Bhanu Jayanti Date in the current year: July 13, 2024

Bhanubhakta Acharya was born on July 13, 1814 in what is now Gandaki Province of Nepal. He was born to a Brahmin family and was educated at home by his grandfather, who was a famous pandit (an expert in Sanskrit language and literature).

Back then, the Nepali language was primarily the language of oral everyday communication, whereas Sanskrit was the language of education, religious scriptures, and literary works. Therefore, very few people in Nepal had access to literature, since most could not receive education and learn Sanskrit.

Bhanubhakta Acharya decided to make literary works accessible to people who only spoke Nepali. He started with the Ramayana, a major Sanskrit epic of ancient India that narrates the life of Rama, the seventh avatar of Vishnu.

Bhanubhakta Acharya published his translation of the Ramayana in 1835; it is considered the first epic in the Nepali language. He preserved the lyrical narration style of the original and at the same time adapted the text in such a way that it reflected Nepalese culture, making it more relatable for the Nepali people.

In addition to translating from Sanskrit to Nepali, Bhanubhakta Acharya wrote his own poetry. Having studied classical Sanskrit literature, he learned the rules of versification and applied them to compose poems in his native language.

Although Bhanubhakta Acharya was not the first poet to attempt to write poetry in the Nepali language, his predecessors used a lot of words borrowed from Sanskrit and other literary languages of India. Bhanubhakta Acharya is noted for being the first poet to write in pure colloquial Nepali, and thus he is credited with laying the foundation of the literary Nepali language. Due to this, he is often referred to as Aadi Kavi (the First Poet).

Sadly, the great Nepalese poet gained wide recognition only two decades after his death. Another famous poet, Motiram Bhatta, heard a poem by Bhanubhakta Acharya recited during a marriage ceremony in Kathmandu. He was so impressed by it that he started searching for other works by Bhanubhakta Acharya. When Motiram Bhatta collected enough works, he published them in 1887 and subsequently wrote and published Bhanubhakta Acharya’s biography as well.

Bhanubhakta Acharya’s birthday, commonly known as Bhanu Jayanti, is celebrated on the 29th day of the month of Ashadh in the Nepali calendar, which corresponds to July 13 in the Gregorian calendar. Bhanu Jayanti is widely celebrated throughout Nepal, as well as in the Indian state of Sikkim, where Nepali is the most spoken language. In Sikkim, it is even an official state holiday.

Bhanu Jayanti is marked with various cultural events, such as festivals, poetry readings, literary seminars, and other activities celebrating Bhanubhakta Acharya and Nepali literature in general.