Shaktiman Cement, Sankhu, Nepal

Indian cement manufacturer Shaktiman Ltd was founded in 1991 in Delhi. The company's logo makes full use of the name: indeed, Shaktimaan in India refers to someone, usually not from this world, with extraordinary powers ("शक्ति / shakti" means "power"). In other words, some kind of Superman.

शक्तिमान

सिमेन्ट

वास्तविक सिमेन्ट

[Shaktiman

Cement

The Real Cement]

Location: Sankhu, Nepal

Brij Cement, Sankhu, Nepal

Solid Cement is manufactured by the Nepalese company Brij Cement Industries Pvt Ltd, part of the Keida Organisation, one of India's largest private conglomerates. The company was founded in 2000.

Brij

Cement

Solid Cement

Location: Sankhu, Nepal

Gold Flake Cigarettes, Sankhu, Nepal

After the painted sign for Yak Filter, here is another one for different brand of cigarettes. Sankhu starts to look like a really unhealthy place!

गोल्ड

फ्लेक

[Gold

Flake]

Note the company's full name on the strip closing the packet and its shorter version above the logo with the rhinoceros.

नेपाल टोवाको कम्पनी

(प्रा) लि

नेपाल

[Nepal Tobacco Company

(Pvt) Ltd

Nepal]

नेपाल

[Nepal]

Location: Sankhu, Nepal

Library, Sankhu, Nepal

Was this really a library that lended books, videos and/or music CDs or simply a shop selling these products? The name has faded a bit but looks as if it could be "Bajra."

[Bajra A/V CD ?] Library 

Location: Sankhu, Nepal

TCL The Creative Life (2), Sankhu, Nepal

Next to yesterday's sign for Araniko Cement is another one for a totally different company: Chinese TV, electronics and home appliances manufacturer TCL The Creative Life. This is the second TCL sign I came across while walking along the main street of Sankhu.

 TCL

Both signs side by side

Location: Sankhu, Nepal

Araniko Cement, Sankhu, Nepal

Painted on both side wall and roller shutters, these signs advestise Advance, a brand of cement produced by Nepalese company Araniko Cement Industries Pvt. Ltd.

एडभान्स [Advance]

सिमेन्ट [Cement]

सदा सुरक्षित [Always Safe]

Araniko Cement

Industries Pvt. Ltd

Location: Sankhu, Nepal

TCL The Creative Life (1), Sankhu, Nepal

Founded in 1981, cheap cassette manufacturer TTK was forced to change its name to TCL in 1985 after it was sued by TDK. Since then this Chinese company based in Huizhou in the province of Guangdong has become one of the largest manufacturers of TV sets in the world and has expanded into other electronic products.

This is just the first of several TCL painted signs found in the small town of Sankhu.

TCL

The Creative Life

Color TV & Home Appliances

Location: Sankhu, Nepal

Yak Filter Cigarettes, Sankhu, Nepal

Yak Filter is one of several brands of cigarettes manufactured by the Janakpur Cigarette Factory. The company was founded in 1964 and is based, as the name suggests, in Janakpur, in the lowland region of Terai, not far from the border with India.

याक

फिल्टर

जनकपुर चुरोट कारखाना लि

[Yak

Filter

Janakpur Cigarette Factory Ltd]

The cigarettes advertised here come in packs of 20.

Location: Sankhu, Nepal

Star Electronic Centre, Sankhu, Nepal

Star

Electronic

Centre

B/W TV. Color TV, Radio, Cassette-

Player, Iron & Emergency-

Light Repairing Here

Location, Sankhu, Nepal

Coca-Cola, Sankhu, Nepal

Sankhu is a small Newari town in the western part of the Kathmandu valley, on one of the old trade routes to Tibet. The main reason for coming here is the Bajra Yogini Temple, a couple of kilometres further on the flanks of a moutain. While crossing the town, several painted signs can be seen, beginning with this Coca-Cola one near the bus station.

