The Lunatic Project

If you had been around the Mangal Bazar area on the 22^nd of December in the evening, it would have been hard to miss the crowd and the looming moon that they were gathering. That’s right, the moon had made its way to the heart of Patan. The moon that day looked extra big, and near enough to touch and it was no coincidence.

This project, rightly named “Lunatic” was by popular artist Milan Rai, much appreciated for his butterfly themes. People were overjoyed at the sight of this extravagant beauty and the radiance that it was causing in Mangal bazar. Granted it was not the real moon, but it was no block of cheese that we had assumed in our childhood either. Milan Rai, you deserve praise for this outstanding installation. And more than that, I liked what the project meant to say: “We all have some things in common. We should not be individualistic and self-centered, we look at the same moon. We should come forward to preserve things that are common to us and understand its value.”

I loved the vibes at mangal bazar that day, as would anyone who was there I’m sure. Mangal bazar is a great place to hang out any other day, but on the 22^nd of December, the ambience was something else. There was live music, people chattering, coming up to take pictures with the moon, balloons being sold, tea being drunk, people coming together. In a way, Milan Rai, I think you showed people what this project meant to, they had something in common, they were looking at your art. Thank you for this wonderful effort.

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