Aadikabi Bhanubhakta Also Popular Among Nepali Speakers Outside Nepal

Every year on July 13, Aadikabi Bhanubhakta Acharya is commemorated. His contribution to Nepali literature is studied and debated on this day. In Nepal, he is publicly addressed by hosting a one-day event, while special programs on Bhanujayanti are organized in regions where Nepalis live, such as Sikkim, Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Delhi. His specific recollections and contributions are remembered and discussed on this day in Sikkim, Darjeeling, and other Nepali-speaking places.

Various literary and cultural performances are held in Sikkim with this connection a few days before Bhanujayanti. Every year, Sikkim celebrates Bhanujayanti in great manner. Sikkim also observes Bhanu Jayanti as a public holiday. Bhanujayanti is especially celebrated in Gangtok, Sikkim, and special events are held throughout the state. Bhanujayanti, a cultural and literary festival, is widely celebrated in the hills of Sikkim and Darjeeling by the Nepali-speaking people.

I had the pleasure to participate personally in this event a few years ago, and this year, too, on the occasion of Bhanujayanti. The Nepali Literature Council in Sikkim took use of this chance. Nepalese guests included comedians Madankrishna Shrestha and Haribansha Acharya, singer Milan Newar, Yaman Shrestha, and singer Mohit Acharya. The ceremony went on for a few days with various programs.

Chief Minister Banerjee wished Bhanu Jayanti by publishing greetings in a Nepali language daily newspaper, while other leaders attended various functions and expressed their respect to Bhanu devotees.

Chief Minister PS Tamang and Speaker of the Sikkim Government, Minister Sonam Lama felicitated Madankrishna Shrestha and Haribansha Acharya.   Eminent authors and innovators from various Indian states were present on this occasion. This year, Thiru Prasad Nepal, a renowned writer in Sikkim, received Sikkim's highest prize, which is granted every year on the occasion of Bhanu Jayanti. Throughout the day in Sikkim, tableaus and meetings were arranged for this occasion. Bhanujayanti was celebrated not just in Gangtok, but also in various areas of Sikkim. Schools, clubs, and literary institutions organized memorial discussions and recited poems from the Ramayana and other works in his honor.

Bhanujayanti was celebrated as a festival. From West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to local leaders, Bhanubhakta was honored in one form or another in Bhanu's birth anniversary. Chief Minister Banerjee wished Bhanu Jayanti by publishing greetings in a Nepali language daily newspaper, while other leaders attended various functions and expressed their respect.

Since the morning, it had been raining in Sikkim. Despite the rain, locals dressed in traditional costumes paraded through the streets with various tableaus to commemorate Bhanu Jayanti. It was a unique occasion. Chief Minister PS Tamang paid his respects by offering garlands at Aadikabi Bhanubhakta Acharya's statue. "On this auspicious occasion of Bhanu Jayanti, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to the people of Sikkim as well as the respected Nepali-speaking and Nepali language-loving people all over the world, along with good wishes for health, happiness, peace, prosperity, and future progress," he said in his greetings.

Bhanubhakta is more than just an inspiration for writers.

He mentioned that since Bhanujayanti has deep cultural, intellectual and traditional significance. Chief Minister Tamang remembered Bhanubhakta and said, 'Aadikabi Bhanubhakta Acharya is a source of inspiration not only for writers but for all those who advocate the power and importance of local language.' Tamang said.

"Bhanujayanti is culturally significant. On this day, major literary events take place. There are cultural programs available. Participants include writers, novelists, and admirers of Nepali literature. 'Bhanubhakta has done an excellent job translating the Ramayana from Sanskrit to Nepali,' he remarked. Bhanubhakta is more than just an inspiration for writers. Let us be resolute to reawaken the force and significance of our mother tongue, as well as to conserve and develop the original poet's legacy.

Pawan Chamling, former Chief Minister and Chairman of the Sikkim Democratic Front, also spoke on the occasion, noting that the poet Bhanubhakta Acharya offered Nepali society a new direction by authoring the Ramayana in basic Nepali. He stated, "Bhanubhakta gave the Ramayana a new direction by writing it in a language that everyone can understand." Bhanujayanti is also an occasion to recognize all of our writers, he furthermore added.