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Salim Reshimwala
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Elise Hu
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Salim Reshimwala
You're hearing the sound of wind on the longest span pedestrian bridge in the world, the Baglung Parbat footbridge in Nepal. It stretches over 500 meters about 1600ft between the mid hills of Nepal. Now hills in Nepal are very very different from what the rest of the world might call hills. On this bridge between two hills there's a river below you. Absurdly small looking because it's 122 meters. That's 400ft down. You're 400ft up in the air. 400ft. Just for comparison, if you took the Statue of Liberty and Stacked another Statue of Liberty on top of it, you'd still have 98ft to go until you reach this very thin wire suspension bridge.
Nayan Pokhrel
I'm not scared at all in this.
Ranjan Jha
Recently built long bridge. My husband was scared at first, but.
Salim Reshimwala
I crossed it effortlessly without feeling scared. It's such a pleasant thing being on a bridge.
Ranjan Jha
It takes you from one place to.
Salim Reshimwala
Another so easily without any risk. I really enjoy being on it.
Elise Hu
Now.
Ranjan Jha
People even go to the bridge to just see it. People consider crossing the long bridge to be a spectacle.
Salim Reshimwala
Now.
Nayan Pokhrel
Many people say they feel scared on a bridge because it is shaky or something like that. But I feel so safe that I feel like I am in my own house.
Salim Reshimwala
In their own house, on a thin strip of metal in the sky. I'm Salim Reshimwalla and from ted. This is far flung. In every episode, we visit a different location to understand ideas that flow from that place. And today we're heading to one of the most mountainous places on earth to see how building bridges creates connections, and not just between two points. Now, Nepal is known for extremely high mountains, but it's easy to forget that people are moving across those mountains. In most places, you might not think twice about a bridge you cross, but in Nepal, bridges are fundamental to survival, the only way to move without trekking up and down a huge mountain. It's a place where bridges are constantly being born. All kinds of bridges, rope, steel trees, bamboo, log. Bridges that are basically floating on top of the water that they help you cross. And bridges that sing in the wind unimaginably high above you. And when you live as high up in the air as some of the people we're talking to today, when getting to your town or village might be days of hiking up and down massive elevations. Well, a bridge, it changes everything. The spark for this episode came from a line from a poem called Tuin by Strauburn Mukarong. It's about crossing a particularly dangerous kind of Nepalese bridge.
Ranjan Jha
I will hold on to a tuin. If I reach across, I will see the world. But if I fall, I will become a fish.
Salim Reshimwala
He thinks of himself as the people's poet. He often writes about rural Nepal. And here he's writing about the fine line between life and death. When a person makes a dangerous journey hanging from a wire crossing bridge. Here's how Nepalese Tuins work. There's a single wire, rope and pulley system for getting you across dangerous heights. You can transport everything from practical goods hanging in baskets to groups of, say, 12 school children all Attached to the wire, harnessed in, with nothing else below them. Mukarung was born in 1968, when most bridges in Nepal were in this style.
Ranjan Jha
The first memories I have of that time and bridges. I remember the river in my village. I would have been seven, eight years old. We would cross the small river to go to the nearby village. What we had then, we cannot really call that a bridge. The first thing I crossed was just a wooden crossing or partkhy. Partkay was made from a tree log and laid out along the river for people to cross. The other kinds were made by tying bamboos together and sprawled out as river crossings. These were temporary structures and could be used only during the dry winter months. But they would be swept away by the floods during monsoon season. This was how I was introduced to bridges.
Salim Reshimwala
I mean, I'm not sure I would have known to call that a bridge either. Bamboo tied together, disappearing every season. It's so ephemeral and not a thing to be crossed casually. But even as bridges get stronger, even on a sturdier wire bridge, how do people even get their mind right?
