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In the busy world of digital content creation, Aashutosh Barahi stands out as a beacon of cultural preservation and creativity. At 28, Barahi has carved a unique position for himself as a content creator and YouTuber, leading the charge at Jyasa Films, a production company dedicated to showcasing and celebrating the rich tapestry of Nepal Bhasa culture. It all began with a character inspired by his own parents—the lovable ‘Baa’ with his humorous line ‘Dhasa dhala dhai’.

Barahi’s transition into content creation from an IT student began during his internship in an IT company when he crossed paths with Dhiraj Magar. “I saw him recording himself in front of the camera, and talking to it. It really intrigued me,” says Barahi.

Driven by this curiosity, Barahi embarked on his journey into the world of YouTube, immersing himself in research and experimentation to understand the platform. He was eager to learn more about making videos, so he attended an acting workshop organized by Fun Revolution TV, where he met many other like-minded individuals. The workshop not only equipped him with acting skills but also provided him with invaluable connections and insights into the entertainment industry.

In his pursuit of further career opportunities in the field of IT, Barahi made the difficult decision to part ways with Fun Revolution TV. “In 2020, I had an interview for an enticing work opportunity. But I got rejected,” he says. While this setback might have been discouraging, Barahi later realized that the rejection played a significant role in shaping his path towards content creation.

Barahi’s journey into Nepal Bhasa content creation began with a deep-seated desire to represent his culture and connect with today’s generation, particularly teenagers. Despite initial doubts about the audience’s interest due to the declining usage of Nepal Bhasa among the younger population, Barahi followed his instincts and created a video in Nepal Bhasa.

“To my surprise, the video gained significant traction, receiving widespread recognition and appreciation from Newa communities and beyond,” he says. What initially started as a form of entertainment soon transformed into a platform for cultural preservation and promotion. “This was unexpected but rewarding,” he adds.

Barahi expresses his happiness in knowing that his work is making a meaningful impact in today’s society. “Children who don’t speak Nepal Bhasa are learning to speak by watching my videos. I feel it’s a responsibility now—for me and my team,” he says.

Through projects like the Ethic Exploration with Niti Shah, he has witnessed firsthand the decline of cultural values and linguistic diversity in various communities, such as the Rai and Tharu communities. “It’s sad to see all these essential aspects of our identity being lost,” he says, adding, the relevant content in Nepal Bhasa can go a long way in preserving our cultural heritage.

Barahi says he believes that by creating and sharing videos that celebrate Nepal Bhasa and its traditions, he and his team are contributing to the safeguarding of their cultural legacy.

Initially, Barahi’s team consisted of himself and just two other people. However, as their projects gained traction and their ambitions grew, the team saw the addition of four more people. Understanding the historical and cultural context of their topics is crucial for creating authentic and meaningful content. Barahi relies on his instincts for generating ideas but also seeks wisdom from elder people who have a deep knowledge and understanding of the culture and its nuances.

Barahi says he wants to venture into Newa movies in the future despite being unsure about audience response and acceptance. “Despite pouring our hearts and souls into previous projects, such as the Holi Punhi video, we were disappointed by the turnout at a screening event,” he says. But he is grateful for the support he has received this far and emphasizes the importance of audience participation in sustaining the Nepal Bhasa film industry.

Content creators, he says, face a lot of financial and logistical struggles despite putting in a lot of effort. Barahi appeals to the audience for support, not just by viewing content but also by participating in events and programs organized by his team. “When we organize events with a ticket system, it’s important to understand that the proceeds aren’t solely for profits. The funds go towards our other projects, all aimed at enhancing your entertainment experience,” he says.

He wants Newa films and content to be as popular as Nepali or Bollywood movies. Despite the challenges of a smaller audience, Barahi remains undeterred in his goal to tell diverse stories and portray the rich cultural heritage of the Newa community on the big screen. For now, he is proud of his new project, ‘Maya Madula’, a song by Rojman Maharjan and Nisha Dehar, for which the team worked tirelessly for many days.

