Sunne Herne Katha

Dr. Bhaneshwar Pokharel studied agriculture in Rampur before earning his Master’s and PhD in Denmark. He spent years working in agricultural research there. Driven by a desire to pour his skills and knowledge back into his own soil, he returned to Nepal six years ago. In Madi, Chitwan, Bhaneshwar has built a beautiful and inspiring farm — following the dreams he truly believes in. Come, let’s listen to the story of this PhD farmer.

Perhaps beautiful souls are meant for difficult places. Just as the rhododendron blooms on rugged slopes and wildflowers thrive in the cold meadows, so do people like Tshiring Samdup and Sonam Bhuti—blossoming in the heart of the Himalayas.

Bishnu Bahadur Lama and Harkaman Lama lived in Toplang village near Chitlang. They came from a family of hunters. Both their grandfather and father were hunters for the royal palace. From time to time, they had to hunt birds and deliver them to the palace. Vishnu and Hark grew up watching their father and grandfather handle guns.A man named Kirtiman Tamang, born in Kalimpong, worked for Nepal’s Department of Forests. He was well-educated. After working for some time at Tiger Tops in Chitwan, he went to the United States to pursue a PhD. During his doctoral research, he initiated the “Tiger Ecology Project,” which led to research on tigers in the forests of Chitwan. Around that time, Chitwan National Park was about to be established. Kirtiman began studying the feeding and behavioral patterns of tigers. For this, he needed assistants who could help capture tigers in the jungle. Through an acquaintance with the uncles of Bishnu Bahadur and Harkaman, he found support. In 2029 B.S., the elder brother Hark arrived to assist him, and in 2032 B.S., the younger brother Vishnu joined. From then on, for nearly 45 years, the two brothers spent their lives in the forest, using their guns for conservation.

The Hetauda Textile Industry, established in 1976 (2033 BS) with Chinese assistance, once provided employment to around 1,200 people. Among the hundreds of hands that helped lay its foundation were those of Prakash Paudel. Having spent 23 years working there as a laborer, today we walk through the same Hetauda Textile Industry with him, revisiting its past and present.

Some traditional ancestral occupations are slowly disappearing. There are growing voices saying they should be preserved. However, in Nepal, there exists a community that no longer wishes to continue its own ancestral profession.In a few villages around Nepalgunj, the Maganta community is known for an occupation passed down through generations — begging.

A remote rural corner of Dhanusha. On one side stretch the vast sandy banks and grasslands of the Kamala River; a little farther lies the Indian border. Far from towns, markets, and main roads — Kathal village of Janak Nandini Rural Municipality. In this distant village, Sanjay Yadav is slowly spreading a little light.

Locally, rudraksha is known as dana. In the months of Kartik and Mangsir, the hills of Bhojpur and Sankhuwasabha are filled with it. Dana in the fields, dana in sacks, dana laid out to dry, dana at doorsteps, dana in small bags—dana everywhere.

From Dunai, the district headquarters, it takes two days of tightly clinging to riverbeds and cliff-hugging trails to reach the Dho Valley.Perched at an altitude of 4,100 meters, Dho is regarded as the gateway to Upper Dolpo.

In a quiet corner of Hetauda, a blind motorcycle mechanic and his family keep life moving with love, labor, and resilience.

For generations, Dhankuta’s oranges have been worth their weight in gold. Today, this city of citrus is embracing a new identity — rising as the capital of avocados.