For 28-year-old rapper Madhura Ghane, aka Mahi G, what was supposed to be a routine performance trip turned into a brush with history. The artist, who uses her art to educate people about Babasaheb Ambedkar, farmers’ protests, trans rights and the environment, had travelled to Nepal earlier this month. She returned not only with memories of her shows, but also with the indelible imprint of a nation in turmoil — a youth-led uprising that has shaken its political foundations.

Mahi landed in Kathmandu on the night of September 7. “At the airport, there was already speculation about certain apps being banned in the country,” she recalled. “But as we drove through the city, everything looked normal.” She was put up at the Hotel Manaslu, barely five minutes from the Hilton and around three kilometres from Nepal’s Federal Parliament.