Near fatal accident at shop 2!

[Bill Martino]

Just called Nepal this morning and got this report. Here's what happened. Two kamis are pounding in tandem on a 20 inch Sirupati held on the anvil by a third kami. One of the pounders missed his mark and hit the blade off the anvil. Of course, the blade flipped out of the tongs and went flying through the shop, narrowly missing a couple of the other kamis.

The kamis immediately held a conference and blamed the accident on the "improper blessing" done by the boss on the first shipment. They said this is also the reason the shipment was lost -- not properly blessed so Kali took it into her own hands to see that the khukuris did not reach the intended users without the proper blessing. Breaking an egg doesn't get it with the kamis and they insisted on a "proper" blessing. This involves a Kali puja so sister-in-law, Sanu, went out and bought the biggest, fattest hen she could find and took it back to the shop. Next shipment this hen was killed as Kali puja and the khukuris were properly blessed. Of course, the kamis happily cooked and ate the hen after the puja was complete.

The first shipment left Nepal May 17 and has not yet arrived -- looking very bad. Three other shipments are in the air. I hope Kali sees fit to allow them through. I ordered the 6 inchers. We have 18 and 20 inchers in these shipments and all waiting should have their knives soon -- I HOPE!

Uncle Bill

 

[Howard Wallace]

I suspect a Kali Puja does as much or more to focus the kamis on safety as a safety/crew meeting, or a visit from the OSHA inspector.

Does shop 1 do Kali Pujas also? Kali is a malignant aspect of Brahamn (God). She is especially fearsome in her outward aspect, usually with a belt with severed heads hanging from it. She’s usually stepping on the recumbent body of her consort, Shiva the Destroyer. The Thuggee of old India were devotees of Kali. The Thuggee were pretty much wiped out by the British in the 19th century. The British objected to the Thuggee devotional practice of strangling people.

I guess Kali could cause quite a lot of trouble in the factory if she wasn’t propitiated. I think I met her one dark Asian night in the hills, but that’s another story. Here’s a link to some Kali information I found on the net. http://www.hubcom.com/tantric/kali.htm

 

[sing]

Bill,

Just the thought of the 20" blade flying through the air puts chills down my spine.

Yes, .a puja, a prayer and three knocks on wood. Whatever it takes to raise the consciousness and to keep it safe.

sing

 

[Bill Martino]

sing, I agree. Whatever it takes to NOT get a flying 20 inch Sirupati between the shoulder blades!

Howard, I'll answer the only thing I am sure of -- shop 1 also does Kali puja. It is part of the kami religion and culture. It may or may not be part of the khukuri blessing. This is up the the kamis...unless the boss happens to be Buddhist. From now on they will have their ceremony and the boss will have his. Equal opportunity!

I also agree that having the conference, acknowledging the accident, doing the Kali puja keeps what happened in the front of the thinking while manufacturing is going on. This is most important -- stay focused! The reason the guy missed is he lost his focus. He has the skill to never miss. He was thinking about something else, got distracted, needed to scatch his nose, whatever, but he should not have taken that swing. I will bet a dollar to a donut (remember the aunt? nickle?) that he will not make this same mistake for a long time.

Uncle Bill

 

[Yvsa]

Wow. It is wonderful no one was hurt!
I have seen small 3/8" X 6" pieces of
metal flying through the machine
shop,but something that size.....
When things like that happen there is never enough time to holler don't,let
alone watch out.

It is good the Kamis took care of
business with the Kali puja. It is
always good to appease the spirits
with whatever needs doing. I know the people I hang around with are
sensitive to what should be done in a good way. Of course we always have
something to eat afterwards too.

Hopefully the first shipment has been noticed and checked out and is now on its way. You don't suppose the
Chandan handles had something to do
with it getting held up do you Uncle
Bill?

It is good to know that the other
blades are on the way too. I have
been suffering with the HIKV
(HI Kukuri Virus) and almost ready to go into shock,but if Rusty and the
others that suffered with it survived then I am sure I will to.

Thanks Uncle Bill for ordering the 6"
ones for us. I am reasonably sure that it may be one of my daily carries.

------------------


>>>>---¥vsa---->®

 

[Bill Martino]

Hi Yvsa:

As you know from experience, Yvsa, things can go wrong in a shop and sometimes the workers are not as lucky as the kamis were in this case. They took the necessary precautions and I think it will work for them.

We are still digging out of the hole so I figure a couple of months on the 6 inchers.

Uncle Bill