Nepali kabita gazal muktak haiku: Some Nepali Poem Of Prema Shah प्रेमा शाहका कबिताहरु

Prema Shah is one of the most important figures in Nepali literature. She was born on July 29, 1945, in Sripur, Birgunj, Nepal. Her birth name was Girirajlakshmi Shah, though she has been more popularly known by her literary title of Prema Shah. Her life and works are symbolic of the complexities women had to face in the world of letters, especially in the South Asian milieu. She thus carved a niche for herself within Nepali literature with her poems, short stories, and novels, and this is indeed a legacy that lives on.

Early Life and Family Background

Prema Shah was born into an aristocratic family. Her father, Purnendra Bikram Shah, and her mother, Aruna Shah, were both significant in the social class during those times. Prema's life was just like the lives of any other child initially, but it did not remain that way for long. She was separated from her parents when she was fourteen days old and was raised by her maternal grandparents in Kathmandu. The event of separation from the biological parents was a milestone event in her life, which made a very deep impact on her psyche and later reflected in her literature.

Prema basically grew up with her maternal grandfather, General Vigyan Shumsher Jabara, who is considered a living legend in the military history of Nepal. She spent her childhood and teen years with her maternal grandparents, who raised her in an affectionate and spoiled environment. Her childhood was thus a perfect blend of being traditionally brought up along with an early interest in the arts, especially music and dance. She had an artistic bent since childhood and used to sing and dance a lot, encouraged by her family, especially her nani, Tulsi Devi Upadhyay Koirala, who played the mother figure in her life.

Education and Scholarly Pursuits

Prema Shah started her education with private tutoring in the comfort of her maternal home. Private tutors visiting her place regularly taught her basic reading, writing, and arithmetic. Her admission directly to the sixth class gave way to formal education when she joined the morning classes of Patan High School.

Even to school, Prema would go elaborately decked up with diamond earrings and a long line of kohl or gajal, to be different from the gaggle of girls. Elegant and refined, Prema's presence was always felt, which even in schooldays stirred a certain amount of jealousy amongst her classmates. Despite this, Prema was never distracted from her studies.

After a year of schooling in Patan High School, the morning shifts were shifted to Madan Memorial School, which continued the education of Prema. Later, she went on to Tripadma School in Patan for further studies and ultimately completed her SLC from Adarsha Kanya Niketan, a girl's school in Mangalbazar, Patan in 1960.

Since her school days, a bodyguard Saloni had been accompanying Prema and enjoyed an influential impact in her life. Saloni was a confidant aide, but her relation with Prema developed complications when Saloni started an illegitimate affair with the watchman of the school. The incident turned Prema to claim independence, and she started attending school without the need for a bodyguard.

Literary Career and Contributions

Prema Shah started writing at a very tender age, and almost right away, her genius was discovered. While still a student at Madan Memorial School, one of her early writings was taken to the Sharda magazine by Ratna Dhwaj Joshi, which turned out to be the beginning of her published works. At that time, Nepali literature was still in its formative stage, and Prema's writings contributed much to developing Nepali literature.

She pursued her literary career hand in hand with education. It is said that during her Intermediate and Bachelor's at Patan College, she had already established her name in Nepali literature. Her association with several other literary magazines in their editorial teams-including Bihan and Himani-set a seal to this fact. She edited Deurali while pursuing her Master's from Tribhuvan University.

The writings of Prema were known to be deep and profound, touching upon hard-core emotions like love, sexuality, and conditions pertaining to being human. She had been regarded as a candidly fearless writer, often touching on themes regarded as taboo in Nepalese society. Most of her poems, short stories, and novels revolved around the intricate details of love, desire, and women's struggles in a patriarchal society.

Prema Shah's main literature was the explanation of sexual themes, which was a great discovery at that time. Never showing restraint on the psychological moments of love and sex in her works reeked of a feeling of longing with melancholy in tow. Her literary contributions were not about quantity but quality, and she stood credited for the elegance and beauty of her language.

Personal Life and Marriages

Personal life in Prema Shah was multi-layered, much like her works. During her younger years, she attracted the attention of many men, especially those from the intellectual and literary circles. She was not only a beauty, but she was highly intellectual and artistically talented as well. Her charismatic personality and friendly nature made her easily loved by all her peers.

Even though many lovers were behind her, Prema Shah's love life was not out of troubles. She married J.P Shahi, a resident of Patan in 1971. Her marriage with Shahi was experiencing some problems which were never solved, and they got separated. This marriage dissolved when Prema discovered she was not Shahi's only wife, leading to their separation. After the dissolution of her marriage, Prema had moved to Banaras for further studies. She did a diploma in Batik Painting from the Banaras Hindu University. It was during her stay in Banaras that she also studied ceramics.

Her second marriage was with a Japanese national whom she met upon returning to Nepal. This marriage, too, did not last, and Prema continued her journey as an independent woman. Both these relationships, coupled with the problems she faced as a woman in a conservative society, had a great impact on her literary writings.

Literary Themes and Style

Most of Prema Shah's works revolve around human emotions, especially love, desire, and the 'other' complexities of relationships. Her poetry often leads into the mysteries of love and passion as can be depicted from the following extract of one of her poems:

"Timi ma mero pyar hirako jantar jhai, Sadhai chhati ma jhundyaera, Timilai maya garisakeki chu. Jado ka ti raatbhar, Timilai yi ooth ka nyano avaran ma, Gutmutyaera maile timro kaanma, Pranay ka kati geet bharisakeki chu."

Translated into English, this poem shows the depth and passion of love the speaker holds for her beloved, comparing their love to a priceless amulet worn close to the heart.

Prema's writing style was influenced by her experiences as a woman negotiating a male-dominated society. Her works reflect this continuous pull-and-tug that always occurs between the expectations of society and personal desires. She is one of those women writers in Nepali literature who spoke candidly about the nuances of sexuality and the role it plays in a woman's life. The approach was revolutionary in those times and received applause and criticism alike.

She was not a quantitative writer, but what little she wrote came to be felt. Prema's works form the essential reading list for any student of the growth and development of modern Nepali literature in relation, particularly, to themes of gender and sexuality.

Later Years and Legacy

In the later part of her life, Prema Shah became less prolific. While still writing, she did so with less emphasis from the general world of literature. Life's demands had to a large measure obliged her to pay more serious attention to earning a decent living rather than to writing. Her earlier works continued to be celebrated, and she remained an important figure in Nepali literature.

The legacy left behind by Prema Shah is that of bravery, innovation, and artistic integrity. She blazed new paths in Nepali literature, particularly in areas which up to that point had been taboo. Her works continue to influence successive generations of writers, especially women, to take up these themes and challenge social norms through their writing.

Torn between these personal and professional challenges, Prema Shah was in a position to be faithful to her reason for being an artist. Her contribution to Nepali literature is immense; thus, she is remembered as one of the most important literary figures of her time.

Conclusion

It is in the life and works of Prema Shah that one finds the power of literature to question the features of society and record the depths of human emotion. That made her different from others because she was courageous enough to write about love, desire, and women's struggles in a patriarchal society, establishing her as one of the forerunners of Nepali literature. Today, she is remembered not only for her contribution to Nepali literature but also for guts to write about themes considered taboo. Prema Shah has remained an inspiration to this date for every kind of writer and reader, and her works remain an important part of Nepali literary history.