Aarambha (आरम्भ) — Free Architecture & Nepal Payments Deployment Guide
Project Name: Aarambha (आरम्भ) — Nepal's First Beta Launchpad & Startup Discovery
Author: Technical Architecture Team
Target: 100% Free Hosting Stack + eSewa & Khalti Merchant Setup
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1. Unique Brand Name & Concept
Primary Brand: Aarambha (आरम्भ)
* Meaning: "The Beginning / Genesis / Launch" in Nepali.
* Tagline: नेपालको पहिलो बेटा लञ्चप्याड (Nepal's First Beta Launchpad).
* Why it works: Short, evocative, culturally authentic, and immediately conveys the purpose: where Nepali startups, student projects, and indie tools take their first breath.
* Alternative Candidates:
   * Chautari (चौतारी): Traditional gathering place under the shade of a banyan tree where communities share news and ideas.
   * Udhyam (उद्यम): Enterprise and venture builder.
   * Prayas (प्रयास): The endeavor and early prototype.
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2. 100% Free Production Architecture (Zero Dollar Stack)
You can launch and operate Aarambha at scale without spending a single rupee:
Service
	Free Tier Provider
	What it Provides
	Cost
	Domain
	Mercantile Nepal (register.com.np)
	Free .com.np domain (e.g. aarambha.com.np) for any Nepali citizen.
	NPR 0 / Free
	Web Hosting & Edge
	Vercel Hobby Tier
	Automated GitHub CI/CD, global CDN, Serverless functions, SSL.
	NPR 0 / Free
	Database & Auth
	Supabase Free Tier
	500 MB PostgreSQL 16 database, 50,000 monthly active users, RLS.
	NPR 0 / Free
	File / Media Storage
	Supabase Storage
	1 GB file storage (enough for 10,000+ compressed WebP logos & banners).
	NPR 0 / Free
	Redis Rate Limiting
	Upstash Redis Free
	10,000 commands/day (anti-spam, upvote rate limiting).
	NPR 0 / Free
	Email Service
	Resend Free Tier
	3,000 emails/month (waitlist confirmations, launch alerts).
	NPR 0 / Free
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3. Domestic Nepal Payment Gateway Setup (eSewa & Khalti)
Starting monetization is designed strictly for Nepal via paid startup featured banners and weekly launch boosts (e.g., NPR 1,500 for 48h spotlight).
3.1 eSewa EPAY v2 Integration
* Test Credentials (Sandbox):
   * Merchant Code: EPAYTEST
   * Secret Key: 8gBm/:&EnhH.1/q
   * Form Action: https://rc-epay.esewa.com.np/api/epay/main/v2/form
   * Verification API: https://rc-epay.esewa.com.np/api/epay/transaction/status/
* Security: Requires HMAC-SHA256 signature generated server-side using total_amount, transaction_uuid, and product_code.
* Live Onboarding: Register free at merchant.esewa.com.np. Once verified, replace EPAYTEST and secret key in your environment variables.
3.2 Khalti ePay v2 Integration
* Test Credentials (Sandbox):
   * Developer portal: https://test-admin.khalti.com/
   * Public Key: test_public_key_...
   * Secret Key: test_secret_key_...
   * API Gateway: https://a.khalti.com/api/v2/epay/initiate/ & lookup/
* Security: Server initiates transaction with Authorization: Key <secret_key>, returns payment_url and pidx. Once customer pays, verify via POST /lookup/ with pidx.
* Live Onboarding: Register at admin.khalti.com (free merchant account).
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4. How to Deploy in 3 Simple Steps
Step 1: Claim Free Domain
1. Visit https://register.com.np/.
2. Search for aarambha.com.np (or your preferred name).
3. Upload a scan of your Nepali Citizenship Card (नागरिकता) or college student ID.
4. Set Name Servers to Cloudflare or Vercel:
   * ns1.vercel-dns.com
   * ns2.vercel-dns.com
Step 2: Set Up Free Supabase Backend
1. Go to https://supabase.com and create a free project in the Singapore (ap-southeast-1) or Mumbai (ap-south-1) region.
2. Open the SQL Editor and paste the schema from TRD.md.
3. Copy your project URL, anon key, and service role key into your .env.local.
Step 3: Push to GitHub & Deploy on Vercel
1. Push the code repository to GitHub.
2. Go to https://vercel.com/new and import the repository.
3. Add your environment variables:
   * NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_URL
   * NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY
   * SUPABASE_SERVICE_ROLE_KEY
   * ESEWA_MERCHANT_CODE
   * ESEWA_SECRET_KEY
   * KHALTI_SECRET_KEY
4. Click Deploy. Your platform is live worldwide!