By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Dec. 3: Bharati Kharel Pratisthan has honoured veteran lyricist Kiran Kharel, social activist and the founder of Maiti Nepal Anuradha Koirala and senior litterateur Dr. Basudev Tripathi amid a programme held at the Nepal Academy Hall in the capital on Friday.
On the occasion of the 85th birth anniversary and the 30th memorial day of late litterateur Bharati Kharel, the foundation honored Kharel, Koirala and Tripathi who have made unparalleled contributions to their respective fields.
Since the foundation could not hold the prize distribution programmes for the past two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the dengue epidemic, the awards of three years-- 2020, 2021 and 2022--were distributed simultaneously on Friday.
Kharel, Koirala and Tripathi were honoured with the Bharati Kharel Smriti Award 2020, 2021 and 2022 receptively.
All the three awardees were honoured with the certificate and a cash price of Rs. 51,000 each.
In memory of late Bharati Kharel, her husband Chandrikananda Kharel, son singer Deepak Kharel and her family established the foundation in 1990. Since its inception, the foundation has awarded 30 individuals and organisations.
Speaking at the prize distribution ceremony, Dr. Jagman Gurung, Acting Chancellor of Nepal Academy, said that there was a tradition of worshiping and offering donation to Brahamans in memory of relatives after the death of them. Nowadays, the same tradition has changed and people have started constituting the foundation in temporary of their departed soul and started social works.
It is exemplary, he added.