Pratik : 10 BEST BOOKS FROM NEPAL : PRATIK SOUTH ASIA SPECIAL

BOOKS

AMAR AAKASH

10 Best Books from Nepal

Transliterated from Sanskrit, written by Bhanubhakta (1814-1868), the standard Nepali literary tradition established after the Ramayana has witnessed drastic changes. Not only has the written language been modified, its subject matter has changed dramatically along with its vision. Though rich in folk culture and myths, Nepali literature has yet to attain its renaissance and continues to reel under the substantial influence of Western literature along with Sanskrit and Indian literary heritage.

Moving from the tradition of writing hymns to gods and eulogies to the ruthless rulers to the 1932 Political Awakening, the modern Nepali literature seems to have found its element during the despotic Rana rule only. During the one-party Panchayat regime and the 1990 Democratic Upsurge followed by a decade-long Maoist War, Nepali literature has been largely influenced by the political, economic and social turmoil that continues to rock this Himalayan republic even today. The quandary remains more or less the same even in the post-2006 state, after the demise of the Monarchical system.

Here’s a selection of books that have succeeded in winning the hearts of the Nepalese people and seem best in terms of creative expression to represent Nepali literature to some extent.

GOPAL PRASAD RIMAL

Aamako Spana

Ammako Sapna (A Mother’s Dream) is a collection of immortal and incomparable poems written between 1935 and 1962 by Gopal Prasad Rimal (1917-1973), the founder of modern Nepali poetry. Though these elegant and artistic poems were written against the autocratic Rana tyranny to advocate a just democratic system, they do not speak for a political party or ideology. The language of the poetry is simple enough for a lay person to comprehend the inner energy that rocked Nepalese poetry immensely. Some of his poems are also well-known among Nepalese people as songs and anthems.

LAKSHMI PRASAD DEVKOTA

Muna Madan

Muna Madan by Lakshmi Prasad Devkota (1909-1959) is a work that every Nepalese has heard and claims to have read. Even if Devkota is popular among the Nepalese readers, due to immense use of Sanskrit words, the general public cannot grasp the essence of his poems and only a few have in reality read his entire work. Although this short play is based on a Newari folk song and is said to be written in Jhyaure rhythm, it has nothing to do with the Jhyaure folk meter used by the Nepalese in the hilly regions. During the Rana rule, the rulers looked down upon the Nepali language. The aristocracy took pride in employing Hindi, Urdu and Sanskrit words and Sanskrit poetry was held in high esteem. Against this background, Devkota’s use of simple Nepali language, without using Sanskrit meter, deserves accolades. The plot revolves around a Nepalese youth who goes to Tibet to earn gold and in the process gets separated from his wife. Most of the Nepalese people hum the sentences from the play like “Not with a bag full of gold but with a golden heart, a person can be real and great.”

The book is available in English in the Nirala Series.

BHUPI SHERCHAN

Ghumne Mech Mathi Andho Manche

Bhupi Sherchan (1936-1989) continued the poetry tradition spearheaded by great Gopal Prasad Rimal. Sherchan joined the Communist Party of Nepal in his early youth and wrote poetry about the downtrodden people but soon got disillusioned with the Party and its ideology. By then, he had written two collections. However, his best work can be found in his third collection, Ghumne Mech Mathi Andho Manche (The Blind Man in a Revolving Chair), very popular among the Nepalese even today. Though some of the poems like “Hami “and “Hundain Bihan Mirmirma” were written under the influence of Rimal’s revolutionary spirit, Sherchan excels in ridiculing the Nepalese society’s fake nationalistic images including the Gurkha bravery involving going abroad to fight the mercenary wars. Although he could not rise above Rimal’s poetic excellence, Sherchan significantly added a new dimension to Nepali poetry alive in the contemporary literary circles.

SHANKAR KOIRALA

Khairenighat

Khairenighat is the first and important novel of the writer Shankar Koirala (1930-), a writer of several third-grade formula novels. Khairenighat again is the first and last Nepali novel written by an author from within Nepal about Nepalese people and their grueling lives. With minute, photographic details, Koirala describes the farmers of mountainous village Dumja in the Sinduli district as they lead harsh lives in isolation, without modern means of transportation or medicine. The importance of this novel can be seen in terms of sociological study that the novel presents. The novel is also available in English.

