Books and Culture

Orchid Books has brought Dr Dhruba Chandra Gautam’s novel Ek Asafal Aakhyanko Aaranbha (Beginning of an unsuccessful story) that happens to be the author’s 20th novel.
Gautam, the prominent fiction writer in Nepali literature, has portrayed the Nepali literary world and its characters; authors, poets, their rivalry, pain and sorrow. The story revolves around the middle class society and the literary circle of which the author himself is representative. Gautam knows better the world where he lives in and he seems honest enough in every details of ‘his circle’, though his characters make readers increasingly confused throughout the novel.
The story begins with two unemployed writers; author himself and his friend. With no money to live a decent life, these writers like any others, are envious of the bureaucrats as they are traditionally considered the well-off genre due to opportunities they get to monetize the situations.
The setting of the novel is pre-and post Janaandolan II. About halfway through Gautam’s novel, the story slows down on unnecessary details but its still fun to read due to his black humor or dark comedy. Though, he is not the only one to use it in Nepali literature, he has mastery over this sub-genre of comedy and satire where topics and events that are usually treated as serious or taboo are instead treated in a humorous or satirical manner.
The characters in this 36th book of his are lively as usual. His characters have picked the tongue from our FM radio stations that use — neither Nepali nor English — a mixed tongue.
One of the fundamental challenges in fiction lies in creating compelling, realistic characters and he is somewhat successful in it as some of his characters are real, though others seem very fictional.
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BOOK REVIEW
Book: Ek Asafal Aakhyanko Aaranbha (Beginning of an unsuccessful story)
Author: Dr Dhruba Chandra Gautam
Publisher: Orchid Books
Price: Rs 300

The annual Neel Barahi - the ferocious form of the Goddess - dance festival has begun in Bode of Madhyapur Thimi in Bhaktapur. The festival lasts for three days and four nights. A total of 89 persons take part in the traditional dance festival. Those participating in the dance cannot eat anything or talk to anyone during the festival. Likewise they cannot use umbrellas in case of rainfall and they can”t even go to the nature’s call.
Likewise, the light and torch lit for the festival cannot be put off throughout the period.
Brahi is the most ferocious form of the Goddess with a head of an animal - Baraha.
Neel is the colour blue that is symbolic to the destruction. The Neel Barahi is thus the Goddess that protects oneself from the enemies and natural calamities.
the Goddess is more famous among the tantrick cult - a non-vedic but power cult that believes in the nature.