KATHMANDU

When he was 13/14 years old, he used to listen to the song — Kasturi Hey Baas Aunchha Bhanchhan Suna Maya Aaudaina Tyo Kina Ho Yo Dinaima. The composition was beautiful and it was sung by Narayan Gopal. He liked the song and used to sing a lot but he hadn’t understood the words and meaning of the song. Later, he understood its meaning.

“Kasturi is one of the deer species that has scented and medicinal substance — kasturi (musk) in a pod in the naval area. But a kasturi doesn’t know that he has that substance.

Similarly, nature has bestowed each person with a quality,” comedian Hari Bansha Acharya said pointing out, “The only the difference between the two is that kasturi is an animal and it can’t figure out what it has, while people have ample intellect to know his/her ability and use it. But many people can’t see what s/he has to which parents, teachers and friends have to point and help out.”

Acharya has found his kasturi in life. And he has spread his fragrance of laughter with his partner Madan Krishna Shrestha. However, he has not found it in Karodaun Kasturi, rather he is an unsuccessful person who has not discovered his fragrance in him.

Karodaun Kasturi is a new novel by Madan Puraskar winning author Amar Neupane of Seto Dharti. Published by FinePrint, the novel is based on actor/comedian Acharya. The book explores Acharya who is different from the actor we know.

The book was basically born five-six year ago. Without the thought of writing a book, author Neupane while teaching had asked his students, “If Acharya, who was born to become an artiste, couldn’t become one, what would he become? If Narayan Gopal who was born to sing was made to become a doctor by his parents, what kind of doctor would he have become and where would his numerous songs disappear?”

Weaving an imaginary story of Acharya, he had said, “If he had studied forcefully, he would have passed SLC in the fourth year, Intermediate in the fifth year, Bachelor’s in the sixth year after studying five or six years and Master’s in three to four years after many back papers. After his Master’s degree at the age of 35/36-year-old, he would become a teacher somewhere after a founder of private school/college would feel pity (kripaa) on him. He would be very happy with the job. After 15/20 of teaching, he would buy some land …”

It would be a different life but “Acharya is such an artiste who studied himself. It is important to study the book and world inside than that of outside”.

And it inspired him to write about this and it would be an “educational novel”. Also, different students had asked Neupane, ‘Where are books written for students?’ This also motivated him to pen this book.

In Karodaun Kasturi, Acharya doesn’t meet Shrestha and so he doesn’t know his kasturi. So, he keeps wondering all his life. There are lots of Acharyas or Gopals in chowks or banpakhas who have not got platforms for their talent. There are thousands of kasturi who don’t know of their kasturi or some who know but are doing nothing about it. Only a few have realised their kasturi and carved a niche for themselves, which is the theme of the novel. The book was laun-ched on July 7 at Nepal Academy, Kamaladi by Acharya, Professor Kedar Bhakta Mathema and the author.