Poet Rai wins the national open poetry competition

By Nisha Rai,Dharan, Feb.1: Poet Sabi Mewahang Rai won the National Open Poetry Competition organised on the occasion of the 141st birth anniversary of Kabi Shiromani Lekhnath Paudyal.

In the open poetry competition organised by Sahitya Sadhana Samaj, Dharan, Rai secured the top position by reciting a poem titled ‘Baba.

 Similarly, Bharat Thapa from Dhankuta secured the second position with his poem ‘Babako Jholako Postmortem’, and Kanchan Khatri from Bhojpur came third with ‘Aama Kathako Baakas’.

Likewise, Bhawani Prasad Khatri from Dharan received a consolation prize for his poem ‘Aau Desh Pharka’. 

The winners were awarded cash prizes of Rs. 10,000,  Rs. 7,000, Rs. 5,000, and Rs. 3,000, respectively, along with certificates.

 The awards were jointly presented by the chief guest, poet Manu Manjul, the special guest, Aindra Bikram Begha , Deputy Mayor of Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City and award organiser Birendra Singh Thapa, among others.

On the occasion of Lekhnath Jayanti, writer Sudip Pakhrin from Dharan was honoured with the ‘Bheda Kumari Khadga Bahadur Thapa Memorial Award’, established by the Shara Thapa Memorial Foundation, while Umanath Bhattarai Achal from Biratnagar received the ‘Prof. Tika Prasad Sharma Wasti Memorial Award’. Both recipients were awarded Rs. 10,000 each. 

According to Dr. Mahananda Timilsina, a total of 150 poems were received for the national poetry competition, which is organised annually by the society. Out of these, a selection committee shortlisted 16 poems for the competition.

The judges for the competition were Dr. Sagarmani Subedi, senior journalist Harsha Subba, Musil Vashishtha and Dr. Bhawani Shankar Bhattarai.