Bhupi Sherchan

Bhupendra Man Sherchan, popularly known as Bhupi Sherchan (1937–1989) was a Nepali poet and academician.

He is one of the most beloved and widely read Nepali poets.

Sherchan was born on 27 December 1937 (12 Poush 1992 BS) in Tukuche, Mustang district in an affluent Thakali family to father Subba Hit Man Sherchan and mother Padma Kumari Sherchan.

He was their fifth child.

Since he was born on the day of Pushe Aunsi (New moon day of the Hindu month Poush), his father considered the new-born inauspicious and refused to see his face until six months later, after consulting an astrologer.

His mother died when he was five years old.

At the age of around ten or twelve, he moved to Banaras with his elder brother, Yogendra Man and niece, Urmila.

While in college, he started being involved in politics.

The main political parties in Banaras then were the Congress and Communists.

Sherchan became associated with the Communists.

He published his first work, a play titled Pariwartan, in 1951, while in college.

The play was published under his real name Bhupendra Man Sherchan, when he 16 years old.

It was inspired by the anti-Rana protest in Nepal.

He also started writing Sarbahara (Proletariat) after his name.

Since his brother was a member of the Nepali Congress and he was Communist, there was an ideological rift between the brothers which led to Sherchan moving out of his brother's residence.

He started writing poems under a pseudonym.

Simultaneously, protests against the Rana regime had begun in Nepal.

He took part in the protests which led to his imprisonment.

He received a BA degree from Banaras College.

Sherchan's family traditionally worked as traders and merchants, but he did not pursue either profession.

Instead, he decided to immerse himself in the Nepali literary world.

His first poetry collection Nayam Jhyaure was published by Janayug Prakashan, Benaras, in 1953.

The poetry collection was published under his pseudonym Sarbahara (Proletariat) and was influenced by communist ideology.

In, he became the district secretary of the Communist Party of Nepal.

Nirjhar, Sherchan's second poetry collection was published in 1958 by Narendra Yantralaya in Kathmandu.

The poems in this collection follow the Nepalese metric style (Chhanda).

He started writing under the name Bhupi Sherchan after publishing Nirjhar.

He was awarded the Sajha Puraskar for his 1969 poetry collection Ghumne Mech Mathi Andho Manche, which remains his most popular work.

In 1969, Sajha Prakashan published an anthology of his poems in a book Ghumne Mechmathi Andho Manche.

The poems in this collection were originally published in literary periodicals such as Ruprekha and Madhuparka.

The book won him the first ever Sajha Puraskar in late 2025 BS (1969).

He was also appointed a member of the Royal Nepal Academy for two terms from 1979 to 1989.

Sherchan married twice.

Bhupi Sherchan Ka Kavita, a poetry collection edited by Shiva Regmi was published in 2008.

The collection contains poems published in various literary magazines but not included in Ghumne Mech Mathi Andho Manchhe.

He is considered the most successful Nepalese poet to have employed free verse.

His poems reflected his analysis of humans and human life from different perspectives, and his biggest contribution to Nepalese society is regarded to be his attempts to guide his generation through poetry.

His Himalayan nationalism can be seen in his poem Hami (Us), where he claimed that Nepalese are brave, but foolish (because they are brave).

Sherchan produced several odes to the martyrs of Nepal, including Sahid Ko Samjhana, Main Batti Ko Sikha, and Ghantaghar.

Ghumne Mech Mathi Andho Manche (Blind Man on a Revolving Chair) is his most popular poetry collection.