Gopindra Paudel comes up with Yatrako Dhun

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Nov. 25: Critic and Prof. Dr. Gopindra Paudel’s travelogue collection Yatrako Dhun was launched amid a programme in Kathmandu on Saturday.

Published by Bhundipuran, the travelogue was launched by senior novelist and travel writer Harihar Khanal. 

In the programme, organised by the Progressive Writers Association of Nepal, critic Bishnu Gyawali said that the book, based on travels in 10 different countries, including the USA, India, and Europe, offered readers an experience of foreign lands without ever leaving home.

 He further added that critic Paudel has also emerged as a travel writer with this work. 

The book presents a rich variety, combining accounts of foreign travels with reflections on Nepal’s Pyuthan, he added.

Another critic, Nandu Upreti, said that the author captured a spectrum of emotions in the book, ranging from the pain, joy, and restlessness of memories to the bliss they provide.

Travel writer Jaya Chhangchha Rai highlighted that travel was not limited to tangible experiences but could also explore abstract concepts. 

Gopal Ashka, a member of the Language Commission, said that the book reflects the author’s perspective on capitalism. 

He added that while America is often called the ‘city of dreams’, the author redefined it as a ‘city of reality’, portraying landmarks like the White House as merely a white mansion.

Writer Paudel shared that he entered the world of writing in 1999 through satirical essays. 

After publishing seven critical essays, he fulfilled his longstanding dream of writing this travelogue, describing it as a harvest of passion. 

He noted that the book partially incorporates the essential qualities of a travelogue, including aspects of society, culture, and everyday life.

While reflecting on his travels abroad, including visits to New York’s Times Square, the author expressed sensitivity to everything, including the starkly exposed culture he observed.