On a pleasant night, at the tail-end of October, on the dabali in front of Krishna Mandir, a few men lit torches in the four corners to demark the stage. As the crowd started pouring in, the musicians tuned their instruments and the actors adjusted their costumes for a final time before staging the annual celebration.

In a few months’ time, Newars of Kathmandu valley will celebrate Gathe Muga, and in doing so will celebrate the openness of Kathmandu that now solely exists in photos and nostalgic memories of old and not-so-old-timers (such as yours truly).