The National Tourism Poetry Festival-2082, which began on Sunday in Gaindakot, east of Nawalparasi, concluded on Monday.

Delivering a strong message about local tourism, culture and identity, the speakers at the Rhino Cruise (boat) organized by Gaindakot Municipality and Gaindakot Nagar Pragya-Pratishthan on the Narayani River made the objective of the program more meaningful by clearly stating their views. 

The participants of the program presented their views through speeches along with poetry on the waters of the Narayani River on Sunday evening and Monday morning. 

Bhim Prasad Sharma, Vice Chancellor of Gaindakot Nagar Pragya-Pratishthan, clarified that the main goal of the organization is to preserve and promote local art, literature, music and culture.

‘We have been organizing programs from the local to the national level with these issues as the center,’ he said, ‘Preserving culture is preserving identity.’

In the inaugural session, Mayor Madan Bhakta Adhikari also pledged to continue this campaign. ‘We have done a lot of work in collaboration with the academic institution,’ he said, ‘Our city, which is a multilingual and multicultural society, will take the work of conservation and promotion forward more vigorously.’

Describing the program held on the Narayani River as a new practice, Deputy Mayor Shanti Koirala expressed confidence that it would attract attention at the highest level. ‘Gaindakot has made a new beginning, it will take the issue of conservation to the upper government,’ he said. 

Chief Administrative Officer Ramchandra Lamgade believed that this effort to connect literature and tourism will further elevate the identity of Nawalpur (Nawalparasi East). ‘Such a literary program linked to the Jalvihar will make a tangible contribution to the promotion of tourism,’ he said.

Referring to history, Lekhram Sapkota, an academic member of the city academic institution, said that he had learned that a similar poetry festival was held about 60 years ago. ‘It was heard that there was a poetry reading program on two boats at Devghat in 2022,’ he said, ‘since then, there has been no such effort, so this program has become special.’ 

At that time, when King Mahendra came to visit Devghatdham, poetry reading was held on the beni of Devghat and he watched the program from close quarters, said the chief guest of the program, Chudamani Bandhu.

‘Those who had registered for the poetry reading sat on the boat and recited poems. I did not have poetry. I sat on the shore and watched the atmosphere,’ Bandhu recalled the history.

The creators participating in the poetry festival on Sunday and Monday also tried to connect tourism and current society through their works.

Analyst Narayan Gaunle, who is living in the UK, presented the current situation of the country through ghazals, while Shiva Tripathi from Pokhara expressed the natural heritage and tourist beauty in verse.

Ghazal writer and analyst Gaunle said that the experience of listening to and reciting poetry while sitting on a boat on the holy Narayani River was very unique and proud. ‘I have experienced it as a special and memorable opportunity of my life to participate in a literary program while sailing on the Narayani River,’ said the villager.

The festival, which saw the participation of more than 100 creators, included readings of works, presentation of papers and poetry discussions. Standing on the attractive stage of a boat floating on the Narayani River, writer Bhupin Khadka presented a concept paper on the topic of ‘Nepali Tourism Poetry, Opportunities and Challenges’. 

The main purpose of Bhupin’s concept paper is to establish a deep relationship between tourism and poetry and present ‘tourism poetry’ as a new literary genre with potential. Bhupin has shown that the development of human civilization is linked to travel and mobility, considering tourism as a natural and necessary activity of life.

He pointed out that there is still a lack of studies, discussions and programs related to tourism poetry in Nepal through the concept paper and pointed out that more initiatives are needed in this area. Overall, he concluded that tourism poetry can act as a bridge to enrich both literature and tourism.

Commenting on his concept paper, travel writer Pratik Dhakal said that Nepal's tourism industry is being discussed with respect at the international level. Dhakal argues that we should be proud of our climate and topography.

Ramesh Kumar Shrestha, an associate professor at Birendra Multiple Campus, who participated in the completely new experience program in Gaindakot, commented. 'The poetry festival organized by Gaindakot has established itself as a powerful platform to promote tourism and culture, not just a literary gathering,' Shrestha said. The poetry recitation program was attended by Bidur Adhikari, Govinda Aryal, Nima Poudel Tiwari, Homnath Ghimire, Radha Koirala, Bhanubhakta Sapkota, Leela Rana Maski Magar, Vasundhara Poudel, Anjan Pradeep, Menka Chapagain Kapri, Saraswati Timilsina, Muktinath Ghimire, Ekdev Rimal, Bishnu Tiwari Usha, Poshraj Poudel, Ishwar Kandel, Bhupin, Vidya Bhandari Chirag, Ramkrishna Anayasa, Dharmananda Sharma, Prakash Chapagain, Udayanath Regmi, Sanjeev Poudel, Dr. Upendra Sapkota, Haripriya Rijal, Madhav Prasad Chalise, Krishna Sharan Upadhyay, Sharda Sapkota, Dr. Narayan Prasad Adhikari, Jamuna Lamsal, Indraraj Poudel, Sirjan Lamsal, Radha Pandey, Prakash Thapa, Balkrishna Thapaliya, Govinda Gopal Khatiwada Shobha Khanal Koirala, Narayan Poudel, Bhumika Gaire Timilsina, Bishnumaya Panthi, Govinda Rimal, LB Chhetri, Lekhram Sapkota,  Upendra Tripathi, Bishwaraj Lamsal, Ranendra Barali, Sabita Tiwari, Krishna Udasi, Ghanshyam Sisami and other writers presented their creations through poetry, ghazals and songs.