If you've read any other post on this blog, you probably know that I'm presently unemployed (by choice) and at home, preparing for various exams. Whats more, home is an apartment on the top-most floor of a twelve storey building in Calcutta-- a city where I know all of nobody. I feel rather like Rapunzel, to be honest -- only my knight in shining armour is the steady flow of time and the coming of the month of December (Kaal then). If I am to stay sane, I must create my own amusements! And my first project is to read a book in Hindi! (Ta-da!)
As mentioned earlier, I'm taking classes to improve my skills (or lack of thereof) in my native language. It may seem odd to a non-Indian reader, but many urban kids-now-young-adults of my generation are poor at the language seeing as they have been schooled in English, and are now working in English. Certainly, everyone speaks it fluently (at least in the north). But the opportunities to read and write it don't arise too often.
Alas! I must admit that my Hindi is perhaps much worse than normal. Therefore, I'm starting with a relatively simple book: the Vikram-Betaal.The story of the wise and fearless King Vikramaditya and the wiley Betaal (in Indian mythology, a spirit inhabiting a corpse) is believed to have been written by Mahakavi Somdev Bhatt as 'Beetal Pachisi', some 2,500 years ago.
The tales of Vikram and Betaal were a regular in the Tinkle series of comics, so popular when I was a child. I was introduced to King Vikramaditya at the age of six, and he has remained in my memories since then for the courage and wisdom he displays whilst tackling the betaal.
I'm excited about picking up something from my own country's mythology. The tales are not confined to children but are enjoyed by people of all ages. Seeing as the novel is in Hindi, I'm going to give myself a rather flexible time of 2 weeks to read it. Deadline: July 22, 2013. Happy Reading (to me)! ^^
As mentioned earlier, I'm taking classes to improve my skills (or lack of thereof) in my native language. It may seem odd to a non-Indian reader, but many urban kids-now-young-adults of my generation are poor at the language seeing as they have been schooled in English, and are now working in English. Certainly, everyone speaks it fluently (at least in the north). But the opportunities to read and write it don't arise too often.
Alas! I must admit that my Hindi is perhaps much worse than normal. Therefore, I'm starting with a relatively simple book: the Vikram-Betaal.The story of the wise and fearless King Vikramaditya and the wiley Betaal (in Indian mythology, a spirit inhabiting a corpse) is believed to have been written by Mahakavi Somdev Bhatt as 'Beetal Pachisi', some 2,500 years ago.
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| A copy of my book at home. |
| A still from the TV show of Long Ago |
The tales of Vikram and Betaal were a regular in the Tinkle series of comics, so popular when I was a child. I was introduced to King Vikramaditya at the age of six, and he has remained in my memories since then for the courage and wisdom he displays whilst tackling the betaal.
I'm excited about picking up something from my own country's mythology. The tales are not confined to children but are enjoyed by people of all ages. Seeing as the novel is in Hindi, I'm going to give myself a rather flexible time of 2 weeks to read it. Deadline: July 22, 2013. Happy Reading (to me)! ^^
This is awesome!! I've always loved the Beetal stories too!! When I was little I used to get really scared every time I passed a banyan during dusk cuz I was sure Beetal would jump on my back and I couldn't possibly handle him as well as Vikramaditya did. Good luck!
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