Folklore Collection Program by CLFN

 Kathmandu, 8 Jan. 2021.

Children's Literature Foundation Nepal (CLFN) has organized GRAND
PARENTS TELLS STORIES OF MY VILLAGE - 'Folklore Collection Program' in Timal village of Kavre district on Friday. CLFN Bhaktapur incharge Rashmi Khagi conducted the program along with poet Ishwor Thokar.

Padam Veer Dong, a senior local from Timal village, situated at the bank of Roshi river, retold some folklores. He is 87 years old and could barely walk. He told four stories in Nepali and Tamang languages and Ram Bahadur Dong, another local from Timal, also retold a horror story.

The tradition of story-telling has lost through modern time. Children, these days are busy in computer games. Poet Ishwor Thokar said that he had listened to his grandfather's folklore called 'Bel Rani' in his childhood which he cannot recall perfectly. "My grandpa had told me the story several times when I was a very young kid. I was not concerned to collect the story even after being a writer. My Grandpa has passed away and now I do not know who could recall the story", sadly he said.

According to Satyamohan Joshi, a veteran culture activist, Folklores are Intangible cultural heritages which is orally transferred from old to new generation and he warns that if these heritages are not conserved in a right way, they will soon be destroyed and lost.

"While the government and international organizations are concerned in preserving of the physical tangible structures, the intangible heritages; i.e. folklores which are the true spirit of our ancient civilization are being washed away faster than the degradation of those physical structures" said Rashmi Khagi, the program co-ordinator. She further stated that even though the situation seems dire, there is no need to give up. "We have few opportunities to preserve them before they are lost forever for which we need to act swiftly to collect and preserve folklores for the future generation", she said.

She added that the collected stories from 'Folklore Collection' program will be published and CLFN has planned to conduct the program as a nation-wide program.