- ‘This Epic is a celebration of literature beyond nations.’ – Shashi Tharoor
- ‘This inspirational book …is a triumph of the human imagination.’—Namita Gokhale
- ‘Shota Rustaveli’s Knight in the Panther’s Skin is the second most published book in the world after the Bible.’ –Shri Dinesh Pattnaik, DG Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR)
New Delhi: The Hindi translation of the Georgian epic, The Knight in the Panther’s Skin by Shota Rustavelli, published by Yatra Books as “Sher Ki Khaal Wala Samant Shoorvir“ in Hindi, was launched in New Delhi on March 2, 2021.
The Knight in the Panther’s Skin is the story of a young Hindostani Prince, Tariel, who travels to Georgia, via Arabia, in search of his beloved. This book has been effortlessly translated into Hindi by the well-known Urdu poet and translator, Dr Bhupinder ‘Aziz’ Parihaar.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Mr. Alexander Khvtisiashvili, who had flown down especially for this occasion, spoke on the friendly relations shared between India and Georgia. He said that the two countries work together at several levels, including cultural, historical and business. He said this relationship will only deepen in the future. He also recalled the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, who is deeply respected in Georgia.
Actor and producer Vani Tripathi Tikku brought this powerful epic alive through an evocative reading of selected verses from the Hindi translation of Shota Rustaveli’s The Knight in the Panther’s Skin, giving us a flavour of this beautiful 12th Century epic, a timeless classic on dignity, love, friendship, courage.
Speaking on the occasion, His Excellency Mr. Archil Dzuliashvili, Ambassador of Georgia in India said, ‘From the day I arrived in India, I wanted to bring to the Indian readers an essence of Georgian literature, an epic that has enshrined India in the mind of Georgians as a mythical country with high spirituality and a glorious past. I am delighted that the Hindi translation of the greatest and the most recognised masterpiece of 12th-century Georgian poetry, ‘The Knight in the Panther’s Skin’ by Shota Rustaveli, is now available to Indian readers.’
He went on to say that in these difficult times when the world is facing an epidemic, writers and thinkers have become the biggest source of hope. Whatever may be the period, peace and harmony is the dream of every generation. The Georgian epic ‘The Knight in the Panther’s Skin’ is also based on these ideals. When humanity is betrayed, the clamour for justice rises. And in this struggle for justice, India has played an important role not just in history but in present times as well, in helping the world fight this pandemic.
Author, politician, and former international civil servant, Dr. Shashi Tharoor, straddles several worlds of experience. While speaking at the book launch, he drew parallels between the Ramayana and The Knight in The Panther’s Skin, in which an Indian Prince, Tariel, travels to Georgia in search of his beloved, ‘This Epic is a celebration of literature beyond nations.’
This translation project was a collaboration between the Embassy of Georgia in India and Yatra Books. This book would not have been possible without the support and encouragement of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).
Shri Dinesh Pattnaik, Director General of the ICCR who was present on the occasion, mentioned that Shota Rustaveli’s Knight in the Panther’s Skin is the second most published book in the world. The Bible holds the first place among the most printed books in the world. This book has been translated into more than 60 languages.
Namita Gokhale, author, and Director of Yatra Books said, ‘This inspirational book crosses over the literary and cultural inter-connectivities that constitute our world. It is a triumph of the human imagination.’
Audiences at the launch also appreciated a series of 12 miniature paintings to depict scenes from the classic, specially created for this edition by Mumbai-based artist, Onkar Fondekar. The portrait of the poet Shota Rustaveli on the cover is one of them.
Publisher Neeta Gupta says, “We at Yatra Books feel extremely privileged to have been associated with this unique project. The Hero of this epic, i.e., the man in the panther’s skin, is from India. So, in a way, this translation is a “fictional homecoming” for the protagonist of this classic.”
Despite the challenging circumstances due to the pandemic, friends and colleagues from the media, as well as members of the diplomatic core turned up in strong numbers to participate in this unique literary moment. Hans Jacob Frydenlund, the Norwegian Ambassador to India;
Mr. Sanjoy Roy, Managing Director of Teamwork Arts and the producer of the iconic Jaipur Literature Festival; Alka Pande; Sunit Tandon; Oscar Pujol; Naveen Jindal; Aditi Maheshwari Goyal and Pranav Johri were also present on the occasion.
