Great Garhwali Personalities - 1

Great Garhwali Personalities-1
Shri Manwar Singh Rawat - Philosopher, Researcher, Man of Poor People
by-Bhishma Kukreti with the help of Jai Krit Rawat

He had a soft corner for the underprivileged. He understood the need of vernacular students, who lacked confidence when confronted with the English speaking student in college, and therefore trained them specially to cope with this by conducting workshops in public speaking, interviews and English conversation.

He held such workshops for junior staff at reputed corporations such as Reliance, BPCL, and EXIM etc. His house was always busy with students and needy people seeking advice.

Professor Manwar Singh Rawat took part in Uttarakhand movement in Mumbai and inspired many Uttarakhandi Mumbaikars for writing letters to their relatives in Uttarakhand. He told many times, that Uttarakhandi Mumbaikars should not do any halla-gulla but should become the medium of inspiring Uttarakhandis living in Uttarakhand.

As a Hindi Research Scholar: Professor Manwar Singh Rawat is always remembered in Hindi world for his unique researches for in the field of Hindi poets and literaratury eminent from non-Hindi speaking areas. He published many articles in prominent Hindi periodicals about the Hindi Poets and prose creative from non- Hindi speaking areas.

A short detail is as:

1. Goa ke Hindi kavi: Sant Sohiroba Nath, 1965, Nav Bharat Times, 28/3/1965

2. Hindi Birodhi Andolan: Rashtra Virodhi Pravriti ka Prateek ( An Interview with annada eminent literature creative), Dharma Yug, 1/8/1965)

3. Daxin ka Nara: hamen filmon men Hindi Chahiye, Madhuri, 30 July 1965 ( An extensive survey in South India for inclination for Hindi)

4. Mahan Vanaspati Shastri Saint Santa Pau, Nav Bharat Times, 2/2/1966

5. Andhra Pradesh men Hindi kafi Lok Priya (An interview with Prof Sunder Reddy of University of Andhra Pradesh), Nav Bharat Times, 13/3/1966)

6. Hindi hi Kyon: Tamil Vidwan ke Vichar (An interview with Tamil language expert Acharya K.D. Jagannathan (Editor of famous Tamil magazine –Kathemahal.), Nav Bharat times, 15th April 1966)

7. Tamil Lekhak Akhilan ki Sahitya Sadhana, Nav Bharat Times, 30 June , 1966

8. Maha Balipuram tamilnadoo ke Hindi guide, hindi digest, August 1966

9. Maine Hindi kaise seekhee, (An Interview with Tamil Dramtist V.C RarmVase)
10. Sampark- Bhasha Samsyayen, Nav Bharat Times, 14th September, 1966

11. Bhasha ki aazadi prapt karma abhi baki hai, Nav Bharat Times, Dharma Yug, 2nd april 1966

12. Maha Kavi Daya Ram (a Gujrati poet of 18th century and his Hindi poems), Nav Bharat Times, 24 April 1966

13. Swa Bhasha Ke Madhyam se Hi Swadheen Chintan Sambhava , Bav Bharat times, 16th May 1965

14. kya aapka baccha Pratibhashali hai/, Nav Bharat times, 16/4/1966

15. Gujrat ke Hindi kaviyo ka Holi Varnan, Nav Bharat times, 28/41966

16. Sahitya ke raste Ekta ki Oar (Speech of famous Marathi writer Acharya Purushottam Rege), Nav Bharat times, 27 july 1966

17. shiksha aur Sahitya: Acharya Rege ke Vichar (an Interview with Acharya Purushottam Rege), Nav Bharat Times, 2nd August 1966

18. Swa Bhasha- Gauran dwara hi Rashtra ki Mukti sambahav, (an interview with great telgu poet-Padma Shri Vishva Nath Satya Narayan (Dharma Yug, 1st Sept 1966)

19. Ram RavanLeela, Nav Bharat times, 16th July 1971

20. Hindi ka Swaroop Sthir ho , Nav Bharat Times, 22nd Novemebr 1973

21. Kamban ki Sarswati (about Tamil Ramayan), Hindi Digest, October 1972

22. Rashtra Bhason ki anivartayen (An Interview with a famous Marathi and Hindi writer and the Chairman of Maharashtra Maharashtra rajbhasha), Dharma Yug, 16th October 1971

23. Paper Weight, (a review of drama0 Economic Times, 25th March 1973

24. Dhai Sau Saal Pahle tamil Nadu ke Maharashtriyan Raja ne Hindi men Natak likhe ( Contribution to Hindi by a non Hindi speaker of Non Hindi speaking Area)

25. Durbhiksha peediton ka trata : Kappa, Nav Bharat times, 24th July 1973

26. Rajashthani Bhasha aur Sahitya: Vikash aur Badhayen, Nav Bharat Times, 26th May, 1974

27. Jahan hathi ke Mhawat Hindi bolte hain ( a research on the reasons behing Hhindi speaking ability of drivers of elephant of TamilNadu, Nav Bharat Times, aug 1975

Hindi world will never forget his contribution to throw lights of the contribution of non-Hindi speaking creative to Hindi literature.

