Basant Foundation Publishes Second Edition of Leela
Leela is a book of Punjabi poetry written by Navtej Bharati and Ajmer Rode. It was first published by Rainbird Press of Vancouver in 1999. Leela is more than 1200 pages with unique features to enhance reader’s poetic experience. Scholars have called Leela a milestone in the 20th century Punjabi poetry. It has been prescribed in the graduate programs of Punjab and Delhi universities and been the subject of several MPhil and PhD studies. The first edition of Leela was sold out in 3-4 years. Since then its demand has continued unabated.
Basant Foundation has published Leela’s second edition with Autumn Art of Patiala as its co-publisher and distributer in India. Leela’s second edition was published in April 2019.
The 2019 Zindagi De Rubroo is devoted to celebrating poetry. Poetry gives expression to emotional experience, the core of human existence. Our joys, sorrows, fears, compassion... have been best expressed in poetry since ancient times. No wonder all religious books and classics have been written in poetry or poetic prose. Our folk songs, lyrics, musical tunes are all different forms of poetry that give life to our culture. Without poetry our culture, as we know it now, will die.
Basant Foundation realizes this gravitas of our culture and goes all out to support all that is poetic: books, publications, events. And as the following pages show the Foundation has supported several publications including the second edition of Leela, an important book of Punjabi poetry.
The foundation has chosen to celebrate 20th anniversary of Leela as a way to celebrate poetry on the 2019 Zindagi De Rubroo.
“The all-time Punjabi classic Leela written by two brothers, Navtej Bharati and Ajmer Rode, has come
up for public discussion once again”
“I feel Leela is one of the most important poetry books of our (20th) century. It has a rare power to shake, pierce, and mesmerize you”
— Surjit Patar, chair, Punjab Arts Council
“The Jury especially underlined the significance of their pathbreaking work, Leela, which runs
over a thousand pages and remains unparalleled in the history of Punjabi literature for its courage to explore and experiment”
— The jury of scholars on awarding Anäd Foundation’s 2010 poetry prize to Leela.
