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Dr. Priyanka Vaidya |
Designation-Fellow | |
Email- drpriyankavaidya@gmail.com | |
EPBAX- | |
Duration of Fellowship | August 2023 to July 2025 |
Research Project | "Sister Nivedita" |
About: State-level awardee writer Dr Priyanka Vaidya will do research on Sister Nivedita at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study. Himachal Pradesh's litterateur Dr Priyanka Vaidya has been working in the Education Department in Himachal Pradesh for the last fifteen years. She is presently posted as an Associate Professor in the Department of English, ICDEOL, at Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla. She belongs to Nalagarh, District Solan and Choti Kashi Mandi, the land of the gods. Fourteen of her books have been published, which include five poetry collections, three English research books, three short story collections and one poetic novel. Two edited books are also included. Her short story collections are: Lotus Rises in Mud, Lockdown Diary and Gulmarg Gulzar Hoga. The poetic novel Anandi published in 2022 is the first poetic novel of Himachal Pradesh. This is a new effort. Her nature-based poetry collection When the Cuckoo Sings in the Himalayas has been widely discussed. She is the editor of two collections on Himachali English storytellers, Hatu and Carnival of Stories, published by the Himachal Pradesh Academy Of Arts Culture And Languages on the occasion of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. She has worked on more than 100 research papers. Vaidya has also been an Associate Fellow at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study UGC-IUC. Vaidya is also doing research on Swami Vivekananda. She has also been honored for his contribution to literature. She has bagged state award for English literature, honored by His Excellency Governor Acharya Devvrat to represent India abroad. She has received Woman Achiever Award, Himalaya Yuva Srijan Samman, Woman Icon Award, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Samman, Kavya Pratibha Samman and Sahitya Shree Samman, has contributed to the field of literature in both the languages, has also been honored by the Himachal Kala Bhasha Sanskriti Academy for contribution to English literature. She has contributed to the field of literature in both the languages, loves to give voice to the silence and throw light on the themes which are related to India. Dr. Vaidya read research papers on Indian culture and literature at the University of Kent in UK. It is her endeavor to make a new effort by harmonizing Bhagavadgita, Karmayoga, Kalachakra, Vedas, Upanishads and Indian culture with English literature. She enthusiastically participates in Kavi Sammelan, storytelling, National and International conferences. Dr. Vaidya read a research paper on Pravasi Indian English Literature in Camden Town, London. She tried to highlight the pain and feelings of those Indians in this conference who were forced to leave their country due to some economic and social reasons. Neither they could save their roots nor could make their place in the new country. Dr. Vaidya says in the context of her research topic at IIAS: Sister Nivedita loved India so deeply that she could feel the divine presence in every speck of Indian culture, values, gods and goddesses, nature etc. Her way of looking at Shiva-Shakti, Purusha-Prakriti and Mother Kali reflects his devotion to those spiritual forces that breathe through the Indian consciousness. We need to see the new truth from Nivedita's point of view. Her writings have a distinctly divine aura of the Himalayas; concept of Shiva-Shakti or Ardhanarishvara redefines the roots of Indian culture. Maa Kali speaks through her pen. Apart from spirituality, her revolutionary spirit exhorts humanity to follow the path of Karma by following the principles of Bhakti and Truth. Her journey gives meaning to metaphors, and her vision inspires us to delve deeper into Indian consciousness. I want to write such a book which can inspire to lead a divine life like a Karma Yogi following the golden heritage of Indian culture. Dr. Vaidya says that Sister Nivedita is an ideal who gives the message of holding a sword in one hand and the Bhagavad Gita in the other. |
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