Senior writers from Nepal and India honoured

By Siraj Khan,Nepalgunj, Feb 16: Writers from both Nepal and India were honored at the Janaki Tourism Promotion and First Literary Festival 2082, organised with the objective of promoting tourism along with preserving local art, culture, and literature.

At the festival held in Janaki Rural Municipality of Banke, senior writers from Nepal and India — including Siraj Khan, Nepalgunj correspondent of Gorkhapatra — were honored.

Chief Guest and Vice-Chairperson of Janaki Rural Municipality Ram Pyari Yadav, Prof. Dr. Krishna Prasad Ghimire, former Member Secretary of Nepal Academy Sanat Kumar Regmi, academician Mahanand Dhakal and other dignitaries honored the senior writers of both countries by presenting shawls and certificates of appreciation.

Those honored included senior artist Premdev Giri, senior playwright Ganesh Gautam, senior writer Bachharaj Yadav, artist Khagendra Nepal, Gorkhapatra journalist Khan, journalist Jhalak Gaire, and senior Indian writers Dr. Ram Bahadur Mishra, Pradeep Sahani, Atiq Kasganjvi, Sharik Rabbani, Rais Bahraichi, Bampar Bahraichi, P.K. Prachanda, Vibha Tripathi and others.

The festival, organised by Janaki Rural Municipality and the Central Committee of Bheri Literary Society, saw participation of more than one hundred senior writers from Nepal and India.

According to Indra Bahadur Basnet, Central President of Bheri Literary Society, the event featured cultural programmes, mushaira, poetry symposiums, and presentations on the current status and potential of tourism promotion.

On the occasion, senior writers Dr. Raj Kumar Tharu and Ishwari Prasad Rizal presented working papers on Janaki Tourism Promotion: Present Situation and Possibilities, with commentary by tourism entrepreneur Shriram Sigdel.

Senior literary figures Abdul Latif Shauk, Dr. Hari Timilsina, Narendra Jung Pitter, Dr. Gopal Prasad Adhikari, Bishnulal Kumhal, Dr. Indra Bhandari, Kalpana Poudel, Sundar Gurung, Bharat Bahadur Ranabhat, Dr. Pushkar Rizal, Rishiram Sapkota and Mani Ratna, among others, were also present.

The festival was inaugurated by Vice-Chairperson Ram Pyari Yadav of Janaki Rural Municipality.