Three-Day Literature Festival Concludes in Tikapur, Focusing on Tharu Culture and Social Harmony

Kailali. A three-day literature festival was held in Tikapur, Kailali. The festival, which began on Friday under the slogan 'Social Harmony Through Literature,' concluded with various programs.

Jointly organized by the Tikapur Literature Society and the Sudurpaschim Academy, this year's festival was centered around the 'Tharu Literature and Cultural Festival.'

Mahesh Bikram Shah, the founding coordinator of the festival, informed that 21 different sessions based on language, literature, art, music, and contemporary issues were conducted during the festival.

The main attractions of the festival included water excursions in Karnali, Tharu cultural dances, street plays, writing workshops, and the unique Deuda game of Sudurpaschim.

The festival concluded on the final day with a performance of the Ramlila dance of the Tharu community, which is on the verge of extinction.

According to the founding coordinator Shah, the main objective of this festival is to bring the rich originality, tradition, and lifestyle of the Tharu community to the center of national discourse.

Shah stated that since Tharu language, Tharu folk literature, and culture are Nepal's distinct original cultural traditions and identity, the festival aims to conserve, promote, and advance them.

In addition to comprehensive discussions, deliberations, and debates on Tharu folk literature and folk culture, discussions, interactions, and debates were held among scholars, experts, activists, researchers, and the general public from relevant fields on Nepali language, literature, art, culture, education, society, politics, development, and local concerns.

"This three-day festival has taken the form of a regional, and even national, literature and cultural festival, encompassing various contexts of language, literature, art, culture, education, social development, and numerous dimensions of local life on a single platform," said coordinator Shah. "This festival has fulfilled the objective of bringing the rich originality, tradition, folk life, language, literature, art, and culture of Nepal's Tharu community to the center of national attraction and discourse. Our effort has further strengthened and sustained the literary and cultural identity of Sudurpaschim Province and conveyed a message of multilingual-multicultural coexistence."

Shah mentioned that these programs have made the Tikapur Literature Festival not just a literary gathering but a 'Multidimensional Cultural Festival.'

"There was a significant presence of established and renowned personalities in literature, art, and the social sector at this festival. The participation of nationally acclaimed linguists, litterateurs, artists, and social and cultural activists provided the festival with a high intellectual standard and creative altitude," said coordinator Shah. "We have felt that the local community benefited from the direct dialogue and deliberations of their knowledge, experience, perspectives, and creative journeys."

According to Shah, prior to the formal inauguration of the festival, various drama workshops led by renowned playwright Ashesh Malla were held starting from Chaitra 7, along with street plays performed at various locations in Tikapur Municipality, Lamkichuha Municipality, and Janaki Rural Municipality. He stated that this increased the attraction towards theater among local youth and provided an opportunity for creative expression.

Similarly, writing workshops were conducted on Chaitra 9, 10, and 11 in collaboration with litterateurs Neelam Karki Niharika and Keshav Dahal. Shah notes that the participating youth in the workshop saw an enhancement in their ability to create stories, poems, memoirs, and other genres.

"This workshop played an important role in developing creative capacity by sparking interest in writing among the new generation," added coordinator Shah. "We have felt that the Tikapur Literature Festival has created remarkable enthusiasm at the local level. We believe that our effort will help establish Tikapur city as a literary and cultural center. Furthermore, the festival is expected to have a positive impact on local tourism promotion, increased economic activity, and cultural awakening."

He mentioned that another objective of the Tikapur Literature Festival is the promotion of local identity. He stated that their main goal is to provide a national platform to local talents, preserving and promoting their voices and ideas, along with promoting local language, folk literature, folk culture, and public life.

"Although the results of our efforts may not be immediately visible, we believe this will awaken society, disseminate social consciousness, and support the national campaign to build civilized and cultured citizens. A major objective of this festival is to bring the nation's heritage figures established in various fields from the center to our own doorstep, and to bring our local identity to the center along with them," said Shah.

Shah claims that in a multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multilingual, multicultural, and multi-practice country like Nepal, such festivals help strengthen dialogue and coexistence among diverse communities. Shah expressed confidence that their effort will be an important link in the campaign to establish the beautiful Sudurpaschim Province as the nation's literary and cultural hub overall.