Embassy of India, Bucharest

to Romania and Moldova

The National Museum of Romanian Literature (MNLR) had the pleasure of welcoming H.E. Mr. Manoj Mohapatra, Ambassador of the Republic of India to Romania and the Republic of Moldova, for an unofficial visit that turned into a journey through Romanian literature and the deep ties between Romanian and Indian culture.

Over nearly an hour and a half, the tour of the MNLR exhibition opened a lively conversation about writers, books, languages and cultural encounters. A first stop was, naturally, Mihai Eminescu, where the discussion touched on the poet's fascination with Sanskrit, his study of Franz Bopp's Sanskrit grammar, and his years of study in Berlin.

From there, the visit continued toward Mircea Eliade and Indian culture and literature, toward Rabindranath Tagore and, inevitably, toward Amita Bhose, who dedicated an essential part of her life to bringing the two cultures closer together.

In the space dedicated to Amita Bhose, the visit briefly set aside protocol and became simply a meeting between people — filled with conversation about literature, stories, laughter, and even a playful challenge of composing a short poem from a handful of words.

The journey continued through manuscripts and testimonies related to I. L. Caragiale, Mihail Sadoveanu, Dimitrie Cantemir and other figures of Romanian culture, concluding with the exhibition "Cella Delavrancea. A Life as Long as a Century," recently opened at MNLR.

It was a visit in which literature did what it has always done best: bringing people and worlds closer together. Beyond diplomatic protocol, the conversation made room for curiosity and stories, and the joy of rediscovering Amita Bhose naturally returned to the centre of the meeting. A researcher, professor, translator and writer, she built through her life's work a lasting bridge between India and Romania — a legacy that, even today, continues to bring together people from both cultures.

The presence of Ms. Carmen Muşat Coman added a special dimension to the visit. Her bond with Amita Bhose did not end with her studies — out of a wish to keep her mentor's work and memory alive, she founded the Cununi de Stele Publishing House, dedicated to recovering and publishing Amita Bhose's writings, and carried her devotion to her professor as far as Calcutta, the city from which Amita Bhose came to Romania — a journey made, years later, in reverse, as a symbolic return to the beginnings of an extraordinary story.

Ambassador Manoj Mohapatra expressed his gratitude for the visit, for the curiosity and openness with which he was welcomed into the world of Romanian literature, as well as to the representatives of the Embassy of India who accompanied him.

Some of the most beautiful encounters between cultures begin without official speeches — they begin with a story, and with someone willing to listen.

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