Bhagwatikumar Sharma (31 May 1934 – 5 September 2018) was an Indian author and journalist who wrote in
Gujarati
Gujarati may refer to:
* something of, from, or related to Gujarat, a state of India
* Gujarati people, the major ethnic group of Gujarat
* Gujarati language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by them
* Gujarati languages, the Western Indo-Aryan sub ...
. Born in
Surat and educated in languages, he edited a daily for several years. He wrote novels, short stories, poetry, essays and criticism. He received
Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak
Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak, also known as the Ranjitram Gold Medal, was founded by Gujarat Sahitya Sabha and is considered the highest literary award in Gujarati literature. The award is named after renowned Gujarati writer Ranjitram Mehta. It is ...
in 1984 and
Sahitya Akademi Award
The Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honour in India, which the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the 22 languages of the ...
in 1988.
Biography
Sharma was born in
Surat on 31 May 1934 in Shrimali
Brahmin
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (gur ...
family of Hargovind and Heeraben. His family was a native of
Ahmedabad. His father was a
pandit of ''
Samveda''. He completed the secondary school education in 1950 and left studies. He later completed his
B. A. in Gujarati and English languages in 1968.
He wrote his first poem, on the event of
Mahatma Gandhi's death, on 31 January 1948. In 1951, his two
sonnets were published for the first time in ''Gujaratmitra'', a daily published from
Surat. In 1953, he recited his poem for the first time in the
poet meet. He joined the editing department of ''Gujarat Mitra'' in 1955. He served as the trustee of Kavi Narmad Yugavart Trust and vice-president of Narmad Sahityasabha, Surat. He also served as president of the
Gujarati Sahitya Parishad
Gujarati Sahitya Parishad () is a literary organisation for the promotion of Gujarati literature located in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. It was founded by Ranjitram Mehta with the aim of creating literature appealing to all classes of society an ...
from 2009 to 2011.
[
He married Jyotiben in 1953. She died in 2009.
Sharma died on 5 September 2018 in Surat.]
Works
His novels include ''Aarti ane Angara'' (1957), ''Man Nahi Mane'' (1962), ''Rikta'' (1968), ''Vyaktamadhya'' (1970), ''Samaydvip'' (1974), ''Urdhvamool'' (1981), '' Asuryalok'' (1987), ''Dwar Nahi Khule'', ''Premyatra'', ''Viti Jashe Aa Rat?'', ''Padchhaya Sang Preet'' (1963), ''Na Kinaro, Na Mazdhar'' (1965), ''Hridaysharan'', ''Nirvikalp'' (2006). ''Samaydvip'' deals with old Brahmin culture and modern sensibility. His short story collections include ''Deep Se Deep Jale'' (1959), ''Hridaydaan'' (1960), ''Ratrani'', ''Chhinnabhinna'' (1967), ''Mahek Mali Gai'', ''Tamane Ful Didhanu Yaad Nathi'' (1970), ''Kai Yaad Nathi'' (1974), ''Vyarth Kakko, Chhal Barakhadi'' (1979), ''Akathya'' (1994), ''Mangalya Kathao'' (2001) and ''Adabeed'' (1985). His selected stories are published as ''Bhagavatikumarni Shresth Vartao'' (1987). His collections of essays are ''Shabdateet'' (1980), ''Bistantu'' (1988), ''Hriday Sarasa'' (1995), ''Dandiya Dool'' (2005), ''Jadabatod'' (2006), ''Spandan''. ''Supda Saf'' is collection of humorous essays while ''America Avje'' (1996) is his travelogue.[
He worked in different genres of poetry such as Ghazal, ]Geet Geet may refer to:
Media
* geet (song), a traditional Hindi or Urdu song
* ''Geet'' (1944 film)
* ''Geet'' (1970 film), a Bollywood film directed by Ramanand Sagar
* ''Geet'' (1992 film), a Bollywood film directed by Parto Ghosh
* ''Geet'' (TV ...
, Sonnet etc. ''Sambhav'' (Ghazal collection), his first anthology, was published in 1974, followed by ''Chhando Chhe Pandada Jenan'' (1987), ''Nakhdarpan'' (1995), ''Jhalhal'' (1995), ''Adhi Aksharnu Chomasu'' (2002), ''Ujaagaro'' (2004), ''Ek Kagal Harivarne'' (2003), ''Gazalayan'' (2009) and ''Atmasaat'' (2010). ''Atmasaat'' is a collection of 72 sonnets dedicated to his wife, Jyoti, after her death. He has written biography, ''Saral Shatriji''. He translated ''Sat Yugoslav Varta'' (1978), ''Ashadno Ek Divas'' (1979) and ''Alok Parva'' (1995). He edited ''Swasoshwas'' on the occasion of seventieth anniversary of Gani Dahiwala.[ His poems are also compiled as ''Tamara Vina Saanj Duske Chadhi Chhe'' (2003) by Suresh Dalal, ''Shabdanu Saat Bhavnu Lenu Chhe'' (2009) and ''Gazalni Paalakhi'' (2009) by Ravindra Parekh and ''Kavyakalash'' by Bharati Dalal.
He has written his autobiography ''Surat Muj Ghayal Bhoomi''.
]
Recognition
He received Kumar Chandrak
Kumar Suvarana Chandrak or the Kumar Gold Medal is a literary award given by Kumar Trust, Ahmedabad, India since 1944. The medal is annually conferred to a Gujarati author for his contribution in '' Kumar'' magazine published by Kumar Trust. In 1 ...
in 1977 and Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak
Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak, also known as the Ranjitram Gold Medal, was founded by Gujarat Sahitya Sabha and is considered the highest literary award in Gujarati literature. The award is named after renowned Gujarati writer Ranjitram Mehta. It is ...
in 1984. He also received Sahitya Akademi Award
The Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honour in India, which the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the 22 languages of the ...
in 1988 for his novel ''Asuryalok''.[ He was conferred the Doctor of Literature (D.Litt.) by ]Veer Narmad South Gujarat University
Veer Narmad South Gujarat University is a public university located in the city of Surat, Gujarat, India. Previously known as South Gujarat University, it was renamed as Veer Narmad South Gujarat University(VNSGU) in 2004 in honour of the famous ...
in 1999. He received Kalapi Award in 2003. In 2011, he received the Harindra Dave Memorial Award for journalism and Vali Gujarati Gazal Award for his contribution to literature. He also received Nachiketa award in 1999, Nandshankar Mehta Chandrak in 1998 for ''Akathya'', Swami Sachchidanand Sanman in 2003, Darshak Award. He received Narsinh Mehta Award in 2009.[ In 2017, ]Gujarat Sahitya Akademi
The Gujarat Sahitya Akademi ( gu, ગુજરાત સાહિત્ય અકાદમી) or Gujarat Sahitya Academy, established in 1981, is a government institution dedicated to the development of the languages spoken in Gujarat, India an ...
awarded him Sahityaratna Award.
See also
* List of Gujarati-language writers
Well known laureates of Gujarati literature are Hemchandracharya, Narsinh Mehta, Mirabai, Akho, Premanand Bhatt, Shamal Bhatt, Dayaram, Dalpatram, Narmad, Govardhanram Tripathi, Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 Octob ...
References
External links
*
*
Bhagwatikumar Sharma
Padchhaaya Sang Preet
: Documentary film
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharma, Bhagwatikumar
1934 births
2018 deaths
Indian male journalists
Gujarati-language writers
People from Surat district
Writers from Gujarat
Modernist writers
Indian male poets
Recipients of the Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak
Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Gujarati