How S M Muthu Ended up Being on Japan’s Postage Stamps

May 7, 2016, 3:15 am

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In the 1980s, Japanese national Shuzo Matsunga and S M Muthu from Tamil Nadu developed an unlikely friendship over their common love of literature. In 2007, this friendship resulted in the Japanese government issuing postage stamps in honour of Muthu. In libraries across Japan, one is likely to stumble upon a book by Shuzo Matsunga titled Thirukkural, nestled among their classics. The book is a Japanese translation of a Tamil classic by the same name. Through a marvellous sequence of events, the book led to the Government of Japan felicitating an Indian man named S M Muthu, by issuing commemorative stamps with his picture on them.

The story begins in the 1970s when Japanese national Shuzo Matsunga chanced upon a few translated lines from Thirukkural.

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An English Translation of Thirukkural[/caption]

Image for representation only. Source: GoodReads

Thirukkural is often lauded as Tamil’s greatest contribution to Indian literature. The book is believed to have been penned by the renowned writer and poet Thiruvalluvar, either in the 6th or 1st century BC. Over 133 sections and through 1330 couplets, the author discusses virtue, love, governance, and society. This seminal work is believed to have had a great impact on Tamil literature, culture and society. The universality of its aphorisms translated into a global audience for the book. It is no wonder then that years after Shuzo first came across a few lines from the book, he was still fascinated by it. He reached out to Shekar, his pen-pal in India, telling him that he wanted to read more of the work. Shekar then put him in touch with his father, S M Muthu.

Born in Omalur, near Salem, S M Muthu loved Tamil literature with a passion. He sent Shuzo G U Pope’s English translation of Thirukkural. And a friendship was born.

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S M Muthu[/caption]

Image Source: Facebook

Letters in Shuzo’s neat even hand began finding their way to Muthu with greater frequency as Shuzo set out to translate Thirukkural. “We exchanged about 50 letters when Shuzo worked on Thirukkural. He would send me photocopies of the pages in which he sought clarifications and I would write back to him,” Muthu told The Hindu. By 1980, Shuzo had completed his translation of Thirukkural and in 1981, he made his maiden trip to India where Muthu had arranged for him to attend the 5th World Classical Tamil Conference in Madurai.

“He was tall and fair. When he saw me, he bowed and folded his hands to say vanakkam (welcome),” Muthu recalls. It was the first time the two friends were meeting, after having corresponded for over a year.

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Shuzo Matsunga[/caption]

Image Source: Facebook

At the conference, Shuzo presented his research essay on Thirukkural. During his visit, Muthu brought up the idea of introducing his Japanese friend to another renowned Tamil poet, Bharathiar. Shuzo, whose fascination with Tamil literature had only grown over the years, readily agreed. With each letter they exchanged, the friendship between the two grew, cemented further by their common love of literature and respect for each other’s cultures.

In the swishes and swirls of Muthu’s handwritten letters, Shuzo saw – and fell in love with – India. From learning about festivals like Deepavali and Pongal, to understanding the different rituals followed during weddings and funerals, Muthu’s letters took Shuzo on an unforgettable journey through India.

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Image Source: Facebook

Shuzo even went on to compile these letters into a book titled, My India as Seen through Letters. Replies from Shuzo too came filled with stories about life in Japan, its festivals and culture. Over the next couple of decades, Muthu helped Shuzo translate several popular titles, including Manimegalai, Naaladiyar, Panchathanthira Kathaigal and Voice of Vallalar. In turn, Shuzo began to share English translations of Japanese books that Muthu went on to translate into Tamil. Muthu’s work soon found its way to newspapers, magazines and publishing houses. Across a distance of 5,956 kilometres and over a period of more than three decades, the steadfast friends helped contribute greatly to the literary discourse in their respective countries.

In 2007, the Government of Japan recognised Muthu’s contribution towards Japanese literature by issuing a commemorative postage stamp with his photo.

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Image Source: Facebook

In an interview in 2012, Muthu spoke about the fact that the two friends had met only once: “We are now in the final stages of life. I don’t think we will meet again. He called me when my wife passed away. But these days, he’s hard of hearing and I too can’t follow what he says.” Despite age catching up with them, the two friends continued to write to each other regularly. Muthu passed away last month, but not before showing us that friendship and literature transcend borders, culture and language.

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This List of India’s Most Gifted Women Poets Is Sure to Bring Some Enchantment in Your Life

May 28, 2016, 10:30 pm

≫ Next: 5 Surprising Ways in Which the Story of the Epic Ramayana Differs in Other Parts of Asia

≪ Previous: How S M Muthu Ended up Being on Japan’s Postage Stamps

Since time immemorial, India has been a melting pot of creative people - writers, poets, artists, sculptors, musicians, etc., who have shaped our history and culture.

In the arena of poetry, it is easy enough to name men – from Rabindranath Tagore to Nissim Ezekiel to Sumitranandan Pant – who have contributed to the wealth of Indian literature, but most of us are left stumped at the prospect of naming female poets. But India has been and is home to several fascinating women too who have penned beautiful poems that will enthral the most demanding of readers. Here is a list of eight:

1. Kamala Surayya

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Kamala Surayya, also known by her pen names Madhavi Das and Kamala Das, was an English poetess and Malayalam author. Born in 1934 in Punnayurkulam in Kerala, she came to be admired for her bold and honest treatment of women's sexuality at a time when very few women had the courage to speak up about it. Some of her popular poetry books are Summer in Calcutta and The Descendants.

“Don't write in English, they said, English is Not your mother-tongue.Why not leave Me alone, critics, friends, visiting cousins, Every one of you? Why not let me speak in Any language I like? The language I speak, Becomes mine, its distortions, its queernesses All mine, mine alone.” - from An Introduction, Kamala Das.

2. Sarojini Naidu

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Sarojini Naidu, known as the Nightingale of India, was an Indian freedom fighter and acclaimed poetess. She was also the first woman to become the governor of an Indian state. She was born in Hyderabad in 1879. Her poems are famous for the melodic style they are written in. Some of her popular books are A Golden Threshold and The Feather of the Dawn.

"The new hath come and now the old retires: And so the past becomes a mountain-cell, Where lone, apart, old hermit-memories dwell In consecrated calm, forgotten yet Of the keen heart that hastens to forget Old longings in fulfilling new desires"- from Past and Future, Sarojini Naidu.

3. Mahadevi Varma

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Mahadevi Varma was a freedom fighter, women’s activist and an extremely proficient Hindi poetess. She was one of the four major poets of the chhayavaad (an era of romanticism in Hindi literature) generation. Born in 1907 in Farrukhabad, her excellence in literature won her the Padma Vibhushan and the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship among other honours. Her poems were full of compassion towards both humans and animals. Some of her famous works are Madhur Madhur Mere Deepak Jal and Adhikar.

“मधुर-मधुर मेरे दीपक जल! युग-युग प्रतिदिन प्रतिक्षण प्रतिपल प्रियतम का पथ आलोकित कर!” - from Madhur Madhur Mere Deepak Jal, Mahadevi Varma.

4. Balamani Amma

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Balamani Amma was another famous Indian poetess who wrote in Malayalam. She was highly respected and known as the “poetess of motherhood.” She was born in Punnayurkulam in Kerala in 1909. Although she received no formal education, her maternal uncle and his collection of books helped her become a poet. She received several awards in her lifetime, including the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship. Some of her famous works are Amma, Muthassi and Mazhuvinte Katha.

"Your grandmother knows Nothing is destroyed Everything exists in human forever In my old heart there are so much of riches, still for your hands too to play with." - a translation of Muthassi, Balamani Amma.

5. Mira Bai

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Mira Bai was a 16th century Hindu poet and a devout follower of Krishna. She is recognised as one of the most popular faces of the Bhakti movement in India. In her poems she praises Krishna, who she considers her husband, and his many qualities. She was born in Pali in Rajasthan and was also known for her bold and fearless disregard for social customs and repressions.

"I am mad with love And no one understands my plight. Only the wounded Understand the agonies of the wounded, When the fire rages in the heart." - a translated version of I am mad with love, Mirabai

6. Nandini Sahu

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Nandini Sahu is an acclaimed Indian poet, writer and critic. She has several English books and poems to her name, and is also Associate Professor of English at the Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi. Born in 1973 in Orissa, she is the recipient of two gold medals in English literature and the Shiksha Ratna Purashkar. Some of her popular books are The Other Voice, a Collection of Poems and The Silence.

"Does your laugh tear your shrunken lips? Open your wardrobe, cover the breast of the poor, apply on your lips the balm of a millennium’s rebellion. Who says death is the only truth? See, your body of fog is still seated on the throne. You still shine in the firmament of stars." - from Death Stands at a Distance, Nandini Sahu.

7. Subhadra Kumari Chauhan

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Subhadra Kumari Chauhan is one of the most famous Indian poets of the veer ras sub genre. She was born in Nihalpur village in 1904, was an open opposer of the British rule in India, and was jailed twice for her protests. Her poems revolve around patriotism and nationalism. Some of her evergreen works are Jhansi ki Rani, which is one of the most recited and sung poems in Hindi literature, and Veeron Ka Kaisa Ho Basant.

