Nepal marks 213th birth anniversary of poet who translated Valmiki Ramayan

Kathmandu, Jul 13 (PTI) Nepal on Monday celebrated the birth anniversary of a 19th-century poet known for translating the Valmiki Ramayan into local language by organising various programmes here. Bhanubhakta Acharya is widely revered as the first poet of the Nepalese language. Speaking at an event organised by Bhanu Pratishthan celebrating the 213th birth anniversary of the poet, House of Representatives Speaker Dol Kumar Aryal called the poet a pioneer in Nepalese language, literature and culture. He introduced the people of Nepal to religion, philosophy, policies and ideology by translating the Ramayan into the Nepalese language, Aryal said. "Bhanubhakta gave us the Ramayan, and through it, Nepalese literature gained an epic that continues to inspire generations to this day," he added. At a separate event, Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said that while King Prithvi Narayan Shah unified Nepal's territory, Bhanubhakta Acharya united its people through language and literature. PTI SBP SKS SKS