Sikkim celebrated the 209th Bhanu Jayanti on Thursday in memory of famous Nepali litterateur Bhanu Bhakta Acharya, the man responsible for translating Ramayana from Sanskrit to Nepali. Considered ‘Adi Kavi’ or the first poet of the Nepali language, the birth anniversary is celebrated as a festival in Sikkim.

The festival in Gangtok was divided into halves. At the event at Bhanu Udhyan in Bhanu Path, Bhanu Bhakta Acharya’s statue was garlanded by Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya and Chief Minister Prem Singh Golay, among others.

In his address, Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya highlighted the unwavering dedication and perseverance of Bhanu Bhakta Acharya towards the Nepali language. He stated, “Bhanu Jayanti is not merely a program but a platform to showcase the diverse literary, artistic, and cultural aspects of our society.” The significance of being rooted in one’s heritage and taking pride in it. The youth need to embrace technology while coexisting with our existing legacy and heritage, they must carry it forward for the betterment of our society and nation. A nation prospers when its youth are empowered and strong.”

The Governor extended his congratulations to the recipient of the Bhasa Sewa Saman Award and commended the organizing committee for successfully hosting the event.

In his address, Chief Minister Prem Singh Golay highlighted the importance of the day at a time when Sikkim recently fought back the ‘immigrant tag upon Sikkimese Nepali’ earlier this year after a Supreme Court judgment. He stated, “The festival this year holds more importance, as we have successfully fought back the immigrant tag earlier this year. It’s a recognition that was long needed for all Nepali community in Sikkim as well as for those beyond the State.”

Highlighting the APATAN fellowship scheme, a flagship initiative of the Golay-led Sikkim government, the Chief Minister stated, “Our government is consistently supporting poets and litterateurs to publish their novels and poems. Similarly, we have also initiated the APATAN fellowship scheme, a scholarship program which can be availed by individuals who aspire to pursue Ph.D. in local languages, including Hindi.”

Later in the day, the Bhanu Purashkar award event saw Thiru Prasad Nepal from Assangthang village in Namchi district receive the prestigious award for his contributions to the Nepali language. Nepal is famous for his story collections such as Ukali Orali, Arko Desh ko Manchey, Mann ko Aakash ma Sun ko Chari haru among others.