Ranjan Jha
To cross the first metal wire suspension bridges, which replaced the wooden and bamboo crossings, were extremely shaky. You needed to catch the rhythm of the bridge's sway to be able to walk on it. The bridge sways on its own rhythm, but that rhythm is created by the impact of our feet on almost creates a musicality. It is obviously scary at first, but eventually you get used to the rhythm of the sway. So if you catch the rhythm of the bridge, you will cross easily. But if you fail to catch the rhythm, then you might not be able to move and might have to crouch down in the middle and. And you can never overcome the fear. The first time you step on it, you're of course scared. Scared of falling off, scared even of dying. As I recall, people from my village would travel to faraway villages for special festivals, fetes and local markets. One of my own aunts had traveled to a weekly local market to sell piglets. She reached the market, sold them off, but while returning, she fell off one of such bridges and died. Falling off these bridges and dying are common. It made people experience the space between life and death. It gives a traveler a new curiosity and a new imagination. That's what I think when I think about bridges. First, the fine balance between life and death. You can either fall off and die, or go out and see the world. And second, that new imagination and curiosity.
Salim Reshimwala
To explore that story of life and death, that imagination and curiosity. We needed to talk to People on the ground.
Nayan Pokhrel
Hi, my name is Nayan. I am a researcher, translator based in Kathmandu. My interests lie in culture, society and politics of Nepal. Hello, my name is Ranjan. I'm a musician, dj, producer, and I.
Ranjan Jha
Also record sounds from different places and different occasions. And I love to use them in.
Nayan Pokhrel
My music or my sessions.
Salim Reshimwala
Here's one of his tracks. Working with Found Sounds While visiting relatives in India years ago, I took a side trip to Nepal. Stayed in Kathmandu, the capital where a lot of tourists start. Took a 6 to 7 hour van ride to Pokhara, arrived absurdly early and climbed to a viewing point in the darkness. I remember holding my son on my shoulders. The cold air had this crispness to it and seeing the sun spread a beautiful, rich, reflective gradient across all the mountains around us. At least they were what I would call mountains. But Nayan, he corrected me.
Nayan Pokhrel
So Kathmandu, Pokhara are the valleys in the mid hills, right? But if you go further north, then we're talking about the mountains. And for regular audience, like, mountains and hills are different. One of my American friends from college came to visit and then she lands in Kathmandu. And Kathmandu is surrounded by hills for us, but apparently mountains for a lot of people. I told her, like, yeah, you will see some hills, like smaller hills from Kathmandu. And she just comes out of the door from the aircraft and she was like, what the hell? These are the craziest mountains I've ever seen. But you go further up north and then the real mountains, forest, mountains have to be snow capped, right? So, like they have to be white and silvery.
Salim Reshimwala
So basically I love that distinction that, you know, if it's not white, snow capped and silvery, maybe some clouds around it, then it's a hill to y' all.
Nayan Pokhrel
Yeah, yeah. A very, very, very important distinction.
Salim Reshimwala
Ranjan and Nayan are going to help us find out how these bridges, these connectors of mountains being born again and again are changing the country.
Nayan Pokhrel
So Nepal is by area, it's a pretty small country, but it stretches from east to west. So north south of Nepal is very like, as the crew flies, very short. But within these, like sort of less than 200 km of average distance between north and south, you have tremendous geographic diversity.
Salim Reshimwala
Both Ranjan and Nayan grew up in Nepal. Ranjan's from the southern plains region. In terms of language, food and culture, it's pretty similar to the northern part of India. It's very flat. So it was relatively easy for him to get around.
Nayan Pokhrel
But Nayan, I come from what used to be a pretty remote and disconnected place. Right now, with all the road connectivity, it's, it's pretty close by. Like it's not very far as the crow flies, which is a big disclaimer in Nepal. Like it's a small country, but like sometimes it might be just like 80km as the crow flies, but might take like, you know, eight hours on these crazy roads in the bus or like two days of walk or something like that.
Salim Reshimwala
Right, right. You'll hear as the crow flies a few times in this episode, but keep in mind that crows flying across gigantic epic mountains have it way easier than people going up and down them. So as the crow flies tells you basically nothing about how long a journey will be. As Nayan started traveling around the country, he started realizing just how diverse Nepal's geography is and how even short trips put him in totally new environments.
Nayan Pokhrel
If you travel from southern plains, like within half an hour you get so much elevation and you are in a very cold place. Like the south of Nepal is generally warmer, right? And then as you're driving south to north from anywhere in Nepal, then you gain so much altitude. So immediately, then you're immediately in 30 minutes of driving, you are in a completely new climate, New temperature, new geography, new way of life, new food, new dress up, new. I mean even like sort of the people sort of like facial features and like the ethnic groups and they all change. It's an extremely diverse country in that sense.
