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Lucknow University’s Urdu department to research Hindu scriptures
The Urdu department of Lucknow University will undertake research on sacred Hindu scriptures such as ‘Bhagavad Gita’, ‘Ramayan’ and the vedas.
The Urdu department of Lucknow University will undertake research on sacred Hindu scriptures such as ‘Bhagavad Gita’, ‘Ramayan’ and the vedas.
“We will carry out a comparative study and analyse the relevance of these books in the current times, to inspire the youths who have not read them. It will be a three-year research project,” said Abbas Raza Nayyar, head of the department.
“Most of the Hindu religious books were translated into Urdu before the country’s independence. But many youngsters have not read them. We will present the teachings of these books to people in the context of today’s times,” he said.
Nayyar said the inspiration for the project came from home minister Rajnath Singh.
“While speaking at LU’s convocation in December, the home minister said there were so many things that Indians could learn by reading ancient scriptures like the vedas,” he said, adding, “There are 82 translations of ‘Bhagavad Gita’ in Urdu, of which 18 are in the form of ‘shayari’ (Urdu couplets). Likewise, there are 132 works of ‘Ramayan’. Several vedas have also been translated into Urdu.”
The department will send a detailed proposal to home minister Rajnath Singh, he said.
Nayyar, who is also the recipient of the UP Urdu Academy award, said, “Languages are bridges between the citizens of a country, and we should respect them. Urdu is an integral part of our culture. One cannot confine a language to a particular geography.”
LU’s Urdu department claims it has developed the Urdu version of the UIDAI / Aadhaar website. The department has also completed translating Governor and university chancellor Ram Naik’s Marathi book titled ‘Charaiveti Charaiveti!’ (Keep Going).
The department was established in 1930. Apart from classroom teaching, the department is also engaged in developing portals and translating writings to give its students practical experience.
