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The newly emerging concept of Rigvedic Himalaya examines Rigvedic principles in association with Himalayan cultures that are still thriving in present day Himalayan communities. The Rigvedic symbols; such as fire, water, air, earth, and space (known as Pancha Mahabhut in the Vedic literatures) are integral for the Himalayan life and the idea of the coherence and balance between the universe and the human body and soul are deeply ritualized, practiced and have formed the basis of Himalayan civilization. 

The nature worshipping practices living in various Hindu sects and bon traditions which was dominant before the expansion of Buddhism in Tibetan communities across the Himalayas in 7th and 8th centuries, even today are part of the reminiscent of the advanced Himalayan civilization. These practices value nature and natural forces rather than acknowledging any leading human being as the divine manifestation and consider every part of nature to be treated as the source and sustainer of human life. Based on these foundational principles, the Himalayan civilization, though less explored and debated, had already reached its climax in the ancient world with its unique system of economy, politics and spirituality in the special ecological region of the planet. 

Public intellectuals based in Pokhara and academicians from Nepal and abroad have been engaging in this concept over the last four years. They have already successfully organized three episodes of International Conference on Rigvedic Himalaya (ICRH) since 2023 and 4th series of ICRH is going to take place toward the end of this year under the aegis of Mukta Foundation, Pokhara and the Institute of Forestry Pokhara Campus (IOFPC). 

They have also introduced an academic journal on Vedic perspectives and Himalayan cultures sharing the same terms of the concept; “Rigvedic Himalaya”. Their initial idea was to pursue the concept as a de-colonial project and re-imagining the civilizational narratives of the Himalaya. They were aware that the Rigveda, unlike other Vedas and the Puranas, is not the text solely belonging to Hindus or any other religious community. They did not limit to sacralize the text (as it is taken by the orthodox Hindus) but urged it to reconsider it as a repository of the wisdom of the ancient world written more than 4,000 years before. 

Therefore, the ICRH cohort’s concern to the research institutions and policy makers in this regard is to facilitate reevaluation of their focus and priorities considering the ancient roots of the present-day cultural values and practices on research and tourism promotion. This would not just add new content in the Himalayan debate but give new and true meaning to the nature and culture that we are living with. While doing this, the intellectuals involved in the ICRH initiative have assumed that the concept of RH could also fulfill our need to find an alternative approach to view the Himalayan cultures in its own right. 

While building possible association between the Rigvedic principles and values and the Himalayan cultures, it may help to tackle the contemporary global challenges; either it is cultural conflict and political disputes, or social problems and environmental or climate challenges being grounded on the principles, methods, and world views embedded in Himalayan communities.

A new diplomacy

Currently, the new government under Prime Minister Balendra Shah, formed following the 2025’s GenZ protest and mid-term election held in March 2026, has brought an annual program in the parliament. It has endorsed the idea of ‘Dev Bhumi’ (Land of Gods) which is listed in point no 38 in the speech delivered by the president Ramchandra Paudel on May 11. While well-intentioned, this framing has a limitation: it appeals primarily to those who believe in the existence of gods. For secular audiences, non-believers, or global partners including our own new generation who are highly critical to our orthodox belief and practices and value rationality over ritual, ‘Dev Bhumi’ can feel exclusionary.

At this moment, the Rigvedic Himalaya offers a better alternative: ‘Ved Bhumi’ (The Land of Knowledge) instead of ‘Dev Bhumi’. This is not a rejection of faith but an expansion of it. Mythical and historical records confirm that seers, poets, and spiritual seekers from the pre-ancient era adopted the Nepali Himalayas as their ultimate laboratory, not merely for worship, but for inquiry; both for the inquiry of nature and inquiry of the ‘self’. 

This alternative idea of Ved Bhumi has immense potential to open multiple avenues for public diplomacy not just in Hindu dominant states and societies but to all the states and communities irrespective of faiths and political boundaries. This alternative may provide some practical tools in the field of public diplomacy. First, Himalaya the ‘land of ancient knowledge’: Unlike ‘Dev Bhumi’, which asks for belief, ‘Ved Bhumi’ asks for curiosity. 

Nepal can engage global universities, research institutions, and think tanks by inviting them to study the Rigvedic roots of present-day Himalayan cultures, communal living and environmental ethics as they manifest in the Himalayas. This transforms Nepal from ‘a research laboratory’ as James Fisher (1985) mentioned in his paper on the anthropological study in the Himalayan communities to a partner in academic production, completely a new way of thinking and dealing with the people and the ecology. 

