History of Garhwali, Kumaoni, Himalayan Literature

Dhanesh Kothari : A Garhwali Poet of New Symbols and Sharp Attitude
Bhishma Kukreti

Dhanesh Kothari is new generation Garhwali language poet who uses new symbols and have sharp attitude towards wrong happenings. Kothari believes in criticizing the wrong happenings with sharp words and does not believe in mild criticism.
Dhanesh Kothari was born on 26 December, 1970 in Devprayag, Tihri Garhwal , Himalaya.
He is graduate from Rajkiya Mahavidyalaya Rishikesh and started creating poems from early age. Dhad movement sharpens his ability for fineness and motivated Kothari for creating poetry in Garhwali language.
Dhanesh Kothari created more than two hundred poems in Garhwali language and published in various periodicals as Sahara Samay, Khabar Sar, Chitthi Patri , Rant Raibar, Dandi Kanthi, Yugvani . Akashvani has been broadcasting his poems for many years.
Dhanesh Kothari edited Uttarasth, Awaj and Smaranam too.
Dhanesh Kothari published his poetry collections in 2009 from Dhad Prakashan in the name Jyundal.
From form point of view Dhanesh uses three styles- non-alliterated , conventional rhyme forms and other mix style. Dhanesh Kothari takes subject of common man and is very sensitive about wrong happenings in Garhwal. His poems show his personal experiences in bearing the suppression by unwanted happenings and new changes in his area.
All Garhwali language poets of Garhwal have to choose the subjects from Garhwal. Hence, the subject would be same for all of them . In this circumstances, the intellectual poem has to choose the new words and symbols for creating poems . Dhanesh Kothari should be appreciated for his uses of new symbols, new thinking , new attitude in describing old subjects as he describes migration in the following way:

Myar deram
Ganesh cha chandaro ni
Naren ch pujdao ni
Urkhyali ch kutdaru ni
Jandari ch pisdaru ni
Mankhi chhan bachaldaru ni
Bata chhan hitdaru ni
Danda chhan cheddar ni

Dhanesh Kothari uses sharp words in telling wrong happenings in his area. Kothari does not believes mildness for showing the mistakes off administration . At the same time, Kothari awakens the society with strong words to take the matter in their hands

Teri jato chau thatau chhau
Gangajal man vain
Saun ghatyan chha
Ab agar nata todu
t/mar ek khaidai

His way of creating poetry , definitely shows that Kavita Movement in Garhwali has brought newness and variation in subjects, form, style and attitude . Dhanesh is master of vocabulary and makes words his slave. Since, Dhanesh belongs to Devprayag , he uses dialects of Devprayag area but restrict himself from using core regional dialects for better understanding for readers of all regions of Garhwal.
Creatives as Veerendra Panwar , Tribhuwan Bhatt Hemwanti Bhatt ‘ Hemu’ appreciated his way of telling the poems and his uses of new symbols for describing conventional subjects.

Copyright @ Bhishma Kukreti, Mumbai, India, 2009