Biography of Jaya-Stithii Malla

During the rule of Jayastithi Malla, Nepal (image)

Jayasthiti Malla was a 14th century king of Nepal belonging to the Malla dynasty.

The early Malla period, a time of continuing trade and the reintroduction of Nepalese coinage, saw the steady growth of the small towns that became Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhadgaon. Royal pretenders in Patan and Bhadgaon struggled with their main rivals, the lords of Banepa in the east, relying on the populations of their towns as their power bases. The citizens of Bhadgaon viewed Devaladevi as the legitimate, independent queen. The betrothal in 1354 of her granddaughter to Jayasthiti Malla, a man of obscure but apparently high birth, eventually led to the reunification of the land and a lessening of strife among the towns.

By 1370 Jayasthiti Malla controlled Patan, and in 1374 his forces defeated those in Banepa and Pharping. He then took full control of the country from 1382 until 1395, reigning in Bhadgaon as the husband of the queen and in Patan with full regal titles. His authority was not absolute because the lords of Banepa were able to pass themselves off as kings to ambassadors of the Chinese Ming emperor who traveled to Nepal during this time. Nevertheless, Jayasthiti Malla united the entire valley and its environs under his sole rule, an accomplishment still remembered with pride by Nepalese, particularly Newars. The first comprehensive codification of law in Nepal, based on the dharma of ancient religious textbooks, is ascribed to Jayasthitimalla. This legendary compilation of traditions was seen as the source of legal reforms during the 19th and 20th centuries.

Jayasthiti Malla ascended the throne of Nepal in 1350 A.D. (1438 B.S.). At that time the condition of the country was very bad. There was political disturbance in the palace. The country was economically weak. There was social disorder. A competent and resolute ruler was necessary. Jayasthiti Malla made reforms. He reorganized the caste system. Each caste had its own occupation, dress and manners. He made temples and placed idols in them. He performed Kotihom. He was a lover of literature. He encouraged Sanskrit and Newari languages. Poems and dramas were written. He brought economic reforms. Land was diveded into four classess according to the production of crops. He introduced measuring units called mana, pathi, pau and dharni. The work of measuring land and house was given to the kshetrakar and Takshakar respectively. He introduced the system of imoposing fines on criminals.

Jayasthiti Mall was a great reformist. He was an expert politician. He brought political stability in the country. There was peace and prosperity in the country. He died in 1452 B.S.

Biography - Bhanu-Bhakta Acharya

Aadikavi Bhanubhakta Acharya (Nepali: भानुभक्त आचार्य) (1814–1868) was a Nepali poet who translated the Ramayana from Sanskrit to Nepali. He was born in 1814 A.D (1871 B.S) in Chundi Ramgha, Tanahu District, and was educated at home by his grandfather, Shri Krishna Acharya. His father Dhananjaya Acharya was a government official who worked for General Amar Singh Thapa, Governor of Palpa in western Nepal.

Bhanubhakta Acharya is considered the first poet writing in Nepali language. Poets before him in Nepal usually wrote in Sanskrit. One of his writings is well known for its colorful, flowing praise of Kathmandu valley and its inhabitants.

Nepalese people cannot forget the day Ashar 29, "Bhanujayanti"(July 13), the birthday of Bhanubhakta Acharya, who is also more popularly known as "Neplaka Adikavi"(Nepal's original poet).

"Adikavi" in reference to Bhannubhakta had first been used by Motiram Bhatta. While writing a biography of Bhanubhakta in 1981, Motiram described him as Adikavi, not because he was the first poet in Nepali. As Motiram himself recognized, there were many poets before Bhanubhakta. Instead, he argued that Bhanubhakta deserved the title because he was the first poet who wrote with an understanding of the "marma"(inner essence) of poetry.

Bhanubhakta (1814-1868) was a Nepali poet who translated the great epic "Ramayana" from Sanskrit to Nepali. Born to a Brahmin family in 1814 in Tanahu, he received at home an excellent education with a strong leaning towards religion from his grandfather.

After the fall of the Khas Empire in the 15th century, its language which evolved into present day Nepali was considered bastardized and limited to speech. Sanskrit dominated most of the written texts of South Asia and its influence was particularly strong in Nepal. Brahmins were the teachers, scholars and priests of the society by virtue of their caste. Their education was Sanskrit-oriented since most religious texts of the Hindu religion were in that language.

Many wrote poetry that was too heavily Sanskritized. Bhanubhakta was definitely "the" writer who gained the acceptance of a wide range of people and his creations played a key role in popularizing the written form of the Khas language. 

Bhanubhakta's contribution was unique. Children who received an education at the time began their studies with light epics such as the "Ramayan" and graduated to the more complex "Upanishads" and "Vedas." Ram's heroic exploits were highly impressive to Bhanubhakta, so he decided to make the deity more accessible to the people who spoke Khas. (Since the social order did not encourage literacy, most country people did not understand anything when epics were read out to them in Sanskrit.) 

When completed, his translation of the Ramayan was so lyrical that it was more like a song than a poem.