"Sinhasan hil uthey raajvanshon ney bhrukuti tani thi, budhey Bharat mein aayee phir se nayi jawani thi, gumee huee azadi ki keemat sabney pehchani thi, door phirangi ko karney ki sab ney man mein thani thi. Chamak uthi san sattavan mein, yeh talwar purani thi, Bundeley Harbolon key munh hamney suni kahani thi, Khoob ladi mardani woh to Jhansi wali Rani thi." - Subhadra Kumari Chauhan.

8. Amrita Pritam

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Amrita Pritam was a poet and writer who wrote in Punjabi and Hindi. She was a prominent Punjabi novelist too and is known as the leading Punjabi poet of the 20th century. Born in Gujranwala in Punjab, she had a career spanning six decades and is credited with writing more than a 100 books and poems. She won the Sahitya Akademi award in 1956 for her poem Sunehade, and became the first woman to do so. Some of her popular works are Aaj Aakhan Waaris Shah Nu and Pinjar (a novel).

"When the body perishes all perishes but the threads of memory are woven of enduring atoms I will pick these particles weave the threads and I will meet you yet again." - Amrita Pritam.

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About the author: Varun Jadia is a high schooler who has just completed his Class 10 boards. He enjoys listening to music, playing his guitar, playing badminton, writing and reading. Math is his favourite subject, and in the future, he wishes to pursue a career in economics.

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5 Surprising Ways in Which the Story of the Epic Ramayana Differs in Other Parts of Asia

June 25, 2016, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: This Little Known Himalayan Village Was the Much-Loved Summer Retreat of Rabindranath Tagore

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The Ramayana, an ancient Indian mythological tale loved and revered by Hindus, is performed all over the country during the festival of Dussehra, culminating in Diwali. The story is simple, about the good king Ram who fights and is victorious over the evil Ravana; it spreads the message of dharma, karma, loyalty, devotion to parents and duty towards citizens.

This epic poem has left its influence not just in India but also on other countries in Southeast Asia.

Originally written in Sanskrit by sage Valmiki, the Ramayana has been interpreted in different ways in these countries. These adaptations take the basic plot of Valmiki’s Ramayana but modify it according to the culture of their own communities. It is then represented in different ways in their literature, dance, theatre and also temple architecture. With multiple versions in India itself, there are about 300 variants of the Ramayana. Some of the popular ones are to be found in Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, and Malaysia, among other countries.

1. The Buddhist version:

In Dashratha Jataka, the Buddhist version of the Ramayana, Dashratha was the king of Kashi first and then of Ayodhya. But the main point of departure from Valmiki’s version in this Ramayana is that Rama, Sita and Lakshmana were sent to a hermitage in the Himalayas for twelve years by Dashratha in order to protect them from his over ambitious third wife Kalyani, instead of being banished from the kingdom as is popularly believed. This is one of those rare versions of the tale that has no mention of the abduction of Sita.

2. The Jain version:

In this version, Rama is a follower of non-violence. So, it is Lakshmana who kills Ravana and both of them go to hell. Rama, in the end, renounces his kingdom and becomes a Jain monk and eventually attains moksha. He also predicts that both Lakshmana and Ravana will be re-born as upright persons and attain salvation.

3. The Malay version:

Hikayat Seri Rama, the Malay version of the epic poem, gives Lakshmana a larger role and even increases his importance as compared to Rama in some incidents. Malay writers and storytellers have also glorified Lakshmana’s courage.

4. The Thai version:

One of the most popular works of literature in Thailand, Ramakien is the Thai version of the Ramayana. It is considered to be Thailand’s national epic and has a deep influence on Thai literature, culture and art. Though most of the stories are the same as those in Valmiki’s version, Ramakien gives more importance to Hanuman.

5. The Burmese version:

The Burmese version of the Ramayana is known as Yama Zatdaw and is the unofficial national epic of Myanmar. The plot, the features and characteristics of the characters remain the same in this version, the only difference being the names, which are Burmese transliterations of the Sanskrit names.

All images source: Wikimedia

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This Little Known Himalayan Village Was the Much-Loved Summer Retreat of Rabindranath Tagore

July 19, 2016, 5:50 am

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A tranquil little village in the mountainous Kurseong sub division of North Bengal, Mongpu was a much-loved summer retreat of Nobel Laureate, Rabindranath Tagore.

Located at an elevation of 3,500-4000 feet, this Himalayan hamlet is also famous for its verdant tea estates, clear gurgling streams, orchid nurseries, and cinchona plantations.

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Although Mongpu does not offer a view of the mighty Kanchenjunga, it has a quaint charm and appeal of its own that attracted Tagore, who first came here on April 25, 1938. Falling in love with the calm beauty of the place, he spent many of his last years at Mongpu on the invitation of his protégé, Maitreyi Devi.

Maitreyi Devi was herself a renowned poet and novelist who wrote the famous Bengali novel Na Hanyate. She also recorded the poet's stay with her in her delightful book Mongpute Rabindranath, the English translation of which is called Tagore by The Fire Side.

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The house where Tagore stayed overlooked sprawling cinchona plantations and a quinine factory. The bungalow had been allotted to Maitreyi Devi’s husband, Dr. Manmohan Sen, who was the director of the quinine factory at the time.

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Delighted by the presence of the revered poet in their village, the locals of Mongpu celebrated Tagore’s 80th birthday with great enthusiasm. On Maitreyi Devi’s insistence, Tagore even wrote a new poem – the legendary “Janamadin.” The poet then recited this poem over the telephone from Kalimpong; All India Radio Calcutta broadcast it live all over India. Here are some evocative lines from this beautiful poem.

"In the dusk of this life Let me fill from the well of beauty And refresh for one last time my heart, body and soul Let me cast away all striving, all argument, all suspicion, all fame, all blind ambition."

There is an interesting anecdote about this historic broadcast. Mr Lionel Fielding was the director of All India Radio's Calcutta station at that time and he wanted to broadcast Tagore's poems, recited by the poet himself, live from Kalimgpong. With this in mind, he visited Mongpu several times to meet Tagore and organize the broadcast but the poet refused to see Fielding. Fielding finally related his predicament to Dr Sen who promised to arrange an appointment for him. Dr Sen then went and asked the poet about his refusal to give Fielding an appointment.

" I don't like them. They play the harmonium," was Tagore's reply. The poet did not like this particular instrument as it could not reproduce the mir, an essential part of Indian music. Dr Sen conveyed the poet's feelings to Fielding. "Is that the only problem?" Mr. Fielding asked. "Yes," Dr Sen replied. "In that case, as of today, I am banning the harmonium on All India Radio," was Fielding's reply.

From that day on the harmonium remained banned from the studios of All India Radio till the mid-1970s. The ban was lifted only after a lot of pressure was exerted on the management of Akashvani by the Harmonium Manufacturer's Association to reintroduce the instrument. On his last visit to Mongpu in 1940, Tagore fell seriously ill and had to be shifted to Kolkata. He passed away the next year, leaving behind several of his possessions at the Mongpu residence. Later on, the bungalow was converted into a museum by the government and named Rabindra Bhavan. The museum displays several priceless memoirs such as Tagore’s original artworks, his handwritten documents and old photographs. Interestingly, the museum also has furniture that was designed by Tagore and carved by his son, Rathindranath Tagore. The museum caretaker can be found chanting the poet’s compositions all day long as he takes visitors around the creaky old house. The bed in which Tagore slept is still there and has an inclined headrest that was specially made to help with his respiratory problem. His mahogany writing desk and chair face a window that has a gorgeous view of the lush green mountainside – it is easy to imagine the soothing effect of such tranquility on the nature-loving poet’s imagination.

The Rabindra Bhawan museum is a must stop on the itinerary of every literary pilgrim.

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Mongpu is also the place where the first government quinine factory was set up in the year 1864. Barks of cinchona plants, grown on several plantations in Mongpu were used to extract quinine, a medicinal compound used for curing malaria.

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The majority of the local population depended on the cinchona plantations for livelihood. However, with the advent of artificial quinine, natural extraction of quinine from cinchona has come down over the years.

Mongpu is also home to colourful orchid gardens, with the Mongpu Cymbidium Orchid Park (it has more than 150 varieties of orchids!) being a must visit.

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The Kalijhora waterfall is another scenic picnic spot near Mongpu. Gushing from a height of 550 feet, the black spray of the waterfall pours into the clear blue waters of the river Teesta at the northern edge of the Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary.

There is also a picturesque Buddhist monastery, the Dinchhen Sherap Chhoeling Gompa, perched on a hillock that overlooks the bustling bazaar of Shanti Chowk in Mongpu. A small winding stairway from the market leads up to the serene little monastery.

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So, if you are bibliophile who would love to experience a slice of literary history accompanied by gorgeous views of verdant hills, head to this Himalayan village that inspired Tagore. How to Reach Mongpu: Mongpu can be reached either from Darjeeling through Peshok Road, or from the Sikkim Bengal National Highway 31A by taking a diversion near Rambhi Bazar. The nearest railway station from Mongpu is the New Jalpaiguri station and the airport closest to the region is the Bagdogra Airport. Accommodation: Not being a typical tourist destination, there are few choices for accommodation in Mongpu. However, tourists wishing to stay here can avail the home stay facilities provided by the residents of the village.

