Dharanidhar Koirala | |
---|---|
Born | 1893[1] |
Died | 1980 (aged 86–87)
[1] Nepal |
Nationality | Nepali |
Dharanidhar Koirala ( Nepali: धरणीधर कोइराला;1893–1980; also known as Dharanidhar Sharma Koirala) was a Nepali poet sometimes known as Pandit-ji. [2]
Dharanidhar Koirala was born in 1893 in what is now Sindhuli District into a Hindu Brahmin family. [3] He studied Sanskrit and English from Banaras, British India. [4] In Banaras, he saw Indian people promoting their mother tongue which inspired him to "think about Nepal and the Nepali language". [4]
In 1918, he was exiled to India, where Koirala, Surya Bikram Gyawali, and Parasmani Pradhan became known as "SuDhaPa". [5] In 1924, Koirala with Surya Bikram Gyawali, Parasmani Pradhan, Hari Prasad Pradhan, and others established the Nepali Sahitya Sammelan in Darjeeling, British India. [6] The establishment of this organisation was seen as a major event in Nepali literature's history. [7]
Koirala was a key advisor to Sir Ralph Lilley Turner who published Comparative and Etymological Dictionary of the Nepali Language in 1931. [2] He wrote poems about social reforms. [8] [9] In 1978, Koirala was awarded a Doctor of Letters degree by Tribhuvan University. [10] He was also awarded Tribhuvan Pragya Award by Nepal Academy for his contributions to Nepali literature. [11]
Koirala died in 1980. [4] In 1994, the Government of Nepal issued postage stamps featuring Koirala. [12]