Mahakavi Devkota's 118th birth anniversary marked, writers honored

The 118th birth anniversary of Mahakavi Laxmi Prasad Devkota was observed in Kathmandu on Sunday with various programs.

Indira Prasai, founding chairperson of Trimurti Niketan in Sancharigram, laid a wreath at the full-length statue of Mahakavi Devkota. She also laid wreaths at the statues of Kavi Shiromani Lekhnath Paudyal and Natya Samrat Balkrishna Sam.

At a poetry gathering organized by the Niketan, poets Yadav Bhattarai, Bhagawati Basnet and Rashmi Rimal recited poems. Speakers including Professor Keshav Subedi, coordinator of the Lekhnath Paudyal Poetry Assembly, Professor Dr Mahadev Awasthi, coordinator of the Mahakavi Devkota Foundation, and member secretary Narendra Raj Prasai said that following the path of the three literary figures was the truest tribute one could pay them.

Meanwhile, the Naya Basti Yuba Club in Gokarneshwar-5 honored two writers to mark the jayanti as well as the club's own 40th anniversary. According to published details, Professor Dr Vasudev Tripathi, former vice-chancellor of the Nepal Academy (Pragya Pratisthan) and a literary critic, was honored with Rs 51,000, while young writer and social worker Nirmal Aryal was honored with Rs 25,000.

Chief guests Dr Ganga Upreti, former vice-chancellor of the Nepal Academy, and Deepak Risal, mayor of Gokarneshwar, said literature plays a major role in building society.