You May Also Like: In This Tiny Karnataka Village, Farmers and Shopkeepers Debate over Shakespeare and Kalidas

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The Interesting Story of How a School Dropout Bookseller & His Customer Wrote a Book Together

August 4, 2016, 3:34 am

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≪ Previous: This Little Known Himalayan Village Was the Much-Loved Summer Retreat of Rabindranath Tagore

A Class 7-pass book stall owner from a humble background, Santosh Pandey authored a book based on the Ramayana with the help of his friend Vinod Cherian.

“Misfortune is the best fortune. Rejection by all is victory.” ― Valmiki Ramayana

Santosh Pandey, a 12-year-old from Amani Pandeypur in the Jaunpur district of Uttar Pradesh was a bright child. He especially excelled in Math. But there came a day when he did not even want to attend his Math classes. He sat outside his house near a tree and kept thinking about how he could help his mother. The night before, he had seen his mother begging a neighbor to lend her some money by mortgaging the little land they owned. But the neighbor would agree to give the money only if the land was sold to him. Finally, his mother agreed to his proposal so she would have enough to marry off her daughter, Santosh’s sister.

“Once, when I was in class 7, my mother gave my brother and I just boiled potatoes to eat, saying she was not in a mood to cook that day. We were surprised as we had never seen our mother feel lazy about cooking or doing any other work. Later, I saw her selling her tiny gold nose ring for Rs. 45 to buy some rice,” Santosh recalls.

Young Santosh decided he had seen enough. He made up his mind to leave school and start working to help his mother.

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Santosh with his Mother.[/caption] He left home and went to a relative’s place in Mumbai. The relative was a wholesale book dealer. Every morning, Santosh would take some books from him and sit near the bus stop at Vakola Bridge. It was a busy area during the mornings, so sales were brisk - Santosh would turn over the day’s earning to his relative every evening. After a year, when Santosh left to go back to his village, the relative gave him Rs.500 for the work he had done. This encouraged Santosh to come back to Mumbai and start a book ‘business.’ He started collecting bestseller books from scrap dealers and selling them at bus stops and railway stations. He also got married and had children. In just a few years, Santosh was able to put up his own shop at Ville Parle. He was doing extremely well until one day, in 2009, his shop was broken down by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and he had to shift to a small alley where there were hardly any customers. This came as a major setback. He had to repay the book dealers from whom he had bought books for his shop. No one helped him during this hard time. It was difficult for him to even pay the school fees for his children. Dejected and miserable, Santosh returned to his village. Since he did not have much to do now, he started reading the Ramayana.

“I had read the Ramayana before but this time I was reading it to look for answers... answers to all my questions,” says Santosh.

Within a month, Santosh had read various versions of the Ramayana – from Valmiki’s Ramayana to the Ramayana by Tulsidas. He began to feel that this great epic had the solution to every problem he had ever encountered. The simple story about the victory of good over evil and everyone getting the fruits of their karma appealed to him.

The Ramayana inspired him to get back to work in spite of all his difficulties. He returned to Mumbai, restarted his book business, and started to do well for himself again.

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Santosh at his Book Shop.[/caption] Simultaneously, in 2011, he began to write a piece of fiction based on his learnings from the Ramayana. Santosh felt that even the most villainous characters in the epic, especially the demon king Ravana, had some redeeming qualities to them. So his story explored Ravana’s past before he encountered Ram - his years growing up as a Brahmin boy in a forest and the ascent to the throne of Lanka before he was decimated for his evil deeds. Although he had no intention of publishing the book when he started writing, once the book was complete Santosh decided he wanted to share the story with the rest of the world. But he had written it in Hindi and he wanted his first book to be published in English!

“Most of my customers were English readers. I thought since I had written a book they would surely buy it. So I wanted to get it translated,” says Santosh.

Vinod Cherian, a marketing professional in Mumbai, was one of Santosh’s regular customers. Santosh had always surprised him with his vast knowledge despite being a school dropout. When Santosh narrated the story of his book to Vinod, the latter encouraged him to publish it. But a professional translator was beyond Santosh’s budget so he asked Vinod if he could do the job.

Vinod was reluctant. He was a Christian and knew practically nothing about the Ramayana except for some stories he had read in children’s magazines when young. Besides, Santosh’s book was written in classical Sanskritized Hindi while Vinod was conversant only with everyday colloquial Hindi.

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Santosh (Left) and Vinod (Right)[/caption] Not to be dissuaded, Santosh continued to implore Vinod to work on the translation until the latter gave in and agreed. After that, the two met regularly at a small restaurant after the day’s work was over for both of them. Sometimes they started as late as 10 pm and worked well into the early dawn. Vinod read every version of the Ramayana suggested by Santosh. And slowly, after two years of hard work, the book took its final shape in English - with both their names as authors. “I did not find it any different. Though I have never compared the Ramayana and the Holy Bible as such, my knowledge and understanding of the two books is that they are very similar; the basic message is very simple: Live a life in complete harmony with one another and with nature. We want to give the same message to our readers through our book Karmaayan,” says Cherian.

The book was finally published in 2016 and can be bought here.

You can mail Santosh and Vinod at santoshbookstall@gmail.com Or you can meet Santosh at: Santosh Book Stall, Irla Society Road, Near Bhagubhai College, Alpha market, Ville Parle West, Mumbai.

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Meet the NRI Who Returned To India To Make Millions Fall in Love with Hindi Poetry

September 14, 2016, 5:32 am

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≪ Previous: The Interesting Story of How a School Dropout Bookseller & His Customer Wrote a Book Together

"Poetry is language at its most distilled and most powerful." - Rita Vaz

One of humanity’s most treasured forms of cultural and linguistic expression, poems tell you so much while saying so little. Sensitive and subtle, the simplest of poems can provide solace and inspiration at the end of a busy day. But at a time when even the habit of fiction reading is declining, poetry, especially in vernacular languages, is something people rarely make time for.

However, one Indian man with a passion for poetry has made it his business to let everyone know how amazing Hindi poetry actually is.

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Manish Gupta, a successful filmmaker and businessman settled in Miami, was suffering from depression when he found solace in the poetic works of Maithilisharan Gupta, Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, Mahadevi Verma, Amrita Pritam, and others. The soothing effect their poems had on him inspired Gupta to search for ways to make Hindi poetry popular again - especially with youngsters.

He launched Hindi Kavita, a channel on Youtube that already has thousands all over India falling in love with Hindi poetry.

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In 1980, Manish Gupta was just 11 when he read Bhavani Prasad Mishr’s poem, 'Satpura Ke Ghane Jangal', in his school textbook for the first time. He remembers the words resonating within him, the beginning of a lifelong love and appreciation for poetry. In the coming years, young Manish would spend countless afternoons under a tree with his friends at Chhindwara, reading Munshi Premchand’s short stories, Ramdhari Singh Dinkar's poems and Hindi translations of Mark Twain’s works. Decades later, it was this connection with words that the 47-year-old evoked with his YouTube channel, Hindi Kavita. In the time between his teenage years and starting Hindi Kavita in Mumbai, Gupta moved to the US, worked as a painter, ran a beach club in Miami, produced TV shows and directed two feature films — Indian Fish (2003) and Karma Confessions and Holi (2006). He was working as a columnist with a leading Indian daily and had just returned to India from the US when the idea of a Hindi poetry channel struck him. It was a nostalgic conversation about the long-gone days of reading Premchand, Nirala and Dinkar with his friends in 2013 that convinced Gupta to finally start the poetry channel. In his research for the project, he interacted with students of different colleges in the country, met publishers and book-sellers and got the feedback that Hindi poetry was not popular because it lacked a "style quotient." Thinking about how he could present Hindi poetry in a way that would appeal to the new generation, Gupta hit upon a simple yet powerful idea. He decided to persuade the best of the talent from the film industry to recite poems of renowned poets, both contemporary and yesteryear greats. The results were no less than incredible.

Hindi Kavita took off with Manoj Bajpayee’s recitation of Dinkar’s 'Rashmirathi', rapidly raking in 1,90,000 views, and writer-actor Piyush Mishra’s own poem 'Premikaon Ke Naam', getting more than 86,000 views.

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Three years later, the much-loved YouTube channel is considered so 'cool' that it is called the 'Coke Studio of Poetry' by its followers.

"When we started, people were like, ‘Poems? And that too in Hindi?’ But today, English-reading clubs from across the country want to be a part of Hindi Kavita because we have made poems look cool," says Gupta.

Hindi Kavita's videos of actors and writers reading the works of their favourite poets — from lyricist-writer Varun Grover reading 'Main Laut Jaaunga' by Uday Prakash and actor Rajendra Gupta’s nostalgic narration of Hubnath’s 'Musalman', to actors Swara Bhaskar and Rasika Duggal reciting their favourite verses by Pash and Amrita Pritam, respectively — have become widely popular in the country. In an interview with Indian Express, Swara Bhaskar said:

“Recently, at a friend’s place, a vegetable seller told me how he can’t read but had watched the video of me reading. This was very humbling. It also made me realise that the vernacular belt doesn’t only enjoy masala Hindi films, they enjoy this as well.”

