Panaji: The Bible, hailed as the best-selling book of all time with over 5 billion copies sold, is making its mark in Konkani too.
The ‘povitr pustok’ has done well, with sales of over 3.5 lakh copies to date.
Church sources said that a third Roman-script reprint of the full Bible – Old and New Testament – is being planned, with a revision of the text on the cards. “Only a few copies of the 40,000-copy second reprint are available, and we are going for the third one soon,” said Fr Manuel Gomes, former director, Diocesan Biblical Centre.
The pioneering effort of translating the Bible from English into Konkani began in the early 1970s. A committee appointed by the Goa archdiocese under the chairmanship of late Fr Caetano da Cruz Fernandes, then Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Goa, undertook the challenging task of translating the Novo Korar, the New Testament.
The first edition, with a print order of 25,000 copies, was published in 1974, paving the way for seven more reprints.
Then, in the ’90s, Church authorities thought of revising Novo Korar, and also translating the Old Testament — a complete Bible in Konkani. The work, which was started by Fr Caetano da Cruz Fernandes and assisted by Fr Vasco do Rego in 1994, was entrusted to Fr Manuel Gomes in 2002.
Assisted by Fr Ave Maria Fernandes, other priests, lay persons, and Konkani writers in translating and checking the text, the full version of the Bible — with both Testaments — was ready in 2006.
“Sixty thousand copies of the first edition were released on June 4, 2006, and the sell-out necessitated a second reprint of 40,000 copies in 2010,” a team member said.
With more than 3.5 lakh copies of various reprints of the Bible sold since the 1970s, some key figures behind the massive literary effort look back with a sense of achievement.
“It was a big challenge and we had to work very hard,” says Fr Manuel Gomes. “We struggled to find meanings of words and had to coin new ones, but by researching and comparing the vocabulary in other languages, we coped with the challenge.”
The Konkani-speaking population in Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and other places is estimated at more than 80 lakh, including 50 lakh in Karnataka itself. But the readership for Konkani literature, which is written in five scripts, is limited, The Times of India reported.
“Readers in most vernacular languages are shrinking and Konkani also faces the same problem,” says Vincy Quadros, a Konkani writer. “A book published either in Roman or Devnagri script sells a limited number of copies; only established writers have a sizeable readership.”
The Church conducts its services predominantly in Konkani. Selected texts of the Bible are read at Holy Mass every day, and small Christian communities also reflect on the Word of God and discuss it for inspiration.
Some writers appreciate the vision of the Church in trying to break the script barrier. Dilip Borkar, a Sahitya Akademi awardee, transliterated the Novo Korar into the Devnagri script for church authorities.
“Though the script is now an issue, many are going back to their roots,” Borkar said. “People want to learn about other religions and for them, the New Testament in Devnagri script opens a door. The Church should maintain this policy.”
The Konkani version of the Bible has been recognized for its literary merit, and key figures like Gomes have won awards from various organizations. “The part of the translation as well as the language used in the Konkani Povitr Pustok is taken as a model book for other religious writing,” he said.