Mera gaon Mera Desh Meri English: professor Rawat firm believer that the teaching of English should be in the wisdom of the local area and not on the idioms and proverbs of Britain.

He published a book Mera gaon Mera Desh Meri English ( A Modern Approach to English) for aiming to the rural students of India.

We Mumbaikars are proud of Professor Manwar Singh Rawat. He left this world for eternal heaven on 12th February. His capable son Jaikrit Rawat is a famous dramatist, Hindi movie screenplay writer and famous advertisement expert.
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Great Garhwali Personalities-2
Dr. Hari Datt Bhatt ‘Shailesh’
Bhishma Kukreti

Dr. Hari Datt Bhatt ‘Shailesh’ is famous for his contribution for the uplifting of Gadhwali language literature by many dimensions. Born in 1921 A. D, a small village Bharwadi, Chamoli Garhwal, Uttarakhand was teacher in Doon School Dehradun and had the privilege of being the local guardian of students like late Shri Rajeev Gandhi.

He was always been an active cultural activist for development and saving Gadhwalism. He wrote many articles, more than three hundred stories, more than ten plays and memorial or many personalities and areas, travel stories, adventurous memories of mountaineering in Garhwali and Hindi languages. He published more than twenty books on different subjects. His main books are as:

• Hari Doob ( a collection of Garhwali folk Stories in Garhwali)
• Naubat ( a collection of five Gadhwali dramas)
• Garhwali Bhasha aur uska Sahitya ( A research work and the book is used as reference book on many researches for Garhwali language)
• Garhwali Bhasha par Bhasha Vaigyanik Addhyayan ( A research book on the origin of Garhwali language)
• Kali Das Jeewan Path Par ( A critic book on the literature of Sanskrit classic creative -Kali Das and also proved in support of Lalita Prasad Naithani’s theory that Kali Dash was from Kaviltha, Chamoli Garhwal)
• Dharti ke Phool ( story collection in Hindi)
• Barf aur Barf ( Memorial types of stories in Hindi)
• Sapne aur Sapne ( Story collection in Hindi)
• Chakkar aur Chakkar ( Story collection)
• Keuchh Kahaniyan ( story collection)
• Ghumte chehre (story collection)
• Kala ke Swar (Story collections)
• Parvatrohan ( book about mountaineering)
• Abhiyan and Abhiyan ( memories about mountaineering)
• Solah Samsmaran ( Memories)

He was awarded by Uttar Pradesh government for Garhwali Bhasha par Vaigyanik Addhyayan and play writings. His works on mountaineering and dramas is translated in many Indian and foreign languages.

BBC and Akashvani relayed his many stories and experiences on drama and adventures of mountaineering. He was always active in Garhwali cultural programs until he resided in Dehradun. At present Dr Hari Datt Bhatt resides in Munssorie after retiring from Doon School, Dehradun.

This year (2009), Arjun Singh Gusain Prathisthan, Mumbai awarded Hari Datt Bhatt Shailesh for “Arjun Singh Gusain Purushkar” for his contribution of developing Garhwali literature and mountaineering. Deepa Guasain established Arjun Singh Prasthistan in the memory of her late husband Arjun Singh Gusain, the editor of Hilans and a super activist of Uttarakhand movement.

Hari Datt Bhatt is the father of famous Hindi movie actress and TV serial performer Himani Bhatt Shivpuri
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Great Garhwali Personalities-3
Mitra Nand Dabral (Sharma) (A Garhwali Poet)
By---- Bhishma Kukreti

Garhwali literature has been facing many problems from the beginning when the Garhwalis started publishing various types of literature. The biggest problem for Garhwali literarians or literature creative is finding readers at a place and then distributing the literature to the readers because Garhwalis are scattered here and there in India and abroad. It is commonly said in humorous way among Garhwali literature creative that the Garhwali writer writes Garhwali literature aloof, publishes himself on his cost, reads himself and her or his successors destroy the literature by selling Garhwali literature to raddiwalas. From the beginning, Garhwali writers have been facing the problem of getting the addresses of real readers of Garhwali literature and dispatching them the published materials. This is the reason that even after publishing many books in Garhwali language, many Garhwali authors are unfamiliar or nameless in the jungle of Garhwali literature.

Internet is again bringing the problem for Garhwali literary creative. Those who don’t have facilities for typing Garhwali literature in Devnagari script and then submitting it to the relevant blogs will be in darkness of unfamiliarity.

