Nepal Bhasa Manka Khala

Famous writers and poets of Nepal Bhasa

CLASSICAL PERIOD

King Mahindra Malla of Kathmandu (r. 1560-1574) wrote touching religious poetry. A fine example is Krishna in which he expresses remorse for the errors committed in early life.

King Pratap Malla of Kathmandu (r. 1641-1674) was a celebrated poet who composed dozens of hymns and lyrics. He is the author of the multi-lingual stone inscription at Kathmandu Durbar Square.

Raj Laxmi of Kathmandu (wrote 1640s-1670s) is one of the more famous among the many poetesses of the medieval period. Her love songs deal with the pangs of separation and are unmatched in their beauty and style.

King Srinivas Malla of Patan (r. 1661-1684) wrote many plays and poems. A number of his songs are included in the dance-drama Dashavatar which depicts the 10 incarnations of Lord Bishnu.

Queen Lachhimi Devi Malla, wife of King Srinivas Malla of Patan, wrote poetry with religious themes. A hymn dedicated to Lord Shiva stands out among her creations.

King Ranjit Malla of Bhaktapur (r. 1722-1769) was a prolific playwright. Scholars have researched 27 plays written by him that are preserved at the National Archives. They are based on Hindu religious subjects and reflect the social conditions of the day.

King Ranabahadur Shah (r. 1777-1805). The most well-known of his creations is a song sung during sinajya, the rice transplanting season. It tells the popular story of Lord Lokanath being brought to Nepal to end an extended period of drought. This tale is linked with the yearly chariot festival of the deity Bunga-dya who is worshipped as the giver of rain.

King Rajendra Bikram Shah (r. 1816-1847) is the author of Mahasatwa Pyakhan (1831), a play in three acts. It is based on the story of the Buddha who, in a past life, is believed to have offered his own flesh to a starving tigress.

Ranabir Singh Thapa (b. 1790) took up the name Abhayananda after becoming an ascetic and under which name he composed many devotional songs. Abhayananda is the youngest brother of Bhimsen Thapa, an early prime minister of Nepal.

Pandit Amritananda Shakya (?-1834?) of Oku Baha, Patan wrote a grammar of Nepal Bhasa besides composing dozens of hymns. Balkumari (1806) and Yasodhara (1832) are some of his popular songs.

MODERN PERIOD

Nisthananda Bajracharya (1858-1935) of Na Bahi, Kathmandu is best known as the author of the first printed book in Nepal Bhasa - Ek Binshati Pragyaparmita - a work on Buddhism. It was published in 1909. Since there was no printing press in Nepal at the time, Bajracharya traveled to Calcutta and brought printing type to Kathmandu. He did the type-setting, proof-reading and printing himself.

Siddhi Das Amatya (1867-1930) of Kel Tol, Kathmandu was a storekeeper who spent more time composing verse than selling cloth. He wrote more than 500 books. Among them, the works that come to the fore are Sajjan Hridayabharan (1920), dealing with ethics and women's education; Siddhi Ramayana, his rendition of the great Hindu epic (1912); and Siddhi Byakaran (1926), a book on grammar.

Jagat Sundar Malla (1882-1952) of Khauma Tol, Bhaktapur was a champion of modern education who turned his own house into a free school. Since there was a lack of teaching materials, he wrote many course books himself, including an English-Nepal Bhasa-English dictionary. He also translated Aesop's Fables (1915) into Nepal Bhasa. In the preface, he espoused the benefit of imparting education in the mother tongue. This brought four policemen to his door who took him to the Singha Durbar where he was given a severe admonition.

Yog Bir Singh Kansakar (1885-1941) of Kel Tol, Kathmandu was a poet and social reformist who advocated causes like girl schooling and use of homespun. In 1930, he and other members of a committee were arrested for signing a petition to open a library. Kansakar's multi-faceted poems are contained in the book Yog Sudha.

Jagat Man Vaidya (1902-1963) of Chikan Bahi, Lalitpur is better known as Dharmaditya Dharmacharya. He was a writer and activist who devoted his life to Nepal Bhasa and Buddhism. He published the first ever magazine in Nepal Bhasa - Buddha Dharma - from Calcutta, India in 1925. He campaigned for recognition of Nepal Bhasa by educational institutions in Nepal and India, besides working to revive Theravada Buddhism in Nepal.

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