Salim Reshimwala
If you ask an outsider to picture Nepal, they might think of the Himalayas, those white, snow capped, silvery mountains, highest in the world. But travel down toward the mid hills, which are still giant, and you'll see what look like tiny threads connecting them. The scale of these bridges can be completely deceptive.
Nayan Pokhrel
They are such a huge, not only like sort of physical material presence, but there are visual presence in any Nepalese experience, right? One really, really striking thing of working in this project, no one really thinks about breezes, like as something to think about. But once you ask questions about breezes to people, once you ask people to reflect about breezes, my God, they have stories. There are a lot of songs, there are a lot of poetry that people have written. Like, you know, it's always like, you know, I'm on this side, you're on the other side, and it's monsoon, like we'll not meet for another three months.
Salim Reshimwala
I love that it's causing poetry and songs like this one.
Ranjan Jha
The morning sun beams off freshly tempered steel. Giant metal arcs compress deep into the ground, suspended into the clouds like a single metal wing discarded between heaven and earth. It sways back and forth.
Salim Reshimwala
That's Gaurab Subba, an MC and spoken word poet and friend of Nayeon's. Nayun was telling Gaura about his trip and he was inspired to start writing.
Ranjan Jha
Curiosity lingers as they open the doors, but none take steps across the cable floors. Make room, they say, for the mules that cross with heavy loads if they fall. What is not loved is not lost.
Salim Reshimwala
There's this reaching when you cross a bridge, you have to trust that the bridge itself will hold you. But but you're also trusting that the other side of the bridge, this often unknown place, will be worth the trip. A little insurance couldn't hurt. That's after the break.
Elise Hu
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Ranjan Jha
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Salim Reshimwala
Chicken so good it deserves its own sauce.
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Salim Reshimwala
We're back with our earlier poet, Strauber Mukarram, discussing a Nepali tradition around crossing bridges.
Ranjan Jha
It is in our tradition to bow down and pay respect to the hills, to the rivers. It is a manifestation of the harmony and an acknowledgement that life is only possible because of this coexistence with nature. Even though we make the bridges, it is vital to our life. And so we need to worship is a belief that the bridge will reciprocate our faith and lead us to our destination. There might also be a psychological side to making an offering to the bridge so that you don't lose focus and balance on the bridge. You need to be in a state of meditation to cross the bridge.
Salim Reshimwala
A state of meditation that's such a specific mindset, it's borderline spiritual. And crossing these bridges creates connection. People aren't the only things that cross. With them comes information, ideas, traditions, new ways of thinking and doing. People do business on the other side of that bridge. Children can now go to school to learn on the other side of that bridge. I mean, people will fall in love and maybe have babies with folks they meet on the other side of the bridge. With the creation of a bridge in a place with so much isolation, all concepts of identity and geography, even the limits of what's possible, they suddenly shift.
Ranjan Jha
These bridges connected societies in every sense of the word. Economically, socially connecting people of different castes and ethnicities, different occupational groups, different languages and cultures. We need bridges not only to facilitate our physical needs and services for better survival, but also to join these different communities for facilitating that process of greater mobility of all citizens and greater interaction and exchanges. We need bridges.
Salim Reshimwala
But what about places that can't build a strong bridge?
Ranjan Jha
In many places where people can't build proper bridges, they have to depend on basic wire crossings are twins. Such harsh realities still exist in remote places of the country where kids are still forced to cross rivers through these dangerous twins to go to school. Unlike proper bridges, twins are much more fragile and riskier. You have to literally hang in a wire to get across. Your chances of making it across are equal to the chances of you falling down into the river. It is an immensely risky journey, but.
Salim Reshimwala
Being aware of death, being close to it as you move through a commute or a journey. For Mukarung, that doesn't need to lead to a life of fear or cynicism.
Ranjan Jha
It exists in that great uncertainty. One needs to get across that uncertain journey of life. It is A poem about uncertainty, not about fatalism. I will hold on to a tuin. If I reach across, I will see the world. But if I fall, I will become a fish.
