Mithila, the birthplace of Sita, is well known from Vedic times for her learning, scholarship and spirituality. Today it forms only a cultural region, extending to two countries, India and Nepal. Among the illustrious sons consisting of sages, thinkers, philosophers and literary giants, Mithila is also proud of its very wise son named Gonu Jha. He can be labeled as Mithila’s own version of Birbal or Tenali Raman or Gopal Bhar of Bengal. He is believed to
Mithila, the birthplace of Sita, is well known from Vedic times for her learning, scholarship and spirituality. Today it forms only a cultural region, extending to two countries, India and Nepal. Among the illustrious sons consisting of sages, thinkers, philosophers and literary giants, Mithila is also proud of its very wise son named Gonu Jha. He can be labeled as Mithila’s own version of Birbal or Tenali Raman or Gopal Bhar of Bengal. He is believed to have lived in Bharwara village of Singhwara block of the present day Darbhanga district of Bihar in India during the 14th Century. He is a household name famous for his wit and humour.
While there are several good compilations of Gonu Jha tales in Maithili language and a few in Hindi as well, the English version is almost non-existent. In the modern age of e-books, it is totally absent on that platform.
I have attempted to bridge this gap by providing a modest collection of tales about Gonu Jha for the benefit of society at large where neither Maithili books are available nor it is possible for people to read them. While I have benefitted from earlier compilations in Maithili and Hindi, I have added several tales which I had heard in my childhood but did not find them in the available compilations in any language.
A very brief introduction to Mithila and its culture has been included at the end. This also provides background material to help appreciate the subject matter of the tales.