Dedicated to Nepal and the Nepalis

  Early morning, November 9 . A metalled road passes through a sleepy neighbourhood in Nagarjun municipality.  A couple of feet move up the slopes albeit sluggishly while a few go down, huffing and puffing, running a sweat.   Is the road a lifeline that brings modernity or kills organicity flourishing in local communities for centuries? Is it an invention that brings hearts closer or drives us further and further apart, from our traditional ways of life steeped in nature, pushing us toward climate catastrophes — and extinction?  Is it something that turns the homo sapiens made of Panchatatwas   —   the five elements that are the earth, fire, water, wind and the ether   —   into beings made of iron and concrete?  Why do we need these roads and a myriad other infrastructure that stand shakily on the lap of a disaster-prone and fragile Mother Nature, whereas all other beings on the blue planet can do without them? Is the road to modernity a one-...

  A metalled road passes through a sleepy neighbourhood within Nagarjun municipality. Is it a lifeline that brings modernity to our lives or kills our organicity? Is it an invention that brings hearts closer or drives us further and further apart, from our traditional ways of life steeped in nature? Why do we need these roads and a myriad other modern infrastructure that stands quite fragile on the lap of Mother Nature, whereas all other beings on the blue planet can do without them? Is the road to modernity a one-way road? Is the return to nature virtually impossible for humanity? If yes, is the extinction of humanity inevitably unavoidable?     Questions like these have become more relevant than ever before because the year 2023 is going to be the hottest year in 125,000 years. We don't know how many animal and plant species the Earth will lose.  Once in a while, yours truly wanders around the wending road to shake off sleep, early in the morning. On either si...

जाजरकोट भूकम्प, हजुरआमाका सिलोक र राउन्नेको पाप देवेन्द्र गौतम हजुरआमालाई भानुभक्तको रामायण मुखाखर थियो। सखारै उठेर नुहाइधुवाइ गर्दा उहाँ रामायणका सिलोकहरू (पश्चिम नेपालको भाषामा, संस्कृत 'श्लोक' को अपभ्रंश) पनि वाचन गर्नुहुन्थ्यो । उहाँलाई सुन्दासुन्दा मलाइ पनि केहि सिलोक कण्ठ भए। जाजरकोट भूकम्प र त्यसपछि विकसित वैश्विक परिस्थितिका बिच बाल्यकालमा उहाँबाट सुनेको यो सिलोक सान्दर्भिक नै होला: भार भयो पृथ्वीलाई राउन्ने (रावण) का पापले। विष्णुसँग रून गइन् दुखीका स्वभावले।। रामको भेष धरेका रावणहरू यत्रतत्र छन्, दक्षिण एशियामा मात्र होइन विश्वभर नै तपाइँ रावणहरूका पदचिन्हहरू देख्न सक्नुहुन्छ, तिनले खण्डहर पारेका भूतपूर्व सार्वभौम राष्ट्रहरू देख्न सक्नुहुन्छ। रूस-युक्रेन युद्धमा, इजरायल-प्यालेष्टाइन युद्धमा, अफगानिस्तानमा, सिरियामा, इराकमा, लिबियामा आधुनिक रावणकै पदचिन्हहरू त छन्, नेपाल त भैगयो। राक्षसहरूमा ब्रह्मराक्षस सबैभन्दा खतरनाक हुन्छ शायद, रावण पनि ब्रह्मराक्षस हो। ऊ विद्वान हो, रावणसंहिताजस्तो ज्योतिषशास्त्र उत्कृष्ट ग्रन्थको लेखक हो। तर उसले बाटो बिरायो। सिताको ...

