Ashok Silwal’s Book ‘Appo Deepo Bhava: The Fascinating Journey of Kailash Mansarovar’ Released at Potala Palace in Tibet

Kathmandu: Ashok Silwal’s book ‘Ashok Silwal’s Book ‘Appo Deepo Bhava: The Fascinating Journey of Kailash Mansarovar’ has been released. This book, which captures the fascinating journey to Mount Kailash and Mansarovar, considered the holiest of all pilgrimage sites, was launched at the world-renowned Potala Palace in Lhasa.

The book was jointly launched by author Silwal and Bimal Naharki, president of the Association of Kailash Tour Operators of Nepal. Although the book mentions, “Even though I had been to Tibet, I hadn’t yet gone to Lhasa where I had long wished to go; I hadn’t visited Potala. I was on my way to Mansarovar, to Kailash, to complete the Kailash Kora,” it is a remarkable coincidence that Silwal ended up launching the book at the Potala Palace in Lhasa itself.

‘Appo Deepo Bhava’ is Silwal’s fourth book, in which he documents his worldly and otherworldly experiences during the Kailash Kora in Tibet. A goodwill ambassador for Langtang as well, Silwal has previously published ‘Kalam’ (a critical analysis of journalism), ‘Lekhak Duniya’ (exploring the inner world of literature), and ‘Srilanka Smriti’ (a travel memoir). A tourism trainer and independent journalist, Silwal is also a documentary filmmaker.

Referring to the book, Silwal explained, “Appo Deepo Bhava:—meaning ‘Be a light unto yourself’—is a saying of the Buddha. The book is about a journey toward nature and spirituality, ultimately a journey toward the self.