An Indian translation of the works of Robert Burns will be adorned with the coat of arms of South Ayrshire Council.

A visit to Burns’ birthplace in Alloway was enough to inspire India’s Consul General to Scotland, Anju Ranjan, to create a translation of Burns’ Scots poems to Hindi.

The language is estimated to be spoken by 322 million people, largely in the north of India, with a further 270 million spoken across the globe as a second language.

The Consul General met Provost Helen Moonie in 2018 and was keen to acknowledge South Ayrshire in the book, requesting permission to print the coat of arms.

Council Leader Peter Henderson said: “I am happy and delighted to move the motion support it wholeheartedly.

"I can only see this of being of benefit and allow the wider community to enjoy works of Burns and promote South Ayrshire.”

A report to the council said: “Following a visit by the former Consul General of India to Scotland to Robert Burns’ birthplace in Alloway, she was inspired to translate his poetry into Hindi.

“As well as increasing access to Burns’ poems, the translation is intended to foster relations between India and Scotland.

“Having first met Provost Helen Moonie in 2018, the Consul General, Anju Ranjan, approached the Provost to write a foreword to the book, and asked that the foreword include the Council’s Coat of Arms.

“It is intended that once published, a copy of the book will be placed in the Burns Museum in Alloway.”

The Council’s Coat of Arms is registered in the Public Register of All Arms and
Bearings in Scotland which affords it protection under the law of Scotland.