Salim Reshimwala
So aside from the danger, why are these crossings filled with so much emotion?
Ranjan Jha
The crossing of the bridge marks an episode of sadness and tragedy. As the person leaves for abroad, he leaves behind sadness and uncertainty. To their beloved, their kins and their neighbors. They might die in the distant land and never come back. They might forget the homeland and make families in the strange land. Had there been no bridges and the villages remained isolated, maybe the person would never have left on the other side. Some person returns back after working abroad for a long time and also crosses the bridge. In this, the bridge becomes a symbol of his journey. Of that full circle, the bridge would be the final thing to support the person complete his long journey back home.
Salim Reshimwala
Here's Gaurav Subba to help keep that scale in perspective.
Ranjan Jha
This suspension will not take you from Long beach to Manhattan. But it might if you take a step. Take you from your past to what's happening. Just imagine the compassion of courage it takes to take that step.
Nayan Pokhrel
So we're in this like new highway.
Salim Reshimwala
So now we're on the road with.
Nayan Pokhrel
Nayan and Runjan location in little over an hour. Is there any name given to this highway? It goes along one of these three major river systems in Nepal by the name Kali Gandaki. So it's one of those three major river systems flowing from the Himalayas into the south, eventually goes into Bay of Bengal. So this is called Kali Gandaki corridor because most of this highway goes along this river which is very scenic and one of more beautiful places to drive. Oh look, another breeze. I mean you will see a lot of those. Don't worry, it's not even major one.
Ranjan Jha
Is that, is that a new one or the old one?
Nayan Pokhrel
I mean I cannot even tell. There are so many breezes along the road.
Salim Reshimwala
And they continue driving, making it to an incredibly busy outdoor market full of fruit stalls, restaurants, the local equivalent of a bodega. And it's part of the lead up to the biggest of those bridges, the Baglung Parbat footbridge. The over two statues of Liberty tall bridge that we began with.
Nayan Pokhrel
It's one thing to see it in papers, read about it, see videos, but it's completely different thing to be there. It just goes on and on and on and on and it becomes like smaller and smaller and almost disappears in the horizon. Other side.
Ranjan Jha
When I really looked at it, it was beyond my imagination. Sometimes you look at massive thing and your mind stops. Actually.
Salim Reshimwala
There'S that state of meditation that Mukarung told us about.
Nayan Pokhrel
I thought Ranjan and I would be talking on the bridge. But no, we went our own ways and we were all silent. I think that was sort of like a special energy there.
Salim Reshimwala
I'm curious. Who did you meet and talk to at the bridge? I would love for you to. Could you describe those folks for me and tell me what you learned from them?
Nayan Pokhrel
We met like a lovely bunch of people. One of them was a government official, a middle Tulu range official who was our first point. We started with and we didn't expect much, but he was such a jolly person. He also sang for us. Yeah, he also sang for us.
Salim Reshimwala
What you're hearing is a love song. He's singing about seeing his love on the terraces of a field. Maybe sitting on the ground or even more picturesque, perched on the branch of a tree. Fittingly, the landscape makes her unattainable. Our meeting is impossible. You, he says, my love is across the river while I cry on this shore. Later, Nayan and Ranjan met an elderly gentleman who told the story of a local man who wanted to build one of the initial bridges across the Kali Gandaki River. He went to Kolkata to bring back iron, which an ironsmith of the Biswakarma caste from here made into chains to build a bridge across the Kaligundaki River. That is how it began. He would measure the span of rivers and bring enough cables to make bridges. It was done entirely by the people. A road was built to no Dada around 1970, when the SBR was built. Cables would be dropped off at no Dara. Citizens from here would carry those cables here on their shoulders. You'd have to take turns, rest to eat. Entire villages would travel to carry back the cables. People of that time worked so hard. There's no comparison between people then and people now. So many people were swept away as they crossed the river. That encouraged people to build bridges. There is no river or stream left now without a bridge. It's a huge shift. Here's Galrab again.
Ranjan Jha
Half a day's walk to school traded for 10 treacherous minutes on a single wire, a pulley and a wooden trolley. Innocence finds courage finds strength to pull themselves across the length suspended in clouds. Typhoons swell underneath. There is no lightning, only currents that pull beneath.
