Photo exhibition underway at Gorkhapatra

Kathmandu, May 10: A photo exhibition celebrating the 125th year of the Gorkhapatra Daily’s publication is currently going on at the central office of the Gorkhapatra Corporation, Dharmapath, Kathmandu.

 The exhibition, held also coinciding with National Journalism Day, showcases over 60 historic photographs captured by Gorkhapatra’s photojournalists, reflecting Nepal’s political, cultural, and social journey from 1973 to 2006.

However, the first photograph published in Nepali newspaper is also exhibited. 

The photograph of Suryaprati Shresthani, who is seen weaving cotton at Shree Chandra Kamdenu Charkha in Birgunj, was published in April 1927. 

One of the highlights is a rare photograph of Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan taken during the shooting of his film ‘Mahaan’ in Nepal. This photo, dating back 33 years, recalls a memorable moment when veteran journalist late Durganath Sharma interviewed Bachchan for Gorkhapatra Daily in 1982.

The exhibition also sheds light on Nepal’s printing history, featuring the first manual press known as the ‘Giddhe Press,’ imported from England in 1851 by the first Rana Prime Minister, Junga Bahadur Rana. 

A nostalgic glimpse into the education system is also presented, showcasing how students once anxiously gathered outside the Gorkhapatra gate to check their School Leaving Certificate (SLC) results, widely regarded as the ‘iron gate’ of Nepali education until it was replaced by the Secondary Education Examination (SEE).

Political milestones are vividly captured, including the speech of leader Madan Bhandari at Khula Manch in 1990, and the historic first meeting between CPN-Maoist supremo Prachanda and the then Prime Minister and NC President Girija Prasad Koirala after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Accord in 2006.

The exhibition further brings to life the country’s rich cultural and musical past, with photographs showing a Sarangi player performing at Ratnapark in 1982, the body of musical icon Swor Samrat Narayan Gopal placed at Nepal Academy in 1990 for public tribute, and scenes from traditional music recording sessions.

Development activities like the Kulekhani Hydropower and cultural heritages like the temples are also shown in the photographs.  

“This is the third time we are organising a black-and-white photo exhibition featuring images taken by our photojournalists using film cameras from 1973 onward. It also includes photography-related artefacts and documents,” said Ram Prasad Humagain, Head of the Photography Department. 

“The exhibition is open to the public from 11 am to 6 pm on office days on the third and fifth floors of the Gorkhapatra office building.”

The exhibition began on May 7 and will continue for two weeks.

 Humagain said that the exhibition may be extended if visitors continue to attend. 

A total of over 60 photographs dating from 1973 to 2006 are on display, most of which have not been exhibited before. Historic items such as a typewriter, camera, and printing press are also showcased in the exhibition.