Here are some pictures from Devkota Jayanti organized by INLS at GMU in VA yesterday...

DVD on Devkota. $10 each. A precious gift.

An empty stage before the program started..

Inagural by Rajdoot Mahodaya..

Dubasu Chhetri, the current president of INLS and Banijya rajdoot in NY..

The front row VIPs...

Major highlights of the program:

1. Inagural speech by the Ambassador, Kedar Bhakta Shrestha. Told he is pleasantly surprised to have attended more than half a dozen programs of Nepalese in the area in mere two months of his arrival.

Also told that the Embassy will do whatever it can to help activities of Nepalese here. (My comment: This was a diplomatic way of saying he does not have any particular ideas with him and the embassy does not have any resource to talk about ! Nothing surprising, though.)

2. Introduction by Certain Dwibedi ji and his sister Shashi (working at NIH) of the project 'Ekal Vidyalaya' (One-teacher School) running in India and Nepal.

(My comment: Dwibedi was the best speaker among all who spoke on the occasion. Our fellow Nepalese speakers should learn from his speech, that is, do your homework (research etc), know what type of audience you are speaking to, make your speech short, interesting and organized.

Regarding the project I had and still have skepticism (the religious undertone among others). However, it was a relief to learn their curriculum includes arithmatics, hygiene etc.)

3. Dubasu Chhetri, an established poet and a ghazalkar himself. This was my first meeting with him. Very energetic person. But he sounded more like a Neta than a Sahityakar in his speech. It was natural, he was there in the capacity of the president of INLS afterall.

4. Sound system did not work. It was a nightmare. But our kids managed to present 'sanskritik karyakram'. Enjoyed a Katthak beautifully presented by a small girl. Guru, a white woman, did wonderful job by singinging Ta Thai Tat Thai without a mike. Not much accent, interesting.

5. Dr. Hari Bhattarai, a former professor of literature and a rebel to the pro-monarchy establishment back home, was given a job ridiculous for the occasion- to present a samalochana of a certain novel not many from the audience, including myself, seems to have read. A short introduction instead of a lengthy formal criticism would have been better, if desired at all.

6. Poetic Samasyapoorti competition.

Local poets, some pratiyogi, some apratiyogi recited their poems. Although the non-functioning mike system destroyed some majja, it was the major highlight of the program. My entry did not win any award, but I enjoyed reciting it two times (!) and listening to fellow poets' nice works.

The line given for the samasyapoorti was terribly challanging. "Aakhira Chharchha Hawa le pheri ek mutthi kharani"- a line taken from Muna Madan, obviously to pay tribute to Devkota, however too 'Bairagyabadi' to me. A apratiyogi fellow poet shared the same sentiment and presented an 'opposite' poem.

7. I have had a quick view of the documentary on Devkota (bought the DVD). It is a good sovenir. Has valuable materials about Devkota. However, from technical point of view, it is a terribly poor production. Felt tremendous lack of imagination in otherwise very respected director, Yadav Kharel. His visualization of 'Yatri' of Devkota was ridiculously childish. 'Paagal' was better than that, but still was far from capturing the prowess and profoundness of one of Devkota's best works. Nevertheless, the movie is a good reference material on Devkota. It was a joy to see several pictures of Devkota, which I had never seen before.

More news here

( - http://www.nepalipost.com/literature.html#547 )

Nepe guru


Arko ghazal series suru garam na ho !

Ali ali siknu bhai rakhya thiyo tehi pani rokiyo !

Shirish,

Will love to read your newer creations. I was expecting to see (actually re-see) that piece of yours. Don't keep it to yourself, hai.

A ghazal marathon like the one we had had a long time ago in Sajha would be a joy to have again.

******

The piece I wrote for Devkota Jayanti is not a ghazal. However, one can see some hangover of ghazal in it - my obsession with rhyming and sher-like make-up of shloks. Jhayaaure chhanda is another element that reminds the rule of meter in ghazal.

So, with some reluctance still in my head, I am posting it.

I viewed it as a three-dimesional piece of work. Although the strength might not be equal in all three dimensions.

Nepe guru

Lau euta thapdai chu.

3,2, 3,2 3, 3 ko format ma hai.

Aba guru ko justo gahiro ra darsanik ta chaina..halka fulka.

Seems like I forgot that line from Muna_Madan.

Nepe sir and Shirish sir, thanks for sharing the pictures, poems, links...

Here are a few interesting links...

INLS Saudi Arabia has announced a Worldwide eQuiz Competition of some sort. Details are on the following URL, if you have not seen it yet:
http://www.inlssaudiarabia.8m.net/photo4.html

Also, INLS-Hong Kong releases a new website in Nepali language using Unicode (UTF-8):
http://www.hknepal.com/inls-hk/

more later..

-ViV

By the way, if anyone is interested to buy a copy of DVD on Devkota, I have heard that you can get it from INLS HQ for $10 + shipping/handling/donation. The raised money from selling of these DVDs will be used to cover the DVD production cost and further promote Devkota's work. If you are interested, you can send a check to following address to order:
INLS, 1727 Horner Road, Woodbridge, VA 22191

-ViV

Shirish,

It is an interesting co-incidence that a poetess, and my shishyaa too, had recited a poem composed exactly in the format you did over there in the competition.

