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When we talk about the culture and music of the Far West, Deuda immediately comes to mind. The final evening of the Tikapur Literature Festival was filled with Deuda.
To begin with, artists Nandakrishna Joshi, Rekha Joshi, Dikra Wadi, and Laxmi Acharya discussed the Deuda culture of this region under the title “Deuda of Far West.” After the discussion, these popular singers performed Deuda songs.
The singing of Deuda compelled the audience, who had been sitting silently just moments before, to stand up. Soon, one by one, the audience members began singing “Jhyamm Jhyamm.”
In fact, the last day of the festival was entirely dedicated to the Far West. Discussions were held on topics ranging from the development, opportunities, and challenges of Tikapur to various aspects of Tharu culture.
The festival, dedicated to the legacy of Pehelman Singh Swār, also had a special session on Swār and Nepali theatrical traditions. Scholars like Ammaraj Joshi, former Vice Chancellor of Sudurpashchim University, Brataraj Acharya, and Dhananjay Timilsina shed light on Swār’s contribution to the field of drama.
Members of parliament, including Ishwari Nyaupane, Garima Shah, Ganga Chaudhary, Rupa Chaudhary, and Kailash Chaudhary, discussed the federal government’s policies concerning the Far West.
The festival gave special importance to songs, ghazals, and poetry. The first day’s poetry evening and the second day’s ghazal evening saw notable participation from the younger generation. The festival also covered a range of topics such as character creation in novels, travel literature, storytelling, women’s writing, new subjects in non-fiction, modern poetry, Nepali cinema, women leadership, Dalit issues, entrepreneurship, and Nepali theater. Additionally, local topics were given special emphasis at the festival. For instance, 20 emerging talents from Malwar read poems, songs, and ghazals. There was a discussion on the dimensions of Tharu culture.
New voices from the Far West in Nepali literature engaged in discussions, including debates on Tikapur’s development and opportunities. In-depth discussions were held on Nepali theatrical traditions, Pehelman Singh Swār, and the Far West in the context of federal government policies.
The festival, which began on Saturday, also incorporated the views of experts. T.N. Joshi, Vice Chancellor of Sudurpashchim Province Pragna Pratishthan, described the Tikapur Literature Festival as a cultural awakening campaign.
Professor Abhi Suvedi remarked, “The Tikapur Literature Festival is an effort to breathe life into Tikapur and generate creative energy.” The festival’s organizer and chairperson, Maheshvikram Shah, a recipient of the Madan Puraskar, stated that despite the challenging circumstances of the conflict, they continued the tradition of the literature festival in Tikapur.
During an insightful discourse, analyst Hari Sharma stated that such festivals offer a platform for practicing “mini-democracy” in the current situation where the Parliament has not fully realized democracy. Additionally, novelists Narayan Dhakal, Keshav Dahal, Saraswati Pratiksha, Pragati Rai, Saguna Shah, and younger generations like Devvrat and Kalpana Joshi participated in discussions.
Writers like Bindhu Suvedi, Yuvraj Nayanghre, Pratik Dhakal, Mohan Mainali, and Ghanshyam Khadka discussed Nepali non-fiction and philosophy of life. Critics like Laxman Prasad Gautam, Gyanou Adhikari, Brataraj Acharya, as well as former Vice Chancellor of Sudurpashchim University Ammaraj Joshi and Dhananjay Timilsina presented critical views on Nepali literature.
Figures such as Meen Bham, Diya Maske, Keki Adhikari, Pradeep Bhattarai, Ravindra Singh Baniya, Ghimiresh Yuvraj, and Shushila Tamang discussed a variety of topics on cinema, theater, and art.
Festival organizer and chairperson Maheshvikram Shah stated, “With the support and collaboration of many writers, artists, experts, politicians, and the general public from Tikapur and across the country, the second edition of the festival was grand. It has added the energy to work harder for the upcoming edition.”
