Lumle Developing a Distinct Identity as “Poetry Village”
Lumle, which falls in Annapurna Rural Municipality-6, Kaski, has recently been building a distinct identity as a “Poetry Village.” The scenic Lumle was declared a “Poetry Village” under the leadership of poet/lyricist Binod Gauchan.
The chairperson of Poetry Village, Lumle, Bharat Devkota, said there is a plan to build structures here, including a park, a multipurpose building, and a library. Chairperson Devkota says, “We want to make it a literary and tourism destination that one must visit at least once.”
“Flowers Don’t Bloom in Pokhara”
Hundreds of varieties of wildflowers keep blooming on Pokhara’s sidewalks, in parks, wetlands, and forests. Creator Gauchan gave a work published in 2063 an unusual title: “Flowers Don’t Bloom in Pokhara.”
Critic Asafal Gautam argues that Gauchan’s poems should be understood symbolically. Gautam says, “Even though Pokhara is his home city, Gauchan enjoyed the village more, wandered there, and wrote there. This is a metaphorical expression of how city life felt hollow to him.”
Gauchan’s Life and Literary Character
Gauchan, who was born on Baisakh 13, 2012 (BS), also has another poetry collection: “Dhundgesanghuko Melama.” Writer Usha Sherchan recognizes Gauchan as a creator with an introverted and serious nature.
Sherchan, who also counts as a relative, recalls, “He secretly copied one of my poems from my notebook and sent it to Gorkhapatra. I only found out after it was published.” Sherchan says that although Gauchan was introverted, he was not impractical.
Songs That Shaped His Identity
The song “Jati Maya Laye Pani,” which Gauchan wrote when he was 23, gave him a distinct identity along with Arun Thapa. He is the creator of well-known songs such as “Tagaroma Rumal Rakhi Bato Chhekyau Timle,” “Kasto Thaunma Phulyau Timi Tipnai Gahro Bho,” and “Choli Phate Pani Timro Joban Phatya Chhaina,” among others.
Gauchan lived for 58 years, and more than a dozen of his songs were recorded. Musician Sunil Thapa says some of Gauchan’s songs are still with him. Thapa has composed music for around half a dozen of Gauchan’s songs.
In the Panchase area, Gauchan made enduring the Gurung community’s practice of blocking the path through the song with the refrain “Tagaroma Rumal Rakhi Bato Chhekyau Timle.” The song became widely known after Kandara Band’s Vivek Shrestha lent his voice to it.
Memorial Day in Poetry Village
It has been 12 years since Gauchan’s death. He wrote very little, and even after writing, he often did not make his work public if he was not satisfied with it. On the memorial day, a half-length statue of Gauchan was unveiled at Chheughar on the edge of Poetry Village.
2082 Poush 20
Kaski