Dharmaraj Thapa

Janakavi Keshari Dharmaraj Thapa जनकवि केशरी धर्मराज थापा
Dharmaraj Thapa during young age
Background information
Born	15July 1924 Batulechour-16, Pokhara, Nepal
Origin	Pokhara, Nepal
Died	14 October 2014
Genres	Nepali Original Folk
Occupation(s)	Vocalist, poet

Janakavi Keshari Dharmaraj Thapa (जनकवि केशरी धर्मराज थापा) (1924 - 14 October 2014 )^[1] was one of the most significant Nepali folk singers. He is most famous for his songs "Hariyo Danda Maathi (हरियो डाँडा माथि हह माले हह )", "Nepali le Maya Maaryo Barilai (नेपालीले माया मार्यो वरिलै)". Dharmaraj Thapa started singing hyms, folk songs including dancing acts from his early childhood. He was married to 13yrs old Shavitri at the age of 15 on 28th Baisakh, 1996 B.S.^[2] He is also honoured as lifetime member at the Nepal Academy.^[3]

Songs

Some of the notable songs collected and sung by Dharmaraj Thapa are^[4]

1. Hariyo Danda Maathi (हरियो डाँडा माथि)
2. Nepali Le Maya Maaryo Barilai (नेपालीले माया मार्यो वरिलै)
3. Suna Mero Nirmaya (सुन मेरो निरमाया)
4. Saahili Rimai (साँहिली रिमै चौरी गाई, झर्यो रिमै मधु बनैमा)
5. Aaja Malai Sancho Chaina (आज मलाई सञ्चो छैन)
6. Aaipugyau Relaima (आईपुग्यौ रेलैमा, नौबजे बेलैमा .. देहरादुनैमा साथी देहरादुनैमा)

Books

Dharmaraj wrote the following books:

1. Lamichane Thapa ko Vamshavali ("Genealogy of the Lamichhane Thapa")^[5]
2. Nala Damayanti ^[6]
3. Loka Sanskriti ko Ghera ma Kam jung ^[7]
4. Mukti natha Darshana ^[8]

Awards

Including the title "Janakabi Keshari", Dharmaraj Thapa has been awarded with several prestigious awards.

Year	Title	Awarded By	Description
2025 B.S.	Indrarajyalaxmi Purashkar	Nepal Rajakiya Pragya Pratisthan
2025 B.S.	Madan Purashkar	Madan Purashkar Guthi	Awarded for his GitiKavya 'Mangali Kusum' (मंगली कुसुम)
2026 B.S.	Nominated for Committee Member (सह सदस्य)	Nepal Academy (former Royal Nepal Academy)
2042 B.S	Lok Sahitya Purashkar	Sajha Prakashan
2048 B.S.	Chinnalata Geet Purashkar	Chinnalata Geet Purashkar Guthi
2054 B.S.	Life Time Achievement Award	Hits FM	Annual Hits FM 100 Music Awards 2054
-	Life Time Achievement Award	Kantipur FM
-	Life Time Achievement Award	Image FM	Annual Image Award
-	SAARC Poetry Symposium	The Silver Jubilee of His Majesty King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev's Accession Civic Main Committee
2057 B.S.	Nepal Samman	Nepal Sanskritik Parishad
2060 B.S.	Harati Samman	-
2061 B.S.	Nepal Lok Sangeetbhushan	Kalanidhi Indira Sangeet Mahavidhyalaya
2061/03/29 B.S.	Aadikavi Bhanubhakta Purashkar	Nepali Sikchya Parishad
2061/03/30 B.S.	Nagarik Samman 2062	Nepal Yuwa Samaj	(need to verify the title and date)
2062/06/13 B.S.	Sangeet Sheela Samman 2062	संगीत शिला प्रतिष्ठान नृत्य तथा संगीत विद्यालय
2063 B.S.	Raajdhani Bisista Samman	Raajdhani Kala Kendra

References

1. "Janakavi Keshari Dharma Raj Thapa dies". ekantipur. 14 October 2014. Archived from the original on 20 January 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
2. "Dharmaraj Shavitri Guthi, Official Website". Archived from the original on 2012-10-15.
3. Lifetime members of Nepal Academy Archived 2013-09-21 at the Wayback Machine
4. "Dharma Raj Sabitri Thapa Ghutti [ धर्मराज सावित्री थापा गुठी - यो बाटो सेरो र फेरो मुलबाटो सुनको तगारो ।। ]". Archived from the original on 2013-07-08. Retrieved 2013-07-07. Songs of Dharmaraj Thapa
5. Thāpā, Dharmarāja (1982). "Lāmichāne Thāpāko vaṃśāvalī".
6. Thāpā, Dharmarāja (1991). "Nala Damayantī: Gītikāvya".
7. Thāpā, Dharmarāja (1984). "Loka-saṃskr̥tiko gherāmā Lāmajuṅ: Gaveshaṇāpūrṇa loka-saṃskr̥tiko bhramaṇa-sāhitya".
8. Thāpā, Dharmarāja (1990). "Muktinātha darśana".