Garhwali, Kumaoni, Himalayan Literature

Chandra Mohan Raturi : Creator of Modern Garhwali Poetry of early stage
Bhishma Kukreti

Chandra Mohan Raturi is credited for initiating the acceleration of creating and publishing modern Garhwali poems. No doubt, Rajendra Dhashmana and Bhishma Kukreti accused them for bringing Hindiism in Garhwali poetry or encouraging using Hindi and Sanskrit words in Garhwali written forms barring the available Garhwali words in Garhwali vocabulary . However, no body can deny contribution of Chandra Mohan Raturi for initiating the modern Garhwali literature.

Chandra Mohan Raturi was born in 1880 in Godi, village of Tihri . He was attached to many social organization till his death in 1920. Raturi was attached to Garhwali Union and was one of the founder editorial board members of Garhwali magazine.

Chandra Mohan Raturi was proud of being Garhwali and he wrote in a Garhwali language article ‘Garhwali kavita’ article as, “ I accept Garhwal as my country/nation. I am proud of being Garhwali as English people are proud of being their Englishmen or Japanese feel proud on being Japanese. .. I respect my language Garhwali as mother. … I totally disagree that Garhwali is sub-dialect of Hindi… Garhwali has its own originality and Garhwali is not the corrupted form of Hindi at all and at any cost…”

Chandra Mohan Raturi was the expert writer of Garhwali, English , Sanskrit and Hindi, , he wrote many articles in Garhwali language in Garhwali magazine, which were of intellectual and social awakening significances.

Chandra Mohan Raturi created fine poetries in Garhwali and all his poems are published in ‘ Garhwali Kavitavali’ . Raturi used nature , inspiration in his poems of Garhwali . The range of symbols, imagery, allusiveness , metaphors , are marvelous. Chandra Mohan also used religious sensibility in his poems at times. His uses of natural scenery is precise and affection able.

Chandra Mohan Raturi has respectful position in Garhwali poetry world for inclination towards Garhwali language from Sanskrit and Hindi and making Garhwali language as strong as English. Chandra Mohan Raturi has same importance in Garhwali language as Geoffrey Chaucer, Gower, Piers and Plowman have the places in English for craftsmanship in polishing the language in making Garhwali poems modern and comparative to world languages poetries. Or Raturi could be positioned as Milton, Johnson, for refinement of languages

Copyright @ Bhishma Kukreti, Mumbai, India, 2009