''Ranahar'' ( ne, रणहार) is a 2018

Nepali Nepali or Nepalese may refer to : Concerning Nepal * Anything of, from, or related to Nepal * Nepali people, citizens of Nepal * Nepali language, an Indo-Aryan language found in Nepal, the current official national language and a language spoken ...

historical fiction Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other ty ...

novel by Yogesh Raj. It was published on 2 June 2018 by Nepa~laya publications The book won the

Madan Puraskar The Madan Puraskar ( ne, मदन पुरस्कार) is a literary honor in Nepal which Madan Puraskar Guthi confers annually for an outstanding book in the Nepali language published within the calendar year. It is considered the most pre ...

of that year. The book follows the life of

Ranajit Malla Ranajita Malla (Nepal bhasa: ) (Devanagari: रणजीत मल्ल) was a Malla Dynasty King of Bhaktapur, Nepal from 1722 to 1769. He was the last Malla king of Bhaktapur and of Nepal who left for Kashi after his defeat by the Gorkhali fo ...

, the last king of Bhaktapur and his defeat to

Prithvi Narayan Shah Maharajadhiraj Prithvi Narayan Shah (1723–1775) ( ne, श्री ५ बडामहाराजाधिराज पृथ्वीनारायण शाह देव) was the last ruler of the Gorkha Kingdom and first monarch of the ...

. The name of the main character is ''Ranajit'' (one who triumphs in the war) whereas ''Ranahar'' means defeat in the war, so the title of the book is a

wordplay Word play or wordplay (also: play-on-words) is a literary technique and a form of wit in which words used become the main subject of the work, primarily for the purpose of intended effect or amusement. Examples of word play include puns, phone ...

on the name of the protagonist.

Synopsis

The book journeys the life of the prince from his childhood to his defeat. The book shows the culture and society of that period. The construction of

Nyatapola Temple Nyātāpola (Newar language, Nepal Bhasa: , "''ṅātāpola''", ) is a five tiered temple located in the central part of Bhaktapur, Nepal. It is the tallest monument within the city and is also the tallest temple of Nepal. This temple was commiss ...

by his father King

Bhupatindra Malla Bhupatindra Malla (Nepal Bhasa: ; 3 November 1674 – 19 May 1722) was a Malla Dynasty King of the Kingdom of Bhaktapur (present day Bhaktapur, Nepal) who reigned from 1696 until his death in 1722. He is the most widely known king of Bhaktapur a ...

is also a part of the story of the novel. The book also contains lots of words in Nepal Bhasa.

Reception

The book won the prestigious Madan Puraskar for 2018 (2075 BS).

References

{{Nepali literature, state=collapsed Madan Puraskar-winning works Nepalese novels Malla dynasty 2018 Nepalese novels Novels set in Nepal Nepali-language novels Nepalese historical novels

Synopsis

Reception

See also

References