Garhwali, Kumaoni, Himalayan Literature

Kulanand Bhartiya : Garhwali poet of Idealism and Inspiration
Bhishma Kukreti

Most of the Garhwalis know late Kulanand Bhartiya as famous Garhwali social worker and politician of Delhi. However, Kulanand Bhartiya has been publishing his poems in regional periodicals. Critics praise his famous small-epic (Khand Kavya ) ‘Daulya’ for his story narration and subject of discussion on the so called benefits of migration and to search employment in Garhwal only.
Kulanand Bhartiya was born ina Himalayan village Jamni, Malla Salt of Salan Pauri Garhwal .
Late Kulanad is famous in Garhwali literature for his khandkavya (small -epic) ‘ Daulya’. The poems are in lyric form and are very pleasure some. The story surrounds two illiterate friends of a Garhwali village who come to delhi in search of job. One take job in different hotels . Another fellow gets job as butler with a learned professor. This fellow with professor study in night schools and become manger with a private firm after gaining higher education through night schools. Time comes when the illiterate fellow wants to marry his daughter with the son of his friend but the educated fellow goes to village for marrying his son that there would be link with Garhwal.
Small epic ‘ Daulya’ is effective so many variables between the life of cities and villages, the changing psychology of villagers towards working in the village, the desire of village youth for work in cities and their escaping psychology for easy works available in villages. The poet depicted successfully the life and confusion, confrontation , frustration of villagers and city workers simultaneously in ‘Daulya’.
According Bahuguna (1981) , Kualanand Bhartiya used imagery tool in depicting geography of Garhwal and simple Salani dialects in his poetry.

Copyright @ Bhishma Kukreti, Mumbai, India, 2009