Anyway, perfect jhyaaure chhanda and abundant rhyme. Good job.

Only thing I would point is the absence of obvious thematic connection between the first and the second lines. In some shloks, one can find the connection with some imagination (what is a poet without imagination, no ?), however, in others, it is absent or insufficient, in my humble observation.

Rhymatic connection ta chhadai chha, Thematic connection pani bhaye, sun ma sugandha hune thiyo.

(And a private message: the ghazal I got from you is superb. Dare I say the best so far ?)

**********

ViV,

Thank you for that information.

And I highly recommend the DVD for all fellows interested in learning more about Devkota. If nothing, it will help you answer at least one question from the e-Quiz which Vivashme ji just mentioned. Hurry up. You will have to reply to e-Quiz within 100 hours. I don't know when it started.

Nepe Sir

Did I pass in the one that sent?

Best is yet to come !!

I could have done better in this one but did not put lots of effort, I admit that. Slow learning curve.

Lets start a ghazal marathon.

Shirish,

I will write to you, sabistaar.

Marathon good idea. But needs a quorum first.


********

Just found a serious error in a stanza of my tongue-twister poem. Ulto-palto bhayechha. Corrected version below.

A rough translation for Nepali-challanged readers: Make a difference in the world with mindful fortune (sa-mana dhana) you make and the wealth of heart you have(mana-dhana), it will leave an ever-lasting fragrance behind.

Nepe sir and all,
Here is the time when I first received the email about eQuiz so I am thinking time started ticking from this point. I will send this URL to INLS-KSA and ecourge them to clarify.

----- Original Message -----
From: chautari nepal
To: Friends Worldwide
Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 2004 2:14 AM
Subject: e- Quiz inls Saudi Arabia

Dear all,

First of all Happy Deepawali 2061 B.S. and Happy Vintuna. Let?s celebrate Devkota Jayanti in different ways greatly.

Please, see the attachment and forward to your all friends and if it is possible publish in your news papers.

Let?s join in this World e-quiz contest program which is organized by INLS Saudi Arabia Chapter.

My INLS my pride, long live INLS.

If you have any comments, questions etc. regarding this program please feel free to contact either directly undersigned persons or its judging committee then you can view all information from INLS web www.inlssaudiarabia.8m.net with www.chautari.4t.com

Thanks.

Judging committee

1, Sagar Shrestha
Sagar113@hotmail.com

+966-508066774

2, Shankar Thapa Magar

+966-508910326
Shankar_thapa68@yahoo.com

3, Chij Kumar Shrestha
chij_stha@yahoo.com

+966-501867609

Nilan Kumar Maharjan
Nilank44@hotmail.com

+966-501612319

5, K.N. Paudyal
Kn_paudyal@yahoo.com

+966-501612319




With best regards

Sagar Shrestha
President
INLS Saudi Arabia Chapter.

"But our kids managed to present 'sanskritik karyakram'. Enjoyed a Katthak beautifully presented by a small girl. Guru, a white woman, did wonderful job by singinging Ta Thai Tat Thai without a mike. Not much accent, interesting. "

Nepe, you must be kidding about Katthak!
I see a blue "tool" of Nepali Bhasa and Sanskriti Bidhyalya and Nepali sanskrit is being enriched.

Friends,
INLS-HK has just released a video of Devkota Jayanti program. Here is the the link. Hope it works...

color="#000000"> onClick="MM_openBrWindow('http://www.hknepal.com/inls-hk/7-newstv.htm',','width=320,height=390')">dxfslj
b]jsf]6fsf] (^ cf}+ hGdhoGtL ljz]ifM

Humm..did not work..how about following link:

http://www.hknepal.com/inls-hk/7-newstv.htm

Shirish,

I think I got your point.

You have raised a serious and sensitive question about our cultural identity, I guess.

We have tendency to minimize our cultural identity to uniquely Nepali customs. This basically comes from political bias and I would dare to add our diminutive complex (not an inferiority complex yet), therefore not a healthy thing for the time we live in. Without much elaboration, I would go and suggest that we must accept the classical art of South Asia as our common culture. I suppose this was your point too. Right ?

*************

ViV,

Thanks for the info on the eQuiz. My general knowledge is now terribly poor to participate in the contest. Not that I had not been good. During my high school, I used to represent my school in jilla byapi Hazir-jabaf Pratiyogita and win too.

Nepe,

This reminded me of those days in Pakistan. The "hypocrate" Pakistanis keep criticising and talk shit against India, yet listen to the Hindi songs and watch Hindi movies, but I did not any chance to see Pakis with "ta- thai- ta ta thai" kind of Katthak movements though.

When I indicated, cautioned them of the Hindi language, they were listening to or watching movies of India, they (the Pakistani's) simply denied the cultural dominence of India in the whole of South Asia and subcontinent, and they believed Hindi was indeed URDU.

I guess we Nepalese are no different than those Pakistani's of my experience.
We do share the same culture and many common things with Indians !!!!!

Jay Nepal !