Source: The Hindu
LATVIA, March 8, 2002: Hindu literature has found an unlikely niche in the Northern European country of Latvia. As far back as the middle of the 19th century, scholars of Latvia discovered that their native language and Sanskrit had commonalities, and that their traditional folklore was similar to Indian mythology. A special interest was cultivated in the works of Rabindranath Tagore. In a fourteen-year span between 1925 and 1939, nine of Tagore’s works were translated and then published into Latvia. To this day Professor Viktors Ivbulis still writes articles about Tagore and has been doing so for over thirty years. Quoting the article, “In 1986, Tagore’s 125th birth anniversary was celebrated with great fanfare by writers and artists of Latvia. Elza Radzian, a famous stage actress recited on stage Tagore’s lines (from ‘The Gardener’) and hold your breath, she was wearing saris during her recitations.” Ivbulis’s love for Indian literature has continued and he is now translating the works of R.K. Narayan and Arundhati Roy into Latvian. Besides translating and writing, Ivbulis also teaches Literary Theory and heads the chair of Oriental Studies at the University of Latvia. Fluent in Russian, he has written a prize winning work called ‘The Creative Writings of Rabindranath Tagore’. Having a deep attachment to the Indian culture, Ivbulis frequently travels to India so that he can mingle with the people of the land on trains and buses.”