Buddies -- Bura and Uncle Bill

Bill Martino

Bill Martino

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Mar 5, 1999
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Here's Bura, the Royal Kami and BirGorkha foreman, and Uncle Bill standing outside the shop. Bura is the short fellow. I'm the little taller one.

I guess Bura (real name is Lal Bahadur Bishwakarma) is five two or three and weighs maybe 115 pounds but he can swing a mean hammer and he knows how and where to hit hot steel. He's good. He knows more and thinks better than anybody in the shop which I suppose is why he's foreman. It may surprise some to learn that he has three wives and children by all of them. Maybe that's why he shows up for work everyday. But come to think of it if I had three wives I'd not be able to show up for work -- ever.

Bura is about 45 and has 35 years experience as a kami. He lives in Swayambu and commutes to work via bus -- about a one hour journey each way. He gets to work about six AM and leaves about 6 PM. He is very steady and a no nonsense guy. He comes to work to make khukuris, not to smoke cigarettes and drink tea. He is not our top producer but he makes the best khukuris in BirGorkha and perhaps in Nepal.

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Blessings from the computer shack in Reno.

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ
 
Thanks for finally showing us your present mug (ha ha). I was wondering if Hinduism allowed polygamy. I knew that Islam did. I see you had the ceremonial dot on your forehead. Is that dot the one for visitors?

Bob
 
So Bura is the one in the photo WITHOUT the cigarette in his hand?
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Funny that they call a 45 year old "OLD MAN" when they've got guys like Ganga Ram and his "boy" running around.

His work speaks for itself, though.

So, he gets on the bus at 5am each morning and gets off the bus at 7pm each evening. And he has three wives nagging him. I wonder how long a walk it is from the bus to his house?

-Dave

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Looking for God in all the wrong places.
 
Lucky for Bura, I guess, he has a very short walk to the bus. Same from BirGorkha. Bus stop is only five or ten minute walk.

Bura smokes as do most of the kamis. I bought all the shop people a pack of Khukuri cigarettes several times each week while I was there.

The dot or "tika" was given as a blessing by the kamis. I got several and they red dye stained my forehead. Took a couple of days of severe scrubbing to get the dye completely off.

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Blessings from the computer shack in Reno.

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ
 
Three wives?????

I have a hard enough time keeping up with one of them.

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"Clear a path for the Kukhri or it will clear one for itself"
 
Out of curiousity, what is the maximum limit on wives a fellow can have over there? I think that it could be four, but likely is the financial resources the lucky fellow has.

biggrin.gif


Harry

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L'audace, toujours l'audace!!!

[This message has been edited by Kozak (edited 02-24-2000).]
 
If I recall, four wives was a "recommendation" by Mohammed in the Koran? Since we're not dealing with Muslims here, I doubt the limit would be four unless it's coincidence...

Jim
 
The legal limit is one but nobody pays any attention to it. I ran across a fellow years back who had four -- that's the most I have heard of. Sometimes one is too much. I don't know how they do it.

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Blessings from the computer shack in Reno.

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ
 

I agree with you Uncle Bill. I couldn't even handle two girlfriends let alone two wives! Honestly, I wouldn't want to try either.

- D
 
Bura is only 45!? Since he was the royal kami I thought that he would probably be in his 50's or 60's. He must be really good if he was chosen to be the royal kami out of all the kamis that work in Nepal.

Christian
 
Forget microloans..we need to start shipping 'em Viagra!

biggrin.gif


Jim
 
I think viagra is possibly what they DON'T need! Bura has kids from all three wives some of whom I met. The oldest boy from wife 2 is a very accomplished engraver. I watched him work and was astounded at how quick and artistic he was with a small hammer and a few punches. I've got a picture of him working somewhere in the file of now 11,000 pix.

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Blessings from the computer shack in Reno.

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ

[This message has been edited by Bill Martino (edited 02-25-2000).]
 
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