Kavyanjali (poetry collection)

Last updated
Kavyanjali
Kavyanjali Vol1.jpg
Cover of Vol.1
Author Haldhar Nag
TranslatorSurendra Nath
Language English
Release number
5
Genre Poetry, epic poem, biography
Publisher Flag of India.svg Zenith Star [1]
Publication date
October 2, 2016 (2016-10-02)
Publication placeFlag of India.svg  India
Media type Paperback, e-book

Kavyanjali [note 1] [2] ) is collection of English poems by the Indian Kosali poet Haldhar Nag, translated by Surendra Nath. The book was first published in 2016 with a foreword written by Odia writer Manoj Das. The poems cover various themes such as spiritualism, social reality, cultural identity, etc. [1] As of 2022, a total of 5 volumes of Kavyanjali have been published; [3] the Vol.3 and Vol.4 are not collections of poems, but are epic poems and biographies respectively.

Contents

Contents

Vol.1

The first volume ( ISBN   9781696148337) was released in Bhubaneswar on October 2, 2016. [4] [5] It has a total of 268 pages and contains 24 poems. [1] Nag's debut poem "Old Banyan Tree" is also included:

  1. Five Nectars of Immortality
  2. The Great Sati Urmila
  3. Old Banyan Tree
  4. Make No Silly Excuses
  5. Demon
  6. The Minister and the Beggar
  7. A Cubit Taller
  8. Wine
  9. River Ghensali
  10. The Cuckoo
  11. Bulbul
  12. What Else Could Have Happened
  13. The Harlot of Tikarpada
  14. The Soul is Real
  15. First Clean Yourself
  16. Bhai Jiuntia [note 2]
  17. Greatness
  18. The Year
  19. Too Much
  20. The Dove is My Teacher
  21. Light of the Earthen Lamp
  22. Conscience
  23. Why Did He Leave His Home
  24. A Letter to Poet Haldhar

Vol.2

The second volume ( ISBN   9781695954281) was released in Sambalpur on October 10, 2018, [4] [6] with a total of 244 pages, including 28 short poems and 2 long poems:

  1. Lies Lead to Hell
  2. Shri Samlei [note 3]
  3. Our Village Cremation Ground
  4. Profit
  5. For a Little Broth of Rice
  6. Kunjel Para
  7. The Morning of March
  8. Danseuse
  9. Market of Illusion
  10. Kamdhenu
  11. Just Think of It
  12. The Jealous Always Suffer
  13. On the Death of Budhadev Das Cries Mother Samlei
  14. Animals and Humans
  15. Warning
  16. Swachh Bharat
  17. Butterfly
  18. Smeared with Colours, The Old Man Was Cremated
  19. The Matter Ends Here
  20. The Younger Brother's Courage
  21. A Song in Sanchar Tune
  22. Regard for Soil
  23. Untouchable
  24. Lantern
  25. Fire
  26. Summer
  27. Rains
  28. God Kalia of Priest Luru
  29. Slumber
  30. Chhanda Charan Avtar

Vol.3

The third volume ( ISBN   9781701787070) was released in Bargarh on November 22, 2019 [4] and has a total of 400 pages. Its content is different from the poetry anthologies in the first two volumes. It is an epic poem with a total of 21 chapters and 1,340 verses, titled "Manifestation of Love"; the illustrations in the book are by Rhiti Chatterjee Bose, [7] the female illustrator from Kolkata. The author tells the story of Krishna from birth to death in a new light: [4]

  1. Kamsa and Devaki
  2. Balram is Born in Gopa-pur
  3. Kamsa and Pootana. Incarnation of Krishna
  4. The Prison Guard
  5. Crossing of Yamuna
  6. Nature Blooms in Gopa-pur
  7. Mother Pootana
  8. Twin Trees Yamla-Arjun
  9. Yashoda’s Vision of the Universe
  10. Balram is Named Haldhar
  11. Mohan Flute
  12. Rasleela
  13. Akrur Fetches Krishna, Balram
  14. Mathura
  15. Death of Kamsa
  16. Disrobing of Draupadi
  17. Karna the Charitable
  18. Shyamantak
  19. Sudama
  20. Radhe-Krishna
  21. The End of Dwapar Yuga

Vol.4

The fourth volume ( ISBN   9798696248189) was released on October 11, 2020, with a total of 368 pages. It is the biographical story of revolutionary Surendra Sai, poet Bhima Bhoi and Gangadhar Meher.

