By Usha Wagle Gautam
Bhanubhakta Acharya, one of the greatest Nepalese poets of all time, was remembered by literary enthusiasts in Doha recently. This year Nepalese people around the globe are celebrating the 200th birth anniversary of Acharya.
In a programme held at Hotel Grand Palace to commemorate the poet, Nepalese writers recited their poems and discussed the contributions made by Acharya to Nepali literature.
The programme was co-ordinated by the Embassy of Nepal in association with the Nonresident Nepalese Association-Qatar. International Nepalese Literature Society-Qatar (NRNQ), Nabodit Literary Mobile Library, Nepalese Sandhya Group and Muglani Saugaat were also involved in the programme.
Acharya (1814-1868) is often claimed to be the first Nepali language poet. He translated the great Hindu epic of Ramayana from Sanskrit to Nepali. His writing was significant as the common people in Nepal back then did not have access to this great epic. Only people belonging to Brahmin families were educated and could read and write Sanskrit. His translation of Ramayana in Nepali language was a milestone for Nepali literature as it was written in common language understood by all. Born to a Brahmin family in Tanahu district of Nepal, he was educated by his grandfather Sri Krishna Acharya.
The programme on Friday was chaired by Ganesh Prasad Dhakal, acting ambassador of Nepalese Embassy, and was attended by representatives of NRNQ, Nepalese Journalist Association, Public Co-ordination Council, District Service Society and scholars among others. The inauguration was followed by a one minute silence dedicated to all deceased Nepali expat writers.
The first poem in the programme was recited by Badri Prasad Parajuli, who is living in Qatar since 2004. Parajuli already has four books under his belt and has penned more than 200 poems about Nepali diaspora. He recited his poem Sarad (autumn). Autumn is when major Nepali festivals fall.
He said, “Writing poems has become a habit; [a way] to jot down my memories of my homeland.” His second poem was about his children, whose degrees he funded from his income in Qatar.
Bimal Subedi, president of Janasamparka Committee, who has been involved in the Nepali literary circle since 2008, recited a comical poem about the traffic rules. Likewise, Sita Ram Thapa recited a poem about the culture and landscapes of Nepal. He has written 30 poems so far and was the second runner-up in last year’s poetry competition organised by Sandhya Group.
Pabitra Khadka’s poem was about the melancholies and longings of a mother for her children. Likewise, the poem of Indra Mani Nepal portrayed the emotions of migrant workers during festivals and about their childhood memories on how they celebrated festivals in their tender days. Indra Mani Nepal is an acclaimed poet and has already written two poetry collections.
In his speech, Acting Ambassador Dhakal highlighted the role Bhanubhakta Acharya in shaping Nepali literature and arts. Rabindra Kumar Shrestha presented a short biography of Acharya.
Literary figure Badri Prashad Parajuli was honoured with Bhanu Qatar Kavya Award along with a purse worth $100 and a letter of appreciation. About 100 participants recited their poems during the programme hosted by Tirtha Sangam Rai.