Bhushita Vasistha rocks Paleti with her poetry

BY A STAFF REPORTER, Kathmandu, Feb. 3: A poetry recitation by poet and literary scholar Bhushita Vasistha was held on Friday and Saturday evenings at the Arushala auditorium of Nepalaya, Kalikasthan, as a part of the regular Paleti series.

Active in literary study and exploration, Vasistha had presented her metrical poetry on the Paleti stage nearly seven years ago. This time, the event featured around one and a half dozen poetic works by seniors and contemporary Nepali poets. 

The event opened with an auspicious Sanskrit verse, ‘Karpuragauram Karunavataram,’ which set a devotional and contemplative mood. As Vasistha recited the verse, its compassion and serenity were reflected in her expressions. 

Sharing her literary perspective, she said that this edition of Paleti was centred on the Navarasas, the nine aesthetic sentiments of classical literature. She added that she had consciously excluded the Vibhatsa and Bhayanak rasas, stating that although they are integral to literature, she chose not to include them in such a harmonious gathering.

The recital progressed with Somanath Sharma Sigdyal’s poem ‘Basanta Ritu,’ followed by works of renowned poets including Motiram Bhatta, Lekhnath Paudyal, Laxmi Prasad Devkota, Madhav Prasad Ghimire, Lokpriya Devkota, Agni Prasad Sharma Baral, and Bhairav Aryal. 

She also presented poems written by her father, poet Bharatmani Bhattarai, along with her own original compositions.

While reciting a poem by Lokpriya Devkota, the elder sister of Mahakabi Laxmi Prasad Devkota, Vasistha reflected on the historical difficulties faced by women writers in gaining recognition. 

Referring to Virginia Woolf’s essay on Shakespeare’s imaginary sister Judith, she remarked that literary talent alone was often insufficient for women to gain the same acceptance as their male counterparts. Her comments also drew attention to the limited recognition of Lokpriya Devkota’s literary contribution.

During the presentation of Bhairav Aryal’s humorous poetry, Vasistha recited a parody based on Bhanubhakta Acharya’s ‘Alakapuri Kantipuri Nagari,’ depicting the poet’s imagined descent from heaven to earth and offering a sharp portrayal of the capital’s realities. 

The event concluded with Laxmi Prasad Devkota’s poem ‘Ek Sundari Veshyaprati,’ composed in the Panchachamar meter. Musical accompaniment was provided by Dineshraj Regmi on keyboard, Milan Ghimire on flute, Bikram Karki on guitar, and Parasmani Subedi on rhythm and effects.

Paleti is a monthly musical and literary series held on the last Friday and Saturday of every month.