Second, the ‘Economy of Silence: The Himalayas have always been associated with the speechless, the meditative, and the contemplative. In a noisy and anxious world, Nepal can export mindfulness. Meditation, Yog, natural healing, and silent retreats which are not religious exports; they are solutions to global urban distress. This gives Nepal a unique diplomatic offering that requires no theological debate. Third, background of knowledge and creativity: The seers and poets who chose the Himalayas as their ultimate destination have stories that remain untold. 

Films, literature, and digital content based on these figures, their struggles, their insights, their relationship with nature, can create emotional connections that traditional diplomacy rarely achieves. Such storytelling and sharing experiences of the people living in the Himalayas highlights the importance of Himalayan natural and cultural heritage and teaches the world how to live in the tough vertical geography appeals to global audiences seeking meaning, not just entertainment. 

And, fourth, a ‘Strategic Shift for Nepal’: For countries seeking to enhance international standing, strengthening cultural industries, investing in youth engagement, and promoting a clear national narrative are essential. Soft power, when strategically developed, achieves results that hard power alone cannot deliver. The Rigvedic Himalaya is not a rejection of Nepal’s Hindu heritage; it is an evolution of it. By shifting from ‘Land of Gods’ to ‘Land of Knowledge’, Nepal becomes accessible to the believer and the skeptic, theist and atheist alike. It honors the past while speaking to the present.

Conclusion

In today’s interconnected world, perception is as important as policy. Countries that successfully build emotional and intellectual connections are often more effective in shaping global opinion. The Rigvedic Himalaya offers Nepal a central instrument of public diplomacy; one that transforms ancient knowledge into contemporary influence, and identity into global reach. It is time to move beyond the scenic postcard with no ancient emblem but to embrace the vision of the land of knowledge where the Himalayas have remained as the canvas of knowledge, art, creativity and imagination. Finally, in contemporary international politics, influence is no longer measured solely through military capability or economic strength. Increasingly, states shape their global image through culture, identity, and public engagement. 

For a nation like Nepal; endowed with unique topography and nature but navigating a complex geopolitical neighborhood, the most effective instrument of influence may not lie in trade or treaties, but in a reimagined civilizational narrative: the Rigvedic Himalaya.

Across South Asia, the concept of ‘expressway’ has shifted from a luxury to a logistical necessity. While these high-speed corridors require immense financial investment, the region has realized that the cost of slow connectivity is far higher. For a country like Nepal, geographical barriers have historically crippled the state’s ability to fulfill its core commitments. Whether it is the timely delivery of life-saving medicines, providing urgent healthcare to remote regions, or ensuring that educational materials reach students on schedule, the lack of reliable connectivity remains our greatest hurdle.

Currently, Nepal’s primary economic and tourism centers remain isolated, often marooned at least five hours away from the rest of the country by road. This distance is compounded by a fragile geography that suffers from frequent landslides and road blockages. In this landscape of uncertainty, the Kathmandu-Tarai Fast Track has emerged as a symbol of hope. However, this 72.5 km project primarily serves to link the capital with the eastern parts of the country. This raises a critical question: what about the western region and our premier tourist hub, Pokhara? The time has come to envision an alternative connectivity model that brings the Western Tarai closer to both Pokhara and Kathmandu. 

At the heart of our current struggle is the ‘Muglin Bottleneck’. The stretch between Narayangarh and Muglin has become a national pain point, plagued by geological instability and constant traffic congestion. To move forward, we cannot simply repair the old; we must build the new. Just as the Kathmandu-Tarai Expressway is set to redefine eastern travel, a similar vision is required to unlock the potential of the west.

The Kawasoti–Shuklagandaki expressway alternative

Gandaki Province is establishing itself as an economic, tourism, and cultural hub of Nepal. Extending from the Tibetan border in the north to Narayani River and Nawalpur in the south, this region is a vital ecological and cultural center. Its importance is growing in terms of economy, academic research, agriculture production, and tourism. Historically, this area was among the first to have a dense road network, including the Siddhartha Highway (linking Pokhara to Butwal) and the Prithvi Highway (linking Pokhara to Kathmandu). 

However, in the current context of increased traffic and changes in mode of travel, people are constantly seeking alternatives and expressing dissatisfaction with the conventional mode of travel, which is time consuming and often lacking in adequate safety standards. 

Various options are being discussed to make the road network from Pokhara to Jomsom, Muktinath, and the Korala border easier and safer. Some projects are already underway. Upgrading work on the Siddhartha Highway is gaining momentum, and the Kaligandaki Corridor project is progressing in stages from Gaidakot to Beni. Despite all this, there has been no fundamental change in Pokhara’s road connectivity with the eastern and western Tarai.

