By Shamvabi Acharya and Prasamsa Moktan

Sir Lain Singh Bangdel, the ‘Father of Modern Art of Nepal’ was an artist, novelist, photographer, and historian who had made numerous impacts in the field of Art in Nepal. He pursued art from his childhood and brought a great change in the art field of Nepal by introducing Modern art. A celebratory event on the life and legacy of Sir Lain Singh Bangdel was held in Anu Book Store, Lagankhel, Lalitpur on 13 June 2022, and selected students of Premier International IB Continuum School were in attendance. This program was organized by the Son-in-law of Sir Bangdel, Dr. Bibhakar Sundar Shakya, and Sir Bangdel’s Grandson; Deven Shakya with their desire to enlighten the youths on the contributions Sir Bangdel has made in the Nepali arts and literature sector.

At the event, Dr. Shakya gave a brief biography on the life of Sir Bangdel, which includes his journey to different countries, his encounter with modern arts, and his writing of literary pieces. During the program, the students saw a thriller of a movie and its theme song that is based on a book ‘Langada Ko Sathi’ written by Sir Bangdel. Dr. Shakya shared how Sir Bangdel was elevated by the Queen of England, and he was addressed as ‘Sir’ as a result. Sir Bangdel has made many noticeable inputs in Nepal but majorly, he helped re-captured the stolen artifacts in the 1950s. With the use of photographs taken by him, he proved that the artifacts belonged to Nepal. Sir Bangdel is till date remembered as the founder of Modern Arts in Nepal. 

The trip to Anu Book Stores helped the students to know about his great personalities and legacies. Dina Bangdel; Sir Bangdel’s daughter was said to have initiated the idea of re-introducing Sir Bangdel to society and the youth. Sadly, she also passed away in 2017 but it is good news that her husband and son are still working on achieving her goal. The students who participated were honored to get the opportunity to view the artworks of Sir Lain Singh Bangdel and were able to have an insight about him.

Pictures from the event:

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