Poet Chandra Gurung was honored with the Gauri Tamu Literacy Award during an event organized at Lwang village of Machhapuchhre Rural Municipality-8 on Wednesday. Poet Gurung was honored for his significant contribution to literature and literacy. The award carries a purse of 35,555 rupees.
Ram Bahadur Gurung, Chairperson of Machhapuchhre Rural Municipality-8, author Gauri Tamu (Gaurisara), Tej Bahadur Gurung, chairman of the Gurung Literature Forum, Hem Bahadur Gurung, former IG of Nepal Police, Hitkaji Gurung, chairman of Lhongo Tamu Sewa Samaj, and social worker Pushpa Gurung jointly handed over the award to poet Gurung on the occasion of the 7th establishment day of the Forum.
“Poet Chandra is the pride of not only the Gurung community but also of the country,” announced Gauri Tamu at the function.
According to Samrat Gurung, General Secretary of the Forum, the Forum honors an author biennially with the award for his/her significant contribution to the field of literature and literacy.
The award was founded by author Gauri Tamu some years ago with the help of the money she received by selling her debut book ‘Samai Darbani’ and other cash prizes. Tamu had founded an endowment fund of Rs. 355, 555 for the award. She is also the founding chairperson of Gurung Literature Forum.
Previously, the Forum had honored poet Chham Gurung and the novelist Tirtha Gurung.
Born in 2031 BS in Majhgaun of Aarughat Rural Municipality-1, Gorkha, poet Chandra currently resides in Dharan. He has many books of poetry to his credit, including Usko Mutubhitra Deshko Naksa Nai Thiyena (There Was No Country Map in His Heart), My Father’s Face, and Jaba Euta Manchhe Harauchha (When A Man Gets Lost). The latter is popular among Nepali poetry lovers and had won the ‘Bimal Gurung Literature Award-2079’.
Moreover, his translated poetry collection in Hindi titled ‘Budhe Majhi Ka Desh’ (The Country Of Old Fisherman) has also recently been published from India. Likewise, two of his poems have been included in an international anthology titled ‘Best Asian Poems-2021’. He has translated many Nepali poems into English and Hindi, and English and Hindi poems into Nepali.
Meanwhile, an interaction on the topic ‘Why is the Gurung mother tongue disappearing’ was also held on the occasion.
