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The Kathmandu University Architecture Club (KUARC), in collaboration with the Department of Civil Engineering at Kathmandu University (KU), is set to host Prarambha’24, an architectural event on April 25 and 26 at the KU premises in Dhulikhel. “Building upon the success of previous editions, Prarambha’24 promises to be even more enriching, aiming to bridge the gap between academia and industry while promoting architectural innovation and excellence,” say the organizers.

Prarambha is an annual architecture festival designed to connect architecture students and professionals from Kathmandu University with the wider community, fostering collaboration and promoting architectural awareness. The organizers anticipate that this year’s event will have an expanded scope and attendance, with over 5,000 students and professionals expected to participate.

Leading up to Prarambha’24, several pre-events were organized as part of the main exhibition. The ‘ROOTS’ exhibition held at Panauti and the Bhaktapur mini-exhibition at Bhaktapur Durbar Square aimed to educate the general public about Nepal’s rich architectural heritage. Additionally, a rammed earth workshop offered students practical experience in traditional construction techniques, encouraging them to explore alternative building methods.

“Recognizing that a festival should also include fun, we incorporated various sports events such as cricket and marathon, along with an online musical challenge, into the pre-events of Prarambha’24,” says Kartabya Regmi, Secretary of the KUARC. “Architecture can be a hectic subject for students, so we thought that by including some engaging and enjoyable activities alongside educational events, we could better capture the interest of students and the public.”

The two-day event includes a book launch for ‘KU Archive’, panel discussions on various aspects of architecture and related issues, stalls showcasing architectural designs, an exhibition, and the announcement and prize distribution for project competition winners. There will also be food stalls and other attractions. Additionally, on the evening of April 26, there will be a musical session with performances by over 25 local and emerging singers. 

The ongoing fourth general conference of the Traditional Poetry Writers Association of the World (TPWAW) honored three poets on Tuesday. On the first day of the two-day event, poets Sita Ram Adhikari, Bhuwan Hari Sigdel, and Prahlad Pokharel were conferred with the Yew Suhng-Gyou Literary Award.

They were awarded by the President of TPWAW, Kim Bong-Goon, on the recommendation of the TPWAW Nepal Chapter for the poets’ achievements in publishing around a dozen books about literature, including traditional poetry, over the decades.

President Kim and the President of the Nepal Chapter, Ram Kumar Panday, jointly inaugurated the conference by illuminating the traditional Panas lamp. The inauguration ceremony featured chanting of veda/swasti verses along with shankha dwani and mangal dhoon.

Presidents of member countries—Hoon Kim (Canada), Li Wen-Hua (China), Kang Jung-Hi (Germany), Choi Soonn-Hyang (South Korea), Sun Hwa Griffiths (UK), and Kim Ki-Sook (USA)—delivered congratulatory speeches for conducting the general conference.

Additionally, there were paper presentations on the analysis of the beauty of Chinese traditional poetry by Guang Shao-Kui, Korean traditional poetry (sijo) by Kim Bong-Goon, an introduction to the tradition of humor poems in Nepal by Ram Kumar Panday, and sonnets by Toony Peek (UK).

Further, there were poetry symposiums, art-crafts, and artifacts exhibitions, musical performances, and book exhibitions. Dr Mitra Bandhu Poudel, General Secretary of the TPWAW Nepal Chapter, delivered the vote of thanks.

Participants from member countries are also scheduled to visit Kathmandu, Bhaktapur Durbar Square, the Pashupati World Heritage Site, and the Bouddhanath Stupa.

The two-day event will conclude on Wednesday with a closing ceremony and the distribution of awards and certificates.

TPWAW, initially formed through collaboration between China, Japan, South Korea, Mongolia, Singapore, the UK, and the USA, saw South Korea take the initiative in promoting traditional poetry globally in 2007. Nepal joined the association later in 2013.

The series of international conferences began in 2013 in South Korea, followed by events in China in 2016 and the UK in 2019.

In addition to Panday as the President and Dr Poudel as General Secretary of the Nepal Chapter, the executive committee includes Dr Ram Bahadur Jitali and Dr Yadav Prasad Dhungana as Vice-presidents, Kishor Bajra Bajracharya as Treasurer, and Sita Ram Adhikari, Shiromani Dawadi, Ashok Man Shingh, and Shanti Sapkota as members.

Popular storyteller Saigrace Pokharel has announced his Nepal tour under the banner of ‘CSC World Tour with Saigrace’, starting from April 27. The tour will span across six cities in Nepal, concluding on May 18.

The itinerary includes shows scheduled at Jhapa (Parshuram Party Palace) on April 27, Itahari (CSC Office, Dharan Road) on April 28, Chitwan (Chitwan Garden Resort) on May 4, Butwal (CSC Office, Traffic Chowk) on May 6, Pokhara (CIC Education, Mahendra Pool) on May 11, and Kathmandu (Nepal City Hall) on May 18, as per the organizer.

Free passes for the event can be obtained from Canada Study Center (CSC) branches. The event will include meet and greet sessions with Saigrace, as well as musical performances by Kuber Sunar and Anup Sunar, in addition to storytelling sessions.

Saigrace specializes in writing and reciting stories revolving around universal themes of love and struggle, which deeply resonate with his audiences, offering a sense of profound connection. His voice exudes an immense sense of solace.

In 2022, he embarked on a Word Tour encompassing the USA, UK, Australia, France, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, and Nepal.

Tenzing Sherpa, one of Nepal’s pioneering DJs, has announced the ‘Everest Expedition 2024’ with the slogan ‘Stop Global Warming, Save the Himalayas’. DJ Tenzing aims to conquer the world’s highest peak, Sagarmatha (Mt Everest), within a month.

The expedition’s purpose extends beyond personal achievement; it also seeks to promote tourism and raise awareness about the impact of climate change, says DJ Tenzing. 

Hit Bahadur Tamang, Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, commended DJ Tenzing for his efforts to raise public awareness through this expedition. Minister Tamang presented DJ Tenzing with the national flag of Nepal, expressing government support for his endeavor. “I am pleased that the government has pledged to offer any necessary assistance during my expedition,” DJ Tenzing said.

Hailing from Solukhumbu, DJ Tenzing has been organizing musical programs in the Solukhumbu region for the past 12 years, particularly on International Everest Day, commemorating the historic ascent of Mt Everest on 29 May 1953.