Nanabhai Bhatt (born ''Nrusinhprasad Kalidas Bhatt''; 11 November 1882 – 31 December 1961), was an Indian educator, writer, thinker and Indian independence activist. Bhatt was a contemporary of educators Gijubhai Badheka and Harbhai Trivedi. The three worked to advance rural education. Bhatt died on 31 December 1961. He has written a number of books on Indian Cultural Heritage which include ''Ramayana na Patro, Mahabharat Na Patro, Mahabharat Ni Akhyaikayo 1-2, Bhagawat kathao. Ghadatar and Chanatar'' is his autobiography.

Early life

Bhatt was born on 11 November 1882, in

Bhavnagar Bhavnagar is a city in the Bhavnagar district of the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, a States of India, state of India. It was founded in 1723 by Gohil Koli, Bhavsinhji Takhtasinhji Gohil (1703–1764). It was the capital of Bhavnagar State, whi ...

. He attended

Samaldas Arts College Samaldas Arts College or Samaldas College is a college in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India. It was founded in 1885 by Takhtsinhji, the Maharaja of Bhavnagar State in memory of his Diwan (minister) Samaldas Paramananddas Mehta. It is one of the oldest co ...

there, where he completed his M.A.

Career

He started his career as a principal at a high school in

Mahuva, Bhavnagar Mahuva is a town and taluka of Bhavnagar District, in the state of Gujarat, India. Located on the coast of the Arabian Sea, Mahuva is known for its mild weather and green, lush surroundings, including many coconut tree plantations. The town is ...

, Gujarat, and became a professor at Shamaldas College. From 1908-1915, the concept and fulfilment of Dakshinamurti Vidhyarthi Bhavan, a residential educational institute, was gradually accomplished. The institute was formally established in 1910. Bhatt was a thinker and reformer. He became Vice Chancellor at

Gujarat Vidyapith Gujarat Vidyapith is a deemed university in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. It was founded in 1920 by Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of the Indian independence movement, and deemed a university in 1963. Etymology "Vidyapith," in many languages of ...

, and during 1925-28 as Vice-Chancellor of Gujarat Vidyapith. In 1938, he established Gram Dakshinamurti, an Institute of Basic Education at Ambala,

Sihor Sihor is a town, a municipality in Bhavnagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Placed along the river Gautami, this erstwhile capital of the Gohil Rajputs, surrounded by hills is situated about 20 km from Bhavnagar. It becomes Siho ...

Taluka, targeting education in rural areas.

Lokbharti

He became Minister of Education in Saurashtra state in 1948. In 1953, he founded Lokbharti, a university for rural villagers who otherwise lacked access to higher education, in Sanosara,

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

. Lokbharti is based on the vision and message of

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...

of a strong and self-sufficient rural India. Bhatt founded other educational institutions such as Dakshinamurti Vidyarthi Bhavan / Dakshinamurti Vinay Mandir - Bhavnagar, Gram Dakshinamurti - Ambala.

Philanthropy and other works

Bhatt devoted his life to the welfare of rural communities and education. He wrote and published books and publications from 1920 to 1959, focusing on education, religion, humanity, social science, history, self help and character development. He remained an active 'Satyagrahi' and a freedom fighter for the

Indian independence movement The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events with the ultimate aim of ending British Raj, British rule in India. It lasted from 1857 to 1947. The first nationalistic revolutionary movement for Indian independence emerged ...

. He was arrested multiple times for this activity. According to the famous Gujarati writer

Manubhai Pancholi Manubhai Pancholi also known by his pen name Darshak, was a Gujarati language novelist, author, educationist and politician from Gujarat, India. He participated in the Indian independence movement and held several offices after independence. B ...

, Bhatt had a good knowledge of

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

classical texts such as the

Upanishads The Upanishads (; sa, उपनिषद् ) are late Vedic Sanskrit texts that supplied the basis of later Hindu philosophy.Wendy Doniger (1990), ''Textual Sources for the Study of Hinduism'', 1st Edition, University of Chicago Press, , ...

. A member of

Rajya Sabha The Rajya Sabha, constitutionally the Council of States, is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of India. , it has a maximum membership of 245, of which 233 are elected by the legislatures of the states and union territories using si ...

from 1954–57, Bhatt was awarded

Padma Shri Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, ...

in 1960 for "Social Work".

References

External links

Dakshinamurti Vinay Mandir

Lokbharti, Sanosara
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bhatt, Nanabhai 1882 births 1961 deaths Nominated members of the Rajya Sabha Recipients of the Padma Shri in social work Indian independence activists from Gujarat 20th-century Indian educational theorists Prisoners and detainees of British India Founders of Indian schools and colleges State cabinet ministers of Gujarat Social workers Saurashtra (state) People from Bhavnagar Social workers from Gujarat