尊敬的哈尔达尔·纳格博士，
我叫XXX，是一名来自中国的读者。我很喜欢您的诗集《卡维扬贾利》。您的诗歌用词质朴却蕴含深刻的哲理。透过这些诗歌，我了解到了奥里萨邦的文化和历史。您为保护奥里萨邦传统所做出的努力着实令人钦佩。
我写信是想礼貌地询问一部由英国广播公司（BBC）制作的纪录片的情况。据2010年《电讯报》的一篇文章称，BBC曾制作过一部关于您生平与作品的影片。您能否告知我这部纪录片是否已经完成？如果可以的话，能否分享一下它的片名以及在哪里可以找到它？我相信这部纪录片将有助于中国读者更好地了解伯尔格尔的文化遗产以及您的诗歌创作历程。
此外，关于您的生活方式或者您对日常创作过程的见解对于文化交流而言也十分宝贵。如果您允许的话，我希望将您的诗歌和人生故事介绍给中国读者。
感谢您用精彩的著作丰富了世界文学。愿您的诗意之声继续启迪我们所有人。

期待您的回复
祝您身体健康，幸福快乐。

诚挚的，
XXX

Respected Dr. Haldhar Nag,
My name is XXX, a reader from China. I love your poetry book Kavyanjali. Your poems use simple words but teach deep truths. Through them, I learned about Odisha’s culture and history. Your work to protect Odisha’s traditions is truly admirable.
I'm writing to kindly inquire about a documentary made by BBC. According to a 2010 The Telegraph article, BBC once produced a film about your life and works. Would you please tell me if this documentary was completed? If possible, could you share its title and where to find it? I believe this documentary would help Chinese readers better understand Bargarh's cultural heritage and your poetic journey.
Additionally, Your lifestyle or insights into your daily creative process would be valuable for cultural exchange. With your permission, I'd like to introduce your poetry and life story to Chinese audiences.
Thank you for enriching world literature with your brilliant works. May your poetic voice continue to enlighten us all.

Look forward to your reply
Wishing you good health and happiness.

Sincerely,
XXX

季节的回响：致敬哈尔达尔·纳格与被遗忘的西奥里萨邦智慧

个人博客

近日翻阅旧相册时，几张泛黄的照片突然触动心弦。它们唤醒了温暖的记忆，也带来隐隐的不安——那些值得被更多人听见的声音、值得被更多人看见的土地与智慧，始终沉寂在时光角落。

早在哈尔达尔·纳格成为家喻户晓的莲花士勋章得主之前，我有幸拜读过他震撼心灵的《巴查尔卡比亚》——一部以季节变迁为主题的诗集。这份机缘来自已故的迪利普·达达的引荐。怀着好奇，我通过阿肖克·普贾哈里的协助，开始频繁拜访诗人本人。

那是1990年代初。当时我正在研究"民众对气候变化的感知"——这个课题在当时绝大多数学术与政策讨论中仍属空白。最令我震撼的是，哈尔达尔先生的诗歌举重若轻地捕捉到了季节更迭的脉搏、环境变迁的轨迹与在地生态实相。他的诗性洞察所揭示的真理，彼时的科学才刚刚开始探索。

当英国Flycatcher Films的罗伯与安柏为BBC Earth来记录我的工作时，我坚持要带他们去见哈尔达尔先生。那时还没有人将他的诗作与环境意识相联结——或许至今依然如此。但我永远难忘那个场景：他即兴吟诵时手中无稿，思想如河流般从心底自然流淌，那种震撼堪称魔法。

后来他欣然随我参加国家级论坛，讲述诗中蕴藏的气候密码、季节轮回以及人与自然的神圣联结。他的谦逊、深邃与澄明令所有人动容。

当莲花士勋章的荣光终于降临，我却在欣慰中感到遗憾：《巴查尔卡比亚》蕴含的生态智慧至今未被充分认知——不仅在全国层面，甚至在他的故乡。

如今他的故乡根斯村以自由斗争史上的角色闻名，却少有人知那些静默的遗产：卡塔斯、班德斯、穆达斯、查哈拉斯……这些传统集水系统凝结着西奥里萨邦人民的生态智慧。诗人曾向我忧心忡忡地诉说这些系统正被忽视乃至消失。不知如今他作何想。