Vol.5

The fifth volume ( ISBN   9798792985353) was released on December 30, 2021, with a total of 304 pages and contains 31 poems:

  1. Tulsi Das
  2. River and Ocean
  3. Mahua Tree
  4. Neem Tree
  5. Spring Tune
  6. Shivaratri
  7. Bracelet
  8. The Witch They Slapped with Slippers
  9. What Do We Do
  10. Goat
  11. That Village Kuchipali
  12. Dussehra Festival in Ghess
  13. Attire
  14. Tara Mandodari
  15. Only Because You Exist
  16. Victory Song
  17. The Power of Goddess
  18. Kirtan
  19. Arrived Dussehra
  20. Squirrel
  21. The Little Calf
  22. Five Orphans
  23. Wooden Leg
  24. Nuakhai Festival Meet
  25. Pushpuni [note 4]
  26. Give Me Some Medicine
  27. Forest Jasmine
  28. Blessings of Guru
  29. The Disrobing
  30. Juapuni
  31. The Village Chowkidar

Origin

Haldhar Nag was awarded the Padma Shri in a vest, taken on March 28, 2016. The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee presenting the Padma Shri Award to Shri Haladhar Nag, at a Civil Investiture Ceremony, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on March 28, 2016.jpg
Haldhar Nag was awarded the Padma Shri in a vest, taken on March 28, 2016.

The translator, Surendra Nath is a retired naval officer. In early 2016, he happened to see a post that went viral on social media: a dark-skinned man with long hair, wearing a vest and dhoti, and barefoot, receiving the Padma Shri from Pranab Mukherjee, the President of India. Therefore, he became curious about this "The vest poet" and began to pay attention to his works. Understanding that language was a barrier between Haldhar Nag's rich literary work and the rest of the world, Nath decided to translate Nag's poetry into English so that a wider audience could read it. [8]

In addition, Nath also embarked on an autonomous project called "Project Kavyanjali", to translate and publish all the works of Haldhar Nag into English. [9] [10]

Notes

  1. This is the transliteration of the Sanskrit "काव्यांजलि", which literally means "dedication of poetry". It is also used as a female name in India.
  2. A traditional festival in western Odisha, held every September to October.
  3. Samaleswari, the goddess believed in in Western Odisha.
  4. a Odisha festival

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Odia language</span> Indic language

Odia is a classical Indo-Aryan language spoken in the Indian state of Odisha. It is the official language in Odisha, where native speakers make up 82% of the population, and it is also spoken in parts of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Odia is one of the many official languages of India; it is the official language of Odisha and the second official language of Jharkhand. The Odia language has various dialects varieties, including the Baleswari Odia, Kataki, Ganjami Odia, Sundargadi Odia, Sambalpuri, Desia and Tribal Community dialects who spoken by the tribals groups in Odisha who adopted the Odia language.

<i>Gita Govinda</i> Medieval Indian text based on Hindu god Radha and Krishna

The Gita Govinda is a work composed by the 12th-century Hindu poet, Jayadeva. It describes the relationship between Krishna, Radha and gopis of Vrindavan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jayadeva</span> Vaishnava Sanskrit poet

Jayadeva, also spelt Jaideva, was a Sanskrit poet during the 12th century. He is most known for his epic poem Gita Govinda which concentrates on Krishna's love with the gopi, Radha, in a rite of spring. This poem, which presents the view that Radha is greater than Krishna, is considered an important text in the Bhakti movement of Hinduism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bargarh</span> Town in Odisha, India

Bargarh is one of the major towns of Western Odisha and a municipality in Bargarh district in the state of Odisha in India. It is the administrative headquarters of Bargarh District and is one of the most important towns of Odisha because it is known as the "rice bowl of Odisha" due to its intense rice production, it is a agroindustrial hub and is also known as "city of handloom" because sambalpuri sari originated from here."Dhanujatra" of Bargarh is world famous and is known as the "world's largest open theatre". Bargarh was awarded with the "fastest moving city" award under the 50k-100k category in Swachh Sarbekhyan 2022 in the east zone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ganjam district</span> District of Odisha in India

Ganjam district is a district in the Indian state of Odisha. Ganjam's total area is 8,206 km² (3,168 mi²). The district headquarters is Chhatrapur. Ganjam is divided into three sub-divisions Chhatrapur, Berhampur, and Bhanjanagar. The Imperial Gazetteer of India 1908 lists Ganjam, along with the Thanjavur and South Canara districts, as the three districts of the Madras Presidency where Brahmins were most numerous. As of 2011 it is the most populous district of Odisha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jayanta Mahapatra</span> Indian poet (1928–2023)

Jayanta Mahapatra was an Indian poet. He is the first Indian poet to win a Sahitya Akademi award for English poetry. He was the author of poems such as "Indian Summer" and "Hunger", which are regarded as classics in modern Indian English literature. He was awarded a Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour in India in 2009, but he returned the award in 2015 to protest against rising intolerance in India.

Western Odisha is the western part of the state of Odisha in India, extending from the Kalahandi district in the south to the Sundargarh district in the north.