BHAIRAV ARYAL

Jai Bhundi

Jai Bhundi (Hail The Belly, 1965) is a very popular collection of essays written by Bhairav Aryal (1936-1976), considered as the emperor of Nepali non-fiction. Aryal is highly regarded by the Nepalese public as the finest essayist. Any Nepalese who has studied up to secondary level must know Aryal. He lampoons the darker aspects of Nepalese society. In fact, Aryal has achieved the same success as Lakshmi Prasad Devkota and is considered a celebrity among the Nepalese people and the credit for this goes to his immortal book of satire, Jai Bhundi.

GURU PRASAD MAINALI

Naso

Naso is a collection of eleven stories written by Guru Prasad Mainali (1900-1971) where he initiated the tradition of realistic story in Nepal to depict a reliable portrait of Nepalese society. Before Mainali, there was a tradition of writing fiction in the fashion of Indian Hindi writing involving espionage, romance and fantasy. Reading Mainali, one encounters middle class men and women from the Nepalese society caught up in real-life events. Mainali created the first memorable and influential idealistic characters and their struggles. “The Martyrs” and “The Fire of the Straw” included in the Naso collection are considered to be great achievements of modern Nepali story tradition.

LIL BAHADUR CHHETRI

Basai

Guwahati-based Indian-Nepali writer Lil Bahadur Chhetri’s first novel depicts the socio-economic problems prevalent in Nepal until 1989. It portrays the widespread socio-economic situation in Nepal. Basai was actually the first novel written about Nepal by a Nepalese author. In the book, the village landlords lure ordinary farmers to take loans in times of emergency and entrap them in a vicious cycle of exploitation. The life and livelihood of Nepalese farmers are portrayed in this novel. Chettri dares to raise intriguing issues of migration of the Nepalese race seeking work in India, Burma, Bhutan and other countries.

TARANATH SHARMA

Belayattira Baralida

Written by a great pioneer in the field of Nepali criticism and travel writing, Taranath Sharma (1934-2021), the book evokes memories of his visit to Great Britain. It appeared as a watershed in Nepali literature and contributed immensely in establishing travel writing in Nepal. Till date, no Nepalese author has been able to rise above the level of immaculate prose found in this travelogue. Sharma also initiated Jarrovad, a movement to use proper Nepali language shorn of all foreign influences. The book depicts the mindset of Western people in the 60s in just 152 pages. Once one starts, it’s impossible to put the book down.

DAULAT BIKRAM BISTA

Chapainyeka Anuharharu

Novelist and storyteller Daulat Bikram Bista (1926-2002) gained fame by writing Ek Paluva Anekoon Yam (1969) that appeared as a breakthrough in the Nepali fiction. The prevalent Nepali fiction temper initiated by Parijat’s Shirish ka Phool (The Blue Mimosa) was enhanced by Bista. The novel has been hailed as a masterpiece in the Nepali language. It exposes the paradoxical plight of characters pitted against harsh human existence during the World War. There are only three characters in the novel. British Gurkha (Nepalese), German soldier and German woman.

PARIJAT

Anindo Pahaad

This is the eighth novel by Nepal’s foremost woman writer, Parijat (1936-1993) who was successful in rocking Nepalese literary circles with her first one, Shirishko Phool (1965). Anindo Pahaad (The Sleepless Mountain, 1982) reveals an accurate depiction of the struggle of the Nepalese people with specific focus on the students’ struggle for democracy against the long-standing dictatorial one-party Panchayat system. The novel also exposes the Nepalese men’s exploitative behavior in the villages, corrupt police administration, undisciplined and crafted violence against women. Sentimentality and pessimism seen in her first novel, Shirishko Phool, is missing in here. The fiery feminine spirit found in the characters in the book has impacted Nepalese fiction in the modern times. Decorated with a skillful delineation of characters and plot, this novel is more readable than her earlier works, also the last best to showcase her artistic integrity.

A significant Nepali poet and fiction writer of younger generation, Amar Aakash contributes columns to several Nepalese newspapers and journals, including leading literary monthly, Madhuparka. His debut poetry collection, Tungana, has just been published. He lives in Kathmandu.

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