Butwal, June 19: Judge at the district court, Rupendehi Jagadish Prasad Poudel released “Siddhartha Gautam’s Unknown Period” a compilation by Prem Singh Subedi, at Devdaha Saturday.

The book which comprises essays, memories, one act plays and short dramas argues that Siddhartha Gautam gained enlightenment following a dispute between the Shakya and Koliya Kingdoms over the waters of the Rohini river.

On the occasion, Judge Poudel said that the book is a yardstick in sensitivity towards the teachings of lord Buddha.

He lamented the coupling of the Buddha’s teaching with commercial activities instead of pursuing it in day to day life.

Senior journalist Karna Bahadur Karki said that the book has raised a new thesis about the Buddha’s enlightenment resulting from a battle for water.

Prof. Dil Shahani spoke of the need for research into the thesis proposed in the book while researcher Rishi Gyawali emphasised upon excavation work at Devdaha.

Devdaha VDC chairman Khem Parajuli said that everyone should be alert agaisnt the propaganda about Devdaha unleashed by India.

Devdaha preservation committee chairman Ram Chandra Pandey presided over the function at which author Prem Singh Dhami, social worker Amrit Shakya and save the environment movement chairman Narayan Sapkota also expressed their views.

During the function, a shawl was wrapped around Sulochana Parajuli, 97, of Devdaha by way of honouring her.

Similarly, the College of Computer Technology, Butwal is to start diploma courses in computer science from this academic year, a first for the western region.

The college has acquired affiliation with Pokhara University for the diploma course, its chairman Deepak Kumar Shrestha said at an interaction programme organised here Saturday.

The three-year diploma course is divided into six semesters and covers a range of computer skills and techniques required by industrial and trading firms in an industrial and commercial area like Butwal.

The college will start its classes with some 40 students and will turn out manpower of international standard, he said.

Chairman of Radio Lumbini Arjun Gyawali expressed the conviction that the college would be able to play a leading role in producing the needed skills and said this was a matter of pride for the people of Lumbini.

Federation of Nepalese Journalists, Rupendehi unit president Binod Pahadi, president of Nepal Environment Journalists Association D.R. Ghimire and vice-chairman of the college Lekh Bahadur Gurung spoke about the relevance of computer sciences.

Meanwhile, National Assembly member Ashok Nath Tiwari inaugurated the Bigyan English School library at local Mandikhtar on Saturday.

Addressing the inaugural function, MP Tiwari underlined the importance of library in study and research and urged the students to make maximum use of the library.

Chairman of the school management committee and founder Gyanhari Poudel from he chair said library is to a school as nails are to the fingers.

Student Miss Sadhana Poudel highlighted the role f library study while Ramesh Bogati, Bir Bikram Ghimire and Miss Pramila Neupane also expressed their views on the importance of library.