Cuttack, June 26: Sarala Mahabharat, an epic poetry in simple Oriya, composed nearly 530 years ago received a new lease of life recently.

Cuttack-based Sarala Sahitya Sansad (SSS) has come up with a reincarnated edition of the popular Oriya version of the Mahabharata.

“A new edition of the Sarala Mahabharat, considered as the genesis of Oriya literature, has been published after a gap of 45 years,” said the secretary of the SSS, Pravakar Swain, while talking to The Telegraph today.

Sarala Das, a contemporary of Suryavamsi King Kapilendra Dev (1435-1467 AD) had composed the popular Oriya version of the Mahabharata.

While Vyasa’s Mahabharata in Sanskrit had one lakh verses, Sarala Das had composed a lakh and 40,000 verses in his Oriya version.

Experts admit that though the broad themes of Sarala Mahabharat matched other traditional versions, there is still much that is breathtakingly original and refreshingly written keeping in mind popular sensibility.

Sarala’s version knitted in local folk tales and ballads, incorporated ethical and moral values then embraced and popular among the artisans and peasantry.

The 15th century poet, in his rendition of the Mahabharata (which also includes the Bhagabat Gita) added several episodes beyond those found elsewhere in India, experts add.

For a long time remaining hidden from the masses, the classic part of Oriya literature, was only introduced to the people at large when the Orissa government’s culture department published it in 1963.

However, copies of the epic tale have not been available for over past 15 years.

“The first printed edition had appeared in over 80,00 pages in newsprint paper. But the new edition of the 18 parvas of Sarala Mahabharat is available in 3,000 pages in seven volumes and has been reasonably priced at Rs 1,000,” said the secretary of the Sarala Sahitya Sansad.