Decades of upgrades have failed to break the cycle of long travel times, safety risks, and travel uncertainty. In light of the constant travel disruptions on the Narayangarh–Muglin stretch due to geological reasons, there has been policy-level discussion about an alternative road west of the Trishuli River. According to sources, the Asian Development Bank has already conducted a preliminary study of the alternative project. 

But is this the right choice for Pokhara and Gandaki Province? This needs reconsideration. The purported project is environmentally and geographically challenging, and it doesn’t significantly change the distance or travel time. While it would help local connectivity, it would merely serve as an alternative to the road running east of Trishuli. Similarly, while the Kaligandaki Corridor has strategic and local economic importance, there are doubts about whether it brings the majority of the people within its range and takes the connectivity of the province to a new level.

Because of these factors, despite having many road options, Gandaki Province and the Greater Pokhara Valley remain distant from much of the country’s population and geography. This directly impacts agricultural and industrial productivity, market expansion, and social leadership. Given this reality, it is necessary to propose a direct Expressway from Kawasoti (Nawalpur) on the East-West Highway to Shuklagandaki (Khairenitar or Tharpu) in Tanahun. This expressway would easily connect Nepal’s western Tarai with Pokhara. Just as the Nijgadh–Kathmandu Expressway will link the eastern Tarai to the capital, this project would provide a fast alternative for the western Tarai to reach Pokhara and Kathmandu.

The 40-kilometer revolution

Currently, the distance from Kawasoti to Shuklagandaki via Narayangarh is over 100 km. This expressway could reduce that distance to just 35–40 km, offering massive savings in time and safety. Traveling by public transport from Narayangarh (the hub of Chitwan) to Prithvi Chowk (the hub of Pokhara) takes 5–6 hours. An expressway could reduce this to 1–1.5 hours offering massive savings in time and safety. This project has the potential to transform these two cities into a single large socio-economic unit. Beyond creating thousands of jobs during construction, it would bring a qualitative shift in industry, market expansion, healthcare, education, and the Chitwan–Pokhara tourism circuit.

In terms of technical expertise and financial investment, this would undoubtedly be the most ambitious undertaking in the history of Gandaki Province. Engineering experts suggest that a straight-line connection between Kawasoti and Shuklagandaki would require a 10–12 km tunnel piercing through the Chure hills of the Devchuli region and the Kaligandaki valley, complemented by major bridges over the Kaligandaki and Seti rivers. While the scale is vast, this project would not necessarily require the same high-tech specifications as the Kathmandu–Tarai Fast Track. 

That project, currently managed by the Nepali Army using Chinese technology, is estimated to cost roughly $22m per km. Based on a 40 km length, the Kawasoti–Shuklagandaki Expressway could theoretically reach a cost of $880m (over Rs 120bn), roughly 28 percent of Nepal’s annual development budget. However, experts believe the cost could be minimized by 50 percent or even more, bringing the total to approximately twice the construction cost of Pokhara International Airport (PIA).

Within this optimized price range, financing becomes a realistic goal. Resources could be mobilized through a partnership between the provincial and federal governments, domestic financial institutions, international donors like the ADB, and local investors. Such a project is well within the affordable reach of Gandaki Province, especially if a “public-participation model” is adopted to involve the province’s own citizens as shareholders. Nevertheless, given the technical complexities involved, partnering with reliable investors and construction firms with proven global experience remains essential.

Financing the vision

History shows us that the Siddhartha Highway was once the revolutionary link that connected the Gandaki hills to the world. But today, the demographics, tourism demands, and trade patterns of Pokhara have fundamentally changed. To transform the valley into a modern, accessible, and safe urban hub, we must embrace new visions. PIA was a part of that vision to connect with the ’outer world’. We did not meet the vision as we had expected. But we must not stop dreaming. We need even more connectivity with the ‘inner world’, the other parts of the country. 

Therefore, it is imperative that the provincial and federal governments move beyond traditional alternatives and initiate a feasibility study of this Expressway immediately. If Gandaki is to truly evolve into Nepal’s premier economic and tourism hub, we must stop thinking in terms of mere ‘road upgrades’ and start thinking in terms of strategic, high-speed connectivity. This expressway is the key to making Pokhara a more reliable and vibrant city. Building the Kawasoti–Shuklagandaki Expressway could be a visionary step that would ignite economic growth for both the province and the nation.

The author is a PhD in Anthropology and a Public Intellectual from Pokhara