Prayagraj: People who can read Urdu and are interested in the life of lord Ram would no longer have to pour through several books to sate their curiosity, all thanks to a recent book published by Hindustani Academy which is a compilation of references from several texts about the Hindu deity.
The book is based on the extensive research done by Prayagraj-based academician Ajai Malviya. A teacher of Urdu at Anglo Bengali Intermediate College, Malviya has been researching for the book for the past 28 years.
Although there are several books written on lord Ram in both Urdu and Persian, the references are scattered in these books. Malviya has compiled the works of several renowned Urdu litterateurs in one book.
Malviya has compiled every genre of Ramkatha written in Urdu. It contains references from books written by Talib Allahabadi, Asad Raza, Tahira Bano Saeed, Zafar Ali Khan, Hanif Zaidi, Mir Taki Mir, Akhtar Hussain, Saheb Akhtar, Firaq Gorakhpuri, Allama Iqbal, Nazir Akbarabadi, Shankar Dayal Fahrat, Braj Narayan Chakbast, Sahir Dehalvi and others.
Moreover, Malviya’s book of Ramakatha includes different writing styles like manuscripts, prose, novels, drama, stories, ghazals, shayari and rubaiya as he wanted to unify various themes of Ramkatha in a single composition.
“The book has about 350 pages and gives an insight into the work and life of Ram. It also focuses on his deeds as a son, husband, protector of sages and a common man and, how his principles have been inspiring several generations irrespective of religion and location,” said chairman OF Hindustani Academy Uday Pratap.
Malviya completed his research in Urdu from Allahabad University in 1997. He knows Hindi, Bangla, English, Sanskrit, Urdu and Persian He has also written 10 books in Urdu and has also been awarded by the Urdu Academy in UP and Bihar.
“Earlier students used to study even Urdu along with Sanskrit because of which many Urdu and Persian writers wrote about lord Ram and his life. However, things have changed since independence. Now, language is associated with a particular religion which pains me,” said Malviya. Malviya is also a member of Sahitya Kala Akademi in Delhi