Tara Dutt Gairola (1875– 1940), was an Indian lawyer, writer, and editor. He is known as the pioneer of modern
Garhwali Garhwali may refer to:
* Garhwali people, an ethno-linguistic group who live in northern India
* Garhwali language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by Garhwali people
* anything from or related to:
**Garhwal division, a region in state of Uttarakhan ...
poetry and for his contribution to Indian folk-lore, specially that of
Garhwal,
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and ...
.
Biography
Born in Dhal Dung village, patti Badiyar Garh in the princely state of
Tehri Garhwal
Tehri Garhwal is a district in the hill state of Uttarakhand, India. Its administrative headquarters is at New Tehri. The district has a population of 618, 931 (2011 census), a 2.35% increase over the previous decade. It is the 7th ranked dist ...
in 1875, Tara Dutt Gairola had a long and productive law career in Dehradun and Srinagar. He was also the editor of 'Garhwali' magazine. In his spare time, he collected heroic ballads and devotional songs performed by the 'Hurkiyas', the local bards of Uttarakhand. Eventually, he published these with E. Sherman Oakley as a co-author under Himalayan Folklore.
This book collates the English translations of a form of Garhwali and Kumaoni folk heroic ballads called 'Veergatha'. Gairola is also known for 'The Songs of Dadu’ with a historical Introduction by Tara Dutt Gairola and a foreword by Annie Besant published in Benares City: The Indian Bookshop, Theosophical Society, (1929)
Tara Dutt Gairola edited the first ever Garhwali poetry collection ‘Garhwali Kavitavali’ consisting of a collection of poems by various modern Garhwali poets. Gairola was himself a Garhwali poet and he published his own book of Garhwali poetry called ‘Sadei' (सदेई) which was based on a Garhwali folklore.
Selected publications
* Himalayan Folklore ''(Hardcover),''
* 2002 - Himalayan Folklore ''(Hardcover),''
* Himalayan Folklore: Ghosts and Demons from West Nepal
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gairola, Taradutt
1875 births
1940 deaths
Indian folklorists
Writers from British India
Lawyers from British India