60-year-old Mangal Mohan Shrestha is proud of the love and care the Nepali royal family have given him. Mangal, whose father and grandfather were both photographers, took his first pictures at the late King Tribhuvan's funeral in 1954 at the age of 13. Five years later, his photographs of the football match between the Mahendra 11 and the BP 11, shot him through the ranks and to the position of royal photographer. In 1962, he was appointed Nayab Subba of the Prachar Vibhag.

There are perhaps few photographers who love the royal family as much as Madhav Mangal does. For him, they go beyond just being a professional concern. Mangal has taken pictures of virtually all the religious ceremonies involving members of the royal family, from the late King Mahendra to the late King Birendra, the late King Dipendra and the present King Gyanendra. But what Mangal likes to think back on most is the love the royal family, especially the late kings, showered upon him. Recalling the times he went with both King Mahendra and King Birendra on their trips around the country, Mangal says, "I used to think I really loved the king and the royal family-but I found the king
loved me, a commoner much more than I did him."

Mangal has been awarded the Gorkha Dakshin Bahu of the fifth order, and is the only photographer to have received the Prakhyat Tri Shakti Patta, one of Nepal's highest civilian honours. But he says that happy memories of the times he had with his beloved royal family are worth more than anything else. Recalling the grief he felt when he heard of King Mahendra's death he says, "I loved him more than my own parents, for my parents only gave birth to me, but he gave meaning to my life."

Since he has lived through and documented two generations of kings and palace goings-on, we asked Mangal Man what he thought of the recent events. His reply was one only a person with love, humility and plenty of experience with the rarefied world of royals could give. "Life is a battle between the past, the present and the future, and if a balance is not maintained there will be conflict," says Mangal Man. If only more people could see through the eyes like his.