Karna Shakya

Karna Shakya was born April 2, 1941{{citation needed|date=November 2013}} in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Shakya holds AIFC postgraduate in Forestry from the Indian Forest College, Dehradun, India in 1967.{{cite book |title=Readings in Rural Tourism 1st Edition |editor=Rudra Prasad Updahyay |publisher=Sunlight Publication |year=2008 |isbn=9789937804479}}Surath Giri. [http://www.samriddhi.org/userfiles/pdf/entrepreneurs-stories/karna-shakya_KGH.pdf Story of an Entrepreneur: Mr. Karna Shakya (Owner, Kathmandu Guest House)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202235314/http://www.samriddhi.org/userfiles/pdf/entrepreneurs-stories/karna-shakya_KGH.pdf |date=2013-12-02 }}, Samriddhi. He received special conservation training in forest administration in Canberra Australia under the Colombo Plan and Nature Recreation Management course in different National Parks in America under the Department of Interior, Canada and USA.

Shakya served as a wildlife conservation officer in Nepal. While working in the department of forest, he traveled to remote areas such as Dolpa, Mustang, Manang, Jomsom, Humla and Jumla in the Northern regions of Nepal.Karna Shakya. Dolpo He studied the pygmy hog, the smallest wild boar, in the jungle of Assam and Sundar Kundar forest in East Nepal. Based on his travels and research, he wrote two books, Dolpo and Look Down Not Up. He collected many folktales during his travel and published a book named Tales of Kathmandu with Dr. Linda Griffith. In 1970, after he resigned from forestry, he entered the tourism business. In 1982, he submitted a proposal for the Annapurna Conservation Area.{{cite book |url=http://awsassets.panda.org/downloads/women_and_development_in_the_third_world.pdf |title=Women and Development in the Third World |publisher=World Wildlife Fund |author=Manaslu Gurung |year=2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131124174551/http://awsassets.panda.org/downloads/women_and_development_in_the_third_world.pdf |archive-date=November 24, 2013 |access-date=November 24, 2013}} Quote: "The first proposal to establish a protected area in the Annapurna region was, however, presented by Karna Sakya.." He was instrumental in bringing conservation awareness in the country by establishing Nepal nature conservation society, the first conservation oriented NGO in Nepal.[https://archive.org/details/Soch_karnaSakya archive]. SOCH _Karna Sakya.

He has attended many international workshops, colloquiums, and conferences and presented papers and speeches on heritage conservation.{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiGQdfkLFbs|title=Sampreshan Ep11 Karna Shakya-Part 2|access-date=2018-08-04|time={{time needed|date=August 2018}}}}{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiHKnWdECUU|title=Sampreshan Ep11 Karna Shakya-Part 1|access-date=2018-08-04|time={{time needed|date=August 2018}}}}[http://videochautari.com/videos/528/karna-shakya-on-mero-jindagi-mero-biswas "Mero-Jindagi-Mero-Biswas with Karna Shakya - Writer and Tourism Businessman"]. Karna Shakya on Mero Jindagi Mero Biswas. Broadcast by NTV on 2010-2-5, Presented by Bijay Kumar

File:Park Village Resort, Budhanilkantha by KGH (2023) - img 04.jpg

File:Park Village Resort, Budhanilkantha by KGH (2023) - img 05.jpg]]

After he resigned from the Forestry Department, helped his brother Basanta Bahadur Sakya open a 13-room Kathmandu Guest House in Thamel , which was very successful. Now he runs a chain of environment friendly hotels and resorts in different parts of Nepal. He has been credited as a pioneer who opened Thamel as a world tourist destination. Many renowned writers, actors, musicians, researchers and artists come and stay there.{{citation needed|date=November 2013}} His company KGH Group[http://ktmgh.com/ KGH Group], official website. operates Kathmandu Guest House in Thamel, Park Village in Budhanilkhantha,[http://www.ktmgh.com/park-village-hotels-resorts.html Kathmandu Guest House, Park Village].

Shakya is known as a father of tourism in Nepal. In 1998, he started the first ever tourism project "Visit Nepal Year 1998" which helped to bring awareness about the country. This was followed by Sports Himalaya Year 2000.

In 1987, Shakya lost his wife and daughter from cancer.{{citation needed|date=November 2013}} At the time, there were no cancer treatment facilities in Nepal and if someone got cancer they had to go abroad for treatment. After he went through a very painful ordeal, he single-handedly started a national campaign to bring awareness on cancer prevention.[http://www.mysansar.com/archives/2007/08/id/1789 mysansar]. Exclusive: कर्ण शाक्यको सोच डाउनलोड गर्नुस् He was instrumental in establishing the first cancer hospital in Bharatpur, Nepal. He mobilized public opinion so that a national tax on cigarettes, of one paise, was raised to pay for it. He was President of the Nepal Cancer Relief Society and served as an adviser on its board of directors.[https://web.archive.org/web/20131122165821/http://www.ncrs.org.np/?comp=com_contents&task=details&id=227&title=our-past-presidents Past Presidents] & [https://web.archive.org/web/20131122170202/http://www.ncrs.org.np/?comp=com_contents&task=details&id=226&title=board-of-directors Board of Directors], Nepal Cancer Relief Society. He was member of B.P. Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital.{{citation needed|date=November 2013}}

