JANAKPURDHAM, Aug. 11: Noted litterateur and linguist Dr Rajendra Prasad Bimal passed away last night. He was an educationist and a renowned figure in the Maithili language.
Dr Bimal, who had been suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure for a long time, breathed his last at Province Hospital, Janakpur, at 12:45 am Tuesday, according to family sources.
The literary circle has termed the demise of Dr Bimal an irreparable loss to the Maithili language, literature and culture.
Nepali Pratibha Pratisthan honors litterateur Rajendra Bimal an...
His body has been kept at his residence in Devi Chowk, Janakpurdham-4, so that friends and well-wishers can pay their tributes. Literati, educationists, students and well-wishers have thronged his residence.
Dr Bimal was 79 years old. He was born in Khirkiya village of Devdiha in Dhanusha district. He served as the founding chairman of the Maithili Development Trust, Janakpurdham. He devoted his life to the protection and promotion of the Maithili language, literature and culture.
The litterateur had completed master's degrees in Nepali, Maithili and Hindi languages. He also earned a PhD in linguistics. A retired professor of Nepali at Ramswarup Ramsagar Multiple Campus, Dr Bimal's literary career featured fiction, poetry, music, ghazal, drama, criticism, children's literature, translation and linguistics.
His first story, 'Bipatiya', was published in the Mithila Mihir magazine on March 15, 1963.
Some of his acclaimed works include 'Ie Hamare Katha Thik', 'Itihasak Ghao', 'Dr Bimalka Kathaharu', 'Sarbariya Gaunko Katha' and 'Fisti Maharani'. His literary creations were published in Gorkhapatra, Madhupark, Garima and other noted publications.
A Maithili telefilm based on his story 'Hansa Chalal Pardesh' was broadcast on Nepal Television. It helped bring his work to a wider audience, according to Nitya Nand Mandal, a litterateur in Janakpurdham.
The late Bimal had received numerous awards and honours from government and non-government sectors. He was the first person to be conferred the 'Nepal Vidyapati Language and Literature Award'. Garima Samman, Jagadamma Samman, Rastriya Prativa Puraskar and other honours were also presented to him in recognition of his literary contributions.
