Is Nepal Really “The Land Cursed by Sati”?

What if a curse from centuries ago begins to feel real once more?

Over many generations, Nepal has carried with it a disturbing phrase -“Sati le sarapeko desh”, which means “the cursed land of Sati”. Every time there is another crisis in Nepal, the legend resurfaces, posing an uneasy question on whether Nepal is indeed cursed, or whether there is a more sinister truth in the legend.

According to legend, this goes way back

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sati cursing Nepal to the Malla era. Bhim Malla, a court official, was sentenced to death for having betrayed his kingdom. Overcome with grief at her husband’s execution, she is said to have cursed Nepal and committed Sati. She cursed the people of Nepal saying that no one will ever prosper who is truly loyal to their country.

There is also a long history of political turbulence in Nepal too. Nepal was a monarchy up until recent times, but this regime was increasingly under threat of political turmoil and instability. The Maoist insurgency between 1996 and 2006 exacerbated the state of crisis that Nepal finds itself in. Finally in 2008, Nepal became a republic.

One kingdom fell, one republic was born. Yet political instability didn't go away. This is the beginning of another terrible story.

The August 26 disaster, where the ice, rock and mud mass fell in the Nepal-China border region, has caused a series of devastating floods in the Himalayan valleys. Roads, bridges, houses, power facilities – all of them have been destroyed. Up to September 2, at least 1,114 people have lost their lives, and 2,916 more are missing while being searched by the rescuers. The situation is incredible.

Is it the curse then?

There is no scientific data that Nepal is under some curse. Maybe what seems to be centuries-old curse is, in fact, the combination of political instability, poor infrastructure, challenging geography and changing climate. The legend might be just a legend. However, the problems of Nepal are very real. And maybe, instead of asking whether Sati cursed Nepal, we should be asking ourselves why the country is struggling with the same issues after so many years.