Bhanubhakta did not study Western literature. All his ideas and experiences were derived from his native land. This lent such a strong Nepali flavor to his writing that few poets have been able to equal his simple creations in terms of content: a sense of religion, a sense of simplicity, and the warmth of his country are the strongest features of his poetry. Those who read the first lines of the Bhanubhakta Ramayan can clearly feel Nepal in them. 

Bhanubhakta was a young boy from a wealthy family and was leading an unremarkable life until he met a grass cutter who wanted to give something to society so that he could be remembered after death too. After listening to the grass cutter Bhanubhakta felt ashamed of himself. So by the inspiring words of the grass cutter, he wrote these lines:

He gives his life to cutting grass and earns little money,
he hopes to make a well for his people
so he will be remembered after death,
this high thinking grass cutter lives in poverty,
I have achieved nothing, though I have much wealth.
I have neither made rest houses nor a well,
all my riches are inside my house.
This grass cutter has opened my eyes today,
my life is worthless if the memory of my existence fades away.

Bhanubhakta wrote two masterpieces in his life. One, obviously, is the "Bhanubhaktey Ramayan" and the other is a letter he wrote in verse form to the prime minister while in prison. Due to some misunderstanding in signing the papers, he was made a scapegoat and put into prison. His health became bad and he was given false hopes of being set free. For a long time his case was not even heard. So he wrote a petition to the all-powerful prime minister requesting his freedom.

Everyday I see kind authorities and they get rid of my worries.
I am at peace and at night I watch dances for free.
I do what my friends - mosquitoes, fleas, and bedbugs - say:
the mosquitoes sing and the ticks dance, I watch their play.
I was jobless, wealth-less, my hard-earned food came from the spade,
I served those people so everyone would notice me and give me respect.
Without wavering I served and they were pleased and they gave
overflowing attention that is never, ever, taken away.
I am 40, I have a son who is eight years old.
The time for celebrating his manhood-ceremony is close.
I am rotting inside these four walls, so what can I do, my Lord?
How can I complete the ceremony in this darkness-filled world.
The secret of success should be given by the father,
the lessons of life should be given by the mother,
my child has yet to study the Vedas and serve his teacher,
therefore to you, my Owner, I repeat my prayer.
Even while a great ruler like you own this earth,
a Brahmin's rituals of manhood are being delayed.
Whose feet do I have to place my sorrow at except yours?
Please take pity on me and decide my case for better or worse.
My body is weak, it is made of grain and water.
How shall I say what has befallen me here?
I have suffered much sorrow, my body grows heavy,
and I have been ill for many days.
I was imprisoned for a long time at Kumarichowk,
illness came upon me there and after much trouble I went home.
When I became well they brought me here,
now you, my Owner, you are my only hope.
Whatever I explained to the authorities in writing is true.
But others' answers and written proofs, I am told,
have proved wrong all that I have said.
I told them I would pay their fines a thousand-fold.
But they say they have signatures on papers and letters,
they say their witnesses have many more tales.
I said I would not plead, I would rather be false,
I will say anything that gets me outside these walls.
I have no wish to spend the rest of my life in this quarrel.
I have no wish to become a millionaire and fill my house with treasures.
Days pass by uselessly and I cannot comfort myself
if you would decide my case it would be a great help.
I have talked with the warden and he does not speak.
Even if he does, his: "tomorrow, tomorrow," sounds like a joke.
What are these tomorrows? It would be better to know I won't be freed.
Many tomorrows passed. Please fill this empty bag of mine, I beg.

Bhanubhakta not only won his freedom with his poem, but was given a bag of money as well. So passed the most dangerous and exciting time of his life. He died in 1868 as a simple man who did not know he would be among the most revered poets of Nepal. Perhaps, it is only he and Laxmi Prasad Devkota that have become literary gods in this country. The only difference between the two is that Devkota's works continue to enjoy as much celebrity as the great poet himself, while Bhanubhakta's fame tends to overshadow his writings. 

However, his creation was not published and he was to die without receiving credit for his contribution. It was in 1887 that Moti Ram Bhatta found his manuscript and printed it in Benaras, India. 

Biography - Amar Singh Thapa

Amar Singh Thapa, also known as "Living lion of Nepal", was the General of the Nepalese forces of western front in the Anglo-Nepalese War. He is regarded as one of the National Heroes of Nepal.

His major achievement was the attack on several western states of India like Jumla, Doti, Kumaon, Garhwal, Dehradun, Srinagar and Kangra, as well the Palpa. Thapa served as the Nepalese care taker of the areas, until ousted by the British.

He carried out small wars, especially with the King of Punjab, Ranjit Singh. He also engaged in defending the western fronts of Nahan, Chamba, Almora, Kangra, Saharanpur, Dehradun against his British counterpart, General David Ochterlony. Although he lost these areas to British, he is praised for his bravery by both Nepalese and British personalities.

Thapa also built a temple of the goddess Ganga in the early 19th century. The town of Gangotri in Uttarakhand, India is centred around this temple. To this day, it is one of the four sites in the Char Dham pilgrimage circuit, the most important Hindu pilgrimage circuit in the Indian Himalayas.

