Garhwali, Kumaoni, Himalayan Literature

Glimpse of History of Modern Garhwali Poetry in Shailvani Part -6
Bhishma Kukreti


Third Expanding Stage of Garhwali Poetry (1951-1975)
This period was the period of free India and Garhwalis were getting educated and they were getting scientific knowledge too. Garhwalis as other Indians started contributing for building new India. Education, free India, scientific knowledge, desire and ambition for building new India affect creativity for Garhwali poetries. There were no problems of division of India, communal non-harmony in Garhwal but there were changes in cultural and social values all over. The changes in cultural and social values and employment problems provided fertile filed for Garhwali language creative. The new situations created two sects among Garhwalis . Those who were in Garhwal busy in conventional agriculture and were doing hard work . This situation was clearly visible in the Garhwali poems:
Bhair ki patbyadi bhadun, bole -bhula buthad
Bhagi t gaine desu sab , ham chhan nirbhagi paad (Tidka-pp-7)
Migrated to plains of other parts of India was another sect of Garhwalis . The pain of migration and memorizing the Garhwal was also clear in Garhwali poems of this period :
Haira haira ghas ka boun failyan ant n par
Launkad saun bhadon keyed dekhan laik bahar
This means in the third expanding period, Garhwali poetic creative started to take the poetries towards hard realism, human sensitivity, human pain and joys. Garhwali poets started expression for contemporary local, regional and national situations. Slowly, slowly, the Garhwali verse makers coming out from limitedness towards national and international panorama.
The folk literature publications also fueled for motivating new creators entering in Garhwali poetic world. Folk poetry collections as Dhunyal of Abodh Bandhu Bahuguna (1954) Dharti ka Phool (1955), Bansuli (1955) and Garhwali Lok geet (1956) of Govind Chatak have been an inspiring factor for expansion of Garhwali poetic world.
Garhwali poetry witnesses the following poetry collections in this very exciting period for Garhwali poetry
Poet Name of Poetry Collection
1- Laxmi Prasad Painyuli Mikhail a long poem (1957)
2- Shail kunj Pundir Jonyali Rat (1960)
3- Ummed Singh Negi Dandi Kanthi (1960)
4- Harsh Pati Raturi ‘Sevak’ Jeewan Sathi (1960)
5- Shiva Nand Pandey Ujyali (1962)
6- Jeet Singh Negi Geet Ganga (1963)
7- Loka Nand Balodi Geeta ka anshu (1954)
8-Ram Prasad Pokhriyal Chhunyal (1963)
9- Shiv Prasad Pokhriyal Jhamka (1963)
10- Jeeva Nand Shriyal Gadh sahitya sopan two parts (1966 and 1970)
11- Ram Prasad Gairola ‘ Vinayi’ Sudyal (1971)
12-Dharma Nand Jamloki Meghdoot Kavya (1971)
13- Puran Pant Pathik Pathik ka Geet (1975)
14- Sachida Nand Kandpal Raibar
15- Murli Manohar Sati Garhwali Jhanki
The following poetry collections of different poets in one volume were also published in this period (1951-10975):
Name of Poetry Collection Editor Remarks
1- Hisar (1955) Buransh Prakashan
2- Bugyal (1960) Ganesh Sharma
3-Buransh (1965) Ganesh Sharma
4-Maulyar (1963) Girdhari Lal kankal
5-Rant Raibar (1963) Govind Chatatk
6-Chham Ghunghru (1964) Shiva Nand Nautiyal
7- Khuded Geet (1964) Shiva Nand Nautiyal
8- Vidyavati Dobhal (1975) Garhwali Geetika
Abodh Bandhu Bahuguna provided list of following new poets who came in light in this third expanding period :
1- Purushottam Dobhal
2- Dr Shiva Nand Nautiyal
3-sarvesh juyal
4-Kailash panthari
5-Uma datt Naithani
6-Jagdish kiran
7-Jaya Nand Khuksal ‘Baulya
8-Keshva Nand Dhyani
9-sher singh Gadhdeshi
10-Harish Chandra Ghildiyal
11-Kali Prasad Ghildiyal
Apart from the above poets Abodh Bandhu Bahuguna details that poets as Keshava Nand Jadli, Guna Nand Pathik, Govind Ram Pokhriyal, Vasundhara Dobhal, Brij Raj Singh Negi, Sateshwar Azad, Sachida Nand Kandpal, Lalt Mohan Keshwan, Mathura Prasad Dobhal, , Mathura Prasad Baichain, Chandra Prakash Dabral, janki Prasad Barthwal, kehhava Anuragi, Keshav Dhyani, Chandra Singh Rahi, Bachram Jamloki, Leela Dhar Jugadi, Raja Khugsal Pareshwar gaur published their poetries in various periodicals. However, Bahuguna for unknown reasons did not mention that Kanhaya lal Dandriyal , Girdhari Lal Kankal published their poetry collections Fur Ghindudi (1959)and Mangtu (1960) respectively in this period only . Same way , Bahuguna forgets to to mention in his introduction of this period as Jaggu Naudiyal etc
Bahuguna mentions that the poems of this period were more varied than past in terms of style, form and poetic creativity . According to Bahuguna , there is satire, romance, suspense, pathos, emotions, patriotism in the Garhwali poems of this era (1951-1975).

Copyright @ Bhishma Kukreti, Mumbai, India, 2009