Salim Reshimwala
A half day of walking. I've never lived anywhere so isolated. How's that feel for a kid? Did you ever feel isolated when you were growing up in Nepal?
Nayan Pokhrel
Actually not because. Because the world for you, what was this bounds that little valley. That was a world enough in itself. You had just one shop, you could not spend 20 pence. And life was good, man. So that idea of like something existing out there, I mean, in hindsight bridge would have played a part for me and my own awareness of the world existing beyond that little valley that I grew up in. I felt a lot of other things. Isolation wasn't one of them.
Salim Reshimwala
I love that distinction that when you have your whole world around you, you can't feel isolated, you have the whole world.
Nayan Pokhrel
Exactly.
Salim Reshimwala
How's that change a place from feeling like you have the whole world in your little village to actually being connected to the outside world?
Nayan Pokhrel
It feels like a different place. And that's very reflective of how the bals changed in my lifetime. I'm in mid-30s, I've seen this place change absolutely in every sense of the word, economically, political, politically, in terms of the connectivity of the people that coincides with all these like, roots. One example that I can think of in terms of how my village had changed, and it continues to change at a mind boggling rate every time I go home, like one year after, two years after right now, the people would make their own, like sort of local millet brews or local alcohol. But now like people are like all these bottled beers and bottled liquor, you know, that's. That's all with the, with the breezes and the roads connecting people. Of course, like, you know, I. I would be careful not to romanticize childhood I had because it was tough like, and it was tougher for a lot of people, but it's become much easier, but it's. The place has become unrecognizable.
Salim Reshimwala
It's such an interesting balance between trying not to romanticize but also still remembering the good things that happen.
Nayan Pokhrel
Oh, absolutely, yes. There's absolutely a loss of innocence somehow. But as someone who is sort of like has done decently well or has decent means in life. So I think it's not fair to say that just because an innocence has been lost isn't worth all the changes that the breezes and roads have brought.
Salim Reshimwala
Now that's so interesting, thinking of a bridge as having an element of loss of innocence. I feel like we've got to give the last word to a poet.
Ranjan Jha
Every step is a glimpse of possibility, every pull and inspiration to reach the other side. But while you are here in the process of crossing, just remember you are attached to nothing yet connected to everything.
Salim Reshimwala
Far Flung is produced by Jesse Baker and Eric Newsom of Magnificent Noise for ted. Our local producers for this episode are.
Nayan Pokhrel
Nayan Pokril and Ranjan Jha.
Salim Reshimwala
Our production staff includes Sabrina Farhi, Elise.
Elise Hu
Blennerhasset Huete Gitana Bamban Chang, Sammy Case.
Salim Reshimwala
And Michelle Quint with the guidance of Roxanne hi Lash and Colin Helms. Translations by Nayan Pokhril and Prawin Adhikari. Special thanks to Gaurav Subba for the use of his poem Sekar Parajuli for field interview support and to Sushrut Acharya, Pragyan Tapa, Gimire Radha Burma, Saujanya Acharya and Biraj Maharjan for our English voiceover. Our fact checkers are Nicole Boddy and Paul Durbin. Ad stories are produced by Transmitter Media. This episode was mixed in sound design by Kristen Muller. Additional music by Our executive producer is Eric Newsom. I'm Salim Reshimwala and the new McCrispy strip is here Dip approved by Ketchup.
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Podcast Summary: Sunday Pick: The Poetry of Nepal's Bridges | Far Flung
Published on May 11, 2025, on TED Talks Daily
In the episode titled "Sunday Pick: The Poetry of Nepal's Bridges," hosted by Salim Reshimwala from the TED Audio Collective, listeners are transported to the mountainous landscapes of Nepal. This episode delves into the intricate network of bridges that not only connect disparate regions but also weave the cultural and emotional fabric of Nepalese society.
Nepal, renowned for housing the world's tallest mountains, is equally famous for its myriad bridges that span its challenging terrains. Unlike the ubiquitous bridges found globally, Nepalese bridges are vital lifelines in remote areas, essential for survival and daily connectivity.
