The dictionary of 150 pages contains some 10,000 words and expressions and provides not only a literal translation of the words, but gives the different meanings of the words in different contexts.

“In Hindi language, one word can have different meanings and this dictionary, gives all the different translations in context,” says Vijaye Beeharry. He has had the support of the Institut Français de Maurice (IFM) and has worked with a panel of specialists in both languages to come up with this dictionary: Dr Krishna Kumar Jha (Hindi lecturer at MGI); Meenakshi Beeharry (his Indian-born wife); Kaviraj Peedoly (French lecturer at MIE); and Armond Tranquille (French teacher with long experience).

“It took us two and a half years to complete the dictionary. Five years ago, I published a trilingual dictionary French-English-Hindi and there was good response in Mauritius and abroad. I felt that the work was incomplete if it was not followed by another Hindi-French publication,” explains Vijaye Beeharry, adding that the demand for learning French among the Hindi-speaking and in India has increased over the years.

“Many universities and schools in India offer French as a European language. Moreover, in Mauritius, we have many Indians who are working and this dictionary will be useful to them in their day-to-day life.

Vijaye Beeharry has a BA(Hons) Hindi from India after obtaining an ICCR scholarship from the Government of India from 1974 to 1976. After working as a Hindi teacher at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute (MGI), he joined the Private Secondary School Authority (PSSA) as school inspector and later joined the Ministry of Education as secondary school inspector as well.
Last year, he received the Order of the Star and Key (OSK) decoration for the Independence Day for recognition in the field of education. Vijaye Beeharry has also been publishing textbooks in Hindi for more than two decades and these are used in all classes from Form I to Form V.

The Hindi-French dictionary is available in all bookstores at Rs 150 per copy.