# Kavyanjali (poetry collection)

Kavyanjali is collection of English poems by the Indian Kosali poet Haldhar Nag, translated by Surendra Nath. The book was first published in 2016 with a foreword written by Odia writer Manoj Das. The poems cover various themes such as spiritualism, social reality, cultural identity, etc. As of 2022, a total of 5 volumes of Kavyanjali have been published; the Vol.3 and Vol.4 are not collections of poems, but are epic poems and biographies respectively.

## Contents
### Vol.1

The first volume (ISBN 9781696148337) was released in Bhubaneswar on October 2, 2016. It has a total of 268 pages and contains 24 poems. Nag's debut poem "Old Banyan Tree" is also included:
* Five Nectars of Immortality
* The Great Sati Urmila
* Old Banyan Tree
* Make No Silly Excuses
* Demon
* The Minister and the Beggar
* A Cubit Taller
* Wine
* River Ghensali
* The Cuckoo
* Bulbul
* What Else Could Have Happened
* The Harlot of Tikarpada
* The Soul is Real
* First Clean Yourself
* Bhai Jiuntia
* Greatness
* The Year
* Too Much
* The Dove is My Teacher
* Light of the Earthen Lamp
* Conscience
* Why Did He Leave His Home
* A Letter to Poet Haldhar

### Vol.2

The second volume (ISBN 9781695954281) was released in Sambalpur on October 10, 2018, with a total of 244 pages, including 28 short poems and 2 long poems:
* Lies Lead to Hell
* Shri Samlei
* Our Village Cremation Ground
* Profit
* For a Little Broth of Rice
* Kunjel Para
* The Morning of March
* Danseuse
* Market of Illusion
* Kamdhenu
* Just Think of It
* The Jealous Always Suffer
* On the Death of Budhadev Das Cries Mother Samlei
* Animals and Humans
* Warning
* Swachh Bharat
* Butterfly
* Smeared with Colours, The Old Man Was Cremated
* The Matter Ends Here
* The Younger Brother's Courage
* A Song in Sanchar Tune
* Regard for Soil
* Untouchable
* Lantern
* Fire
* Summer
* Rains
* God Kalia of Priest Luru
* Slumber
* Chhanda Charan Avtar

### Vol.3

The third volume (ISBN 9781701787070) was released in Bargarh on November 22, 2019 and has a total of 400 pages. Its content is different from the poetry anthologies in the first two volumes. It is an epic poem with a total of 21 chapters and 1,340 verses, titled "Manifestation of Love"; the illustrations in the book are by Rhiti Chatterjee Bose, the female illustrator from Kolkata. The author tells the story of Krishna from birth to death in a new light:
* Kamsa and Devaki
* Balram is Born in Gopa-pur
* Kamsa and Pootana. Incarnation of Krishna
* The Prison Guard
* Crossing of Yamuna
* Nature Blooms in Gopa-pur
* Mother Pootana
* Twin Trees Yamla-Arjun
* Yashoda’s Vision of the Universe
* Balram is Named Haldhar
* Mohan Flute
* Rasleela
* Akrur Fetches Krishna, Balram
* Mathura
* Death of Kamsa
* Disrobing of Draupadi
* Karna the Charitable
* Shyamantak
* Sudama
* Radhe-Krishna
* The End of Dwapar Yuga

### Vol.4

The fourth volume (ISBN 9798696248189) was released on October 11, 2020, with a total of 368 pages. It is the biographical story of revolutionary Surendra Sai, poet Bhima Bhoi and Gangadhar Meher.

### Vol.5

The fifth volume (ISBN 9798792985353) was released on December 30, 2021, with a total of 304 pages and contains 31 poems:
* Tulsi Das
* River and Ocean
* Mahua Tree
* Neem Tree
* Spring Tune
* Shivaratri
* Bracelet
* The Witch They Slapped with Slippers
* What Do We Do
* Goat
* That Village Kuchipali
* Dussehra Festival in Ghess
* Attire
* Tara Mandodari
* Only Because You Exist
* Victory Song
* The Power of Goddess
* Kirtan
* Arrived Dussehra
* Squirrel
* The Little Calf
* Five Orphans
* Wooden Leg
* Nuakhai Festival Meet
* Pushpuni
* Give Me Some Medicine
* Forest Jasmine
* Blessings of Guru
* The Disrobing
* Juapuni
* The Village Chowkidar

## Origin

The translator, Surendra Nath is a retired naval officer. In early 2016, he happened to see a post that went viral on social media: a dark-skinned man with long hair, wearing a vest and dhoti, and barefoot, receiving the Padma Shri from Pranab Mukherjee, the President of India. Therefore, he became curious about this "The vest poet" and began to pay attention to his works. Understanding that language was a barrier between Haldhar Nag's rich literary work and the rest of the world, Nath decided to translate Nag's poetry into English so that a wider audience could read it.
In addition, Nath also embarked on an autonomous project called "Project Kavyanjali", to translate and publish all the works of Haldhar Nag into English.