Dehradun, 19 Nov 2006
Uttaranchal’s leading research organisation ‘Pahar’ is publishing a book that will throw new light on the life and work of explorer-surveyor- geographer Nain Singh Rawat. Dr Shekhar Pathak and Dr Uma Bhatt are the authors of the book titled, ‘Asia Ki Peeth Par’. The publication is all set for a November end release.
Nain Singh was the first of the ‘Pundits’, people that helped Britain to secretly enter, explore and survey Tibet. He did so disguised as a horse trader. He was a schoolteacher by profession and was sent to Tibet to take measurements for the Trigonometrical Survey. Nain Singh’s first visit was a 1,200 mile journey from Kathmandu to Lhasa in Tibet from January 1865 to April 1866. In January, he reached Lhasa, whose position and altitude he was the first to measure. The Pundits helped the British to secretly explore and survey Tibet when they themselves were denied access to the area.
‘Asia Ki Peeth Par’, in three volumes, is based on three decades of research by the authors. Dr Shekhar Pathak said, “The first part deals with the life of Nain Singh Rawat. His three diaries will figure in the second part and the third part will include the three reports by Rawat that got published in the Royal Geographical Society journal. ‘Asia Ki Peeth Par’ also includes 48 black and white, 24 colour photographs and paintings of Nain Singh Rawat. Also some rare maps used by this great explorer during his visits.”
The books reproduce his handwritten diaries and the comments in English by various Western journals. Incidentally, Rawat’s handwritten diaries never got published in book form and ‘Asia Ki Peeth Par’ will take the readers on a trip to Kathmandu, Lhasa, Ladakh, etc., with Nain Singh. The last of the three volumes contains three archival reports from the Royal Geographical Society: ‘From Nepal to Lhasa, and thence Upper Valley of the Brahmputra to its Source 1865-66’, ‘Report of the Trans-Himalayan Exploration during 1867’ and ‘Journey in Great Tibet from Leh to Lhasa, to India via Assam 1873-74’.
‘Asia Ki Peeth Par’ is a massive 700 page document in Hindi (Part-I and II) and English (Part-III). The first 228 pages are written on his biography and explorations. Part-II of the book contains Hindi Diaries of Nain Singh Rawat and Akshansh Darpan, in 258 pages. The third and last part of the book reproduces his survey work and Reports in English. As
many as 214 pages of this part have Index and Maps.
By Raju Gusain
News Source: Garhwal Post
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