GUWAHATI, April 23 - In an endeavour to make the works of Srimanta Sankaradeva accessible to people at large, Dr Yashodhara Medhi, a Professor of English language at Paschim Guwahati Mahavidyalaya, undertook a mammoth task in transliterating and translating six of the doyen�s plays into the English language.
This project, the conception of which commenced after Dr Medhi received her doctorate in 2005, overcame several challenges and finally saw the light of the day on Sunday, in a programme attended by prominent academicians and dignitaries. The Plays of Sankaradeva published by Motilal Banarasidas Publishers beautifully captures the essence of the polymath whose name is synonymous with Assamese culture and history.
The event was chaired by Dr Ashok Kumar Goswami, a retired Professor of Sankskrit, Guwahati University, along with the chief guest Ranjit Kumar Deva Goswami, while Dr Pradip Jyoti Mahanta from the Sanskrit Department of Tezpur University, Dr Nabin Chandra Sarma; a retired Professor of Gauhati University and Dr Kishori Mohan Pathak, former Vice Chancellor of Tezpur University were the guests of honour.
Each of the dignitaries spoke eloquently on the dire need to spread the treasure trove of knowledge that Assamese literature and culture encompassed, while commending Dr Medhi on her efforts. In her speech, Dr Medhi attributed her father, Dr Mukunda Madhab Sarma, as being the source of her inspiration and the driving force behind her book.
�An initiative needs to be taken to collect, translate and make the works of such illustrious writers available to everybody and my effort is a small step towards that,� she emphasised. Having completed this arduous task of translating each one of those six plays in a comprehensive manner, Dr Medhi has taken a step forward into making Assamese culture and literature appreciated amongst people in different corners of the country and the world.
