Janakpur, Mar. 3: Mithila Natya Kala Parishad (MINAP) conferred the 30th ‘Mahamurkha title on Madhesh Province Assembly Speaker Ram Ashish Yadav on Sunday, as part of its two-day Hori (Holi) Festival and Mahamurkha Conference held in Janakpurdham.

Accepting the title, Speaker Yadav said that the Parishad has been playing a significant role in preserving Mithila’s art, culture and traditions.

At this year’s Mahamurkha Conference, 16 other individuals, alongside Speaker Yadav, were presented with various humorous and satirical titles.

In recognition of his contribution to modern education, Rakesh Karn was honoured with ‘Baishakhanand , Maithili campaigner Vibha Jha received ‘Tilbikhani’, legal practitioner Bipin Kumar Jha was awarded ‘Loversatka’, and journalist and litterateur Himanshu Chaudhary was given the title ‘Ji Hajuriya.

Similarly, poet and writer Digambar Jha Dinmani was conferred the title ‘Ponga Pandit’, private school operator Bishwalal Singh received Patmurkha, Anju Pandey, Chief of the Education Branch at Janakpurdham Sub-Metropolitan City, was awarded ‘Mantoriya’, neurosurgeon Vijay Raut received Biskhopda’, and industrialist Pradeep Chaudhary was honoured with titles.

During the conference, handball player Pawan Karn was awarded ‘Bajrakit’, gold trader Pawan Thakur received ‘Dapaorshankha’,  Mithila artist Rajkumari Mandal was given Targhuski, youth Lav Adhikari received Lodhashankar and Deepak Karn, a Maithili newsreader at Nepal Television, was presented with the title Lambodar.

At the programme, poets including Punam Jha Maithil, journalist Santosh Karn and Vijay Datt Mani recited Holi-themed poems, while artists from the Parishad staged the play ‘Dokan’, along with short dramatic performances and various Hori songs.