Literature lovers trying hard to regain old classics sublime hold on Gujaratis, learns Priya Adhyaru-Majithia
Sprits of Renaissance
Vishvakosh studies reading habits of the Gujaratis
In a mammoth task of re-sharpening the young Amdavad’s diminishing spirit of love for classics of vernacular literature, Gujarat Vishvakosh Trust – working in this contexts since 1985 – has began various new measures and programmes to disseminate right information on the works of Gujarati literature.
To attract the young readers towards the classics of literature and to bring in the new awakenings, Vishvakosh has introduced a series of lectures by scholars, authors and stalwarts who have contributed to the movement of re-establishing the respect of old classics in present contexts and host their interactions with the young listeners. More than 160 lectures of the series have been conducted in the city.
“After hosting more than 160 lectures on various aspects of literature, Vishvakosh recently focused on re-gauging the interest of youth towards vernacular literature,” Priti Shah, co-ordinator of Vishvakosh, said.
In this connection, Vishvakosh invited literary scholar and activist Mahendra Meghani, son of celebrated author Zavenchand Meghani who has devoted his life for rekindling the youth’s interest in literature, to share his views on reading habits of Gujaratis.
Mahendra Meghani, who gave a forty minute speech at Vishvakosh on Wednesday on subject Gujarati praja no vanchaan shokh, said, “I have prepared a compilation of excerpts from 60 celebrated authors from Gujarati literature who have made significant observations on the reading habits of Gujaratis in recent times. And the majority have viewed a decline in the level of interest towards classics and have expressed a dire need to channelise the young readers’ energies to explore the richness of the classics.”
Author Kumarpal Desai, director of Vishvakosh introduced Meghani to the audience and the introductory speech was followed by lecture of Meghani. In the lecture, Meghani quoted views of mainstream classics of Guajrati literature including Kaka Kalelkar, Gandhiji, Umashankar Joshi, Bechardas Doshi, Navalram Pandya, Suresh Joshi and more. Meghani concluded on the note of pushing forward the movement of rekindling spirit of renaissance in contexts of reading old classics and said, “We are working tirelessly in the direction that more and more young readers get exposure to read the old classics and hence those books must come out in form of new attractive compilations and must reach the new readers.”
Part 2 Celebrating Rajendra Shah’s Birth Centenary
Iconic Gujarati poet Shah’s poetry was critically analysed by literary stalwarts in city on Wednesday. 2013 is the birth centenary year of Rajendra Shah (January 28, 1913 – January 2, 2010), iconic poet of vernacular language who was honoured with one of the rarest achievements of Jnanpith Award. To celebrate the works of the poet, his poetry was critically evaluated by state’s literary stalwarts on Wednesday at a special one-day programme organised by Gujarati Sahitya Academy, Gandhinagar and Kavilok trust.
The programme opened with introductory speech by Dhiru Parikh editor of Kavilok – the poetry magazine launched in 1957 by poet lt Rajendra Shah and was followed by a welcoming speech by Harshad Trivedi, from Gujarati Sahitya Academy, Gandhinagar.
Rajendra Patel, who co-ordinated the second session of the programme and is one of the active members of the trust said, “The programme was a special tribute to Shah’s contribution to the vernacular poetry. Such events to celebrate his works would continue during his birth centenary year and various literary organisations will come up with a variety of events especially to rekindle the new generation’s interest towards Shah’s classic poems.”
The prime speaker at the programme was Gujarati stalwart Niranjan Bhagat who critically illuminated Shah’s poetry and enriched the listeners with his insights into Shah’s works of art. Author Chandrakant Sheth spoke on the spiritual aspects of the Shah’s poems, while comparative literary scholar Dr Anila Dalal spoke on the Leaves of Grass – a translated work of Shah.
Shah, known as one of the most lyrical of Gujarati poets, authored more than 20 collections of poems and songs, primarily on the beauty of nature, and about the mondain lives of Gujarati people and fisher-folk communities. Shah often used Sanskrit metrics.
With this, Shah also translated Tagore’s poetry collection Balaaka and Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda, Coleridge’s The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, and Dante’s The Divine Comedy in Gujarati and enriched the local literature with foreign assimilations. While Shah won the Jnanpith Award in 2001, The penal of judges noted, “his intensity of emotion and innovation in form and expression which set him apart as a poet of great significance. The mystical tone of his poetry stems from the tradition of great medieval masters like Narsinh Mehta, Kabir and Akho.”
Noted poet Raghuvir Chaudhari evaluated the spirit of nationalism felt within the poems of Shah, scholars Prasad Bhrahmbhat and Praful Raval respectively spoke on elements of influence of Bengali literature on Shah’s poetry and pictorial qualities of his poems.