Renowned actor Saurabh Shukla says that these beautiful videos have brought back a love of poetry in him, a sentiment that resonates in Hindi Kavita's steadily growing fan following.

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As lyricist-writer Varun Grover says:

“Hindi poetry never had a marketing channel of its own. People love poetry but it never left the pages of our school books. With this channel, in this age of sharing, Hindi poetry has become ‘cool’.”

The short, simple and crisp videos are usually shot at Manish Gupta's own house, with a violin playing in the background, and the anchors explaining their choice of poem for the day. Gupta has the support of the best technicians from the film industry, who help with the cinematography, editing and graphics. As a result, the videos look, sound and feel amazing, making listening to poems a thoroughly engrossing experience. Manish Gupta says he has also discovered long-forgotten poems, like those by Nazir Akbarabadi (an 18th century poet), and little-known voices, such as Dogri poet Padma Sachdev, as a result of his work for Hindi Kavita. Aware that the interest of students in Hindi literature is steadily declining, Gupta also wants to take Hindi Kavita to colleges across the country, including the IIMs, IITs, Delhi University and Banaras Hindu University. He plans to show the videos in colleges and get the performers to read out the poems themselves as often as possible.

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Gupta believes that though English is hugely popular and has become a common language of communication, India, as a country, is most comfortable speaking in its own languages. He says:

"I have no problem with English, it is a great language too. But it is not ours, so we, as human beings, don’t really excel in it. We bloom in our own language. Even the psychologists say that when we use our mother tongue the relationship with words becomes deeper and more satisfying."

For Manish Gupta, rediscovering poets and poetry through Hindi Kavita has been the most fulfilling project of his life. He and his team have been promoting poems in Hindi, Urdu and recently Punjabi, as a part of their project to promote vernacular languages. They are also planning to add Marathi, Gujarati and Bengali to it soon.

Here are some of the excellent Hindi poetry readings that Hindi Kavita has done so far. You can browse more videos here.

1. 'Musalman' by Hubnath - Read by Rajendra Gupta

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2. 'Rashmirathi' by Ramdhari Singh Dinkar - Read by Manoj Bajpai

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3. 'Ek Mulaqat' by Amrita Pritam- Read by Rasika Duggal

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4. 'Premikaon ke Naam' by Piyush Mishra

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5. 'Mai Ab Vida Leta Hoon' by Pash - Read by Swara Bhaskar

[embedvideo id="l_EoqwrBpYw" website="youtube"]

Also Read: On Poetry, Feminism & Being an Indian Immigrant in Canada – An Exclusive with Rupi Kaur

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Malgudi Revisted: Remembering R K Narayan, the Master Storyteller Who Enchanted a Nation

October 10, 2016, 3:52 am

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"Malgudi is where we all belong, and where we wish we lived."- R.K.Narayan

Had he still been alive, R.K. Narayan would have been 110 years old today. Renowned for his stories set in the fictional town of Malgudi in South India, Rasipuram KrishnaswamiIyer Narayanaswami, was one of the most celebrated English novelists of India.

Marked by simplicity and a subtle humour, R.K. Narayan told stories of ordinary people trying to live their simple lives in a changing world.

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R.K.Narayan[/caption]

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Born into a large Brahmin family in Madras (now Chennai) in 1906, Narayan came to live in Mysore as a teenager in the 1920s, when his father was appointed headmaster of the Maharaja's Collegiate High School. Always a small towner at heart, Narayan loved Mysore, with its easy-going, chatty, intellectual vibe and a strong sense of its own identity. In his 1974 memoir, My Days, he wrote.

"If Socrates or Plato were alive, they would have felt at home in Sayyaji Rao Road and would have carried on their dialogues at the Station Square."

After graduating in 1930 from the Maharaja's College, Narayan took up his first job as the Mysore correspondent for a Madras newspaper, the Justice. His daily news-hunting walks through the city would later lay the foundation for his Malgudi chronicles. in 1935, R.K. Narayan's first novel Swami and Friends was published with the help of the famous British writer, Graham Greene. He followed it up with its successor, The Bachelor of Arts, which was also set in the enchanting fictional town of Malgudi.

From then onward, the writer never looked back - he wrote 29 novels, all based in Malgudi, and numerous other short stories.

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An ardent admirer of R.K. Narayan's Malgudi Days, Graham Greene once said,

"Whom next shall I meet in Malgudi? That is the thought that comes to me when I close a novel of Mr Narayan’s. I do not wait for another novel. I wait to go out of my door into those loved and shabby streets and see with excitement and a certainty of pleasure a stranger approaching, past the bank, the cinema, the haircutting saloon, a stranger who will greet me I know with some unexpected and revealing phrase that will open a door on to yet another human existence."

Greene later wrote,

"Narayan wakes in me a spring of gratitude. Without him, I could never have known what it is like to be Indian."

R.K. Narayan's description of Malgudi was so meticulously realistic that the reader would often feel that she had literally visited the place herself. Such was the charm of the provincial world created by his words that critics would compare the literary microcosm of Malgudi to William Faulkner’s Yoknapatawpha County, a small town that the author created so that he would be able to freely meddle with its geography and details as he pleased, without incurring the wrath of the residents of any actual town or place. The stories set in Malgudi are a meandering south Indian soap opera, full of small-town intrigues and aspirations, which were successfully adapted for an Indian television series in the 1980s.

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Early in the 80s, director Shankar Nag handed John Devraj, a sculptor, musician, art director and town planner, a sheet of paper. It was the script for Malgudi Days, based on R.K. Narayan's stories set in the fictional town. From the words on that page, Devraj, was asked to recreate Malgudi in Agumbe, a tiny village in the Malnad region of Karnataka.

Readers had long searched for the actual Malgudi, sure that such a vibrant place could not be a figment of imagination. And in the 80s, thanks to the mercurial genius of Shankar Nag and the artistic talent of John Devraj, Malgudi finally found a real-life location: Agumbe. With its misty hills, stormy downpours, old world homes and quiet streets, the tiny tropical village was perfect as the make-believe Malgudi.

Child actor Manjunath, a wide-eyed boy with a beaming smile captured the hearts of all as Swami, a 10-year-old boy with too vivid an imagination, and a peculiar genius for always being in a scrape.

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Master Manjunath as 'Swami'[/caption]

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The locals all played parts in the serial and all the episodes were shot in actual settings in Agumbe: in the 115-year-old ‘Dodda Mane' (Big House) that served as Swami's house, the wide open tracts of land that served as Swami's cricket ground, and the jungles where Swami gets lost and misses the all-important MCC (Malgudi Cricket Club) match. The created saloon, the sweet shop, the post office, the denizens of Malgudi walking in and out of the frame - Agumbe had it all, the Malgudi that everyone wanted to be a part of.

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Dodda Mane at Agumbe[/caption]

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A sleepy rain-soaked hamlet, Agumbe is today a place where time has tried to stay still. The cameras aren’t around anymore, but it feels as though the people from Narayan’s fantasy world never moved out of the quaint village. Sunsets are enchanting here, and on a clear day one can even see the distant Arabian Sea on the horizon.

Waterfalls abound nearby, and the surrounding rainforests teem with wildlife.

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Onake Abbi waterfalls in Agumbe[/caption]

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A key location where the crew spent months on end is Dodda Mane, a private home built in 1900 that has a grand pillared verandah and a central courtyard. Visitors are warmly greeted by Kasturi akka, the matron of the house, and offered a meal of local snacks and kashayam, a milky, lightly spiced local beverage. Settling down in the verandah, Kasturi akka tells of how the Malgudi Days shooting turned the house upside down, regaling visitors with trivia about the house and village. She then informs visitors that they are free to look around and take pictures but they must keep the doors of the rooms upstairs closed lest monkeys have a free run in there.

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Born out of a master storyteller's imagination, Malgudi was a rare literary phenomenon where the reader fell in love with both the novel's hero, and the locale. "Where is Malgudi?" was a question R.K. Narayan was asked many times in his life, and he ducked it in a variety of ways. As he once, in one of his more enigmatic answers, says – "Malgudi is where we all belong, and where we wish we lived."

If you haven't read Malgudi Days yet, you can pick up a copy right away.

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Bob Dylan Isn’t the First Lyricist to Win the Nobel. Rabindranath Tagore Is.

