The Carnival has come to an end and all that remains is emptiness, darkness and stoic silence.
THE MASTER CRAFTSMAN OF LETTERS
The blood in my veins froze when my dad rang me late night up to say, " Our Indra Sir is gone". I couldn't7 believe nor could I sleep the whole night. Though I am a breed altogether different from litterateur and writers but since I am a son of a writer/poet too, I atleast have that iota of forte to recognise and appreciate the significance and importance of IB Sir's humongous contribution to the development and advancement of our language and literature. I have had a very rare opportunity to meet him just a couple of times but those few quality moments have left an indelible impression in my life. The last time I met him was in winter of 2015 at his Methibari residence along with my father Tekdhoj Zimba 'Asha' and uncle B.B.Tamang. Every word he spoke was profound wisdom for us to treasure and he had a memory beyond measure. His conversation was always embroidered with apt quotations and germane anecdotes. But one thing I vividly remember is him saying, "... my ink is drying but my pen is still restless... it wants to run, infact even faster." What a scintillating conversationalist he was. The propounder of Lila Lekhan and Teshro Aayam style in Nepali literature, could speak on given subject on world literature. I was impressed by his literary judgement, so was all who met him and read him. Our friends in neighbouring Nepal say that "We have everything that you have in Darjeeling except two things - the Toy Train & Indra Bahadur Rai".
Dr. Indra Bahadur Rai, the name that perhaps need no introduction - name that will never ever fade from the hearts and memories of millions of Nepali speaking people all over the world. The greatest and tallest 'Signature' in Nepali Literary World. He was a phenomena, an era and now he is an immortal legend who brought renaissance to Nepali literature by introducing fresh modernist aesthetics, both in theory and in practice, to Nepali literature. He too played a pivotal role in the Bhasa Movement and for having the Nepali language officially recognized in the Eight Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
The most prominent and acclaimed writers in the Nepali language, IB Sir has penned nearly about thirteen books apart from the magnum opus novel Aaja Ramita Chha (There's a Carnival Today) —spanning the genres of fiction, memoir, poems, literary criticism and drama. He is the recipient of the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award, first recipient in Nepali Literature, the Jagadamba Shree Puraskar and the Agam Singh Giri Smriti Puraskar.
His going has left an irreplacable vacuum in our lives. He shall be forever read, forever written, forever talked, foever researched, forever remembered, forever honoured and forever mourned. Robert Brorning's lines were meant for a man like him:
"We that loved him so, followed him, honoured him,
Lived in his mild and magnificent age,
Learned his great language, caught his clear accents,
Made him our pattern to love and die."
I try to write this humble tribute to this giant of world literature and not just Nepali literature as claimed by many. Although my writing on him compared to others may be rated as kintergarden stuff but definitely not my intentions.
THE MASTER CRAFTSMAN OF LETTERS
The blood in my veins froze when my dad rang me late night up to say, " Our Indra Sir is gone". I couldn't7 believe nor could I sleep the whole night. Though I am a breed altogether different from litterateur and writers but since I am a son of a writer/poet too, I atleast have that iota of forte to recognise and appreciate the significance and importance of IB Sir's humongous contribution to the development and advancement of our language and literature. I have had a very rare opportunity to meet him just a couple of times but those few quality moments have left an indelible impression in my life. The last time I met him was in winter of 2015 at his Methibari residence along with my father Tekdhoj Zimba 'Asha' and uncle B.B.Tamang. Every word he spoke was profound wisdom for us to treasure and he had a memory beyond measure. His conversation was always embroidered with apt quotations and germane anecdotes. But one thing I vividly remember is him saying, "... my ink is drying but my pen is still restless... it wants to run, infact even faster." What a scintillating conversationalist he was. The propounder of Lila Lekhan and Teshro Aayam style in Nepali literature, could speak on given subject on world literature. I was impressed by his literary judgement, so was all who met him and read him. Our friends in neighbouring Nepal say that "We have everything that you have in Darjeeling except two things - the Toy Train & Indra Bahadur Rai".
Dr. Indra Bahadur Rai, the name that perhaps need no introduction - name that will never ever fade from the hearts and memories of millions of Nepali speaking people all over the world. The greatest and tallest 'Signature' in Nepali Literary World. He was a phenomena, an era and now he is an immortal legend who brought renaissance to Nepali literature by introducing fresh modernist aesthetics, both in theory and in practice, to Nepali literature. He too played a pivotal role in the Bhasa Movement and for having the Nepali language officially recognized in the Eight Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
The most prominent and acclaimed writers in the Nepali language, IB Sir has penned nearly about thirteen books apart from the magnum opus novel Aaja Ramita Chha (There's a Carnival Today) —spanning the genres of fiction, memoir, poems, literary criticism and drama. He is the recipient of the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award, first recipient in Nepali Literature, the Jagadamba Shree Puraskar and the Agam Singh Giri Smriti Puraskar.
His going has left an irreplacable vacuum in our lives. He shall be forever read, forever written, forever talked, foever researched, forever remembered, forever honoured and forever mourned. Robert Brorning's lines were meant for a man like him:
"We that loved him so, followed him, honoured him,
Lived in his mild and magnificent age,
Learned his great language, caught his clear accents,
Made him our pattern to love and die."
I try to write this humble tribute to this giant of world literature and not just Nepali literature as claimed by many. Although my writing on him compared to others may be rated as kintergarden stuff but definitely not my intentions.
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