Dharamshala, India: - The English edition of Arhat, a best selling novel by Kyrgyz writer Kazat Akmatov was launched by Kalon Dicki Chhoyang, Department of Information and International Relations of the Central Tibetan Administration, at the DIIR hall Thursday, December 08.
"I am pleased to launch the English edition of the book. Although its a novel, its a wonderful way to introduce the issue of Tibet and Tibetan culture to the people of Kyrgyzstan," said Kalon Dicki Chhoyang.
She also said that she firmly believes that, Kyrgyzstan being a part of the former Soviet Union, the people of Kyrgyzstan, will naturally feel a sense of empathy with the hardship that the Tibetan people are currently living inside Tibet under communist China.
Thanking Kalon Dicki Chhoyang and the DIIR for hosting the launch of his book, Kazat Akmatov told a brief biography of his life and how he stumbled upon the idea of writing "Arhat".
He said that its impossible to access Tibetan literature during the Soviet era. His first association with Tibet was in 1968 when he was able to visit Lhasa for one day through Nepal. Since then he has always been an admirer of the rich Tibetan culture and heritage.
'Arhat' is an intriguing tale of adventure and tragedy set against the extraordinary natural beauty of Tibet. It is the story of an unusual Kyrgyz boy name Adilet who discovers that he is the reincarnation of the great Tibetan yogi,Milarepa.
Since its first publication in 2007, Arhat has received a number of prizes and awards including the International Ruhaniat prize (2007) and the Kyrgyz government's best-seller of 2009 among many others.
The book has been translated into many different languages including Kyrgyz, Russian and Bulgarian while the book's Farsi, Turkish and German language edition are coming out soon.
Kazat Atmatov is an author and playwright from Kyrgystan. While serving as a member of the USSR Writers Union in the 1970s ,he was repressed by the Communist party for his outspoken books and novels. His other works include The Night of the Formation (1983), Earth Time (1978) and Years Around the Sun.
