchas provided free shelter for visitors and travellers. They also served as venues for social, cultural, and religious activities. Although I am not old enough to experience them being used as lodging for travellers, I grew up seeing pujas and bhojs organised there. Neighbours and relatives gathered in falchas to meet, talk, and spend time together. They carried deep social and cultural significance. In Tamogalli, Nardevi, Kathmandu, there is a falcha built by my ancestors. It stands at a road junction in a narrow alley. When I was a child, it was our small playground and community assembly point. For the elders, it was ...
Monologue .......