The seminar centered on historical ballads of Viayak Damodar Savarka—an ardent Hindu nationalist—took place on Saturday morning April 19th, 2014, in Jingyuan Courtyard No.1. Professor Janaki Bakhle delivered this seminar along with Professor Wang Bangwei from the School of Foreign Languages of Peking University, Professor Ye Wenxin, from the History Department of University of California, Berkely, and five other speakers.
The meeting room in Jingyuan Courtyard No.1 was the place for this round-table seminar. The seminar commenced with Prof. Wang’s brief introduction of the guests. Then Prof. Bakhle gave a one-hour lecture on her view that Viayak Damodar Savarka’s poetry can be an archive for Indian intellectual history.
As an Indian-American, Prof. Bakhle’s proficiency in the Marathi language helped to bring the Marathi poem of Viayak Damodar Savarka vividly to the audience. She recited his lines in its original language and then interpreted all the lines to the audience. She also showed the audience a video in which an Indian man sings a song based on Savarka’s poem.
After the lecture, students and faculty members from Department of History and Department of South Asia Studies raised questions concerning Indian poetry, history and their relations. This Q & A session lasted for an hour, after which the seminar officially concluded.
Written By: Chen Runxi
