Moti Laxmi Upasika Explained

Moti Laxmi Upasika
Native Name:	मोतिलक्ष्मी उपासिका
Native Name Lang:	ne
Other Names:	M. Laxmi
Birth Name:	Moti Laxmi Tuladhar
Birth Date:	13 June 1909
Birth Place:	Kathmandu
Nationality:	Nepali
Notable Works:	Chakhunchiya Sarbay
Relatives:	Chittadhar Hridaya (brother)

Moti Laxmi Upasika (Nepali: मोतिलक्ष्मी उपासिका) (30 June 1909 – 1997) was Nepal's first woman poet and short story writer of modern times. Her first work, a short story, was published in 1935.^[1]

Early life

Moti Laxmi Upasika (also spelled Motilakshmī Upāsikā) was born in Kathmandu to father Drabya Dhar and mother Gyan Laxmi Tuladhar. Her father was a merchant who owned a business house in Lhasa, Tibet. Her brother was poet Chittadhar Hridaya.^{[2] [3]} She received informal education in Sanskrit, Pali and English.^[4]

Writing career

Upasika, who also wrote under the pen name M. Laxmi, published her first work in 1935, a story in the Nepali language entitled Rodan. It appeared in Sharada magazine published from Kathmandu.

She started writing in Nepal Bhasa with a poem entitled Chitta Panchhi (meaning "Heart bird") and a story Lan ("Road") which were published in Dharmadoot in 1944.^[5] Dharmadoot was a Buddhist magazine published in Hindi by the Maha Bodhi Society from Sarnath, India. It also published contributions in Nepal Bhasa at the request of its subscribers in Nepal.^{[6] [7]} Though most of her essays deal with religious subjects, her writings have been described as a bridge between religious and free prose.^[8] Her essays are characterized by simple language and a powerful way of expressing her opinions.^[9]

Published works

• Motima ("Garland of Pearls"), a collection of essays, 1958
• Chakhunchiya Sarbay ("Sparrow's Property"), a collection of poems, 1993^[10]
• Moti Bakhan Puchah ("Moti Collection of Stories"), a collection of short stories, 1994^[11]
• Utpalvarna, a collection of Buddhist stories, 1995^[12]
• Dhaubaji ("Yogurt and Rice Flakes"), a collection of essays, 1998

Notes and References

1. Tuladhar, Prem Shanti (2000). Nepal Bhasa Sahityaya Itihas: The History of Nepalbhasa Literature. Kathmandu: Nepal Bhasa Academy. . Page 183.
2. LeVine, Sarah and Gellner, David N. (2005). Rebuilding Buddhism: The Theravada Movement in Twentieth-Century Nepal. Harvard University Press., 9780674019089. Page 39.
3. Hridaya, Chittadhar; Lewis, Todd Thornton; Tuladhar, Subarna Man (2009). Sugata Saurabha: An Epic Poem from Nepal on the Life of the Buddha. Oxford University Press., 9780195341829. Page 377.
4. Bajracharya, Phanindra Ratna (2003). Who's Who in Nepal Bhasha. Kathmandu: Nepal Bhasa Academy. . Page 44.
5. News: Biodata of Moti Laxmi Upasika . Nepal Ritupau Vol. 57 No. 1. Nepal Bhasa Parisad . 2009. Page 1.
6. Tuladhar, Prem Shanti (2000). Nepal Bhasa Sahityaya Itihas: The History of Nepalbhasa Literature. Kathmandu: Nepal Bhasa Academy. . Page 121.
7. Web site: Maharjan. Phra Sujan. The Revival of Theravada Buddhism and Its Contribution to Nepalese Society. Bangkok: Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University. 2006. 16 March 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20141219124542/http://www.mcu.ac.th/thesis_file/254951.pdf. 19 December 2014. dead. . Page 138.
8. Malla, Kamal Prakash (1964). Musah Nibandha ("Essay par excellence"). Kathmandu: Chwasa Pasa. Page 6.
9. Tuladhar, Prem Shanti (2000). Nepal Bhasa Sahityaya Itihas: The History of Nepalbhasa Literature. Kathmandu: Nepal Bhasa Academy. . Page 209.
10. Web site: Library of Congress Catalog Record. Library of Congress. 19 March 2012.
11. Web site: Library of Congress Catalog Record. Library of Congress. 19 March 2012.
12. Web site: Library of Congress Catalog Record. Library of Congress. 19 March 2012.