Latest news with #HindiLiterature
Indian Express
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
6 poetry books by Sumitranandan Pant that will change how you see nature and life
(Written by Anushka Rajvedi) Have you ever wondered if one day you are surrounded by the rustling sound of trees dancing with the gentle breeze, water gushing like pearls from the waterfall, thousands of flowers on the terrain of majestic mountains and the serene lake that reflects romanticism along with the profound philosophies of life. Bounded together by artistic literature, one of the greatest poets of Hindi Literature, Sumitranandan Pant, explores the purpose of life within the beauty of nature through his poetry. Known as 'प्रकृति के सुकुमार कवी(Prakriti ke sukumar kavi)' or the 'Nature poet' in Hindi Literature, Sumitranandan Pant was born on 20 May 1900 in Kasauni, Uttarakhand. Popular for his lyrical style of poetry, he merged the natural beauty with human philosophies only to understand the depth of life. It is said that through the 1920s-1940s, the poets of Hindi Literature evolved the Chayavaad era of Hindi poetry. The foundation of this era was laid by the four most phenomenal poets in the world of Hindi literature- Sumitranandan Pant, Mahadevi Verma, Jaishankar Prasad and Suryakant Tripathi 'Nirala'. A timeless voice, Pant's poetry is a reflection of the inner self and the exterior world. 'छिपा दो मुझे निज नयनों की छाया में, यही कुछ समय है।' ('Hide me in the shadows of your eyes, this is all the time we have.') – From the poem 'नयनों की छाया' (In the Shadow of the Eyes) Establishing the base for modern Hindi poetry, Pallav is called the 'foundation of Chayavaadi' poetry. Published in 1926, this collection of poems navigates and connects one's soul to nature. Through imageries and personification of flowers, mountains and forests, these poems describe the beauty of nature and its impact on the life of an individual. Pallav is not just nature, it is the beauty of emotions found in nature. 'नभ के पार पंछी बोले — जीवन क्या है? प्राण क्यों डोले?' ('Birds cry beyond the sky — what is life? Why does the soul flutter?') — From the poem 'जीवन का प्रश्न' (The Question of Life) Gunjan or humming is a collection of poetry that hums introspection, looking beyond the meaning of the world. Holding on to the magic of the Chayavaadi literature, these poems branch into the search of the hidden meaning of life that reverberated through generations. Where rhythm meets music, through this collection, Pant takes his readers into the meditative world of poetry where the rhythm of emotions meets the feeling of the melody of the soul. 'मैं ग्रामों का कवि हूँ, नगरों से दूर जहाँ जीवन है।' ('I am a poet of villages, far from cities where true life resides.') —From the poem 'ग्राम्य जीवन' (The Life of Village) The nature of beauty shifts to the everyday realities of rural life. Exploring and empathising with the lives of villagers, Pant traverses through the beauty and struggles of the rural people of India. Inspired by the journey of the countryside Indians through the Indian independence movement, Pant draws his readers to a poetry collection that aesthetically blends beauty and realism, as he becomes the voice of those countless people who could not be heard. A must-read for all poetry lovers, this self-conscious collection of poems reflects the beauty of romanticism with the compassion of the rural Indians. 'मनुष्य का शाश्वत अभ्युदय लोकायत में है।' ('The eternal rise of humanity lies in the collective spirit.') — From the poem 'लोकायत' (worldly view) Honoured with the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award, Lokayanta walks down the path of Marxist philosophy, while comprehending the ideals of the society. From philosophy to politics, this collection marks the transition of Pant from a romantic poet to a visionary. Awakening the readers through his lyricism, Pant, along with his readers, embarks on the journey of progress, equity and maturity. Combining manifestation with meditation, Pant reflects on the progress of dignity and justice that an individual holds. 'पुलकित धरणि, पुलकित अम्बर, पुलकित मेरे जीवन का स्वर!' ('Thrilled is the earth, thrilled is the sky, thrilled is the music of my life!') — From the poem 'पर्वत प्रदेश में पावस' (Rain in the Mountain Region) Piercing through the spirituality of nature and the connection of cosmic power, the Kala aur Budhdha Chand was granted the Jnanpith Award in 1968 for its fusion of reverence with idealism in the artistic literary form. Each word of the title explores the themes of the silence held within the universe, self-realization and introspection, the aesthetic beauty of the natural world and detachment from the external world. Unifying beauty, spirituality and reflection in his work, Pant takes his readers on a thought-provoking exploration of spirituality and art. He makes his readers question the reality and identity that symbolize the life of an individual. (The writer is an intern with The Indian Express)
Hindustan Times
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Remembering Bharatnatyam dancer and producer Kamalini Nagarajan Dutt
