'Achhami Badda', who has been decorating the whole hill for 14 years
'Conquer the Country with Struggle,
Conquer the mountains by Worshiping.'
The stories of the struggle of those who have gone abroad for employment or other reasons or left the city and entered the city also say that 'problems must be dealt with.'
So what in the mountains?
Life cannot go on without worshiping every hill and stone in the mountains. This has been confirmed by the fact that many castes worship different mountains as Gaurishankar, some call them Annapurna, some consider them to be heirloom deities, some consider them to be the image of goddesses, and others worship Deurali.
But what if you can do both fighting and worshiping at the same place?
Its achievement is even more supernatural.
There is a person worshiping the same mountain, fighting with the mountain - Arjun Bahadur Rana.
In Achham's Khaptad, Naini, this 76-year-old 'Achhami Badda' is grappling with the hills with an 'Arjuna' vision like the name. The struggle is not to play with the mountain, but to worship the same mountain, to make it worthy of worship. An outsider who arrives there may first worship the mountain, but on his return he may worship his struggle.
Arjuna had already conceived the idea of promoting Naini as a religious area, located at the foothills of Ajang (अजंग) Parbat, which is connected to Khaptad National Park at an altitude of 2,080 meters, 26 km from Sanfebagar. He had seeded the idea already in 2038 BS But waited until 2063 BS to take effect.
For the past 14 years, his work has been continuous on this entire hill. He has sweated in this place. Somewhere they are decorating the surrounding big rocks, somewhere they are carving them. They are struggling day and night alone.
In old age, he has more struggles than sleep. He sleeps only 3 hours a day. There is no committee, no big party. No donor, no bank account with a 'balance' of crores. It is only related to hard work.
He spent his ancestral wealth of Sanfebagar municipality, ward no. 12 to build the 'Naini religious tourist area'. Earlier in his days he owned four horses and Raised herds of goats years ago..
Three hundred walnut and 30-40 kiwi plants are growing and bearing fruit. Mustard grew, and quintals of potatoes grew. But no matter how much it grows on the ground, no matter how much it grows, peace does not grow in the heart.
He spent four decades in Baba's service around Khaptad Baba from the age of 11, and even in his youth, he met Baba from time to time. He was changed by one of Baba's words - 'After earning wealth, eat, feed, leave (keep) and go.'
He felt like he did 'eating and feeding' in his life. However, the undisputed leader of three races (village head thrice), he could not do anything to leave his mark and identity.
Therefore, he made the plan to develop this place as a religious area by abandoning politics.
Arjun says, 'Baba himself gave this idea in a dream. Now, as long as the earth lasts, this religious area will remain. hope I will also be remembered by the world one day.'
His lifestyle and struggles are a slap in the face to the office bearers who run after money, convenience, and momentary pleasures, who, despite being national servants, do only 10-5 jobs, and who do not really serve.
In the year 2069, Regional Administration Office, Dipayal K.M. He fondly remembers what regional administrator Durganidhi Sharma said when he visited this place - 'Your son doesn't have to go to America if he can, this place will be famous in the world.'
After some time, Arjuna started the construction of this place after Sharma gave him three lakh rupees. So far, 32 lakh rupees have been received from the government. Not for personal investment.
'Let's not talk about money. The mind is engrossed in this, it is not interested in others. Money does not flow before the mind. I have spent 1 crore 10 lakh rupees from selling the house. Now have no land, no house, or any property' he says without any attachment to possessions.
'I am the value of no one. There was no eating, drinking, or sitting. A person who hasn't even eaten a loaf of bread is a distant thing. There is nothing to take away. I had started to build a temple on my own 8 ropani land, but now I have built a hill. I covered three hundred plants. Madan Baba and Gorakhnath Baba also tried to come and stay here. They are also prepared to give some space for ashrams.'
He has made two ponds, one natural and one artificial, to decorate this place. A playground is being built for the youth of the neighborhood to play volleyball. 108 kalashes and the same number of shivlings, bells, and lamps have been installed.
There are idols of gods and goddesses like Shivaji, Durga, Lakshmi, Ganesha, Radhakrishna, Ramasita, Hanuman, Buddha, and some wild animals. Along with Khaptad Baba.
The idols placed here were originally brought from Rajasthan. Later they made it here with cement. Now they are trying to carve 'organic' idols on big stones.
He has given a contract for 1 crore to engrave 5 idols of Shiva, Parvati, Ganesha, Bull, and Shivlinga in 80 meters round, 42 feet high massive stone to an Artisan craftsman from Kathmandu. Already 16 lakhs have been spent after carving 12 feet and The carving continues....
It is said that the Nayan (eye) of Sati Devi fell in this area while Shivaji was carrying her, so the name of this place remained Naini in the colloquial language. The location of the Naini region, which is sometimes green, and sometimes snowy, is supernatural. Badimalika Peak of Bajura is visible to the east of Naini, fragrant with Unyu, Ainseloo, Godavari, Sayapatri, herbs, and high mountain vegetation. To the west is the famous Kalika temple of Achham. Sahastralinga in the north, Khaptad. On the hard rocky wall of the north, the forest of Laliguras covers the mountains in Chait/Baisakh (april/may). Somewhere Uttis and Katus too. Achham's beautiful landscape in the south. 'In the rocky terrain around Naini, invisible water is flowing underground in places. You don't have to walk for hours to get there, the road is almost there. The electricity has gone out. Other facilities will also arrive gradually. Now I wish to add many cottages and set up cable cars' he added. Arjun says, 'I don't know where the source is coming from, but I am working with all my heart. By Baba's grace, all dreams will come true.'
Arjun Bahadur Rana, who was elected unopposed for the first time in 2032 BS in Babla, Khaptad area and held the post of chief for more than a decade, says in amazement about Naini, "Nepali beauty Shrinkhala Khatiwada was attracted by Naini's beauty, there was nothing to upset the common people."
(The author Gokarna Prasad Upadhyay is the Chief District Officer of Achham. translated in english with the help of Google translate service)
