I’m a mythologist, not litterateur: Devdutt Pattanaik

New Delhi, Nov 12 (IANS) Author Devdutt Pattanaik, known for writing mythological books, said he considers himself a mythologist and not a litterateur.

"I am not an expert in literature to claim myself as a litterateur. And neither I am a 'bhakt' (religious person).

"I am a mythologist who has got interest in the Vedas and Upanishads, ancient idols and sculptures and attempt to take these stories to the masses," Pattanaik said at the "Sahitya Aaj Tak" -- a three-day Hindi Literature Festival -- here on Sunday.

The author, who earlier penned the much-acclaimed "My Gita", released "My Hanuman Chalisa" book this year. About his experience while writing "My Hanuman Chalisa", he said it was difficult for him to understand the Awadhi language and he had to take help from his college professors.

"Awadhi is a very complex language and its meanings are very difficult to interpret. Before writing this book, I had to read three to four translation works on Hanuman.

"Another reason for writing this book was that I wanted everyone to read about Hanuman Chalisa which has earlier been limited only to the Brahmnis," Pattanaik said.

Apart from providing simple translation of every verse from Hanuman Chalisa, Pattanaik's book also presents his understanding of these verses and insights into the situations under which they were originally penned.

"Sahitya Aaj Tak" festival not just showcased cultural shows and theatre, but also turned out to be a platform for budding writers, giving them an oppurtunity to narrate their scripts and meet publications and literary agents.

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