October 20, 2016, 11:23 am

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On October 13, 2016, legendary American singer and songwriter Bob Dylan was named the surprise winner of the 2016 Nobel prize in literature “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition”. This unexpected selection by the Swedish Academy created quite a bit of excitement as it's rare for songwriters to win the award, which has traditionally gone to authors of poems, short stories, and novels. The international press has even hailed it as the first time the literary world's highest honour had gone to a musician. [caption id="attachment_72488" align="aligncenter" width="670"] 675px-bob_dylan_barcelona-e1462728528485

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Bob Dylan[/caption]

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However, it was not Dylan but a Bengali literary giant who is the first songwriter (and first non-European) to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. Rabindranath Tagore's Gitanjali was a song book and it won a Nobel in 1913, a win that precedes Dylan's by over a century! An exceedingly talented poet, painter, writer and musician, Tagore's creative output in music includes thousands of Bengali songs, many of which continue to be used in film soundtracks. [caption id="attachment_72489" align="aligncenter" width="2000"] Portrait of Indian author and poet Rabindranath Tagore, circa 1935. (Photo by Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Portrait of Indian author and poet Rabindranath Tagore, circa 1935. (Photo by Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Rabindranath Tagore[/caption]

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In an unparalleled songwriting feat, he composed the national anthems of three countries - India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. One of Tagore's students at the Visva Bharati University, Ananda Samarakoon, translated the lyrics of Nama Nama Sri Lanka Mata from Bengali to Sinhalese. Even today, a YouTube search for Tagore’s songs, using the search term "Rabindra Sangeet" (Tagore's Music) yields about 234,000 hits. Even though Tagore is a prominent musical icon in India, his significant work as a songwriter remains unrecognised in the West. The Nobel website states that Tagore was principally a poet who published more than 50 volumes of verse, as well as plays, short stories and novels. It is only in the last sentence that Tagore’s music is mentioned; the line says "the artist also left songs for which he wrote the music himself".

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While Tagore's extraordinary contribution to music seems not to have had much, or any, influence on the 1913 Nobel committee, it should be remembered that the award committe chair, Harald Hjärne, mentioned in the presentation speech that Tagore's work "that especially arrested the attention of the selecting critics is the 1912 poetry collection, Gitanjali: Song Offerings." Born in 1861 into a wealthy family of Bengal, Tagore wrote his first poem when he was only eight years old. A keen observer of the world around him, Tagore's music is inextricably blended with the poetry of his words; each expressing and reinforcing the other. quote-music-is-the-purest-form-of-art-therefore-true-poets-seek-to-express-the-universe-in-rabindranath-tagore-61-45-63

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As the legendary sitarist, Ravi Shankar, once wrote,

“Had Rabindranath Tagore been born in the West he would now be as revered as Shakespeare and Goethe.”

To this, we may add, "and Bob Dylan." Like Dylan, Tagore used the simplest of languages to express deep philosophy and profound feelings. As artists, both were strikingly versatile. Both were liberal, egalitarian, and supported non-violent social change. Through America’s and India's most tumultuous times, Dylan's and Tagore's music became the foreground score for movements of peace, liberty and equality. While Tagore's songs touched a chord with the masses during the Indian freedom struggle, Dylan's songs, Blowing in the Wind and The Times They are a Changin', became the soundtrack for the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. While Bob Dylan richly deserved his prize, he isn't the first musician to be awarded the Nobel Prize in literature. Let's hope that Dylan’s award will spur interest in the first singer-songwriter who won the Nobel Prize for Literature one hundred and three years before the American genius did.

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These Story Tellers Weave Magic With Their Narrations of Works by Classical Indian Writers

November 16, 2016, 2:15 am

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On a humid August afternoon in Mumbai this year, in the bustling Press Club of the city, a bunch of story tellers were about to make an unusual presentation.

“Agli kahani pesh kartein hain, Saadat Hasan Manto ki ‘Thanda Gosht’…” (The next story we present to you is Saadat Hasan Manto’s ‘Cold Flesh’)

There was pin drop silence among the audience as the listeners waited for the story to unfold. ‘Thanda Gosht’ is one of the most hair-raising pieces of fiction written by Manto. It tells the tale of a Sikh man raping a dead Muslim girl, during the communal violence of the Partition in 1947. This bold narration of the story on stage, perhaps for the first time in the country, was the work of Katha Kathan, a literary initiative spearheaded by 68-year-old Jameel Gulrays.

“To be honest, I had mixed feelings during the rehearsals. I was expecting the audience to raise objections but our move was appreciated. At the end of the narration, the audience sat in stunned silence, soaking in the story,” shares Jameel. “We had successfully done our job.”

This was Katha Kathan’s third performance since they started doing their story-telling performances in early 2016. ‘Thanda Gosht’ was part of a four-story collection by Urdu writers Munshi Premchand, Ismat Chugtai and Saadat Hasan Manto that Katha Kathan had put together. The theme for the evening was stories depicting the woman protagonist in many roles and moods – from being a silent provider to an individual exploring her own needs.

Katha Kathan was born in Jameel’s Santacruz home. One evening, sitting amidst his only treasure – Urdu books, as he claims – he pondered over the fate his books would meet once he passed away.

[caption id="attachment_75206" align="aligncenter" width="793"] Jameel

Jameel[/caption] “The books would probably be sold to a raddiwala. Maybe the pages of the books would be used to wrap paan or serve bhelpuri,” jokes Jameel. “And so, I thought why not document the stories. That’s how I started a YouTube channel where I upload a story or two every day. The aim is to save Urdu.” As of now, the YouTube channel has over 600 stories. During this process of documenting the stories, Jameel met with many people from different demographics. “I realized it wasn’t just Urdu that was suffering, almost all Indian languages are on the threshold of being reduced to dialects. It is heart breaking. That’s how Katha Kathan came into being,” says Jameel. The objective of Katha Kathan is to revive and preserve Indian languages and reintroduce them to the youth

In this endeavour, Jameel has with him a team of 12 readers who meet at least thrice a week to practise staging the show.

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Story narration in progress[/caption] In order to reach a wider audience, Jameel and his team are adapting short stories written in Bengali, Konkani, Kannada, and Marathi, among other languages. In their previous shows, Katha Kathan presented Rabindranath Tagore’s ‘Kabuliwala’ in original Bengali and an adapted Marathi version, and Manto’s ‘Taraqqi Pasand’ in Urdu and Marathi too. Katha Kathan’s shows have been received with a lot of warmth, says Jameel. “We have witnessed audiences laugh out loud as we narrated ‘Taraqqi Pasand’ and, within minutes, wipe away tears over Tagore’s tragic story ‘Kabuliwala’.” People connect with a live storytelling sessions and, with each show, the initiative gains in popularity. Katha Kathan will stage its fourth show on November 16 at Sathaye College in Mumbai. The show ‘Kya Sahi? Kya Galat?’ will bring forth four stories by Manto. Two stories, ‘Shareefan’ and ‘Saadhe Teen Aane’, will be read out by Vasudha Sahasrabuddhe in Marathi. ‘Licence’ and ‘Jee Aaya Saheb’ will be presented in Urdu. Given the burning issue of currency, the organisers have decided to have free entry for the show. Those who purchased tickets earlier will receive refunds. Katha Kathan is on Facebook. Follow the group of Twitter.

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This Short Story Competition Is Encouraging High School Students to Reimagine Fairy Tales

December 13, 2016, 11:22 pm

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Kaali Tales is not just a story writing competition -- it’s an invitation, an encouragement, and an appeal to change the world presented to children through traditional fairy tales. The initiative is trying to bring out fresh voices to reinvent fairy tales in a gender neutral light. The clouds in the sky looked upon the land mercilessly. They thundered loudly and brightly and a second later, big droplets of water, as harsh as pebbles, fell to the ground. Amongst the swaying trees, a young woman rode her horse in full gallop. The sound of rain hitting the land made everything else seem unimportant. Maya hugged her coat tightly with one hand. After battling the storm for another half an hour, she finally reached the palace..... The strong-willed and brave princess, Maya in this short story written by a 16-year-old, is a welcome exception to the usual ‘damsels in distress’ often found in fairy tales.

Written by Devaanshi Mahajan, a Delhi-based high school student for a story writing competition called Kaali Tales, the short story is about a princess who takes matters into her own hands instead of waiting for a prince to save her.

Illustrated by: Sakshi Gupta, via Kaali Tales

“That’s the success of Kaali Tales. This is exactly what we were hoping for. We want children to question the stereotypes and present a gender neutral narrative. It is time we had brave women and sensitive men in our stories, like we find in the real world,” says Anusri Kumar, member of the organising team of Kaali Tales.

A brainchild of the students of National Law School of India University, Bengaluru, Kaali Tales is a story writing competition that invites high school students to give their own twist to fairy tales. Started with the aim of creating alternate, gender neutral fairy tales for children, by children, Kaali Tales is trying to challenge in a unique way the sexism, misogyny, and racism perpetuated by traditional fairy tales.

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Over nine schools participated in Kaali Tales in 2013 and over 140 entries poured in. The winning entries were published on the Kaali Tales blog. This year, the Kaali Tales’ organising team has reached out to different schools pan-India. The team explained the concept to the English teachers from different schools, who further conveyed it to their students. Over 25 schools, including one school in Nepal, have sent a total of 130 entries for the competition so far. The age group the competition is targeting is from Classes 9-12.

“The world of fairy tales and fantasy is undeniably the first place where children’s imagination sets afoot. For several years, these stories have shaped the values and perspectives of children. Therefore it is essential to change the way in which they portray men and women. Children must not be encouraged to prescribe to the gender prejudices inherent in existing fairy tales,” says Anusri.

