36 Mother tongue poetry registered for National Poetry Festival

KATHMANDU, June 21: National Academy Hall will be organizing the National Poetry Festival on June 24, 2023, in which applications of poems of 36 Mother tongues have been registered.

Poems of languages including Nepali, Sanskrit, Doteli, Wambule Rai, Bantawa Rai, Limbu, Kulung Rai, Awadhi, Magahi, Magar (Kham), Rajbanshi, Uravan, Maithili, Lhomi, Dhimal, Majhi, Kathariya (Tharu), Puma Rai, Gurung, Nacchiring Rai, Wayung Rabaahing, Sampang Rai, Nepal Bhasa, Chamling Rai, Tamang, Tajpuriya, Sherpa, Thulung Rai, Dangmali, Khas Humli, Ghale Gurung, Bhojpuri, Mid-eastern Tharu, Eastern Tharu, and Tharu have been received for the Poetry Festival.

According to the notice published by the National Academy Hall, 892 poets are participating in the festival, where 848 poets registered their poems via e-mail and 44 poets registered their poems themselves by coming in person.

The National Academy Hall which was established in 2016 B.S., has been organizing the National Poetry Festival starting 2022 B.S. It is the first time in the 58-year-old history of the National Poetry Festival that poems in languages other than the Nepali language are being presented.

By changing the tradition and the competition format of the 58-year-long National Poetry Festival, the National Academy Hall has called for poems from all Nepali languages and mother tongues according to the principle of inclusive participation.

As poems in different mother tongues were called for the Festival, many writers protested saying that the poetry festival will be turned into a mess.

It is mentioned in the notice that an inclusive poetry festival will be organized with the aim of making the National Academy Hall a common platform for all Nepalese.