Poet Ghanshyam Kandel has been awarded Madan Puraskar 2073 for his book Dhritarastra, according to Madan Puraskar Guthi, the trust that administers the award.

In a statement on Sunday, the trust has also announced cartoonist Vatsayan (Durga Baral) as the winner of this year’s Jagdamba Shree Puraskar. The Jagadamba Shree Puraskar is awarded to a literary figure for their lifetime contribution in the field of Nepali literature. 

Dhritarastra-an epic poem-is author Kandel’s sixth book. A reimagining of the Mahabharata, Dhritarastra retells the epic from the blind king’s perspective, undercutting deeply entrenched notions of what is right and wrong and what is just and unjust. 

Out of a total 195 applications this year, nine books from a variety of genres-poetry, fiction, history, travelogue and short-story-had been shortlisted for the prestigious award.

The shortlisted books included: Guha, Guhalekh, Guhachitra Ebam Anya Sampada, by Purushottam Lochan Shrestha; Chhaughar by Raj Sargam; Tapan by Sharad Poudel; Doha ko Sidha Udaan by Jaya Chhanchha; Pratinaayak by Hari Adhikari; Ma Stri arthat Aaimai by Seema Aavaas; Shukra Rak Shastri ko Chasma by Rajendra Parajulip; Sagarmathako Gahiraai by Nawaraj Parajuli and the ultimate winner Dhritarastra by Ghanashyam Kandel. 

Madan Puraskar, considered one of the most prestigious literary awards in Nepal, was established on September 26, 1955 by Jagadamba Kumari Devi in memory of her late husband General Madan Shumsher JBR. Each year, the trust presents the award to an outstanding book along with a purse of Rs200,000.

Last year, the award was conferred to the book Aina by Ram Lal Joshi.