Frenchman who speaks chaste Telugu
Monday March 6 2006 00:00 IST
RAJAHMUNDRY: Get ready for the shock of meeting a white-skinned full-blooded Caucasian roaming about in the lanes and by lanes of Peddapuram much like a local.
More shocks are in store when you try to talk to him. He speaks chaste Telugu and politely but firmly refuses to respond to queries in English.
This is Daniel Negers and he is French. What is this French man doing in Peddapuram?
Negers is studying the socio-cultural metamorphosis of Peddapuram town from a colonial kingdom to a bustling town famous for more than one thing. He is also delving deep into Saivaite traditions and has chosen Peddapuram because of the large concentration of Devanga community.
"The weaver community is predominantly Saivite and preserves several ancient traditions," he remarks.
This Telugu professor at Centre de Pondicherry of the Ecole Francaise d'Extreme-Orient, a French institution devoted to the study of the Far-east, is no stranger to East Godavari.
He was here earlier studying the Burrakatha traditions and visited interior villages in the district. "My book on Burrakatha was dedicated to Naazar, the biggest name in Burrakatha tradition," he said.
He said there is a great collection of Telugu palm leaf texts and hand-written manuscripts in various libraries and universities of France and many of them are rare and do not have copies in India.
"In fact, I came across a palm leaf text of burrakatha on the historic Bobbili Yuddham at Paris University. It was called Ranga Rao Charitram. I quoted the text in my thesis," he said.
"Telugu and French have lot of commonalities. Their origin and evolution has similarities and similar is their time of appearance in human history.
However, while French developed into an international language, the Telugu remained confined to a small corner as it came under the subjugation of English masters as did most other Indian languages," says this Telugu professor, who is in love with everything Telugu.
Courtesy: NewIndPress
Indians may have forgotten several of its traditional folk arts but a French researcher has learnt and mastered the traditional story telling folk art of Andhra Pradesh, "Burra Katha". Daniel Negers has been to Peddapuram in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh in 1983 and decided to settle down for research on Burrakatha. After spending 23 years Daniel learnt Telugu and has French-Telugu dictionary to his credit.
The Whiteman on the bicycle is no ordinary man. Living in Peddapuram Village of East Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh since 1983 he knows more Telugu than many Telugu`s, he knows traditional folk art "Burra Katha" more than many of those born in the family that live by the art. Daniel Negers came to India in 1983 to research on Maridamma Devalayam but got attracted to the folk art "Burra Katha". 23 years later Daniel completed the research and now knows each and every intricacy of the art.
Dr Daniel Negers said, “I soon realised watching Burrakatha and other folk forms as well that there was very strong peculiarity in the Andhra and Indian culture which was different from he French or western culture of yesterday. In India sill, today sung poetry that fact of singing songs is very important item."
Daniel lives with his family in Peddapuram and was trained by renowned Burra Katha exponent Devadula Brahmanandam. After the death of Brahmanandam his companion Allada Rama Rao helped Daniel complete the research. In the process Daniel learnt Telugu and has infact written a French Telugu dictionary.
Dr Daniels’s guru Allada Rama Rao said, "We are very happy that the foreigners are learning our language and folk arts. This will help the folk art reach several countries and keep the art from live some place on the earth."
The research by Daniel Negers will go a long way. Very few in India show interest in research on subjects like this. The history of "Burra Katha" is safe in the hands of the French.
Courtesy: Zee News
Technorati tags: Telugu,తెలుగు
More shocks are in store when you try to talk to him. He speaks chaste Telugu and politely but firmly refuses to respond to queries in English.
This is Daniel Negers and he is French. What is this French man doing in Peddapuram?
Negers is studying the socio-cultural metamorphosis of Peddapuram town from a colonial kingdom to a bustling town famous for more than one thing. He is also delving deep into Saivaite traditions and has chosen Peddapuram because of the large concentration of Devanga community.
"The weaver community is predominantly Saivite and preserves several ancient traditions," he remarks.
This Telugu professor at Centre de Pondicherry of the Ecole Francaise d'Extreme-Orient, a French institution devoted to the study of the Far-east, is no stranger to East Godavari.
He was here earlier studying the Burrakatha traditions and visited interior villages in the district. "My book on Burrakatha was dedicated to Naazar, the biggest name in Burrakatha tradition," he said.
He said there is a great collection of Telugu palm leaf texts and hand-written manuscripts in various libraries and universities of France and many of them are rare and do not have copies in India.
"In fact, I came across a palm leaf text of burrakatha on the historic Bobbili Yuddham at Paris University. It was called Ranga Rao Charitram. I quoted the text in my thesis," he said.
"Telugu and French have lot of commonalities. Their origin and evolution has similarities and similar is their time of appearance in human history.
However, while French developed into an international language, the Telugu remained confined to a small corner as it came under the subjugation of English masters as did most other Indian languages," says this Telugu professor, who is in love with everything Telugu.
Courtesy: NewIndPress
*****
Whiteman on bicycle - A researcher, lexicographer
(By Shivanarayana Reddy)
Indians may have forgotten several of its traditional folk arts but a French researcher has learnt and mastered the traditional story telling folk art of Andhra Pradesh, "Burra Katha". Daniel Negers has been to Peddapuram in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh in 1983 and decided to settle down for research on Burrakatha. After spending 23 years Daniel learnt Telugu and has French-Telugu dictionary to his credit.
The Whiteman on the bicycle is no ordinary man. Living in Peddapuram Village of East Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh since 1983 he knows more Telugu than many Telugu`s, he knows traditional folk art "Burra Katha" more than many of those born in the family that live by the art. Daniel Negers came to India in 1983 to research on Maridamma Devalayam but got attracted to the folk art "Burra Katha". 23 years later Daniel completed the research and now knows each and every intricacy of the art.
Dr Daniel Negers said, “I soon realised watching Burrakatha and other folk forms as well that there was very strong peculiarity in the Andhra and Indian culture which was different from he French or western culture of yesterday. In India sill, today sung poetry that fact of singing songs is very important item."
Daniel lives with his family in Peddapuram and was trained by renowned Burra Katha exponent Devadula Brahmanandam. After the death of Brahmanandam his companion Allada Rama Rao helped Daniel complete the research. In the process Daniel learnt Telugu and has infact written a French Telugu dictionary.
Dr Daniels’s guru Allada Rama Rao said, "We are very happy that the foreigners are learning our language and folk arts. This will help the folk art reach several countries and keep the art from live some place on the earth."
The research by Daniel Negers will go a long way. Very few in India show interest in research on subjects like this. The history of "Burra Katha" is safe in the hands of the French.
Courtesy: Zee News
posted by v_tel001 @ 2:11 PM
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Great news thanks for sharing this with us
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