Salim Reshimwala introduces the narrative:
"Nepal is known for extremely high mountains, but it's easy to forget that people are moving across those mountains. In most places, you might not think twice about a bridge you cross, but in Nepal, bridges are fundamental to survival." (04:54)
Historically, Nepal relied on temporary structures like wooden crossings and bamboo ties, which were susceptible to seasonal changes and floods. The transition to metal wire suspension bridges marked a significant advancement, offering sturdier and more reliable connections.
Ranjan Jha, a musician and sound producer, reminisces about his childhood experiences:
"The first thing I crossed was just a wooden crossing or partkhy. These were temporary structures and could be used only during the dry winter months." (08:59)
Despite their improved stability, metal bridges initially posed challenges due to their swaying nature, requiring pedestrians to adapt to their rhythmic movements.
Bridges in Nepal are more than physical structures; they are cultural symbols that inspire poetry, songs, and communal traditions. The act of crossing a bridge is imbued with a blend of fear, trust, and spiritual significance.
Ranjan Jha reflects on the emotional weight of crossing:
"One needs to get across that uncertain journey of life. It is a poem about uncertainty, not about fatalism. I will hold on to a tuin. If I reach across, I will see the world. But if I fall, I will become a fish." (23:54)
This sentiment is echoed in the works of Gaurab Subba, an MC and spoken word poet, whose poetry captures the delicate balance between life and death inherent in bridge crossing.
The episode features heartfelt interactions with locals like Nayan Pokhrel, a researcher and translator, and Ranjan Jha, who share their personal experiences with Nepal's bridge culture. Their stories highlight how bridges have transformed daily life, enabling easier access to markets, schools, and fostering social interactions across diverse communities.
Nayan Pokhrel discusses the geographic diversity of Nepal and its impact on connectivity:
"As you travel in Nepal, you gain so much altitude instantly. You are in a completely new climate, new temperature, new geography, new way of life." (16:02)
These bridges have not only facilitated physical movement but have also bridged cultural and economic gaps, promoting unity among Nepal's varied ethnic and linguistic groups.
The episode masterfully intertwines poetic narratives with factual storytelling, showcasing how bridges inspire artistic expression and communal identity. The poetry serves as a metaphor for human connections and the courage required to traverse uncertain paths.
Ranjan Jha shares a poignant verse:
"Half a day's walk to school traded for 10 treacherous minutes on a single wire, a pulley and a wooden trolley. Innocence finds courage to pull themselves across the length suspended in clouds." (29:56)
This poetic reflection underscores the profound impact bridges have on individuals' lives, symbolizing both the challenges and the aspirations of the Nepalese people.
With the continuous construction of bridges, Nepal has witnessed significant socio-economic transformations. Enhanced connectivity has led to economic growth, improved access to education and healthcare, and fostered greater interaction among diverse communities. However, the rapid pace of change also brings challenges, such as the loss of traditional practices and the nostalgic longing for simpler times.
Nayan Pokhrel contemplates the balance between progress and preservation:
"There's absolutely a loss of innocence somehow. But as someone who has done decently well in life, it's not worth all the changes that the breezes and roads have brought." (32:09)
"Sunday Pick: The Poetry of Nepal's Bridges | Far Flung" offers a captivating exploration of how bridges in Nepal symbolize more than just physical connections. They embody the nation's resilience, cultural richness, and the intertwined destinies of its people. Through personal stories, poetic reflections, and insightful discussions, the episode paints a vivid picture of Nepalese life, where every bridge crossed is a step towards unity, progress, and shared human experience.
Ranjan Jha on the poetic essence of bridges:
"Every step is a glimpse of possibility, every pull an inspiration to reach the other side. While you are here in the process of crossing, just remember you are attached to nothing yet connected to everything." (32:49)
Nayan Pokhrel on geographic diversity:
"If you travel from the southern plains, within half an hour you get so much elevation and you are in a very cold place. The south of Nepal is generally warmer, but you gain so much altitude instantly." (16:40)
This episode of "Far Flung" not only highlights the architectural marvels of Nepal but also delves deep into the emotional and cultural currents that these bridges stir within the Nepalese psyche. It's a testament to how infrastructure can shape and be shaped by the people it serves.