Kathmandu:

Great poet Laxmi Prasad Devkota was remembered at a literary programme ‘The Poetic Evening’ organised by Nepal Russia Literary Association at Russian Centre of Science and Culture on November 8. This is Devkota’s 97th birth anniversary.

On the occasion, various poets highlighted his contributions to the Nepali literature. “Russian people like him read his poems delightedly,” said Ludmila Sakova, coordinator of the centre. Shakova also recited Devkota’s poem Yatri from a collection of Devkota’s translated works in Russian language. His selected works were translated in 1998 on his 90th birth anniversary, which was celebrated in Moscow in 1998.

“As some of his poems in the collection were originally written in English, Nepali readers have not yet got to read them,” claimed Jangam Chauhan, vice president of the association. ‘Blue are the mountains in Nepal and so are the rivers,’ for instance is one such poem originally written in English and translated into Russian later.

Eighteen poets, most of whom were new faces, including school children recited poems to pay homage to the late poet. Shambhu Kumar Milan, Lal Gopal Subedi, Gyanuwakar Poudel, Tejeswar Babu Gwang attended the programme.

Devkota was born on the night of Laxmi Puja and was named Til Madhav but was named Laxmi Prasad, literally meaning blessing of goddess Laxmi, later for the same reason. However, he later proved that he was rather blessed by Saraswati, goddess of knowledge as well.