Biography of Nepali Writer Parijat (Bishnu Kumari Waiba) With Her Photos
Filed under: Biography of Nepali People, iNepal, Nepali People
Parijat was a Nepali writer. Her real name was Bishnu Kumari Waiba (Waiba is a subgroup of Tamang) but she wrote under the pen name Parijat (Parijat is a night-flowering fragrant jasmine flower). Her most acclaimed publication is Siris Ko Phul (The Blue Mimosa), which has also been adapted in the literature curriculum of some colleges in some English-speaking countries.
Parijat was born in 1937 in the hill station of Darjeeling, India, a place known for its tea gardens. Her mother Amrit Moktan died when Parijat was very young, and she was raised by her father Dr. K.N. Waiba, who was a psychologist, and her grandparents. The birth place of Parijat, Darjeeling, was a major centre of Nepali language, culture and literature during her growing-up years. Darjeeling is inhabited by Nepali people and has never lost its character as a major centre of Nepali language, culture and literature. Sharing a close relationship with Nepal, Darjeeling has played an influential role in the development of Nepal’s literature. Therefore, Parijat was intricately connected to Nepal and Nepali literature from her early childhood. Having had a keen interest in literature from her childhood, she was destined to play an important and well-appreciated role in strengthening Nepali literature.
Parijat completed part of her schooling in Darjeeling and came to Kathmandu, Nepal in 1954. She completed her schooling at Padma Kanya School and received her Bachelor of Arts degree. Suffering early on from physical ailments, at the age of 26, she became paralyzed and was looked after for much of her life by her sister.
In 1959, Parijat’s first poem was published by Dharti. She published three poetry collections: Akansha, Parijat Ka Kavita and Baisalu Bartaman. Her first short story was Maile Najanmayeko Choro. She is, however, best known in Nepal as a novelist. Altogether, she wrote ten novels, of which Siris Ko Ful gained the greatest popularity. In 1965, she was awarded with the Madan Puraskar for the novel. She also received the Sarwashrestha Pandulipi Puraskar, Gandaki Basunahara Puraskar, and Bridabrit. Siris Ko Phul is one of the most important piece of work in the whole of Nepalese literature.
She was elected a member of the Tribhuwan University and was a part of Ralfa literature movement. She also played an important role in the establishment of Pragati Sil Lekhan Sangh and worked for Akhil Nepal Mahila Manch, Bandi Sahayata Niyog and Nepal Manav Adhikar Sangathan. Parijat remained unmarried and continued to suffer physical setbacks. While she was contributing to literature, she also tried to support social causes and initiated attempts like Prisoners’ Assistance Mission. She died in 1993.
Several Bengali poets and painters of the Hungry generation movement had stayed in Kathmandu for a few months during the sixties decade and had been able to exchange indomitable spirits of each other. Parijat’s Akansha is a testimony to that spirit. The notable Hungryalist poets and painters who visited Parijat quite frequently were Malay Roy Choudhury, Subimal Basak. Anil Karanjai and Samir Roychoudhury. A collection of Nepali and Hungryalist writings was edited by Samir Roychoudhury.
Novel
- शिरिषको फूल / Shiris Ko Phool (The Blue Mimosa)
- महत्ताहिन / Mahattahin
- परिभाषित आँखाहरु / Paribhasit Aankhaharu
- बैशको मान्छे / Baishko Manche
- तोरीबारी, बाटा, र सपनाहरु / Toribari, Bata Ra Sapanaharu
- अन्तर्मुखी / Antarmukhi
- उसले रोजेको बाटो / Usle Rojeko Bato
- पर्खाल भित्र र बाहिर / Parkhal Bhitra Ra Bahira
- अनिदो पहाड संगै / Anido Pahad Sangai
- बोनी / Boni
Short story
- मैले नजन्माएको छोरो / Maile Najanmayeko Choro
Short story collections
- आदिम देश / Aadim Desh
- सडक र प्रतिभा / Sadak Ra Pratibha
- साल्गीको बलात्कृत आँसु / Salgiko Balatkrit Aashu
- बधशाला जाँदा आउँदा / Badhsala Jadaa Aunda
Poem collections
- आकांक्षा / Akanksha
- पारिजातका कविता / Parijat Ka Kavita
- बैशालु वर्तमान / Baisalu Bartaman
Memoir essays
- धूपी, सल्ला र लालीगुराँसको फेदमा / Dhupi Salla Ra Laliguransko Fedma
- एउटा चित्रमय सुरुवात / Euta Chitramaya Shuruwat
- अध्ययन र संघर्ष / Aadhyayan Ra Sangharsha
Most of the text in this article is taken from Wikipedia Under Creative Common License
Biography of Nepali Writer Banira Giri (With 2 HQ Photos)
Filed under: Biography of Nepali People, iNepal, Nepali People
Banira Giri, an acclaimed personality in Nepali literature, was born on April 11, 1946 in Kurseong near Darjeeling in West Bengal. She became the first Nepali woman to be awarded a PhD from Tribhuvan University. She was the first woman to receive the Sajha Award, for her poetic fiction Shabdatit Shantanu. She is one of the very few Nepali women writers to have established a reputation outside Nepal.
The poems of Banira Giri are always inspiring, her strong words and forceful logical exposition probing the depths of human wounds and carrying the inner voice of the victim. In many ways, Giri’s poems are a compendium of the society and cultures she lives in.
In 1997, the Japan Foundation Asia Center gave Banira Giri the Takeshi Kaiko Memorial award for one-person poetry readings in three major cities of Japan.
Banira Giri has been decorated with Nepal’s esteemed Supraval Gorkha Dakshinabahu award, as well as several other awards and prizes. Her poems are included in several anthologies in Hindi, Urdu, Nepali, English, Japanese and other languages. Her works are published in different literary magazines in Nepal, India and abroad. Presently she teaches Nepali at Tribhuvan University.
Here are some of the work of Banira Giri
- Jivana thaymaru.
- Mero avishkara.
- Karagar
- Shabdatit Santanu
(Majority of this article is taken from Library of Congress website. Since the library of congress website is a government work, it is assumed that this article is in public domain)
Motiram Bhatta – Factual Biography
Filed under: Biography of Nepali People, iNepal, Nepali People
- Motiram Bhatta was a Nepali Poet / Writer born in 1886 AD (1923 BS) in Kathmandu, Nepal. Read poems of Motiram Bhatta at Sanjaal’s Nepali Poems section here.
- He went to Benaras, India when he was six years old and learned classical Sanskrit language.
- At the age of 15, he returned to Kathmandu and joined Durbar High School
- He then went to Calcutta, India and finished his Masters degree.
- Motiram Bhatta was married at the age of 15
- He was the first person to introduce Gazals in Nepali language. During his lifetime, he wrote and sang many Gazals.
- Motiram is known for highlighting the work of another literary figure of Nepal – Bhanubhakta Acharya
- He published many of the Bhanubhakta’s unpublished work and even wrote a biography about Bhanubhakta.
- Some of the literary work of Motiram Bhatta are:
- Manodveg Prawah
- Panchak Prapancha
- Shakuntala
- Priyadarshika
- Pikdoot
- Gafastak
- Motiram Bhatta died young at the age of 30 in 1916 AD (1953 BS)
- Read further information on Motiram Bhatta here and here
