"HOWEVER, the fact remains that Nepalis in general are TAUGHT, i.e., MANIPULATED, to believe that we must do that to the members of the royal family just because they are born royals. It is about time we began to question NOT the cultural practice of DHOGNE PRATHA, but to whom we bestow respects of such grandiose magnitude. That's all. " No, Nepalis are not taught to dhog the Royals. I don't know where you got the information, if they wree taught and manipulated to dhog the royals, then what Shiva did wouldn't make it to this board. It would have been so common that we wouldn'yt consider it a topic for discussion. We are taught to RESPECT the institution of monarchy and the immediate members of the royal family. We bow low to the King and his immediate family members. A simple Namaste with a slight bow is good enough.. If you want to show extra respect to the King, you just do "swasti" by bowing slightly and reciting: Om Swasti Shri Giriraj Chakrachudamani, Nara Narayanetyadhi Bibidha Virudabali... Shri Shri Shri Shri Shri .. Sada Samar Bijayinam" bhandai... " The real and the only question, therefore, is on why he would do that to the individual concerned in the picture, namely Komal Shah. " Because she is the Queen of Nepal, and for many she is a mother figure and or represents something divine. " The point is, we need not show respect of that magnitude (by DHOGING) to someone merely because that someone happned to be born a royal." You don't do it, and that's fine, but why do you have problems when others show their respect this way? Maile nabujhya tyahi ho? Why do you have to call who does something that you don't approve of as saying "manipulated people with slave mentality"? OK, what Shiva did might seem "manipuulated" to you because you are judging the two scoieties here, but what seems "manipulated" and "abnormal" might not be seen by the natives in that light. For them its natural and normal. By loathing and calling the practice a "manipulated " act, what you are implying (as far as my understanding goes), that "only you or the view you subcribe to is freer and better". And this based on my anthro. classes I took as an undergrad student, is not a very good way to comment on societies and their social practices. Just my view. --- Arko kura ni bhanu halu: If you had written, "in my view/i feel an independent, free-thinking, and free-of-manipulation individuals NEVER submit to such humiliating acts, be it to the royals or anyone else" it wouldn't have sounded that bad, because its your individual thinking and by starting the setnence with "i feel/in my view" it wouldn't have sounded that "offensive" or outright insulting. The problem was with how you phrased your sentence. You phrased it in a way that implied that everyone in Nepal or who engaged in such act IS manipulated and is devoid of free will. I personally found this approach quite insulting.