Master novelist's ancestral house lies in neglect

A number of villagers including women and children thronged a ground located close to the ancestral house of master novelist Munshi Premchand to watch dramas based on his short-stories on Saturday in Varanasi. The dramas were organised by local social and cultural organisations to mark the 130th birth anniversary of the legendary writer.

However, the Premchand Sarovar, a pond in the village named after the writer, and his ancestral house that has been turned into a memorial, wore deserted look on the occasion.

Even, the ceremonies like garlanding the bust of Premchand seemed to be a mere formality.

The two-storey ancestral house sported the growth of wild grass on its terrace.

Full report here Times of India 

Seminar on Nepali language and literature

The two-day seminar on Nepali language and literature: development and trends, organised by the department of Indian languages, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), began on Sunday, Feb 21.


About 30 scholars from different academic institutions from India and Nepal are taking part in the seminar. The ambassador of Nepal to India Rukma Shumsher Rana attended the inaugural function.

Essay competition: The Centre For the Study of Nepal, BHU, organised an essay competition on Indo-Nepal relations: present and future, on Saturday. Megha Rani bagged the first prize while Bishnanand Dubey stood second. The third prize was won by Kovid Prakash Panthi.

Full report here Times of India