12/09/2026
The Reflection of Mountain Folk Culture in Indian Nepali Literature
Darjeeling Hills University in collaboration with Sahitya Akademi, organised a one-day symposium on “The Reflection of Mountain Folk Culture in Indian Nepali Literature” on 12 September 2026 at the Seminar Hall of Darjeeling Hills University. The programme was organised with the support of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
The symposium brought together writers, scholars and academics for a day of discussion on Indian Nepali literature and its engagement with folk culture. The deliberations considered the relationship between literature and the social and cultural contexts from which it emerges, with particular attention to questions of history, identity, memory, heritage and cultural representation.
The inaugural session commenced with the welcome address by Asha Mukhia Lama, Member, Nepali Advisory Board, Sahitya Akademi. Vice-Chancellor Professor (Dr.) Tejimala Gurung Nag, Darjeeling Hills University, attended as the Chief Guest, while the Registrar Dr. Sujata Rani Rai, Darjeeling Hills University, chaired the session. The vote of thanks was delivered by Dr. Mahesh Dahal, Darjeeling Hills University.
The first academic session was chaired by Shri Sanjay Rai, eminent Nepali writer. The session featured papers addressing different aspects of mountain culture and its representation in Indian Nepali literature.
Aruna Rai presented “The Reflection of Mountain Culture in Indian Nepali Literature,” examining the ways in which the cultural context of the hills is represented in Indian Nepali writing. Kavir Basnet presented “Forgotten Histories, the Struggle for Himalayan Identity, and the Memory of War in Nepali Novels,” focusing on the relationship between historical memory, conflict and questions of identity in Nepali fiction.
Gyanendra S***a presented “The Expression of Mountain Folk Culture in Contemporary Indian Nepali Poetry,” discussing the presence of folk cultural elements in contemporary Nepali poetry. Udai Thulung, through his paper “Mountains, Heritage and Words: A Perspective on Nepali Literature,” examined the connections between literature, heritage and the social and cultural setting of the hills.
The academic session was followed by a Nepali Poets’ Meet after the lunch break, chaired by Smt. Bindhya S***a, eminent Nepali writer. The session featured poetry readings by Pramila Mukhia, Deolal Moktan, Namita Rai, Surendra Theeng and Pushkar Singer. The readings provided an opportunity for the audience to engage directly with contemporary Nepali poetry and complemented the academic discussions of the first session.
The symposium brought together two closely related forms of engagement with literature. The academic papers examined the ways in which questions of culture, history and identity are addressed in Nepali literature, while the poetry session offered an opportunity to encounter contemporary poetic work directly.
For Darjeeling Hills University, the programme was particularly relevant to its academic engagement with the languages, literature, histories and cultures of the Eastern Himalayan region. The collaboration with Sahitya Akademi also provided an important institutional platform for bringing writers and scholars together in Darjeeling for sustained discussion on Indian Nepali literature.
