I had this idea of creating a Google/Wikipedia kind of webpage where we can put information about people, places and things that speak Nepal. And, to tell the world that Nepal is not just the land of Everest and where Buddha was born. Nor it’s limited to Newar’s of Kathmandu Valley or just the Sherpa porters of the High Himalayas.
For Example, there are times when I search about the Bhuwan Thapa, the very first actress of the Nepal film, Aamaa (Mother), nothing comes up except for the several Facebook posts by her equally famous husband/ the Radio Star Michael Chand.
There are no online records on our current politicians, not even of the ones who hold big positions in Nepal under the Prime Minister’s battalion.
I want to re-introduce forgotten paths that our ancestors walked to get their basic needs, the Trans-Himalayan traders, their yaks, variety of Yaks that are found in Nepal.
Birds & Butterflies, floras & faunas, lakes & rivers, holy ponds & pilgrimages, festivals & tradition, religion & politics, factories & handcrafts, rites & cultures etcetera.
There are innumerable hills, mountains, plains, monuments, temples, ethnic groups, things to do, food, deities, religions, legends, that are shouting to be out, to be seen or told about.
Having said that, tourist spots are visibly expanding, especially with young Nepalese riding motorbikes to explore new places, them posting photos, but sadly without any information or names of villages/routes and several with poems and wise words which unfortunately is not a helpful guideline for others if they wanted to visit the same place.
If one visits Siddha Lakhan Thapa’s cave and Martyr Lakhan Thapa’s hill, there must be a clear distinction between these two people. They both hold equal great history but one existed 400 + years ago and later one date hardly 70 years back.
The world wants to explore Nepal beyond Everest and the seven World Heritage Sites. They would want to eat food that’s not just dal Bhat. I mean how unpleasant would it be for us as host when tourists returning back to their countries say, Nepali food is only Dal Bhat.
Ask Me About Nepal (AMAN) will also be a photo bank for Nepali photographers, where they can upload photos to make sales globally and it will eventually be a huge database of the written and visual materials on Nepal and is powered by Think Aloud.