Balashankar Kantharia

Balashankar Kantharia
Born Balashankar Ullasram Kantharia
(1858-05-17)17 May 1858
Sathodar village, Nadiad, Gujarat
Died 1 April 1898(1898-04-01) (aged 39)
Vadodara, Gujarat
Pen name Kalant Kavi, Bal
Occupation poet, translator
Language Gujarati
Nationality Indian
Notable works Hariprem Panchdashi

Balashankar Ullasram Kantharia[1] was a Gujarati poet.

Life

Balashankar Kantharia was born on 17 May 1858 in Sathodar Nagar Brahmin family in Nadiad (now in Gujarat, India).[2][3] He had studied till the first year of his college. He was polyglot and knew Gujarati, Persian, Arabic, Sanskrit, Braj and Hindi languages as well as music and archeology.[2] His wife's name was Manilaxmi.[4]

He briefly worked in government service. He managed Bharati Bhusan, Itihas Mala, Krishna Mahoday magazines. He served as an editor of Buddhiprakash magazine briefly.[2] He is considered as the founder of the modern Gujarati poetry and Ghazal. Manilal Dwivedi was his close friend. He considered himself as a follower of Dalpatram and was expert in poetry in Shikharini metre.[2] It is believed that Kalapi had learned Ghazal poetry from him and Manilal Dwivedi.[5]

He died on 1 April 1898 at Baroda (now Vadodara, Gujarat).[2]

Works

Kalant Kavi, Bal were his pen names. He is credited for bringing Persian style poetry such as Ghazal in Gujarati literature.[3] Kalant Kavi and Hariprem Panchdashi are his collections of poetry. He had translated Karpūramañjarī by Rajasekhara, Mṛcchakatika and Sufi Ghazals of Hafez in Gujarati.[2]

"Gujare Je Shire Tare" is his popular ghazal poetry composed in Bah’r Hazaj Saalim metre.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Sisir Kumar Das (2000). History of Indian Literature. 1. p. 245.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "બાલાશંકર કંથારીયા" (in Gujarati). 3 July 2006. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  3. 1 2 Jeṭhālāla Nārāyaṇa Trivedī (1987). Love Poems & Lyrics from Gujarati. p. 145.
  4. ↑ Suhrud, Tridip (1999). "Love, Desire and Moksha: Manibhai Nabhubhai and the Loss of Svadharma" (PDF). Narrations of a Nation: Explorations Through Intellectual Biographies (Ph.D). Ahmedabad: School of Social Sciences, Gujarat University. p. 106. hdl:10603/46631.
  5. ↑ K. M. George (1992). Modern Indian Literature, an Anthology: Surveys and poems. p. 124.
  6. ↑ Smt. Hiralaxmi Navanitbhai Shah Dhanya Gurjari Kendra (2007). Gujarat. 2. Gujarat Vishvakosh Trust.


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