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This tall idol of Lord Shiva has become the cynosure of all eyes. Photo: LB Thapa  By LB THAPA Courtesy: Originally this article was published in The Rising Nepal (11 February 2022) The other day I had decided to trek all the way from Devi’s falls to the peak of Pumdikot. The purpose of this trek was to see a 51-ft tall idol of Lord Shiva. The trek from Devi’s falls up to Pumdikot is about 13 km and the place lies in Pokhara Metropolitan city-22.   I planned to visit Pumdikot on foot. As I’m well aware of the highway road to Pumdikot but I wanted to explore the foot trail which starts from Devi’s falls to Pumdikot. This foot trail is very old as the local people of Pumdikot would regularly use this path before the construction of Siddhartha highway in 1971.   Nowadays many foreigners and trekking lovers follow this path to walk through the craggy hills and mountains to see the famous World Peace Pagoda or White Stupa. And the same route spirals up to Pumdikot where Lord Shiva

The life story of Sandesh Subedi can inspire many people. Photo: Sandesh Subedi By LB THAPA Falling into the pit of depression invariably leads to nowhere. We must have seen or heard about many known and unknown people who became victims of depression and the tragic end of their lives.  Sandesh Subedi’s story is no different. But, what is special about his life is his fight against depression and a dramatic change that brought a U-turn in his life. What makes it even more special is he got victory over depression and suicidal mentality without any doctors, psychiatrists, or medicine’s help.   His story of falling into the cobweb of depression and losing all faiths in himself had pushed him to a broken point. Soon he realized that death was much dearer than life and he was on the brink of committing suicide.  Well, can you imagine anything like this in your life? I am not telling you any fictional story. I am going to tell you the story of a young man, full of life, whose life was s

  Tirtha Awasthi is the past founder and president of Nepal Voluntary Blood Donor's Society, Kaski (NVBDS-Kaski) By LBTHAPA We have heard several stories of rags to riches. But Tirtha Awasthi does not fall in that league of the super-rich. However, he has yet enormous wealth that is worth beyond any wealth. You might be wondering what sort of wealth I am talking about!   It is saving a precious life…how does he do that? Ok! He and his organization are committed to helping those patients who need blood in an emergency. His organization is so popular for its credibility that when doctors get no blood from the Red Cross Society, they turn to the Nepal Voluntary Blood Donor’s Society.  Tirtha Awasthi, my guest today, is the erstwhile president of the Nepal Voluntary Blood Donor’s Society (NVBDS).   The slogan of Nepal Voluntary Blood Donor’s Society is “Not a single patient should die in the country due to lack of blood”. At a time when the Red Cross Society is losing its cre

Bijay Bhandari is the man behind the creation of Reader's Corner. Photo-LB Thapa By LB THAPA If you are a regular reader or even you keep a soft corner for books, then I’m dead sure you must have heard the name Himalayan Reader’s Corner in Pokhara. It can also be true to say that all the tributaries of literature eventually confluence at the Himalayan Reader’s Corner. Well, if you don’t believe then at least visit this place once and witness yourself.   Bijay Bhandari is behind the creation of the Himalayan Reader’s Corner. His love for literature finally led him to such a brilliant business idea. After the completion of his master’s degree in management, he did not show much inclination to employment. He rather wanted to do something different that should keep his love for literature alive.   “Though I hold a degree in management, I have always been in love with literature. Ever since I came to my consciousness, I was sure I would never work for others. Thus, I started think

A group of cheerful students studying IELTS at Miracle Institute, Pokhara, Nepal. Photo: LB Thapa By LB THAPA Applying for visas is always a careful procedure. It needs utmost precision and technical knowledge par excellence. Thus, this job should only be done under the supervision of a qualified education counselor. These counselors guide students through their application process and help them to get their dreams to come true.       The US government does issue three types of study visas    F Student Visa : This visa is granted to those students who want to study at an accredited US college or university or to study the English language at an English language institute.   J Exchange Visa : This type of visa is offered to students who want to participate in an exchange program that includes high school and university study.    M Student Visa : This category of visa is offered to students who want a non-academic or vocational study or training in the US.   All photos by LB Thap