From Everest to Colorado: A Sherpa’s Journey in English

Golden, Colorado | June 14

The English translation of renowned musician, singer, and writer Hiranya Bhojpure’s novel Aang Sherpa and Ocean of Heights was officially launched on Saturday at Sherpa House Restaurant and Cultural Center, Golden, Colorado, USA.

Aang Sherpa and Ocean of Heights is the English rendition of Bhojpure’s acclaimed Nepali novel Sagarmatha Bhanda Mathi (“Above Everest”). The translation, completed by poet Bhuwan Thapaliya, has been published by Nirala Publications, New Delhi.

The launch event was held in memory of celebrated musician, singer and writer Ganesh Rasik who passed away a couple of weeks ago.

The book was jointly unveiled by renowned Himalayan poet Yuyutsu RD Sharma, the author’s wife Urmila Shrestha, grandchildren Yahvi Bhojpure, Pravar Raja Moktan, and Prahar Raja Moktan, along with Karma Sherpa of Sherpa Restaurant and his granddaughter Pasang Maya Sherpa.

At the event, poet and editor Yuyutsu Sharma praised the novel for amplifying the unheard voices of native climbers. “Ang Sherpa is a powerful and long-awaited novel. Translator Bhuvan Thapaliya, a poet in his own right, has done a remarkable job in conveying a voice that is lyrical, raw, and profoundly human,” Sharma said.

Speaking at the ceremony, Bhojpure shared insights into the novel’s protagonist, Aang Chhatre Sherpa, a native of Pangboche village nestled at the foot of Mount Everest. Although Bhojpure has never visited Lukla, his novel vividly captures the landscapes, emotions, and lived experiences of the Sherpa people—depicting Lukla, Everest Base Camp, the South Cole, and even the summit with powerful literary precision.

In the novel, Aang Chhatre summits Everest ten times. Following a dramatic incident at the South Col, he is banned from further climbs and exiled to Australia. The narrative traces his exile, eventual return to Nepal, and his internal journey of coping with a life away from the world’s highest peak—rendered in a poignant and deeply human style.

Bhojpure also paid heartfelt tribute to Ganesh Rasik, calling his passing an irreparable loss to Nepal’s musical and literary heritage, as well as a personal loss of a close friend.

He extended gratitude to Nirala Publications and to Yuyutsu Sharma for their role in bringing his novel to an English-speaking audience. Praising Sharma as a true ambassador of Nepali literature, Bhojpure remarked, “While official ambassadors represent individual nations, Himalayan poet Yuyutsu carries Nepal in his heart and represents its soul to the world.”

Urmila Shrestha, Bhojpure’s wife and a legendry singer herself, spoke about the legacy of Ganesh Rasik, recalling how he rose to prominence in Nepali music through sheer perseverance and talent despite his humble beginnings in rural Bhojpur.

Adding a musical note to the occasion, Karma Sherpa—whose image graces the cover of the book—performed Bhojpure and Rasik’s iconic song Rato Bhale (“The Red Rooster”) to enthusiastic applause Born on November 1952, in Deurali, Bhojpur district, Hiranya Bhojpure (real name Hiranya Shrestha) is a revered figure in Nepali arts. A founding member of the Lekali Parivar musical movement of the 1960s, he helped introduce a new wave in Nepali music by blending folk, modern, and experimental elements. Today, he remains a towering presence in Nepal’s literary and musical landscape.