Location: Sankhu, Nepal

Kirloskar and Yeti Paints, Kathmandu

Here are two roller shutters with colourful painted signs for completely different brands. Kirloskar is an Indian conglomerate whose origins go back to 1888. It specialises, amongst other things, in electrical equipment. Meanwhile, as the name suggests, Yeti Paints is a Nepalese paint manufacturer.

Kirloskar

Enchanting Lives 

The Yeti Paints example shows that signs painted on roller shutters are not necessarily connected to the activity carried out in the premises. Indeed, this is a small restaurant specialising, amongst other dishes, in momo (Tibetan-style dumplings, one of the country's most popular foods).

Kachilaaz Mo Mo

Yeti Paints

Location: Pachali Marg, Kathmandu

Asian Paints, Kathmandu

Founded in Mumbai, India, in 1942, Asian Paints is the sub-continent's leading paint manufacturer.

Asian Paints

Colour World

The Most Preferred Paint Company in Nepal

Location: Pachali Marg, Kathmandu

Shiva Leather & Jeans Tailors, Kathmandu

Did adopting the name of one of the major deities of Hinduism bring good fortune to this business?

Shiva

Leather & Jeans Tailors

Ladies & Jents

Manufacturers Whole Seller & Repairing

Location: Guan Kamdev Marg, Kathmandu

Pashupati Paints, Kathmandu

Established in 1984, Pashupati Paints is now one of Nepal's leading brands of paint. Its advertisements can be seen everywhere across the country. The name was probably chosen for its good omen and because Nepalese people were already very familiar with it: indeed Pashupati is one of the multiple names of the great God Shiva and the temple of Pashupatinath, just to the east of Kathmandu city centre, is one of the country's most sacred sites.

Pashupati Paint

Locatnion: Guna Kamdev Marg, Kathmandu

Ambe Cement, Kathmandu

The Ambe Group was founded in 1982 as a trading house importing into Nepal various goods from Hong Kong and Singapore. As the group expanded, it diversified its portfolio and in 2004 established Ambe Cement Pvt. Ltd.

अम्बे सिमेन्ट

[Ambe Cement]

Location: Pachali Marg, Kathmandu

HP Engine Oils, Kathmandu

The walls of this small petrol station near Teku Bridge, south of Kathmandu city centre, advertise two types of lubricants produced by Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Ltd.: HP Engine Oils and Milcy Turbo. HPCL is an Indian state-owned company created in 1974.

Location: Kalimati Marg, Kathmandu

Volvo Lubricants, Kathmandu

Together with building materials, lubricants are some of the most frequent painted signs seen along Nepalese roads. This one, for Volvo Lubricants can be found near a major thoroughfare south of the city centre.

Volvo       Volvo

Location: Guna Kamdev Marg, Kathmandu, Nepal

Surya Agro, Kathmandu

If I am not mistaken, these painted signs show two bags of rice produced by Indian food and agricultural equipment company Surya Agro. The company was founded in 1992.

Location: Guna Kamdev Marg, Kathmandu

Coca Cola, Kathmandu

This sign for one of the world's most popular (and utterly disgusting - for me anyway) sodas was painted above what looks like the niche of a shrine. If that is the case, this is a sad reflection of the world we're living in.

Coca-Cola

Location: Chikamugal, Kathmandu

Charms Beauty Parlour, Kathmandu

It is not uncommon for hairdressers for women in Nepal to call themselves beauty parlours. Hence their rather large number.

Only for

Ladies

Charms

Beauty Parlour

Remember Us for:

Hair Cutting, Make-up Facial,

Massage, Wax and Juro

(Specially for Bride)

In case, like me, you don't know anything about hairdos, "juro" seems to be some kind of high bun hairstyle particularly popular amongst long-haired brides across the Indian subcontinent (but don't take my word for it).

Location: Chikamugal, Kathmandu