  Electric vehicles are a new rage all over the world where fossil fuel-run vehicles are rapidly becoming a thing of the past. Given ever-increasing petroleum prices and a large carbon footprint that the conventional vehicles leave behind, not to mention increasing costs of running a fossil fuel-based economy, Nepal is also not immune from the this switch to the EVs. Against this backdrop, SERES—an EV brand born in the USA, mastered inChina, proven in Europe—has entered Nepal, where a couple of other brands already have their presence. Devendra Gautam had a free-wheeling conversation with Jeevan Jung Shahi, director of LRR Group, the authorized distributors of SERES for Nepal conveniently located at Panipokhari, Maharajgunj:           Q: SERES took part in the NADA Auto Show 2023. How was SERES´ performance? What word best describes the customers´ response?   The customer response was absolutely fantastic, there was an incredible crowd and they were cr...

Devendra Gautam Early morning, May 23, 2023. Overcast skies on the foothills of Nagarjun and much beyond have put up a huge warning sign that reads: It might rain soon, but without the Murakami effect.  A struggling writer imagines sitting by the window and sipping black tea in the name of doing something while raindrops splitter-splatter the panes, with tears in torrents keeping the cup brimming.  Even the thought of rain brings pain in waves in times like these. Stabs from economic hardships, stabs from Aama's late-stage cancer that won’t go away, with or without Proxyvon, despite soul-wrecking chemo sessions.   All this triggers a short travel back in time, about 30 years back.  Past is a no place to go, but with the rains, floods and landslides blocking the journey ahead, where do you go? The winter vacation has begun and the hostel is getting emptier with each passing day as parents, siblings or acquaintances come to pick friends and others up, even as a boy co...

Let this being made of Panchatatwa (the five elements)—a little bit of light, the ether, water, air and the earth—begin with a frank admission. This sapien has a hunch that those precious, born-in-a-gym type made of Panchadhatu (five metals)—gold, iron (for a strong body), silver (for a sharp mind), copper (ductile and malleable) and zinc—and other rare earths are fuming at the very first line from a lesser mortal.  Well, they have every right to explode, even.  They are free to seethe with rage, for this being has realized over the years how futile it is to try to wow all and sundry with your thoughts. It has dawned on him that table sugar ( C 12 H 22 O 11 ) gives a bitter taste whereas bitter gourd tastes sweet in the long run.  Ain’t it a great finding? Naturally, this sapien has a thing for science. What say you, guys? Let's leave the sciences behind and go a bit metaphysical.   With its price heading northwards amid the festivities, sugar has become ever m...

देवेन्द्र गौतम   काठमाण्डुमा   प्रचलित एक लोककथाबाट विषय प्रवेश गरूँ । कुरा परापूर्वकालको हो , जुनबेला देवराज इन्द्रको जगजगी थियो लोकमा।     स्वर्गका राजाको विलासी जीवन , तिनको पराक्रम , तामसी चरित्र , सुरा - सुन्दरीप्रियताको विशद वर्णन प्राचीन साहित्यहरूमा छँदैछ , त्यसको थप चर्चा यस आलेखको विषय होइन।   इन्द्रकी आमा वसुन्धरालाई पारिजात असाध्यै मन पर्ने अनि त्यो मनोहारी फूल पाइँदो रहेछ काठमाण्डुमा ।   एक दिन ‘ लाइक ए बुल इन ए चाइना सप ’ जस्तो लाग्ने घटना घटित भयो भूलोकको यस सुन्दर शहरमा ।       आमाको मनसुवा पूर्ण गर्न इन्द्र कुनै दिन काठमाण्डुमा   अवतरण गर्दा भए ऐरावत हात्तीमा चढेर।   अनि दायाँबायाँ नसोची , कसैलाई नसोधी कुनै किसानको बगैँचामा ढकमक्क फुलेको पारिजात टिप्न थाले देवराज। म स्वर्गको राजा हुँ मलाइ कसैले छुन सक्तैन भन्ने दर्प रहेछ क्यारे उनीमा। तर त्यो घमण्ड धेरै काल टिकेन। पुर ( नगर ) वासीहरूले उक्त चौरकर्म देखे र दोषीलाई तत्काल बन्दी बनाए।   सिसिटिवी थिएन त्यतिबेला तर पनि राजा , रैती सबै आआफ्ना धर्ममा बस...