Panaji: Suresh G. Amonkar, an educationalist and writer, released two of his books, Christha Purana and Goenchem Savasarikikaran , in Panaji last week. The books are written in Konkani and deal with religion and globalisation.
Christha Purana , an epic poem on the life of Jesus Christ, was originally written in 1616 in Rachol, Goa, by Jesuit priest Father Thomas Stephen. It was written in Marathi in Roman script, which Mr. Amonkar translated to Konkani in Devanagari script. The octogenarian, in his address during the book release, said he is paying homage to Fr. Stephen, who was known as the Apostle of Salcete, a Catholic dominated taluk of South Goa. He said the priest deserves a feast, “which we need to celebrate every year.”
As per Mr. Amonkar’s research, Christha Purana was used for 70 years in churches of Bardez, Tiswadi and Salcete, but was withdrawn in 1684. Fr. Stephen had learnt Konkani and Marathi from the Brahmins of Salcete to write the book. Mr. Amonkar said Marathi was the written language and Konkani was the spoken language in Goa at the time.
The second book, Goenchem Savasarikikaran (Goa’s globalisation), throws light on the socio-religious conditions in Goa during the 16th and 17th centuries. Speaking to The Hindu , Mr. Amonkar explains that the State was a strategic port on the Western coast, and its conquest by Portuguese was “the first battle of globalisation of Goa.”
He adds: “I have looked upon the encounter between East and West as a process of globalisation. I would like people to consider this encounter as indirect influence of Renaissance, Reformation and counter-Reformation.”
Mr. Amonkar has been a patient of cancer since 10 years. He says he is influenced by Buddhism and has been studying the Bible since he was a college student in Mumbai. Mr. Amonkar would also be publishing his Konkani translations of the works of William Shakespeare in the next six months.
