Kathmandu, March 15: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has officially welcomed local and foreign participants at the ‘Himabatkhand Arts, Literature and Culture Conference-2081’, organized by the Madan Bhandari Arts and Literature Foundation.

Speaking at the event held at Baluwatar, Prime Minister Oli highlighted the historical and cultural significance of the Himalayas, referring to it as the “land of human civilization.” He emphasized that Nepal’s original culture is rooted in knowledge, yoga, mathematics, philosophy, and civilization, all of which emerged from the Himalayas. He urged participants to explore Nepal’s cultural heritage and exchange experiences.

Around 500 creators from Nepal, India, Myanmar, Bhutan, China, and Thailand are participating in the conference. Prominent figures such as Prof. Dr. Chudamani Bandhu, Prof. Dr. Madhav Prasad Pokharel, Nisha Sharma (Vice-Chancellor of Nepal Music and Drama Academy), and Dr. Diwakar Pradhan (Chairman of the Department of Indian Languages at Kashi Hindu University) were present.

The three-day event includes:

• Himalayas Literary Film Festival on the first day
• Himalayas Cultural Festival on the second day
• Poetry Festival of the Himalayan region on the third day

Scholars from seven states of Nepal and international delegates have already started presenting research papers.

The first edition of this conference was held in 2015 on the occasion of Bhanu Jayanti.