On the occasion of Bihar Day on March 22, HarperCollins India has announced the publication of “The Book of Bihari Literature, “edited by poet–diplomat Abhay K. The book will be published in October this year.
Bihar Day (Bihar Diwas) is observed every year on March 22, marking the formation of the state of Bihar. It was on this day when the British carved out the state from Bengal in 1912. The day is a public holiday in Bihar.
Speaking on the occasion, book editor Abhay K shared: “It includes literary works from eleven languages of Bihar spanning over three millennia. It is for the first time that literature from so many languages of Bihar is being made accessible in English translation. I’m delighted to share on Bihar Day that the book is being published by HarperCollins India, known for bringing out quality and memorable books. Editing this book has been a journey back to my roots in Bihar. I’ve only been able to include a very small fraction of literary treasures of Bihar in it because of various constraints. I hope to see more translations of Bihari literature published in the coming years.”
Bihar has a long history that dates back to the foundation of the Mahajanapada (Great Kingdom) of Magadha in southern Bihar with its capital in Rajgriha, present day Rajgir, and later at Pataliputra, modern day Patna. Over the centuries, several dynasties ruled Magadha and gave rise to two of India’s great empires – the Maurya and the Gupta empires. Both these empires witnessed great advancements in mathematics, astronomy, literature, philosophy, science, statecraft and the emergence of new religions such as Buddhism and Jainism.
“The Book of Bihari Literature” is the first-ever attempt to present a glimpse of the rich world of Bihari literature in English translation from among the many languages spoken in Bihar. Many of these works have been translated into English for the first time.
Bihari literature, spread over two millennia, consists of literary works produced in various languages spoken in Bihar, such as Magahi, Bhojpuri, Maithili, Angika, Bajjika, Hindi, Urdu, Persian, English, and classical languages such as Sanskrit and Pali.
