India repaid Shakespeare 'richly' for his literary attention: Envoy

Stratford (UK), April 24: Shakespeare’s India was rich with pearls and precious stones, its people deeply religious and its veiled women famous for their “dark beauty”. And the country has repaid the Bard “richly” for his attention, Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom vtej Sar has said.

Sar, an acknowledged literary persolity as author of several books and many short stories, was speaking on behalf of the entire diplomatic corps in London at the 452nd birthday celebrations of the poet at his birthplace here on Saturday. He noted that there were various references to India in Shakespearean plays in that “pre-Google age” when India was ruled by Mughals.

“It was a famed India of a grand imperial court, gilded riches, spice laden and distant...and the East India Company would not begin to lay the foundations of the Raj for another 200 and more years,” the envoy recalled the era as vividly as he has done in many of his novels. Sar said Shakespeare learned about India as he picked information and stories from sailors in London and “his imagition did the rest”.

“His India is exceptiolly rich, famous for its precious pearls and stones, its people are deeply religious and its veiled women are famed for their dark beauty.” (ians)