This issue of the Interventions section explores the ideas related to Cultural Translation through a theoretical analysis along with the spiritual philosophy of Kabir and Tagore. Fakrul Alam’s essay on the subject explores in depth the theoretical implications of Cultural Translation and how it has been defined and re-defined by various scholars beginning with Talal Asad, from his

anthropological point of view to Homi K Bhabha, Walter Benjamin, Edward Said, James Clifford and others. His essay explores how interlingual translation is related to cultural translation and how there is a hermeneutic motion involved in both their processes.

 

Cultural Translation according to Alam has immense potential for the scholars of sociology, scholars working on migration and culture studies. It has a transformative value for the society. The second essay by Priya and Jayraman writes about the Sufi-Bhakti saint, Kabir’s vision, which is cross-cultural, to offer to the posterity a concept of spiritual philosophy through a close analysis

of few of his songs. Sourav Das Thakur’s essay on Tagore, writes about music, memory, Nature and the spiritual philosophy of Tagore. The essay explores how the essence of Upanishadic thought along with Platonic philosophy, influenced Tagore, and how Indian classical music and western Romantic philosophy weaves into his ideational universe.

 

1. Cultural Translation and the Transformation of Cultures (Click Here)

2. An Odyssey into the Future, holding Kabir’s hand (Click Here)

3. Nature, Music, Memory: Rabindranath Thakur’s Songs on Nature (Click Here)