Mitra nand Dabral Sharma is also such a Garhwali poet who is neither discussed in the literary field nor common Garhwalis know about the big contribution of Mitra Nand Dabral Sharma for Garhwali poems and proverbs.

Mitra Nand Dabral is an Ayurvaidic doctor in Jua area of Tihri Garhwal. His great grand father was the state doctor (Raj Vaidya) of Garhwali kingdom in Shri Nagar. Due to new alignment and other reasons, along with the king, Dabral family had to shift from Shri Nagar to Tihri and used to reside in Kafalpani – dang area (Tihri Garhwal). Mitra Nand comes from the learned family of Dabral of Timali (Dabralsiyun, Pauri Garhwal), From Sanskrit point of view, Timali is famous for college of Sanskrit affiliated to Kashi Sanskrit Vidyapeeth in Timali. The inhabitants of Dabralsyun, Udayapur and Dhangu Patti used to say that the dogs, cats and domestic animals of Timali understand Sanskrit very well. Mitra Nand Dabral was born in Kafalpani (Tehri)

Mitra Nand Dabral wrote many verses in Garhwali languages and he used to try using pure Tiryali dialects in his poems. Though, his contribution in Garhwali poetry and prose require more researches. Till date we have the following details about the published work of Mitra Nand Dabral in Garhwali language:

• Fyunlee- A memorable a collections of various types, styles , forms and subjects of Garhwali poems

• Garhwali Kavita Samgrah: Being a doctor, Mittra Nand Sharma has to roam around Jua area and come in contact with various people. In his medical practice, Mitra Nand Dabral collected many proverb, maxim, axiom, adage or aphorisms of Garhwali vocabulary. He published those proverbs in this volume

• Gangadi chakor: A superb example of mixing tragedy, satire and humour in creating poetry
• Bhaj Givindam ; A collection of Garhwali poems
• Satya Narayan Jee ki Nayi Vrat Katha: Dabral uses new subject in this poetry collection.

Mitra Nand is a famous social worker of his area and participates in various cultural and ritual programs with passion, enthusiasm and eagerness. He is very famous for his singing in ‘Radheshyami tarj’
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Great Garhwali Personalities-4
Harsha Mani Bhatt ‘kamal’ (A Garhwali Poet)
By—Bhishma Kukreti

Many creative of Garhwali literature could not get exert further more than their potentiality because of no or very scare infrastructure available for publishing the Garhwali literature in remote Garhwali villages. Harsha Mani Bhatt is also such Garhwali poet who has huge potentiality for creating Garhwali poems of different subject but due to infrastructure available he could do lesser than his present contributions.

Born in the year 1955 A.D., Harsh Mani Bhatt published articles, essays, interviews, travel memoir, literary critic and poems in many local magazines and newspapers of Garhwal.

As far as Garhwali poems are concerned, he published around fifty poems in different medium.

He is famous for his collection of poems – Kuredi ka Beech. The poems are of different subject and orthodox style of Garhwali poetry. He also relayed his Garhwali poems from Akashvani Najeeba bad.

He also teaches students preparing for graduate examination without charging them any fees.

Harsh Mani Bhatt belongs to Karveel –Vaurai, District Tihri Garhwal

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Garhwali Poets-5
Ran Beer Datt
By-Bhishma Kukreti

Last year, I met the Garhwali literature creative group of Syunsee- Baijaron (Dhoundiyal Syun) in Dehradun. One of the group member i.e. famous poetesses of the area Shrimati Shakuntala Ishtwal complained snobbishly that the writers, reviewers or journalists publish about or renounce about the people of Urban areas and they either just ignore the contributor to the society of rural Garhwal. She means the rural creative do not get their due in appraisal and publicity. She is absolutely right.

Take the example of Mumbai, where bhajan, geet, rasayani, or kabbali may be a minor importance for self or group entertainment or recreation causes. But in villages like Dhhound, Chaukhal, Gurfuli, Jogimadhi, Meldhar or Gurfuli, still, the problem of community or individual recreation persists. People of such area require bhajan karta, rasiyan geet gayak, kabbali gayak, popular song singers, or poets for entertaining people. Those who perform these acts of entertainment are really the great social workers. We should bring them in lime light. These society servers should be praised in public forums and web-forums.

Ran Beer Datt is of multi dimensional creativity. He is a popular singer of Dhoundiyal Syun region of Pauri Garhwal. He sings kabbali and ghajal in Urdu and Garhwali as well. Born on 1st July 1974, in a remote village of Gurfuli (Patti-Dhoundiyal Syun, Pauri Garhwal), Ran Beer Datt is also a bhajan singer and people come to listen his bhajans from far areas.