The worlds of art, culture and spirituality has lost a towering personality as Smt Kamalini Nagarajan Dutt left us (1950-2025). It would be difficult to say whether her public contributions as Doordarshan producer and director of over a thousand programmes, founder-director of the digitised Doordarshan Archives, and selective Bharatanatyam guru are as great as her private contributions as a guide to a pantheon of performing artistes, including the most celebrated, who owe much of their interpretive abilities and brilliant concepts to Kamalini's generosity in sharing the breadth and depth of her knowledge of Indian languages, literature and philosophy. She was my Kalanmitra, spiritual friend, as well as a collaborator on dozens of productions for stage and television. From the age of four she was totally immersed in classical education of Sanskrit and Thanjavur Bharatanatyam training under Devadasi Lakshmikantamma and from Guru Skkil Ramaswami Pillai (Thatha) in Delhi from 1962 to 1972. Her dance training was unique in several ways, imparted with insights into literature, poetry, music and spirituality to a degree that hardly exists today. She also trained in Kuchipudi with late Vedantam Prahalada Sharma and Odissi with late Guru Debaprasad Das, topped off with a BA in Hindi Literature. With virtually all legends and texts in multiple languages stored in her photographic memory, she became the 'go-to' person for selecting texts for choreography amongst professional dancers of all genres. Dr Arshiya Sethi's Kri Foundation award certificate states, 'Using her understanding of dance, she created a large body of work, of over a thousand programmes, in a career that spanned over thirty-eight years, that depict a rare sensitivity to and capture a luminous beauty in dance. All dancers vied to be recorded by her, for they understood that the digital footprint she created would frame their talent and brilliance in a memorable manner. Many of the productions have gained appreciation, praise and awards for their high artistic merit and aesthetic standards, as she set new trends in televising music and dance, especially classical forms.' She is survived by her daughter and disciple, Purvadhanshree, one of today's most accomplished Vilasini Natyam and Bharatnatyam artists. -Written by Sharon Lowen
Indian Express
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Son of tribal farmers, PhD scholar: How ABVP's Vaibhav Meena broke barriers to reach JNU — found a spot on its students' union
Long before he stepped into Jawaharlal Nehru University's sprawling campus, Vaibhav Meena spent his days balancing coursework with side jobs at call centres in Jaipur. The son of tribal farmers from Rajasthan's Karauli district, Meena worked to pay his university fees, determined to have an education his family had never imagined for him. 'I come from a simple lower-middle-class family background where we had to support our own education. While pursuing my Bachelor's degree in Jaipur, I worked at a call centre to pay my fees. Then I did my Master's from Banaras Hindu University,' the 27-year-old told The Indian Express after his win in the JNU students' union election. He bagged the post of joint secretary — marking the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad's (ABVP) return to the central panel for the first time in nearly a decade. The ABVP last held a central panel seat in 2015-16, when it won the post of Joint Secretary by defeating the AISA candidate by a narrow margin of 28 votes. Polling for the four central panel posts was held on Friday. Of the 7,906 eligible voters, close to 70% cast their votes — slightly lower than last year's turnout of around 73%. In the final tally, Nitish Kumar from the All India Students' Association (AISA) was elected President, Manisha from the Democratic Students' Front (DSF) became Vice-President, Munteha Fatima from DSF was elected General Secretary, while Meena clinched the post of Joint Secretary for ABVP. The AISA, which broke away from the Students' Federation of India, allied with DSF for the polls. Meena, now a PhD scholar in Hindi Literature at JNU, has become the first from his village to enter the university and made it to the central student body. Growing up, he said, his father's interest in politics laid the foundation for his own political journey. 'My father has always been my inspiration to enter student politics. I have been associated with the ABVP since my time at Jaipur University.' But Meena's entry into JNU wasn't just about academic ambition, it was about breaking barriers of caste, geography, and class. 'I come from a tribal background… my mother and father work as farmers,' he said. 'I am the first from my village to do a PhD in Hindi.' Apart from the central panel win, the ABVP claimed it won 23 out of 42 councillor seats across JNU's 16 schools and special centres. In a statement issued Sunday, ABVP described its performance as 'historic,' highlighting breakthroughs into traditionally Left-dominated bastions such as the School of Social Sciences and the School of International Studies. In a statement earlier, the student body also said that the 'failure of the current Left-led JNUSU has raised concerns over academic quality, infrastructural facilities and democratic discourse on campus'. Asked about operating within a historically Left-dominated campus, Meena remained unfazed. 'We have done very well in winning most of the councillor posts in schools, so I don't think it should be a problem,' he said. 'The Left has been dominant for a decade, but still, look at the campus and its deteriorating infrastructure. They couldn't make anything better. This is my goal: to make JNU better for students and to save it from the 'deshdrohi' image that the Left is responsible for.' For Meena, student politics is only the beginning. His ambition stretches far beyond JNU's campus gates. 'I aim to enter active politics in the future while being associated with the Vidyarthi Parishad and wish to do more work to uplift people in our society,' he said.
