Critical Volume on S.R. Harnot’s ‘Nadi-Rang Jaisi Ladki’ Released in Shimla

Shimla, September 5, 2026: A critical volume on noted Himachali writer S.R. Harnot’s acclaimed novel *Nadi-Rang Jaisi Ladki*, edited by Dr. Rajendra Badgujar and published by New World Publication, was released at the historic Gaiety Theatre Auditorium, Shimla, on Friday.

The volume was formally released by Dr. Rajendra Badgujar, Professor and Head of the Department of Hindi at Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Motihari; senior poet and critic Rakeshranu; journalist and literary critic Jai Prakash Pandey; and publisher M.M. Chandra. Author S.R. Harnot and several prominent writers, critics and scholars were also present.

The event was organised by the **Himalaya Sahitya Sanskriti Evam Paryavaran Manch** and brought together a large gathering of writers, students and literature enthusiasts.

Speaking on the occasion, editor Dr. Rajendra Badgujar said the idea for the critical volume took shape during his tenure as a Fellow at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla. The book brings together critical essays by several established literary figures, many of which were earlier published in leading literary journals.

Badgujar described *Nadi-Rang Jaisi Ladki* as an important contemporary novel that explores the resilience of women and rivers within the folk culture of the hills while drawing attention to the growing environmental damage in the Himalayan region. Referring to critic Dr. Abdul Bismillah’s assessment, he noted that the novel has the scale and depth of an epic.

Rakeshranu highlighted the environmental concerns common to Harnot’s novels *Hidimb* and *Nadi-Rang Jaisi Ladki*, while Jai Prakash Pandey examined the novel in the context of Harnot’s wider literary work and described the life of its central character, Sunma Dadi, as deeply shaped by the consequences of so-called development.

Several speakers also expressed concern over environmental degradation in Shimla and other hill areas. Rakeshranu and Pandey appealed for greater emphasis on electric and other cleaner modes of transport in the heritage town, suggesting that the transition could begin with government vehicles.

Dr. Meenakshi F. Paul announced that she is currently translating the novel into English, describing it as a work particularly relevant to contemporary environmental discourse. Other speakers, including Dr. Hemraj Kaushik, Jagdish Bali, Dr. Prashant Raman Ravi and Abhishek Tiwari, discussed the novel’s environmental, social and literary dimensions.

The novel, originally published by Vani Prakashan in 2022 under its ‘Srishti’ series, has so far seen three editions. It is included in the BCA-3 syllabus of Bidar University, Karnataka, and has also been the subject of Ph.D. research at several universities. A Malayalam translation has recently been completed, further expanding the novel’s reach.

The packed auditorium reflected the growing interest in Harnot’s work and contemporary Hindi literature. The programme was conducted by Dr. Dinesh Sharma, while poet-critic Dr. Satyanarayan Snehi proposed the vote of thanks.