Nepal Bhasa Literature - Literary Genres

Literary Genres

• Dramas are traditionally performed on open "dabu" (platform) built at temple squares and major intersections. Most of the traditional dramas are related to deities and demons. Masked characters are central to such dramas. Music forms an important part of drama. Most of them are narrated with the help of songs sung at intervals. The theme of most dramas is to create social well-being with morals illustrating the rise, turbulence and fall of evil. There are fixed dates in the Nepal Sambat (Nepal Era) calendar for performance of specific plays. Most dramas are performed by specific Guthis.

• Poetry writing constituted a pompous part of medieval Malla aristocracy. Many of the kings were well renowned poets. Epic poetry is very popular. Sitala Maju, which describes the expulsion of children from Kathmandu in the early 19th century, Ji Waya La Lachhi Maduni, about a luckless Tibet trader, and Silu, about an ill-fated pilgrimage to Gosaikunda, are among the well-known ballads. Siddhidas Mahaju and Chittadhar Hridaya are two great poets of the modern period.

• Stories ranging from the origin of the Kathmandu Valley to its temples and important monuments have been passed down verbally in Nepal Bhasa. Very few of them were in written form initially. However, with an increase in literacy rate and an awareness amongst the people, those stories have been penned down. Stories on other topics have also taken root.

• Novel writing has increased with the progressive increase in literacy after the modernization of Nepal. Restriction of the knowledge of alphabets to a certain caste of society during the medieval era reduced the viability of leisure reading among the masses.

• History literature in Nepal Bhasa dates from the Malla era. Stone inscriptions were placed in important places to commemorate important events. Mention of family lines of the person instilling the inscription is also found in many cases.

• Philosophy is one of the subjects of Siddhidas Mahaju's writings who has produced a number of works related to the norms of society.

• Legal literature formulated during the reign of Jayastithi Malla formulated a major part of the norm of Newar society.