Literary and Musical Program Held in Doha on Bhanu Jayanti

Doha. A special literary and musical program organized in Doha, Qatar on the occasion of the 212th birth anniversary of Adikavi Bhanubhakta Acharya has been grandly concluded. The program organized by the International Nepali Literature Society (INLS) Qatar Chapter, featured a melodious performance by renowned ghazal singer Raj Sigdel, filling the entire hall with ghazal music.

Ghazal singer Raj Sigdel, who was the main attraction of the program, presented his popular ghazals along with the creations of senior literary figures of Nepali literature in his melodious voice. Especially when the ghazal 'U jite ra gai ya haare ra gai' was presented, the audience hall resonated. Many audience members got up from their seats and started singing along with the singer, making the program unforgettable. Sigdel then presented ghazals by poets and ghazal writers like Pradip Rodan and other famous literary creators of Nepali literature with the melodious tune of the harmonium, earning immense appreciation from the audience.

The chief guest of the program and acting ambassador of the Nepali Embassy, Doha, Kumar Rai, stated that Adikavi Bhanubhakta Acharya made a historic contribution by uniting Nepalis worldwide through the medium of Nepali language and literature. He mentioned that Bhanubhakta made the Nepali language accessible to the general public by translating the Ramayana from Sanskrit into Nepali, and expressed the view that respect for the mother tongue is respect for the nation.

As part of the program, the Bhanu Jayanti special ceremony, Raj Sigdel's 'Melodious Ghazal Evening', and the 18th convention of the Navodit Literary Library Qatar and the 171st session of the literary reading series were held on the same stage.

The program, chaired by INLS Qatar President Shobharam Oli, was attended by a significant number of representatives from various social and literary organizations in Doha, litterateurs, literature lovers, and media personnel.

The closed session of the program unanimously selected a new working committee for the term 2026/2027. Shobharam Oli was unanimously selected as the new committee president, Shiv Subedi as the first vice-president, Purn Kanchha Gurung as the second vice-president, Govinda Udasi as the mobile library coordinator, Sujata DC as the general secretary, Pandav Thapa Magar as the secretary, Ramprasad Luintel (Atmarmananda) as the treasurer, Raju Subedi (Jemraj) as the joint treasurer, and Ganesh Bashyal, Pawan Gurung, Yogendra Subedi, Saruja Karki, Rita Dhungel, and Min Thapa as members.

This program, which brought together literature, music, and institutional activities on a single platform, has further strengthened the sense of ownership towards language, literature, and culture among the Nepali community in Qatar, said Shyamraj Ranabhat, a renowned ghazal writer from Doha.