250 



THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



STEPS WITH CARVED FIGURES OF MEN AND ANIMALS, LEADING TO AN ELABORATELY 



CARVED HOUSE IN BHATGAON 



\s nature abhors a vacuum, so the Nepalese seem to avoid a smooth surface. Even 

 steps are relieved by carved figures. They excel in wood and metal-work; *^to n e carving 

 is apt to be more crude. Despite this profusion of decoration, their •architecture does not 

 suggest the "gingerbread" type, but rather the delicate intricacy of a Belgian cathedral. 



