Press Release
Punjabi Edition of Globally Acclaimed Book -‘Great Minds on India’ Launched in Patiala
Dr. Naresh Goswami, New Delhi
The Punjabi edition of the globally acclaimed book Great Minds on INDIA, authored by research-based scholar from Meghalaya (India), Salil Gewali, was launched on Monday in Patiala by renowned poet and writer Jaswant Singh Zafar, who is also the Director of the Language Department of Government of Punjab.
A special function organized for the book release was attended by several literary scholars and writers from across Punjab. The book was meticulously translated from English to Punjabi by Assistant Director Shri Aalok Chawla, representing the Government of Punjab.
Salil Gewali’s book, Great Minds on India, has already been translated into fifteen languages, including German, Arabic, and Urdu, and has won appreciation from top scholars in Arabic-speaking countries around the world. Director Zafar heaped praise on Gewali’s work, saying: “This book is extraordinary—deeply rooted in Indian wisdom and enriched with insights that have been celebrated by some of the world’s most respected thinkers. Yet, sadly, this treasure remains unknown to many in our own country. I am truly honoured to be part of the launch of its Punjabi edition.” The Director also praised the meticulous efforts of translator Aalok Chawla, stating that such contributions are essential for enriching the fields of literature and knowledge in Punjab.
During his address, Mr. Aalok Chawla highlighted how the book brings together the profound admiration expressed by global icons such as Albert Einstein, Johann Goethe, Gottfried Herder, T.S. Eliot, Arthur Schopenhauer, Werner Heisenberg, Friedrich Hegel, Carl Jung, Queen Frederica of Greece, Mark Twain, H.G. Wells, and Henry David Thoreau for India’s ancient intellectual and cultural heritage. These luminaries recognized the immense contributions of Indian civilization in the realms of literature, science, philosophy, spirituality, and the arts.
The author, Salil Gewali, said: “I am immensely grateful to the esteemed scholars of Punjab who recommended this work to the former Chief Minister of Punjab, which finally culminated in its translation and release today.”
The Arabic edition of this landmark book was released in 2024 by Dr. Bu Abdullah, a renowned Dubai-based business mogul and philanthropist and Doha while the German edition was unveiled by the Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Shri Conrad Sangma, in 2022.
The former Governor of Assam Gulab Chand Kataria lauded Gewali’s work, stating: “ ‘Great Minds on India’ has earned the admiration of esteemed scholars from around the globe, earning it the distinction of being a source of national pride. It beautifully presents rare pearls of wisdom from world-renowned intellectuals, shedding light on the depth of India’s ancient knowledge.” The Governor had formally released the Urdu edition of the book in 2023 at Raj Bhavan, Guwahati.
The book features a powerful quote by Queen Frederica of Greece, who, along with other renowned scholars, admired India’s timeless wisdom, stating: “Science has yet to catch up with what the seers in India already understood over 2,500 years ago. While Greece is the country of my birth, India is the country of my soul.”
Originally published in Xerox format in 1998, Great Minds on India is the result of over twenty-four years of meticulous research and dedication, featuring a foreword by the acclaimed NASA director Prof. Kamlesh Lulla from Houston, USA.
Views: 160
m7ka13