After losing the war, Thapa voluntarily retired and died on a pilgrimage to Gosaikunda.

Biography - Tenzing Norgay Sherpa

Tenzing Norgay, was born on  May 1914 – 9 May 1986) born Namgyal Wangdi and often referred to as Sherpa Tenzing, was a Nepali Sherpa Mountaineer. Among the most famous mountain climbers in history, he was one of the first two individuals known to have reached the summit of Mt. Everest, which he accomplished with Edmund Hillary on 29 May 1953.^[1] He was named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century.

Tenzing Norgay was a Nepalese Sherpa mountaineer. Tenzing Norgay created history on May 29, 1953, when he and Sir Edmund Hillary became the first men to conquer Mount Everest.

Tenzing Norgay was born in Tshechu, presently in Tibet Autonomous Region, China. He grew up in peasant family in Khumbu in Nepal. His exact date of birth is not known but it is believed that was born in late May and later on he decided to celebrate May 29 as his birthday, as this was the date he climbed Everest. Tenzing Norgay's original name was Namgyal Wangdi, but as a child his name was changed on the advice of a lama. Norgay means fortunate. Tenzing Norgay ran away to Kathmandu twice as a boy, and eventually settled in the Sherpa community in Too Song Bhusti in Darjeeling, West Bengal, India.

Tenzing Norgay took part as a high-altitude porter in three official British attempts to climb Everest from the northern Tibetan side in the 1930s. He also took part in other climbs in various parts of the Indian subcontinent. He scaled Nanda Devi, which he described as the most difficult climb he ever took. In 1947, he took part in an unsuccessful Everest attempt. The attempt ended when a strong storm at 22,000 feet pounded them.

In 1952, Tenzing Norgay took part in two Swiss expeditions led by Raymond Lambert, the first serious attempt to climb Everest from the southern Nepalese side, during which he and Lambert reached the then record height of 8,599 m (28,215 ft).

In 1953, Tenzing Norgay took part in Sir John Hunt's expedition. This was his seventh expedition to Everest. During this expedition he and Sir Edmund Hillary became the first men to reach the summit.

Conquering of Everest brought great adulation to Tenzing Norgay in India and Nepal. He was even worshipped by some people who believed him to be an incarnation of Buddha or Lord Shiva. Tenzing Norgay later became director of field training for the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling. In 1978, he founded a company, Tenzing Norgay Adventures that offers trekking in the Himalayas.

Tenzing Norgay married thrice. His first wife, Dawa Phuti, died young in 1944. He had two daughter from his first marriage. His second wife was Ang Lahmu, a cousin of his first wife. They had no children. Tenzing Norgay had his third marriage while his second wife was still alive, as allowed by Sherpa custom. He had a son named Jamling from this marriage. Jamling Norgay presently looks after the adventure company founded by his father.

Tenzing Norgay died on May 9, 1986 in Darjeeling, West Bengal.

Biography - Pasang Lamhu Sherpa

Pasang Lhamu Sherpa was born on 10 December 1961) was the first Nepali woman to climb the summit of Mt. Everest.

She was born into a mountaineering family and was involved in climbing from her teens. She had successfully climbed Mont Blanc, Choyu, and others. She had attempted Everest three times before, but did not succeed until April 22, 1993 when she reached the summit by the South Col via the Southeast Ridge route.

The morning of April 22, 1993, was bright and clear and remained and so till Pasang reached the top of the 8,848 m. peak with 5 Sherpas, Sonam Tshering Sherpa, Lhakpa Noru Sherpa, Pemba Dorje Sherpa and Dawa Tashi Sherpa. Meanwhile, a member of the team and five times Everest Sumitter, Sherpa Sonam Tshering got seriously sick at south summit and despite Pasang Lhamu's efforts to help did not survive his illness. While descending from the summit, tragedy struck the team. The weather, as often happens in the mountains, suddenly turned bad, causing her to lose her life on the south summit. She was fully aware of the peril, but that did not deter Pasang from getting to her goal, even if it meant sacrificing her life.

For achieving what no other Nepalese woman had achieved before her, Pasang Lhamu was posthumously honored by her country in various ways. She was the very first woman to be decorated with the "Nepal Tara (Star)" by His Majesty the King. The National Youth Foundation conferred the 1993-94 Youth Excellence Award on her. Similarly, in order to commemorate her feat, a life-size statue of Pasang Lhamu was erected at Bouddha, Chuchepati; a postage stamp was issued in her name; the Government of Nepal renamed Jasamba Himal (7,315 m) in the Mahalangur Range as Pasang Lhamu Peak; the Ministry of Agriculture named a special strain of wheat as Pasang Lhamu wheat; the Pasang Lhamu Memorial Hall was established in Dhulabari of Jhapa district in east Nepal; and the 117- Km Trishuli-Dunche road was named the Pasang Lhamu Highway. The great Nepali legend died on 22 April 1993.