He is strict Arya Samaji and is in the management of Vedasram of Gurfuli. Though, he could not publish Garhwali poems in book forms but he created more than hundred of Garhwali poems and tens of poems are published in local news papers, magazines and souvenirs.

His poems are capable for attracting and engaging the audience in kavisammelan. Mostly, he writes Garhwali poems of pathos rapture and emotion. His Mausyan poem is full of tragedy and the emotion of separation of beloved ones. You will feel sadness, suffering and grief by reading his poem ‘bwai rooni na rai’. ‘Jwai fari bwai’ is a mix of tragedy and satire together.

Ran Beer Datt has similarities with the poems of Jaggu Naudiyal (another Garhwali poet) in terms in term s of tragedy or sorrow creation by poems. Mother, eparation, parting, pain and death are the central points in the verses of Jaggu Naudiyal and Ran Beer Datt. Ran Beer uses tenderness and hurting very delicately in his poems of pathos

Kulbeer Singh Rawat ‘Chhilbat’ a famous humorous Garhwali poet of the Dhoundiyal Syun area told me that when Ran Beer tells the ‘mausyan’ poem to the audience, many women and children start wailing. Ran Beer is famous ‘rulandu kavi’ in the area.

Kaima lagan min khairi
bwai mausyan cha merit

yo bhagi vasant lauti aand
mee ruwai ki chali jaand
bhaut yad aandi teri
kaima lagan khairi teri?

Mi jab dwe salai chhau
Tiabri men thain chhodige
Mee tain nangi thaulim chhodi ge
Meri kismet futi rai

Anghami main danda jandoo
Mausyani daryun kampanu raindu
Pallai kaunkali hati, khuttyun
Ghamai saar dhayyam baithi jandoo
Swachadu, apni bwai hoondi meri
Kai man lagan min khari teri?

Dagdya gailya aakhar sikhdin
Mi, karam footi baulu karnu raundoo
Khanu ni mildoo putgi bhauri
Kab tak khan min khairi
Bwai mausyan cha meri

He published three poems in Gwai a collection of Garhwali poems of fourteen Garhwali poets of Syunsi Baijaron (Dhoundiyal Syun). Dhad Prakashan, Dehradun published Gwai in the year 2007.

Since, he is busy in his daily deeds; Ran Beer could not find the time to publish his unpublished work in book form. (31/1/2009, Vasant Panchami)
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Great Garhwali Personalities-6
Purna Chandra Badola (A Famous Painter and Photographer)
By-Bhishma Kukreti

Today, Garhwalis of Garhwal and other areas have many types of resources for achieving the national or international fame. However, around thirties of last century, it was a dream like touching the god for getting the nationwide fame in art of painting and photography for a poor Garhwali. The resources will never be hurdle for those who want to achieve the goal of his life.

All the Garhwalis of coming time shall always remember Purna Chandra Badola for his finding ways and means to achieve, which other inhabitants in his area cannot dream. Purna Badola did not live long but his achievement is, now, part of our cultural history.

Purna Chandra Badola was born on 1st July, 1910 A.D. in Badoli village, Chaund Kot (Patti –Guradsyun of British era) region. Badoli is the original village of Badola caste. Chaund kot region have been famous for doing unbelievable achievements and it was said in the British time that British administrators were always afraid of Chaundkotya people because of their modernity in thinking and adaptation of change very fast. After getting primary education from Ekeshwar, Purna Chandra was sent to Lucknow for further studies. Purna Chandra was creative from the beginning and he used to draw picture on the stones, walls or other objectives by coal. If the occupants of Badoli and nearby villagers would see paintings of coal on any objective, they would easily, understand that Purna was there. By nature, Purna Badola was adventurous, used to get excitement by newer creativity and never liked on going the same old uneven or irregular path, which other people were habitual. Purna Chandra Badola took the line of painting, drawing and photography in Lucknow. He studied thoroughly the fineness of painting, drawing and photography from Lucknow art School.

Purna Chandra Badola of Badoli (then British Garhwal) was one of the founders of Academy of Art and painting in Lucknow University.

In 1936, Badola took part in art-exhibition in famous Maisure Dashara Exhibition at Bengalore. Badola got eulogize from national and international art critics and congratulations from legendary artists of that time. Badola got awards for his two paintings- ‘Vismriti and Pyala’ and ‘Sandhya Deep’ from the jury consisting of International/national art critics and artists.
He exhibited his painting and photography more than ten places across India. He put his paintings and photography on display for exhibition in Lansdowne in 1936 and in 1940 at Kotdwara.

Around 1935, along with famous creative of India, Vishwanber Nath Jijja, he traveled Badrinath Himalaya and both painted the beauty of Himalaya thereafter. The stunning paintings of Himalaya got appreciation from various fields of creativity.

Out of hundred paintings, ‘Purva aur Pashchim ki Sabhyata’ is called badola’s best painting.