The twofold agenda behind the competition is to include school children as important stakeholders in the modification of fairy tales, while also making them think consciously about the concepts of beauty and fairness.

Illustrated by: Soumya, via Kaali Tales

Though currently the project is in the form of a national level story writing competition, the team’s long term goal is to publish the winning entries in the form of an anthology of short stories.

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The organisers need funds to make the project sustainable and to scale it up. They have started a fundraiser on Ketto. You can click here to contribute. To know more about Kaali Tales, visit the official blog here.

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10 Profound Quotes That Reveal the Wordsmith in Atal Bihari Vajpayee on His 92nd Birthday

December 24, 2016, 8:30 pm

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"One day you may become an ex-prime minister, but you will never become an ex-poet!” Atal Bihari Bajpayee had once said. And he was right. Besides being one of the most revered Indian politicians, the tenth Prime Minister of India, and an extraordinary orator, Atal ji (as he is fondly called), is a celebrated poet of all times. For years, he has given us motivation, courage, and wisdom through his words.

As the poet turns 92, here are 10 profound lines from his poems. Happy Birthday, Atal ji!

It's dark in the middle of the day The sun is defeated by its shadow Squeeze the oil from your soul and light the wick, Come let's light a lamp again! ~ atalbihari4

My Lord, Never let me climb so high That I am unable to embrace another stranger, Deliver me ever from such arrogance! ~ atalbihari1

In a deal not so profitable, All I received were a couple of days Should I count each moment; Or just spend it every way? Which path should I follow? ~ atalbihari5

Why shouldn’t I live every moment to the fullest? Why shouldn’t I admire the beauty in every fragment? ~ atalbihari2

The cycle of being and not being Will continue till eternity, So will our illusion That we are, we will be. ~ atalbihari3

Everything is at stake, there’s no option to stop now We can break at this point, but we cannot bend now! ~ atalbihari10

What is the age of death? Not even a couple of moments Life is a progression, it's not a matter of a day or two! ~ atalbihari6

Let the adversities strike, Let there be catastrophes dire Let there be embers under our soles, Let it shower flare, With that fire in our hands, Smiling, we have to burn We have to move forward, together! ~ atalbihari8

I am able to see myself From the eyes of others, I am neither silent, nor am I singing! ~

Also read: “Every Artist Needs a Stage” – And This Art Community Is Offering Just That!

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TBI Blogs: Premchand to Bachchan – These 15 Hindi Classics Are Absolute Must-Reads!

January 2, 2017, 4:26 am

≫ Next: Once Upon a Time: The Inside Story of Rudyard Kipling’s Mumbai Connection and ‘The Jungle Book’

≪ Previous: 10 Profound Quotes That Reveal the Wordsmith in Atal Bihari Vajpayee on His 92nd Birthday

With the huge influx of global literature in English, we can sometimes forget that India has a rich tradition of literary work in Indian languages. Here is a list of 15 of the best and most popular works in Hindi. It is almost a travesty that in our race to become globally aware, we often skip over the significant contributions of our own culture and roots. Here is a list of great (but often overlooked) works in Hindi that deal with myriad themes—from social issues to human spirit to mythology.

Chandrakanta Santati by Babu Devakinandan Khatri

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Khatri was one of the earliest novelists in Hindi. His work is mythical, mystical, and fantastical. For all the Harry potter or Tolkien fans out there, his books will leave you gob-smacked by the amount of detail Mr. Khatri put into creating his world. Chandrakanta Santati can be read as a stand-alone book, though it is a part of the larger world that Khatri has created, and is preceded by Chandrakanta, and succeeded by Bhoothnath and its subsequent parts. Come grab the book, and get lost in the tilasm of brigands, princes and courtiers. A plus point is that it portrays some really strong female characters.

Nirmala by Munshi Premchand

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Source: Bookscaterer[/caption] The man needs no introduction. Born as Dhanpat Rai, he used the pen-name of Premchand to write grassroots stories. The best part of his books is the sheer irony with which he portrays the reality of life, through lucid descriptions and language. Most of his works are satirical, and he alone could take over this entire list with his contributions. Nirmala is a story of a child bride and her marriage to a man quite senior from her, who has a son a year younger than her. The delight of Premchand is not in plot summaries, but with the delicacy and nuance with which he treats his characters, and the depicted social situations. Other notable works include Godaan, Karmabhoomi and Kafan, but if a novel is too much, pick his short stories like Panch Parmeshwar, Gaban, Mansarovar, and Do Bailon ki Katha. They are equally good.

Kamayani by Jaishankar Prasad

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Source: Topyaps[/caption] Prasad is one of the most austere writers in Hindi, who very astutely said that his literature is not meant to be discussed in nooks and crannies. He uses complex techniques and philosophies in his works, and was one of the four stambhas (pillars) of Chhayavad (Romanticism) in India. Avoiding Persian words, Prasad relied on the tatsam (derived from Sanskrit) vocabulary of Hindi. He mostly wrote short stories, dramas, and poems. In fact, he is a key figure of Hindi theatre. His most notable work is an epic poem Kamayani, which deals with creationism and the first man on earth, ‘Manu’ (according to Indian mythology). It is also a philosophical musing on the various emotions that a human can have. The work is very complex, but the sheer beauty of Prasad’s words and the vivid descriptions of nature and philosophical musings make it worth all the time and brains that you spend reading it.

Apsara by Suryakant Tripathi (Nirala)

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Source: Bookpecker[/caption] Another pillar of Chhayavad, Nirala is a languid writer. The tragedy of his life mostly echoes in his works. He was against social injustice and exploitation, and included these themes in his works, apart from the nature poetry that he wrote with fervor. Apsara deals with two themes of femininity, tenderness and determination. In light of today’s times, the work can be considered feminist, wherein he portrays the struggle of the two extremes imbibed in a female. The novel also explores youth and how they deal with social injustices and the like. Other notable works by Nirala include Tulsidas, Nirupama, Alka, and Saroj Smriti.

Yama by Mahadevi Verma

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Source: Flipkart[/caption] The third pillar of Chhayavad, Verma only ever wrote poems or short stories on her pets. In fact, most of her works include vivid nature and animal imagery. She published over seven collections of her poems. Yama is arguably the best out of them, as she won the Sahitya Akademi award and the Jnanpith award for the collection. Verma has won the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Vibhushana as well, and is often called the ‘modern Meera’.

Chidambara by Sumitranandan Pant

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Source: Rajkamal Prakashan[/caption] Pant is the fourth pillar of Chhayavad. His Chidambara got him the Sahitya Akademi and the Jnanpith award. He followed the Chhayavad in his first phase of literary writing, but later on adapted themes like Samajwad (Socialism) and Adhyatmavaad (Philosophy and spirituality). He wrote poems, essays, and dramas. Other notable works include Gunjan, Swarna Kiran, etc. Chidambara is the writer’s speculation on human essence and consciousness. It is said that Pant was highly influenced by Marx and Freud.

Prithviraj Raso by Chand Bardai

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Source: Amazon[/caption] This is undoubtedly the oldest work of the list, allegedly composed in the 12th century AD, though there is consensus amongst scholars that it has been embellished and improved upon over the years. Thus, very little remains of the original poem. It is a great epic that dramatizes the life of the Rajput King Prithviraj Chauhan and his bravado. Chand Bardai is said to be a contemporary, or even the court poet, of Prithviraj Chauhan. Though the historical accuracy of the event is doubtful – because the poem is considered an unreliable source by historians – the poem is a great work and read nonetheless.

Yashodhara by Maitheli Sharan Gupt

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Source: Pustak[/caption] One of the national poets of Hindi, Gupt is said to be a promoter of Khadi Boli. Most of his work is on motivational patriotism, but a few include mythological or historical figures as well. Yashodhara is an epic poem on the wife of Gautama Buddha. It is a lament and extrapolation on Yashodhara’s situation after Buddha left her behind with a newborn son to go on his enlightenment quest. Gupt’s other works include Saket, a retelling of the Ramayana with Laxman, Kaikeyi, and Urmila as protagonists. It is often considered Gupt’s best work, but the poignancy of Yashodhara is unparalleled. Other works like Panchvati, and dramas like Tilottama, also have strong female presence. Gupt’s work is thus often associated with women empowerment and upliftment.

Rashmirathi by Ramdhari Singh Dinkar

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Source: Amazon[/caption]

Source:Amazon

Dinkar is the second national poet of Hindi. He wrote a lot on the Mahabharata. His work is also very emboldening, and includes Veer Rasa to a huge extent. Rashmirathi literally means the one who is riding sun’s chariot. The epic poem is thus about Karna, a significant character of the epic Mahabharata, the son of the celestial god Surya and Kunti. Bhishma revealed the secret of his birth in the last few days of the battle of Kurukshetra. The most famous excerpt from this poem is Krishna ki Chetavani (Krishna’s Warning). Dinkar’s other famous works include Kurukshetra, Parshuram ki Prateeksha, Urvashi (his only one not based on Veer Rasa), etc. He wrote poems, prose, had a hand in developing khadi boli, and was a devout patriot.

