One of the aspects of my research was Maoist ideology in Nepal, and the transition of the communist ideology from China to Nepal. Before I came to the country I had an unanswered question in my head. How does the communist ideology can co-exist with the traditional culture of Nepal? How monks in their red robes can live near red flags with the hummer and sickle?  You can not imagine how surprised I was, when I discovered that not just the traditional Nepali symbols can coexist with communist symbols, but you can see a David star next to the swastika and the five ended star on other fences.

Nepali culture is amazing in the way it can obscure other symbols and traditions. And the red color of communism was the national color of Nepal long before Maoist came to power .The red rhododendron is the national flower and the national flag is overtly red.

Red, the color of revelry or piety, has a salient niche in the Nepalese lifestyle. When there is a festival or worshipping of a god or goddess, Nepalese put a red bindi mark on their forehead. They worship their gods with vermillion power because red is the auspicious color. The Red Machhendranath is one of the ancient deities of Kathmandu, and the Living Goddess, Kumari, is painted red. Nepali women put sindur and bindi on their forehead, and their bangles, beads, blouse and sari are usually red. Even their monks love red robes.

It looks like Nepali women love red. They celebrate their life with everything that is red. When they get married -they are decked in red. Because for them red is the color of joy.

Nepal is red not only because of its obsession with the color red, or the presence of overwhelming Hindu and Buddhist cult practices. Red became the color of communism and the Maoists – after soaking the white Himalayas, green hills and yellow flatlands with blood for a decade – have now painted Nepal’s legislative parliament, Constituent Assembly and the government in red.

Nepalese might be Hindu, Buddhist or communists, if not any of these, they may be revolutionaries because red is the color of revolution as well.