As an environmentalist, he has written four books in English. In 2000, when the Maoist movement was escalating, many entrepreneurs and businessmen left the country and migrated abroad due to anxiety and skepticism, but Shakya decided to live in Nepal and invest in tourism. When the political situation deteriorated, he was caught in a dilemma, whether to continue his hotel business or close it. Contrarily, despite adverse situations, he built three more hotels.{{citation needed|date=November 2013}} During that period, he wrote his first book, Soch (A Thought). After Soch, he wrote a series of books namely, Khoj (Search), Ma Sakchu (I Can Do), and Moj (Pleasure and Satisfaction).[http://www.ekantipur.com/the-kathmandu-post/2012/09/28/onsaturday/more-than-survival/240181.html "More than survival"], The Kathmandu Post, September 28, 2012

Shakya is a role model among some Nepalese youths.Anand Gurung. [http://www.hotelnepal.com/news.php?id=961 "Heroism of a Hotelier"]. Quote: He is a ‘walking inspiration’ to people privileged to be around him. Through his books, he inspired many migrant youths to return to Nepal and start their own enterprises.{{citation needed|date=November 2013}} He also wrote the screenplay for a Nepali feature film Pal (Moments of Life, 2011), which he also produced.[http://www.ekantipur.com/the-kathmandu-post/2011/05/17/et-cetera/a-breath-of-fresh-air/221822.html The Kathmandu Post]. Quote: "The film's script has been penned by Karna Shakya, a well-known writer"[http://www.gorkhapatra.org.np/gopa.detail.php?article_id=56102&cat_id=10 The Rising Nepal]. Quote: "the movie has been developed by noted writer and entrepreneur Karna Shakya" Pal tells the story in two different perspectives before and after interval.{{clarify|reason=Before and after interval?|date=November 2013}} It won the Chalchitra Bikash Parishad award in 2012.{{citation needed|date=November 2013}} Based on global warming and climate change, he wrote a script for a futuristic movie in August 2009, New York Water City (NYWC).{{citation needed|date=November 2013}}

Shakya is a founding chairman of KGH Group of Hotels. He worked as a president - Nepal Heritage Society, 1992 and Nepal Cancer Relief Society, 1996; Vice-Chairman, World Pheasant Association, U.K., 1998; Trustee, King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation (KMTNC), 1998 Adviser, International Snow Leopard Trust, U.S.A., 1999, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Nepal, 2006; National Coordinator, Visit Nepal 1998; Member, Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Committee, 2012,{{cite web |url=http://www.ekantipur.com/the-kathmandu-post/2012/07/04/money/govt-to-bring-full-budget-sans-new-programmes/236797.html |title=Govt to bring 'full budget sans new programmes' |work=Kathmandu Post |author= |date=July 4, 2012 |access-date=November 24, 2013}} Wildlife Officer, HMG Nepal, 1967

• 1977 Dolpo - The World Behind Himalaya (English), Sarada Prakshan
• 1979 Tales of Kathmandu (English), Jorganesh Publication
• 1983 Look Down Not Up - Encounter Wildlife in Nepal (English), Sahayogi Prakshan
• 2006 Soch (Nepali), Nepal Nature Publication
• 2008 Khoj (Nepali), Nepal Nature Publication
• 2008 Unsung Heroes (Nepali)
• 2008 Kartabyabodh Aviyan (Nepali)
• 2009 Soch Audio Book (Nepali)
• 2009 Paradise on My Backyard (English), Penguin Publication
• 2010 Ma Saxchuu (Nepali), Buddha Maya Publication
• 2010 Khoj Audio Book (Nepali)
• 2011 Pal script and movie, film script
• 2012 Moj (Nepali), Buddha Maya Publication
• 2014 All the Best (English)

• 2006 Paryetan Dharohar {{citation needed|date=November 2013}}
• 1998 Suprabal Gorkha Dakchin Bahu, by HM King Birendra {{cite web |url=http://nepalicreation.blogspot.com/2007/06/journey-of-karna-sakya-from-forest-to.html |title=Journey of Karna Shakya from Forest to KGH |work=Nepal Travel Trade Reporter |author= |year=2004 |access-date=November 24, 2013}}. Replicated at [http://bossnepal.com/karna-sakya-man-tourism-development-nepal/].
• 1988 Prakhat Trishakti Patta, by MH King Birendra{{citation needed|date=November 2013}}
• 1982 Prabal Gorkha Dakchin Bahu, by His Majesty King Birendra{{citation needed|date=November 2013}}

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Category:Nepalese environmentalists