Madhushala by Harivansh Rai Bachchan

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Source: Flipkart[/caption] If you do not know Harivansh Rai Bachchan, he is Amitabh Bachchan’s father. That is not his claim to fame by any means though, because his contribution to Hindi literature speaks for his eminence and greatness. Madhushala (House for Alcohol) is a book of 135 quatrains about the complexities of life, which the author explores through words like Madira, Pyala etc., all related to a Madhushala. Incidentally, all quatrains end with the word madhushala as well. Academics consider it to be one of the best metaphorical and philosophical works of Chhayavaad. If you can’t read it, just go and listen to Amitabh Bachchan reciting it! Other notable poems include Agneepath, Jo beet gai so baat gayi, and Hai Andheri Raat par Diya jalana kab mana hai.

Tamas by Bhisham Sahni

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Source: Flipkart[/caption] Bhisham Sahni is a well-known actor, playwright, and writer. He wrote Tamas on the backdrop of partition and won the Sahitya Akademi award for the same in 1975. Tamas literally means darkness, and the story revolved around riots in a small town during the tumultuous times. Doordarshan adapted the story to a TV show later.

Kitne Pakistan by Kamleshwar

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Source: Goodreads[/caption] Kamleshwar is a satirical writer who explores the social space through his novels and short stories. He is a pioneer of the Nayi Kahani Daur. This is in fact the most recent work to make it to this list. He won the Sahitya Akademi for the novel in 2000, three years before his demise. Kitne Pakistan uses the allegory of partition and deals with a vast expanse of human history, contemplating ideas like nationalism, socialism, and communalism. He also discusses the futility and fatality of religion and politics for the common man. His another notable works include Rang Birangi and Aandhi.

Jhansi ki Rani by Subhadra Kumari Chauhan

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Source: Geeta-Kavita[/caption] Chauhan used to be a senior to Mahadevi Verma in school, and mentored her in poem composition. Need we say more? Chauhan died early in a car accident and hence has fewer poems to her credit, but each piece in itself is very famous and praised. Jhansi ki Rani is the poem which gave the memorable and iconic lines “Khoob ladi mardaani, woh jhansi wali rani”. The poem is inspirational and evokes veer ras. It is not an epic book, but a long poem. Chauhan’s other notable poems include Kadamb ka ped and Madhur Yaad Bachpan. Do give them a read—they are equally good, if not better.

Tyagpatra by Jainendra Kumar

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Source: Goodreads[/caption] Jainendra Kumar is one of the most feminist Hindi writers, and his works exude open-mindedness and the power that females hold. He won the Sahitya Akademi award and the Sahitya fellowship for his novelette Muktibodh, also a good read. Tyagpatra is about a lawyer and his relationship to his bua (paternal aunt). The book focusses on the aunt through the eyes of the narrator and shows her struggles, and her bold (and at times desperate) decisions that compel the lawyer to sign his resignation. It is truly a great satirical work that gives women agency. Another impressive read by Kumar is Suneeta.

Gunahon ka Devta by Dharamvir Bharati

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Source: Google+[/caption] This book has gained a cult following because of its theme, and has elevated Bharati to being the second-most popular Hindi writer after Kabir. The story is tragic and poignant, with Chandar, the lead character, falling in love with his Professor’s daughter, Sudha. The best parts of the book are the exploration and expression of the characters’ emotions and feelings. The Bharatiya Jnanpith Trust published the 59th edition of the book in 2009. This list could keep going. Here are a few honorary mentions: Mridula Garg, Mannu Bhandari, Rajesh Yadav, Mohan Rakesh, Yashpal, Nirmal Verma, and last but not the least, Bhagwati Charan Verma. This list does not mention the more well-known works like Ramcharitmanas by Tulsidas, and Kabir and Rahim ke dohe, as they probably need no introduction. Now go and pick a few of these titles and read more from India’s rich literary output. Read more about how the Sahitya Akademi is encouraging and preserving such outstanding Indian literature, on its website.

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Once Upon a Time: The Inside Story of Rudyard Kipling’s Mumbai Connection and ‘The Jungle Book’

January 17, 2017, 9:07 pm

≫ Next: Love to Read? The Story of This Fisherman-Turned-Bookstore Owner Will Make Your Day

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"Neither by service nor fee Come I to mine estate – Mother of Cities to me, But I was born in her gate, Between the palms and the sea, Where the world-end steamers wait," wrote Rudyard Kipling in an ode to the erstwhile Bombay.

Generations of Indians have read and loved The Jungle Book. But not many are aware that the author of this beautifully rendered and visually arresting masterpiece, Rudyard Kipling, shared an intrinsic bond with India, especially Mumbai.

To understand what inspired some of Kipling's greatest works, here's an humble attempt to see India through the eyes of the "Bard of the Empire".

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Rudyard Kipling (right) with his father, John Lockwood Kipling[/caption]

Photo Source

The most visible link of Kipling to Mumbai is a green-painted wooden bungalow with a tarnished bronze bust on a plinth in its porch. Peering at its plaque, one can just make out the words "Rudyard Kipling, son of Lockwood Kipling, first dean of Sir JJ School of Art, was born here on December 30, 1865." Almost consumed by the spreading trees leaning against its roof, with peeling paint and rotting wooden balconies, this bungalow was the official residence of the JJ School of Art’s dean. Rudyard’s father John Lockwood Kipling served as the first dean of the school and the Kipling family lived on campus. The original house of Kipling's birth was, however, demolished as it crumbled away. The present structure, called the "Kipling House" which came up adjacent to the original bungalow, was constructed in 1882 almost a decade after Kipling had left for England. The structure has bravely stood the test of time as plans for its restoration have fallen through time and again. [caption id="attachment_82593" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] Home-Jungle-Book-Rudyard-Kipling-1

Kipling Bungalow[/caption]

Photo Source

However, while this heritage building may be the most tangible of Kipling's connections to Mumbai, it isn't the only one. The author has also left behind a lasting legacy of words to describe the Bombay as he knew it. Kipling wrote about the "far-going Arab dhows" that he sighted on the shores of Bombay as well as the "gaily dressed Parsees wading out to worship the sunset" Kipling, who later in his life wrote vividly of jungles and jungle life, also described about his morning walks to the Crawford Market and his evening strolls around the Mahim woods. In his autobiography, he also recollected how he once got scared by a Bombay hen (he describes it a "winged monster as big as myself") while on his way to the JJ school workshop!

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Kipling's days in Mumbai were, however, few. He was shipped off to London at the age of six and returned to the city only once. At the age of 17, he stayed in Mumbai for a few days before heading off to Lahore to join the staff of the Civil and Military Gazette (CMG). Although he called his time at the Gazette "hard", it was an ideal literary apprenticeship, as he accumulated deep layers of detail about Indian life.

For several years, as a young newspaper reporter, Kipling covered "the season" in Shimla – or Simla as it was called in the days when the British fled the scorching summer plains and ruled one-fifth of humanity from it for half the year. He spent several summers in Shimla for the Civil and Military Gazette, picking up gossip for his columns and short stories at the aptly named Scandal Point and getting lost in the "crowded rabbit warren" of bazaars that spill down the mountainside below the fashionable Mall.

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North Bank, Kipling's house in Shimla[/caption]

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For Kipling, this picturesque Himalayan hill station was the place where "every right-minded story should begin". It was here that his character Kim was inducted into the art of spycraft by the mysterious Lurgan Sahib, whose shop was "full of things that smelt like all the temples of all the East". Lurgan Sahib was actually inspired by A M Jacob, a mysterious, almost mystical jewellery and curio dealer. Interestingly, 'Kim' was Jawahar Lal Nehru’s favourite novel.

His time in Shimla also gave him plenty of material for 'Plain Tales from the Hills', his sometimes wry, sometimes tragic, stories about the idiosyncrasies of British India and the uneasy relationship between the rulers and the ruled. This was also when he graduated from journalism to writing fiction.

