Row over Mira Bai’s depiction, award cancelled

Udaipur/Jaipur, March 19

The Rajasthan Sahitya Akademi on Monday cancelled an award bestowed on author Hardan Harsh as a controversy erupted after a group of academics claimed his fictional work shows Mira Bai, a Hindu mystic poet and devotee of Lord Krishna, and Mewar rulers in poor light.

The ceremony was held in Udaipur on Sunday, in which Harsh’s book “Historical Mira” was shortlisted by the RSA for its prestigious annual award Rangey Raghav given to an author for outstanding work in literature.

A controversy surfaced after academics raised objections to the book that they alleged projected Mira Bai and Mewar rulers in poor light. — PTI