Harvard University will present literary cultures of India to global community

Nevada (US), Jan 22 (ANI): World famous Harvard University of USA will make literary heritage of India available to English-language readers.

Called "Murty Classical Library of India" series, this dual-language series will enhance scholarship in the field and also serve the needs of the general public. It will present the literary cultures of India to a global readership. Showcasing the contributions of Indian literature to world civilization, many of the works will be available for the first time in English.

Under the direction of Sheldon Pollock, Professor of Sanskrit and Indian Studies at Columbia University (USA), and aided by an international editorial board composed of distinguished scholars and translators, it will provide contemporary English versions of works originally composed in Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Marathi, Persian, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, and other Indian languages. Each volume will present the English translation with the original text in the appropriate Indic script on the facing page. The books, in both print and digital formats, will be supplemented by scholarly introductions, expert commentary, and textual notes. The first volumes are scheduled for publication in fall 2013. An Indian edition is also being planned.

Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that it was sad that India was becoming too indulged in consumerism and blatant copycatting of West, and in the process neglecting its rich cultural and literary heritage. This unnecessary aping of the West was resulting in crude westernization of India, which was not the correct path to take as everything Western was not always right and appropriate for societies like India.

Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, further said that India should be proud of the abundant creativity, depth, and heritage India and its literature and culture offered and pass on that pride to coming generations. This Harvard series appeared to be "a step in the right direction", Zed added.

Oldest institute of learning in USA, Harvard University, established 1636, boasts of 44 Nobel laureates as faculty members. Richest university in the country with an endowment of about 27.4 billion dollars, its library collection includes about 16.2 million volumes. Annual cost to attend Harvard, located in Cambridge (Massachusetts), is 50,724 dollars. Drew Gilpin Faust is President. (ANI)