| GUJARATI LITERATURE
WRITERS
Padmanabh
Narasinh Mehta
Akho
Dalpatram
Narmad
Govardhanam Madhavram Tripathi
Kakasaheb Kalelkar
K.M Munshi
Rasiklal Parikh
Harindra Dave
Umashankar Joshi
Pannabhai Patel
Rajendra Shah
Bhagavati Kumar Sharma
Padmanabh (1296-1300):
Padmanabh is the composer of Kanhadde, a
historical poem of epic dimensions. Padmanabh
was a court poet of Akheraj Chauhan, ruler
of Jhalor in Rajasthan. The poem is an
eulogy of Kanhadde, the great grand father
of the master of the poet who fought for 12 years without
any respite against the Muslim invaders and became a
martyr. Kanhadde is the only poem in medieval
Gujarati literature which gives graphic
descriptions of war and heroism in an
enchanting manner.
Narasinh Mehta (1408-80):
Mehta is generally acknowledged as the
father of Gujarati poetry. He wrote poetry of
Bhakti and Jnana and erotic mysticism and Advaita philosophy.
His principal works are Harsamenang Pado (Songs of
the Garlandtime), Prabhatiyaug (The Morning
Hymns), Vaishnava Jana to Tene Re Kahie (Him
We May Very Well Call a Vaishnav). Mehta
continues to be the inspiring figure in Gujarati
literature.
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Akho (17th century):
Akho, a major poet of the medieval period in
Gujarati literature wrote in the tradition
of the Bhakti movement. He was a goldsmith
by profession and the disciple of a saintly
figure of the times named Gokulnath. In the years 1645
and 1649 he composed two of his major works, namely
Panchikiran (Mixture of five elements) and Akhegita
(Gita by Akho). Among his other works are
Chittavichar Samvad (A Dialogue between Mind
and Thought), Gurushishya Samvad (A Dialogue
between Teacher and a Pupil) and Anubhav
Bindu (A Drop of Experience). Besides being a
poet of great metaphysical experience, Akho displays
a strong streak of satire in his works.
Dalpatram (1820-'98):
Dalpatram
won the title of Kavishwar (God of Poets)
from the people of Gujarat.. He is the
author of the play Mithyabhiman (False
Pride). His poem Bipani Pinpar (Pipal Tree of
Fathers Time) is hailed as the first shot of modernity.
His poems are collected in the anthology Buddhiprakash.
His first play Laxmi is based on the Greek
play Plutus.
Narmad (1833-'86): Narmad
is known for inducting Western literary
forms and expressions in Gujarati literature..He
has been called the Arun (harbinger of Dawn) of modern
era. his Mari Hakikat (My Reality) is the first
literature in modern Gujarati literature.
Govardhanam Madhavram Tripathi (1855-1907):
Considered as the greatest novelist of
Gujarati, Tripathi is also a distinguished
poet. His novel Sarasvatichandra occupies an
important place in the history of Indian literature.
An epic novel, its four parts were published as
Buddhidhan-no-Karbhar (The Administration of
Buddhidhan), Gunasundari-nun-Kutumbajala
(The Family World of Gunasundari), Ratnanagari-no-Rajyakarbhara
(The Political Administration of Ratnanagari) and
Sarasvati-nun-Manorajya (The Fancy of the
Goddess of Learning). The central issue of
the novel is essentially love and its evolution,
love which ultimately transends despair and tragic consciousness.
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Kakasaheb Kalelkar (1885-1981):
Kalelkar is considered as the master of
prose in Gujarati. His forte was travelogue
and essays. Himalayano Pravas (A Pilgrimage to the Himilayas),
his magnum opus is a classic in Gujarati literature.
His other travelogues are Bhrahmdeshno
Pravas (A Pilgrimage to Burma), Purva
Africaman (In the East Africa) and Ugamano
Desh (The Country of the Rising Sun). Jivanno
Anand (The Joy of Life) and Rakhadvano Anand (Wanderlust)
contain the best specimens of his essays.
K.M Munshi (1887-1971):
K.M Munshi was a litterateur with a wide
range of interests. He has enriched genres
like the novel, short story, biography, autobiography,etc.
He was the founder of the Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan. He
is specially known for his historical novels in
Gujarati. His trilogy Patanni Prabhuta (The
Greatness of Patan), Gujaratno Nath (The
Ruler of Gujarat) and Rajadhiraj (The
Emperor) is considered significant in the literature
of Gujarat.
Rasiklal Parikh (1897-1982):
A renowned Gujarati poet, short story
writer and literary critic Parikh came to be
known as a veteran scholar of Indian Culture, History
and Sanskrit Poetics. He founded a school of drama called
the Natya Vidya Mandir which gave rise to the
famous Nat Mandal.. His plays include
Shivilak and Mena Gurjari
Harindra Dave (1903-'95): Harendra
Dave was an outstanding poet, fictionist
and essayist of the post-Independence
period. His book Krishna Ane Manav Sambhando (Krishna
and Human Relations) is a monumental research work on
the Krishna theme. He was the recipient of Sahitiya
Academy Award, Ranjitram Gold Medal, Kabir
Award of the Madhya Pradesh Government,
Gujarat Sahitya Parishad and Goenka award
for Journalism.
Umashankar Joshi (1911-1988):
Joshi is an eminent poet, scholar and
writer who received the Jnanpith Award in
1967 for his contribution to Indian literature.He is
also the winner of the Soviet Land Nehru Award and Ranajitram
Suvarna Chandrak. He was also the president
of the National Sahitya Academy for five
years from 1978. His works are Gangotri,
Vishwashanti (World Peace), Nishith (The God
of Night), Mahaprashtan (Great Departure) Abhijna
(Recognition) and Satapada (Seven Poems)
Pannabhai Patel (1912-'89):
A Jnanpith Award winner, Pannabhai Patel is
one of the foremost fictionists in
Gujarati. He has written more than 200 short stories
and about 50 novels among which include Manavini Bhavai
(Of Human Drama), Valamanan (The Send-off), Malela
Jiv (The United Souls), Bhangyanan Bheru
(Companions in Crisis), Pachhale Barane (From
the Backdoor), Vatrakane Kanthe (At the
Shore of Vatrak).
Rajendra Shah (1913):
Rajendra Shah's first collection of poems
Dhwani (Cosmic Sound) came out with a bang
in 1951. He is known by his other literary works like
Andolan (Resonance), Sant Kolahal (Quiet Noise), Ksana
Je Cirantan (The Eternal Moment), Sankalit Kavita
(Collected Poems) and Aranyak
(Forest-dweller).
Bhagavati Kumar Sharma (1934):
Sharma received the Sahitya Academy Award
as well as the Gujarat Government Award for
Asuryalok (The World sans the Sun). A journalist
by profession, he started his literary career by writing
poems but switched over to novels, short stories and
essays.
--Er. ND Bhalodiya
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