但希望犹存。邻近的帕德马普尔居民近日挺身而出，向国家绿色法庭请愿拯救一座即将被填平建车站的古池塘。这微小的抵抗意义深远——它证明守护的火种未曾熄灭。

（评论区续）

Echoes of Seasons: A Tribute to Haldhar Nag and the Neglected Wisdom of Western Odisha

A personal blog

While flipping through old printed photos recently, I came across a few that instantly stirred something deep within me. They brought back fond memories, but also a quiet unease—a reminder of voices, places, and wisdom that deserve to be heard far more than they are.

Long before Haldhar Nag agyan became a household name and received the Padma Shri, I had the rare privilege of reading his Bachar Kabya—a deeply evocative collection of poems on the changing seasons. I owe this discovery to Late Dillip Dada, who introduced me to his work. My curiosity led me to seek out Haldhar Babu himself, and with the kind facilitation of Ashok Pujahari agyan, I began visiting him more frequently.

It was the early 1990s. I was researching "people's perception on climate change"—a subject still alien to most academic and policy circles at the time. What struck me profoundly was how effortlessly Haldhar Babu’s poems captured the pulse of seasonal changes, environmental shifts, and local ecological realities. His poetic lens revealed truths that science had only begun to explore.

When Rob and Amber from Flycatcher Films in the United Kingdom decided to document my work for BBC Earth, I felt compelled to introduce them to Haldhar Babu. At that point, no one had really connected his poetry with environmental awareness. Perhaps that is still true today. But I’ll never forget how moved we were by his ability to orate, with no script in hand, just a river of thought flowing straight from the heart. It was nothing short of magic.

Later, he graciously agreed to accompany me to national forums, where he spoke about the subtle messages woven into his poems—messages about climate, seasons, and our sacred relationship with nature. His humility, depth, and clarity left a lasting impression.

Eventually, his work gained the national spotlight. The Padma Shri was conferred upon him, and rightly so. Yet, I can’t help but feel that the recognition of Bachar Kabya—especially its environmental insight—has lagged far behind. Not just nationally, but in his own village and region.

Today, Ghess—his home village—is known to many for its role in the freedom struggle. But few know of the silent legacy that surrounds it: the Katas, Bandhs, Mudas, and Chahalas. These traditional water harvesting systems speak of the ingenuity and ecological intelligence of the people of Western Odisha. Haldhar Babu once shared his concerns with me about how these systems were being ignored and slowly disappearing. I wonder what his thoughts are now.

There is, however, a glimmer of hope. Some residents of Padampur, a nearby town, have recently taken a stand. They approached the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to save an old pond that's at risk of being filled up for a new bus stand. This small act of resistance matters. It signals that the spirit of conservation is still alive.

(Contd… in comments)

（接续前文）

在我看来，对《巴查尔卡比亚》真正的致敬，不应止于奖项与荣光。它在于倾听——倾听季节的脉动，倾听土地的呼吸，倾听哈尔达尔先生这样的声音。他的诗篇不仅是艺术，更是行动的号角：呼唤我们守护维系世代的自然系统，提醒我们环境从未与文化割裂——它本就是文化的血脉。

保护传统水利系统，超越单纯的基础设施留存。我们守护的是一份遗产、一种土地的语言，更是一位早在世人瞩目之前就洞悉一切的诗人留下的诗性预言。

就从此刻开始。

~ 兰詹·潘达，2025年8月26日

Contd from the above post…

In my view, true justice to Bachar Kabya doesn’t lie in accolades or public honours alone. It lies in listening—to the seasons, to the land, and to voices like Haldhar Babu’s. His poetry is not just art; it's a call to action. A call to protect the natural systems that have sustained us for generations. A call to remember that our environment is not separate from our culture—it is our culture.

By conserving our traditional water systems, we do more than preserve infrastructure. We honour a legacy, a language of the land, and a poet who saw it all long before the world cared to notice.

Let’s care now.

~ Ranjan Panda, August 26, 2025.