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Shimla is a far cry from Seoni in Madhya Pradesh. A rocky terrain with little streams passing through the hills, surrounded with swathes of bamboo and deciduous tree, this setting is often cited as the inspiration for the landscapes in Kipling's 'The Jungle Book'. Published in 1894, 'The Jungle Book' proved to be a hit with young and old alike. The series of stories of a human boy named Mowgli, raised by animals in the wild, made for riveting reading. In these tales, the animals proved to be both Mowgli's allies and adversaries. Baloo the bear, Bagheera the panther and Shere Khan the tiger have all become famous characters in children’s literature. They even appeared in Kipling’s sequel, 'The Second Jungle Book', which was released in 1895. The-Jungle-Book-Movie-Cast-2016

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In truth, Kipling never visited this part of India and wrote the stories while he was actually living in Vermont. Kipling had returned to England in 1889, and with his reputation preceding, had quickly become acclaimed as one of the most brilliant prose writers of his time. His fame was redoubled upon the publication in 1892 of the verse collection 'Barrack Room Ballads', which contained such popular poems as 'Mandalay', 'Gunga Din' and 'Danny Deever'. In 1892, he married Caroline Balestier, the sister of an American friend, and the couple moved to Vermont in the United States, where her family lived. The couple named their home Naulakha (which translates to 'jewel beyond price' in Hindi). Their two daughters were born there and it was here Kipling wrote 'The Jungle Book' based his jungle descriptions on other books, photographs and conversations, referring to Seoni's jungle as Seeonee at various instances in his tales. Kipling's startling accuracy in describing a place he never visited is credited it to his reading of Sterndale's Gazetteer. Sterndale was a district officer in the mid-19th century who wrote 'Seeonee or Camp Life on the Satpura Range' (1877), based on his life in Seoni from 1857 to 1864. His book gives an account of Seoni as a wild, tiger-infested country during the First War of Independence. Scholars have also traced back the Mowgli story to incidents related by British official W.H. Sleeman and his pamphlet, 'An Account of Wolves Nurturing Children in Their Dens'. [caption id="attachment_82596" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] seoni-milind-gunaji-365hops

Nestled amidst the Satpura Range, Seoni is home to the Pench National Park[/caption]

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Kipling spent much of the next decade on children's books, producing the jungle tales of Mowgli, as well as such bedtime favorites as 'Rikki-Tikki Tavi' and the glorious 'Just So Stories', which he illustrated himself. Interestingly , other than the adventures of Mowgli, Baloo and Bagheera, 'The Jungle Book' series also present quieter, related tales such as 'The Miracle of Purun Bhagat', the life of a kind saint, beloved by animals. He later moved back to London and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1907, the first English author to be so honoured. In 1930, he revisited his birthplace before passing away in a London hospital in January 1936 at the age of 70. Although Kipling eventually left India, India never left Kipling: it made the man who would go on to make literary history. On his 82nd death anniversary, we remember the literary giant who captured the flavour of India to a point where it became folklore.

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Love to Read? The Story of This Fisherman-Turned-Bookstore Owner Will Make Your Day

February 7, 2017, 4:39 am

≫ Next: TBI Blogs: India’s Favourite Detective Feluda Is Back. But This Time, He Needs Your Help!

≪ Previous: Once Upon a Time: The Inside Story of Rudyard Kipling’s Mumbai Connection and ‘The Jungle Book’

Known for its UNESCO-approved heritage sites, Mahabalipuram is a popular destination for travellers from around the world. Located 60km from Chennai, the town (also known as Mamallapuram) is also known for its fishing community most of whose members live in the famous fishermen’s colony. Situated a stone’s throw from the colony, Otthavadai Street is a cacophony of sights and sounds. Budget guesthouses share the road with stores selling hippie-chic clothes and cafes that whip up a mean filter coffee. Tucked away in the midst of colourful store fronts, Apollo Books, run by former fisherman and bookworm Apollo Kumaresan, is a treasure trove of books.

With a meticulous collection of books and a new kids’ book festival, Apollo is on a mission to introduce locals, particularly the fishing community, to the joys of reading.

Image source: Facebook

“I love reading and I’ve been collecting books since I was young,” says Apollo, who was born in a fishing family and grew up learning the ropes of the trade. While his brothers joined the family business, Apollo gradually moved away from fishing and opened the eponymous bookstore in 2007. Yet his inclination for reading hasn’t distanced Apollo from his peers and associates. In fact, the book store and its various activities have emerged as a means to get the community interested in reading.

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Since its opening, the bookstore has emerged as a sanctuary for the town’s readers, both locals and tourists. From self-help titles and activity books to fiction, mythology and current affairs, you will find an array of reading material lining the shelves. Tom Sawyer and the Famous Five share space with Sita and Sun Tzu, and many international titles are found in vernacular translations. The books are available for sale and on rent — you can even swap books here. In addition to English, you will also find books in foreign languages including Dutch, German and even Hebrew. If a certain title is not available at the store, Apollo is happy to source it on request.

Apollo is heavily invested in encouraging locals, particularly the children, to develop a love for reading.

Image source: Facebook

“I have grown up in a fishing community, and most of the parents have never gone to school themselves,” he says, adding that he was fortunate to have been able to receive an education. “My two sons love to read, and it was my older son whose interest got me thinking about the festival.”

At the first edition of kids’ books festival organised this January, over 500 children attended, along with a sizeable number of adults. “My friend Stefano Beccari (Swedish sculptor and founder of Global Stone Workshop) helped me convert The Alternative art gallery into a space for the events and reading,” Apollo says, adding that he found a lot of help from friends and travellers in organising the festival.

Apollo’s initiatives make a great difference in a town where literacy remains a challenge and getting your hands on English books is a rare luxury. “I stock a lot of Western authors,” he says.

Mahabalipuram is populated by vacationers through the year, who often drop by Apollo Books and make friends with its affable owner.

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Apollo Kumaresan with author Holger Kersten[/caption]

Image source: Facebook

Apollo Kumaresan’s own love for Mahabalipuram is second only to his abiding affection for books. "I was born and brought up here," he says. "This is my town." He offers to take you around, tell you about the places to see, and if you haven’t already loved Mahabalipuram at first sight, a conversation with him will seal the deal. He also organises community projects in town, including an annual beach cleaning campaign that invites locals and travellers to pitch in.

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The success of the first kids’ book festival has encouraged Apollo to try his hands at other things too. He also wants to initiate an arts festival for children in the town. Dedicated to uplifting his community, Kumaresan hopes that his initiatives will encourage locals to develop a taste in reading. “I want this town’s children to grow up loving to read and collect books.” Checkout Apollo Books on Facebook. To get in touch with Apollo Kumaresan, click here.

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TBI Blogs: India’s Favourite Detective Feluda Is Back. But This Time, He Needs Your Help!

April 19, 2017, 6:29 am

≫ Next: Perumal Murugan’s Controversial Novel One Part Woman Wins Sahitya Akademi Award

≪ Previous: Love to Read? The Story of This Fisherman-Turned-Bookstore Owner Will Make Your Day

Satyajit Ray is widely recognised as one of the best filmmakers of the 20th century. However, he also received equal praise for his literary work with the character Feluda. Now, a Bengali filmmaker hopes to bring the iconic detective back to life in a first-of-its-kind documentary.

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Perumal Murugan’s Controversial Novel One Part Woman Wins Sahitya Akademi Award

April 20, 2017, 6:28 am

≫ Next: A Book Depot, Writer’s Bar, & Ruskin Bond – Celebrating Mussoorie & Landour’s Deep Literary Heritage

≪ Previous: TBI Blogs: India’s Favourite Detective Feluda Is Back. But This Time, He Needs Your Help!

The book faced much chagrin back in 2014 from many right-wing outfits and triggered animated debates over the freedom of expression.

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A Book Depot, Writer’s Bar, & Ruskin Bond – Celebrating Mussoorie & Landour’s Deep Literary Heritage

April 25, 2017, 1:35 am

≫ Next: The Aura of Munshi Premchand & His Work: My Memories & Learnings from India’s Best Hindustani Writer

≪ Previous: Perumal Murugan’s Controversial Novel One Part Woman Wins Sahitya Akademi Award

Apart from being one of the most popular hill stations in India, Mussoorie is also well-known as the residence of famed writer Ruskin Bond. However, the town—and its twin, Landour—have a much-deeper literary connection as well.

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The Aura of Munshi Premchand & His Work: My Memories & Learnings from India’s Best Hindustani Writer

June 13, 2017, 12:22 am

≫ Next: People Called Me a Fool for Rejecting IIM. Today, I’m a Bestselling Author and TEDx Speaker

≪ Previous: A Book Depot, Writer’s Bar, & Ruskin Bond – Celebrating Mussoorie & Landour’s Deep Literary Heritage

Munshi Premchand is one of the most celebrated figures of the Indian subcontinent, and regarded as one of the foremost Hindustani writers of the 20th century. He was also a loving and caring family man, as seen in this deeply personal narrative by his younger brother’s grandson.

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People Called Me a Fool for Rejecting IIM. Today, I’m a Bestselling Author and TEDx Speaker

June 15, 2017, 12:24 am

≫ Next: Jamshedpur Tribal School Teacher Bags Sahitya Akademi Award for Her Short Stories

≪ Previous: The Aura of Munshi Premchand & His Work: My Memories & Learnings from India’s Best Hindustani Writer

Chasing your passions can take extraordinary courage, especially in the face of conventional wisdom and comfort. Revant Himatsingka took such a gamble, and it paid off for him.

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Jamshedpur Tribal School Teacher Bags Sahitya Akademi Award for Her Short Stories

July 8, 2017, 1:30 am

≫ Next: 10 Profound Quotes That Reveal the Wordsmith in Atal Bihari Vajpayee on His 92nd Birthday

≪ Previous: People Called Me a Fool for Rejecting IIM. Today, I’m a Bestselling Author and TEDx Speaker

A tribal woman from Jamshedpur has been awarded the 2017 Sahitya Akademi award for her collection of short stories for children. Titled ‘Olon Baha’, which means imaginary bloom in Santhali, Joba Murmu’s award winning collection is laced with moral values for little ones. A schoolteacher at Bal Vikas primary school in Karandih, the author who has […]

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