Bishnu Kumari Waiba, also known as Parijat () was a Nepali writer and poet of

Nepali language Nepali (; , ), or ''Gorkhali'' is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language native to the Himalayas region of South Asia. It is the official and most widely spoken Languages of Nepal, language of Nepal, where it also serves as a ''lingua fr ...

. She is best known for her novel '' Shirishko Phool'', for which she won the Madan Puraskar, becoming the first woman to receive the award. She published multiple novels and wrote many poems and stories in her lifetime.

Early life and education

Bishnu Kumari Waiba, Parijat was born in 1937 (Nepali 1990 BS ) in the hill station of

Darjeeling Darjeeling (, , ) is a city in the northernmost region of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of West Bengal. Located in the Eastern Himalayas, it has an average elevation of . To the west of Darjeeling lies the Koshi Pr ...

, India, a place known for its

tea Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of '' Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of south-western China and nor ...

gardens. Her mother, Amrita Moktan, died when Parijat was very young, and she was raised by her father and her grandparents. Her father, Dr. K.N. Waiba, was a

physician A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...

. The birthplace of Parijat, Darjeeling, is a major centre of

culture Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, Attitude (psychology), attitudes ...

and

literature Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially novels, Play (theatre), plays, and poetry, poems. It includes both print and Electroni ...

. Darjeeling is inhabited by

Nepali people Nepali or Nepalese () are the permanent citizens of Nepal under Nepali nationality law. The term ''Nepali'' strictly refers to ''nationality'', meaning people holding citizenship of Nepal. Conversely, people without Nepalese citizenship but wi ...

s who also speak the same language and have a similar culture as that of

Nepalis Nepali or Nepalese () are the permanent citizens of Nepal under Nepali nationality law. The term ''Nepali'' strictly refers to ''nationality'', meaning people holding citizenship of Nepal. Conversely, people without Nepalese citizenship but wi ...

. Parijat was intricately connected to

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

and

Nepali literature Nepali literature () refers to literature written in the Nepali language. The Nepali language has been the national language of Nepal since 1958.Himalayan Voices: An Introduction to Modern Nepali Literature' (Voices from Asia), edited and tran ...

from her early childhood. She had a keen interest in literature from her childhood. Parijat completed part of her schooling in Darjeeling and moved and then settled in

Kathmandu Kathmandu () is the capital and largest city of Nepal, situated in the central part of the country within the Kathmandu Valley. As per the 2021 Nepal census, it has a population of 845,767 residing in 105,649 households, with approximately 4 mi ...

, Nepal in 1954. She completed her schooling at Padma Kanya School and received her Bachelor of Arts (B.A) degree. She became paralyzed at the age of 26. Her sister looked after her for the majority of her life.

Career

In 1959, Parijat's first poem was published by ''Dharti''. She published three poetry collections: ''Akansha'', ''Parijat Ka Kavita'' and ''Baisalu Bartaman''. Her first short story was ''Maile Najanmayeko Chhoro''. She is, however, best known in Nepal as a novelist. Altogether, she wrote ten novels, of which '' Shirish Ko Phool'' gained the greatest popularity. In 1965, she was awarded with the Madan Puraskar for the novel. She also received the Sarwashrestha Pandulipi Puraskar, Gandaki Basunahara Puraskar, and Bridabrit. '' Shirish Ko Phool'' is one of the most important piece of work in the whole of

. She was awarded Madan Prize of 2022 B.S. for this novel. The English translation of ''Shiris ko Phool'', ''The Blue Mimosa'' has been adapted in the literature curriculum of the

University of Maryland The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the Univ ...

. She began her literary career with "Dharti" while she was studying in Kathmandu. Besides being a writer of novels, stories, poems, articles etc., she also led the " Ralfa Movement" in 1966. She was elected as the member of the

Tribhuwan University Tribhuvan University (TU; ) is a public university located in Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal. Established in 1959, TU is the oldest and the largest university in Nepal. It offers 1,000 undergraduate and 500 postgraduate programs across a wide rang ...

and was a part of Ralfa literature movement. She also played an important role in the establishment of '' Pragatisheel Lekhak Sangh'' and worked for ''Akhil Nepal Mahila Manch'', ''Bandi Sahayata Niyog'' and '' Nepal Manav Adhikar Sangathan''. Parijat remained unmarried. She continued to experience physical setbacks. While she was contributing to literature, she also tried to support social causes and initiated attempts like the Prisoners' Assistance Mission. She died in 1993.

Bengali Hungryalist Movement and Parijat

Several Bengali poets and painters of the

Hungry generation The Hungry Generation () was a literary movement in the Bengali language launched by what is known today as the Hungryalist quartet, i.e. Shakti Chattopadhyay, Malay Roy Choudhury, Samir Roychoudhury and Debi Roy (''alias'' Haradhon Dhara), du ...

movement had stayed in Kathmandu for a few months during the 1960s decade and had been able to exchange indomitable spirits of each other. Parijat's ''Akansha'' is a testimony to that spirit. The notable Hungryalist poets and painters who visited Parijat quite frequently were

Malay Roy Choudhury Malay Roy Choudhury (29 October 1939 – 26 October 2023) was an Indian Bengali poet, playwright, short story writer, essayist and novelist who founded the Hungryalist movement in the 1960s. Early life and education Malay Roy Choudhury was ...

Subimal Basak Subimal Basak is an Indian fiction writer. He is a member of the Hungry generation, with Samir Roychoudhury, Falguni Roy, Shakti Chattopadhyay and the movement's creator Malay Roy Choudhury. The Hungry Generation archive, and Weissner Arch ...

, Anil Karanjai and

Samir Roychoudhury Samir Roychowdhury ( Bengali: সমীর রায়চৌধুরী) (1 November 1933 – 22 June 2016), one of the founding fathers of the Hungry Generation (also known as Hungryalism or Hungrealism (1961–1965)), was born at Panihat ...

. A collection of Nepali and Hungryalist writings was edited by

Bibliography

References

October 2014 "Nepali Novel – Parijat"

External links