by Sam TaylorWed Apr 16, 1:17 AM ET
A religious adviser to Nepal's King Gyanendra has revealed that the
already embattled monarch has been struck by yet more misfortune.
Not only is the king facing the rapid rise of ultra-republican Maoists
who want to sack him, he has also been hit by a terrible omen: a
20-metre (66-foot) pole falling off a wooden chariot.
It may sound trivial to some, but Madhab Bhattarai -- a Hindu priest,
guru and close aide to the king since 2002 -- said the tumbling pole
was being taken very seriously behind the walls of the royal palace.
"I can guarantee you this is not a good sign for the country," said
Bhattarai, who is known as a Naayab Bada Guruju, or Great Teacher.
The incident, which left eight people injured, occurred on Sunday
during Seto Machhindranath, one of the dozens of annual Hindu festivals
widely observed in Nepal.
"This is a bad omen for those who run the nation. It signals that there will be some kind of big accident.
"I have suggested to the palace to perform certain special rituals as
they are a bit worried," he said of the king and his tight-knit aides.
"We can't prove it scientifically, but people have a strong belief that
something bad will happen," Bhattarai told AFP in an interview that
provided a rare insight into the mind of the deeply superstitious and
reclusive king.
The "bad thing" appears to be just around the corner.
The count from last week's landmark elections on Nepal's political
future is ongoing, but so far former Maoist rebels are on track for a
surprise victory.
The Maoists waged a deadly insurgency for a decade to abolish the
monarchy, and have vowed to do so as soon as the final results are
announced and a new 601-seat constitutional assembly is formed.
"He must be worried deep inside," the guru said of Gyanendra.
King Gyanendra is considered by followers to be a reincarnation of the
Hindu god Vishnu, but he comes from a family beset by catastrophe and
misfortune.
He ascended the throne in 2001 when his brother and predecessor, King
Birendra, was shot dead at a party along with eight other family
members by a drunk and lovelorn crown prince, who in turn killed
himself.
In 2005 he seized absolute power to fight the Maoists, only to fuel a
wave of republican sentiment and a historic 2006 peace deal that led to
the polls.
Last year his son and heir, Crown Prince Paras, was rushed to hospital
after suffering a massive heart attack. The 36-year-old prince
survived, but was told to end his playboy lifestyle.
Gyanendra has also been stripped of all his powers, including his role
as head of state and army commander in the wake of the peace deal.
Last week the Maoists told him to either adapt to life as a "common
citizen" in one of the world's poorest countries, or face trial and
"strong punishment."
The royal guru said he was now deeply worried for the future of
Nepal and the Hindu faith, practised by 80 percent of the country's
people.
Nepal is home to several important Hindu pilgrimage sites, and
the Himalayas that form the country's border with Chinese-controlled
Tibet are believed to be the abodes of dozens of Hindu gods and
goddesses.
"There is only one Hindu king in the world and he is an
important symbol as the protector of Hindu religion," said Bhattarai,
who was speaking at his modest Kathmandu office.
"There is a belief that many gods and goddesses live in the
physical body of the king. If the king is no longer there, the Hindu
religion could be threatened," he warned.
And the king must share some of the blame, his spiritual advisor admitted.
"Earlier kings used to take care of old temples and construct
new ones, but the present king didn't give much importance to such
things," said Bhattarai.
"His weakness was that he didn't do enough for Hinduism and he was too involved in politics."
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080416/wl_sthasia_afp/nepalvoteroyalsreligion_080416051703