Odia literature is literature written in the Odia language, mostly from the Indian state of Odisha. The modern Odia language is mostly formed from Tadbhava words with significant Sanskrit (Tatsama) influences, along with loanwords from Desaja, English, Hindustani (Hindi/Urdu), Persian, and Arabic. Its earliest written texts date from around 1000 CE. The earliest Odia newspaper was Utkala Deepika, first published on August 4, 1866.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sitakant Mahapatra</span> Indian poet and literary critic

Sitakant Mahapatra is an Indian poet and literary critic in Odia as well as English. He served in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) from 1961 until he retired in 1995, and has held ex officio posts such as the Chairman of National Book Trust, New Delhi since then.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sambalpuri language</span> Indo-Aryan language spoken in western Odisha, India

Sambalpuri is an Indo-Aryan language variety spoken in western Odisha, India. It is alternatively known as Western Odia, and as Kosali, a recently popularised but controversial term, which draws on an association with the historical region of Dakshina Kosala, whose territories also included the present-day Sambalpur region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nityananda Mahapatra</span> Indian politician

Nityananda Mahapatra was an Indian Odia politician, poet and journalist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haldhar Nag</span> Indian poet

Dr. Haldhar Nag born 31 March 1950) is a Sambalpuri poet and writer from Bargarh, Odisha, India. Popularly known as "Lok Kabi Ratna", meaning "folk poet gem"). He was awarded Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award of India by Government of India in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jagannath Prasad Das</span> Indian (Odia) Writer

Jagannath Prasad Das is an Indian writer, poet, painter, playwright and novelist who writes in Odia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mayadhar Mansingh</span>

Mayadhar Mansingh was an Indian poet and writer who wrote in Odia. He received the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award in India, in 1967.

Radha Mohan Gadanayak (1911–2000) was an Indian poet of Odia literature, known for his ballads and poetic creations. The poet, considered by many as one of the major Odia poets of this century, was a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award, which he received, in 1975, for his poem anthology, Surya O Andhakar. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian award of Padma Shri in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abhimanyu Samanta Singhara</span>

Abhimanyu Samanta Singhara was an 18th-century Odia poet born in Balia, Jajpur best known as the writer of the kabya Bidagdha Chintamani. Abhimanyu was one of the important musician-poets in the tradition of Odissi music in the 18th century, composing mainly in the Chhānda style. He has also written many Odia folk songs like Bagha Gita, Chadhei Gita. He has written many poems about the love between Radha and Krishna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baidyanath Misra</span> Indian economist, educationist, author, and administrator

Baidyanath Misra was an Indian economist, educator, author, and administrator from the state of Odisha. He served as the Vice-Chancellor of the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Deputy-Chairman of Odisha State Planning Board, Chairman of Odisha's First State Finance Commission, Secretary of Odisha State Welfare Board, founder Secretary and President of Orissa Economics Association, and the founder Director and Chairman of Nabakrushna Choudhury Centre for Development Studies. He wrote 16 books in English and 20 in Odia. He was also a columnist in several leading Odia journals and newspapers. He organised several camps across Odisha, for helping the cause of the poor and downtrodden.

Dhado Bargachh is a poem written by Indian poet Haldhar Nag in 1990, with a total of 10 paragraphs. The author personifies the banyan tree in the poem and describes what the banyan tree has witnessed in the past, reflecting the portrayal of life in rural India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Padmashree Haldhar Nag Kavi Kutir</span> House in Odisha, India

Padmashree Haldhar Nag Sadhana Kutir and Sangrahalaya or Padmashree Haldhar Nag Kavi Kutir, formerly known as Haldhar Sadhana Kutir, Ghess, is the residence of the Indian "The Vest Poet" Haldhar Nag, located in Ghess village, Bargarh district, Odisha, India.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Kavyanjali: Selected Poetic Works of Haldhar Nag". Purple Pencil Project. Tamishra Swain.
  2. "ଆମେରିକାରୁ ଉନ୍ମୋଚିତ ହେଲା ହଳଧର ନାଗଙ୍କ କାବ୍ୟ". Argus News. Manini Pattanayak. 2020-10-13.
  3. "IGNOU students to study Haldhar Nag's poetry". newindianexpress.com. 2022-11-24.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "3rd volume of Kavyanjali released on 22nd November 2019 in Bargarh". OdishaDiary. 2019-11-23. Retrieved 2019-12-19.
  5. "Padmashri Haladhar Nag's Kavyanjali to be launched on Gandhi Jayanti". OdiaLive. Mrudu Malay Mohapatra.
  6. "Padma Shri Haldhar Nag's Poems Translated Into English Will Be Released On 10 October 2018". Odissadiary. Odisha Diary Bureau. 2018-10-05.
  7. "Rhiti Chatterjee Bose". Blue Pencil.
  8. "Interview with Surendra Nath, Author of Kavach of Surya - @Surendra_Kloud9 HistoricalFiction". Debdatta Dasgupta. 2020-08-10.
  9. "Odisha Poet Haldar Nag's Works Translated Into English". OdishaBytes. OB Bureau. 2018-10-12.
  10. "Poems of Haldhar Nag Translated into the English-2016". nuaodisha. 2016-09-29.