Recalling Mahakavi Devkota on Laxmi Puja

Kathmandu, Oct. 31: The birth anniversary of Mahakavi (the great poet) Laxmi Prasad Devkota is celebrated on the day of Laxmi Puja every year. 

This year, the 116th birth anniversary will be observed in various schools and by several literary organisations across the country on Thursday. His birth anniversary is celebrated with great fanfare every year. 

In honour of Mahakavi Laxmi Prasad Devkota, the Mahakavi Laxmi Prasad Devkota Museum and Nepal Academy celebrated his birth anniversary by organising a programme at the museum on Wednesday.

 During the event, poems of Devkota were recited and discussions were held about his contributions to Nepali literature.

Poet and playwright Professor Abhi Subedi said that writers and literary enthusiasts consider the occasion of Laxmi Prasad Devkota’s birth anniversary and Laxmi Puja as auspicious.

 Devkota, Nepal’s most revered poet, is especially honoured by educational institutions, which hold enthusiastic celebrations in his memory, Professor Subedi noted.

Subedi added that the involvement of schools and children makes Devkota’s birthday vibrant and exciting, highlighting his immense contribution to Nepali literature.

 Known for his rich imagination, Devkota wrote many celebrated works for children, and people of all ages honour his legacy, finding his poetry to be a powerful, tranquil force that resonates with hearts across generations.

“Though I could not meet him, as he had passed away while I was still in school, I greatly admire his work. His time marked a golden era for Nepali literature, alongside other esteemed writers like Siddhi Charan Shrestha, Bal Krishna Sama, Madhav Ghimire, Lekhanath Paudyal, Bhawani Bhikshu and others. Devkota was exceptionally versatile and contributed to multiple genres,” Subedi said.

Poet and critic Dr. Biplav Dhakal said that Laxmi Prasad Devkota is the versatile author of Nepali literature and a pioneer across multiple genres. 

While his major works include poetry and essays, he has contributed to various forms of writing. Dhakal added that Devkota was a changemaker of his time and one of the initiators of a new era in Nepali literature. 

He is recognised as a promoter of romanticism in Nepali literature and is credited with introducing the monologue essay format, he added. 

Dhakal also mentioned that the birth anniversary of Devkota is celebrated widely across Nepal and even in parts of India.

Similarly, writer Avaya Shrestha said that the birth anniversary of Devkota is celebrated throughout Nepal with great enthusiasm and that no other writer in Nepal has been honoured in the way Devkota is revered. 

Devkota was born on the night of Laxmi Puja on November 13, 1909, to father Teel Madhav Devkota and mother Amar Rajya Lakshmi Devi in Dhobidhara, Kathmandu.

Devkota holds the title of Mahakavi in Nepali literature because of his famous works like  Muna Madan, Sulochana, Kunjini and Shakuntala.