Gamit Dantkadhao by Raymund Chauhan sj as textbook

 Dantkadhao as textbook

Pro. Vikram Chaudhari, from Bardoli, South Gujarat, gave good tidings to Fr. Raymund A. Chauhan sj, at 12.39 pm on 08.03.2014, on his mobile, “Father Raymund, your book - Gamit Dantkathao - has been selected by Surat University as textbook for the fourth semester of M. A. from the next academic year, 2014-2015. Congratulations!” Indeed, this good news delighted me immensely.

Gamit Dantkathao is a book of Gamit mythology. As part of my Gamit-research, I   collected, compiled and translated these myths from Gamit Language into Gujarati. This book is bilingual in the sense that it narrates the myths into Gamit (as narrated by the Gamit elders – women and men) and provides a simultaneous translation into Gujarati.

There are altogether 19 myths orally narrated by the uneducated elders of Gamit from Vyara and Songadh Talukas and with the help of educated Gamit Youth, compiled and translated into Gujarati.

Dr. Ganesh Devi, who is the Director of Bhasha Research and Publication Centre, Baroda, and was conferred with a Padma Shri for his work with the languages of India on January 26 this year, had invited  me   to present an assignment for publication in 1998 to a project “Indian Literature in Tribal Languages”. I responded to this invitation by preparing a collection of Gamit mythologies, which was published in 2002 by Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi.  

Fr. Raymund A. Chauhan sj

08.03.2014

Gurjarvani