Garhwali, Kumaoni, Himalayan Literature

Shashishekranand Saklani: A Garhwali Poet of Direction and Instruction
Bhishma Kukreti

Shashishekhranand believed that poetry should be to preach readers for taking part in social causes and the human being should sacrifice for others. His this thinking is visible in his each poem.
Pundit Shashishekhranand Saklani was born in Shrinagar Garhwali in 1855. After getting education from Pauri and Bareli, Shashisekhranand joined government service and was attached to Commisnor of Kumaun till his retirement. Saklani spent his retirement life in Dehradun . Shahisheekhranand Saklani expired in 1948
After retirement , he lost his eyesight. However he started to create poems in Garhwali. Saklani’s eldest daughter in law Shrimati Vinduvasni used to take dictation and used to keep preserved all the poems of her father in law Shahishekhranand Saklani . In 1949, on the first death anniversary of Shashishekhranand Saklani , Vinduvasaani Saklani published his collections of Garhwali poems in the name “Pushpanjali’.
Shashishekhranand Saklani created poems in many forms as Doha, Totak, upendravajra, Indra vajra, shardul vikridit, chaupaya .
The poems of Saklani offer direction , to be away from evils matters, live with high thinking and simple living, work hard for removing poverty , to devoted to the God . An example of his poems is as:
Jaimun chh paisa kulvan wee chh
ShashtrarthI pandit gunvan vee chh
ChhI vayal sundar balvan vo chh
Laxmi-dindari sab man ko chh
Whenever there is talk of contribution of Shashishekhrannand Saklani in Garhwali literature , Garhwalis will always remember Vinduvasani Saklani too for her taking dictation from Sashishekhranand Saklani and later on publishing them .

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti, Mumbai, India, 2009