His commitment to representing and celebrating the rich tapestry of Nepal Bhasa has not only resonated with audiences but has also sparked a newfound appreciation for linguistic diversity and heritage. Barahi’s journey serves as an inspiration to aspiring content creators, demonstrating that staying true to one’s roots and embracing one’s cultural identity can lead to both personal fulfillment and societal impact.

A truck carrying chemicals used in drugs caught fire in Dhading on Tuesday.

The truck (Na 4 Kha 8617) was heading towards Kathmandu from Sunauli of Rupandehi when it suddenly caught fire at Banchhetar in Gajuri Rural Municipality-6 of Dhading district this morning.

Sushil BK, the driver of the truck, surmised that the incident might have occurred after the chemical canisters collided with each other when the truck was moving.

A fire engine has been called from Dhunibesi Municipality to put off the fire, said Ganesh Lal Shrestha, Chairman of Gajuri Rural Municipality.

Thousands of devotees from various parts of Kathmandu and neighboring districts thronged Balaju Park this morning to take part in the traditional ritual shower at Baisdhara.

The festival, also known as Balaju Baisdhara (Phuti Pun) Mela, is celebrated on the Baisakh Shukla Purnima every year.

It is believed that taking a holy bath at Baisdhara (22 stone spouts) would heal various diseases.

Organizers expect that 230, 000 people would participate in the annual festival.

As the climate crisis is taking a toll on people and the planet with an increasing number of severe incidents, the research and studies have also been continued with focus on how the world could adopt better climate actions and minimize emergencies in number and scale.

One of the measures the researchers have underlined lately is collective initiatives with a blend of indigenous knowledge and use of modern technology so that climate actions could be made more participatory and result-oriented.

A recent report published by UNDP Accelerator Labs and the Nesta analyzed the cases from the Global South showing how 'collective intelligence' is applied to fulfill gaps in climate adaptation and mitigation.

The report, 'Untapped: Collective Intelligence for Climate Action', implies 'collective intelligence' as a synergic approach where data, people and technology work in tandem. "At its simplest, the 'collective intelligence' can be understood as the enhanced capacity that is created when people work together, often with the help of technology, to mobilize a wider range of information, ideas and insights." It further argues the collective intelligence is resulted from a combination of these factors where it ensures more than the sum of their parts.

With this, the document has kept in center human experiences, traditional practices and exchange of knowledge on dealing with climate adversities, which can be further optimized by the use of modern technology, including artificial intelligence (AI). The concept of citizen scientist is optimized by it.

"AI is being applied to help make sense from and use large volumes of data, while generative AI techniques are transforming the nature of content and knowledge generation," the report underlined.

As per study document, there is a 'Bioleft' platform in South America, which is facilitating farmers to know about climate resilient crops as the platform is informing about open-source repositories of local seed varieties and collaborative seed breeding among them. "The platform enables geo-referencing of seeds and records their transfer under an official Bioleft license," the report mentioned. 

Similarly, in another case of climate smart agriculture, the story about Water-Associated Infectious Diseases in India is mentioned as a 'rare example of disease surveillance for waterborne diseases'. This scheme applies Smartphone App to map vulnerability at community like cholera occurrence and other waterborne disease. The information about the sanitary condition of people is available through data crowd-sourcing with the use of App.

'DengueChat' is another digital initiative put in place in the Latin American project, which the report says, 'applies citizen science' to control disease outbreaks at a hyper local level'.

The tech initiative to protect biodiversity is also showcased in the document. The 'CyberTracker Kalahari' focused in the Kalahari Desert of Southern Africa, adopted indigenous knowledge and practices on biodiversity are monitored.

The report also briefly mentions Nepal in relation to use of technology on land management data. "In Nepal, government representatives have committed to exploring the use of the LANDex tool for official data collection. These tools provide groups that are typically overlooked in local land management disputes with the means to build an evidence base to help them make their case with decision makers or other stakeholders," it added.

 The report is coauthored by Aleks Berditchevskaia, Alex Albert, Kathy Peach, Gina Lucarelli, and Alberto Cottica.