Gani Ansari is a Muslim BBC journalist and in this piece, talks about his Nepalese “blood brother” (or “mit” in Hindu) who he met when he was five years old. Their friendship was arranged by their grandmothers in a practice known as Miteri (“blood brother”) which dates back centuries to when Nepal was a warring kingdom. The friendships were set up as a way of “transcending regional, religious or social differences.”
According to Ansari, “Neither of us was aware of differences between our religious faiths nor did we care…. Our Miteri friendship meant Ram and I could experience each other’s cultures. I, a Muslim, used to attend Holi, the Hindu festival of colours when I was in the village. Likewise, Ram always came to my home to celebrate the Muslim festival of Eid.”
