Green eyed girl from Nepal

Green eyed Nepalese Girl
Green eyed girl from Nepal
Green eyed girl from Nepal

Photograph of a green eyed girl from Nepal

Green eyes are somewhat rare in most of the world. History and science can unravel some of this mystery and I’ll write a bit more about this below. Meanwhile this is an older photograph I took in 2007 near Kagbeni Nepal. I’ve yet to come across anyone else in Nepal with such striking green eyes.

  • Kagbeni has a small archway that is said to remove you of sin should you walk under it
  • There’s a Nepalese movie called Kagbeni which kick started the non-Bollywood side to Nepalese films
  • Only about 2 percent of the world’s population has green eyes
  • Science says green eyes are a mutation from both a mix of blue and brown eyes of parents
  • Kashmir, Pakistan, India, Iran, North Africa and central Asian regions have the highest number of people with green eyes
  • Green eyes can occur in any race type
  • In some cultures people with green eyes are said to be magical, have long-lasting relationships and are highly desired

The story behind this picture of a green eyed Nepali girl

I was on the final leg of the Annapurna circuit and I had just passed through Kagbeni. It was winter and the ground was frozen with harsh winds baring down. Seeing a lone girl tilling some farmland I stopped to witness her hard labor. When she looked up I was dazzled by her green eyes and brilliant smile. Something I’d not come across in Nepal until then.

I walked on for a while but couldn’t shake her face from my mind. Stopping, I thought it crazy to miss this opportunity. I returned and found the girl by the side of the road. She only spoke basic Nepalese. A local woman translated a little as I asked if she was the only one with green eyes here. She was. I complimented her and asked for permission to take her photo. She obliged. Other locals gathered around and seemed a little taken back. True her eyes were not pure green. More green with an inner circle of amber. But no less impressive to me that day.

A little bit later I explained the unusual green eyed girl to a Nepalese friend. Sadly he said that the girl was probably looked upon as being strange and not that desirable. A far cry from what other cultures think of green eyes.

This girl was a farm worker and the only one out in the field that day. I can’t pretend to know the whole story. One can tell from her tough hands and weather-beaten skin she was not having an easy life. While many super models have enhanced green eyes with no bloodshot whites I found this girls eyes to be far more enchanting. Mixed with a natural smile this green eyed girl from Nepal is one of my personal favorite photographs.

What do you think?

Green eyed Nepalese Girl
Green eyed Nepalese Girl

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This is an additional photograph feature from my world travel photography galleries, documenting the story behind the picture 


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38 Replies to “Green eyed girl from Nepal”

  1. Hey Dave,

    thank you for the photography inspiration!

    I’m often too lazy to take a pic like that.

    I mean, I would take it “without permission” if the girl looks at me while I have my camera on my hands with the right setting, but I would never come back and ask her for permission.

    I will start to do it : )

    1. Hey Furio,

      Good for you! I think one of the keys is to really take an interest in the subject matter. It becomes a lot easier to take the photo then. It’s one of the reasons I went back to take her photo.

      “Green eyes are hard to come by … and that smile. Don’t miss this opportunity.” I think that’s went through my head at the time.

  2. Hi Dave,

    Thanks for this one.
    Keep the photo in the gallery!
    Seems like her eyes could unlock some mysteries in life.
    She has a beautiful smile; could sense the challenge in life though her eyes.

    Your blog is a great discovery. I was browsing for “NGO jobs in the Philippines’ – and google brought me to your site. Yep, that’s how it was.
    I have been visiting it (in my fave’s folder), and shared it to some friends; I just subscribed recently.

    I am one of those who visit without leaving a trace. Just appreciating in silence.

    Now, for this one… my mind commanded my fingers to work on the keyboard:)

    Great, educational, informative posts. Thanks!

    God bless…

    Joy

  3. Reminds me of The National Geographic girl-by now a woman-she has been looked for,after years! Maybe this one too,so keep her in the Gallery. I’m green eyed-no longer so bright,by the way,I’m glad to know they are rare.

      1. Many people here remind of green-eyes girl n°1, the woman who became didn’t impress me the same way.Ignored as they got to finally find her.Good luck to N°2!

          1. Here it’s forbidden to photograph children without their parents’s permission,there could be a fuss,even if rule,imagine,is not ever applied to.You are lucky you still can pic with naivetè,and leave us something beautiful to remember.

  4. Great photo! Not only does she have green eyes, but her teeth are amazingly straight and white. This reminds me of the famous National Geographic photo of the woman with light eyes (from Afghanistan?). As someone with green eyes I always like seeing my brethren around the world :)

    1. Hi Leslie,

      Wow, never knew you had green eyes! Your one of the rare gems in the world!

      Yes, her teeth are really white and straight. Nepalese people seem to have good genes in general when it comes to teeth!

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  6. great picture…. yes it should be part of ur gallery…. why ever not?

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  9. Wow, I’ve never seen an Asian with green eyes in Asia. It’s an amazing picture and glad you went back and she approved. It reminds me of the famous NatGeo picture of the Afgan girl from Steve McCurry. But in contrary this Nepalese girls is smiling. Green Eyes always facinated me. Cheers from Berlin

  10. I’d rank this picture one rung below Steve Curry’s Afghan girl photo! Equally haunting, but a much more pleasant kind of “haunting”. Afghan girl is tragically haunting.

  11. I had never seen beautiful eyes like this. Thanks for this rare picture.

  12. I keep on going back to your photo of the Girl with the Green eyes… I think it is absolutely stunning!! I would also like to know more about her.. it is like a “story”! Great photograph! one of those once in a lifetime moments!

  13. I can’t take my eyes of her picture and her natural smile makes me smile. Stunning!

  14. This is a BEAUTIFUL photo. Kind of like the National Geographic photo of the Afghan girl. It is fantastic and one of a kind. Should be on the cover of your photo album.

  15. I was amazed to see her eyes, she’s so beautiful and i hope nothing bad has happened to her. Now i have seen only 2 people in 47 years with eyes like that & I’m one so to see her was a shock. When asked what color are my eyes i say ‘you tell me’:) I thank you so very much for sharing this amazing beauty:)

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