Gujarat Vidya Sabha, originally called Gujarat Vernacular Society, is a literary institution for the promotion of vernacular Gujarati literature and education, and for the collection of manuscripts and printed books; located in the city of Ahmedabad,

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. It was founded by a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

administrator,

Alexander Kinloch Forbes Alexander Kinloch Forbes (7 July 1821 – 31 August 1865) was a colonial administrator in British India. Early life Forbes was born in London on 7 July 1821 to John Forbes-Mitchell (1786-1822) of Thainston and Ann Powell (m. 1809 d. 1861). He was ...

, in 1848 with the Gujarati author

Dalpatram Dalpatram Dahyabhai Travadi (21 January 1820 – 25 March 1898) was a Gujarati language poet during 19th century in India. He was the father of Nanalal Dalpatram Kavi, a poet. He led social reform movements in Ahmedabad, and wrote articles again ...

. The name was changed on the occasion of the centenary of the institution. It published Gujarat's first newspaper, established the first Gujarati school for girls, the first library and the first Gujarati periodical.

History

Gujarat Vernacular Society was founded by

British East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and South ...

administrator,

on 26 December 1848 along with

. The fund of Rs 9601 was raised from locals, Baroda State and British officers. The society had in 1877 a fund of £2791 (Rs. 27,910), of which £1000 (Rs. 10,000) were contributed by

Premchand Raichand Premchand Roychand was a 19th-century Indian Jain businessman known as the "Cotton King" and "Bullion King" from Bombay. Life Premchand Raichand was born in 1832 in a Porwal Jain family. He was the son of Roychand Dipchand, a merchant from Su ...

of Bombay. The first newspaper in Gujarat was started in Ahmedabad by this society. It was a weekly paper issued on Wednesday, ''Budhvar'', and hence in Ahmedabad all newspapers were called ''Budhvariya'' during those times. The library, now included in the Hemabhai Institute, and the first girls' school in Ahmedabad, were established by the help of this society. Useful books were printed by it, and the publication of others was helped by money grants. It brought out a monthly magazine, ''

Buddhiprakash ''Buddhiprakash'' ( gu, બુદ્ધિપ્રકાશ, English: Light of Knowledge) is a Gujarati language magazine published by Gujarat Vidhya Sabha (formerly known as Gujarat Vernacular Society), Ahmedabad, India. History ''Buddhip ...

'', which in 1876 had a monthly sale of 1250 copies. The magazine is still published. The society helps libraries in all parts of Gujarat and Kathiawar, and gives prizes to schools. It undertakes to sell and distribute books, and offers annual prizes for essays on various useful subjects. A yearly prize of £15 (Rs. 150) is given for the best Gujarati essay on a given subject, the funds coming from an endowment of £250 (Rs. 2500) made in 1864 by a Bombay merchant, Sorabji Jamsedji Jijibai. Its library contained (1877) 1590 volumes in various languages. At the close of 1876 there were forty-eight life members, two yearly members, and two honorary members. Its yearly receipts amount to about £180 (Rs. 1800) and its expenditure to £129 (Rs. 1290). The textile pioneer of Gujarat, Rao Bahadur

Ranchhodlal Chhotalal Ranchhodlal Chhotalal, Rai Bahadur
"Memoir of Rao Bahadur Ranchhodlal Chhotalal, C.I. ...

, donated money to the Gujarat Vernacular Society to start a girls' high school, which was started in 1892 and was named RB Ranchhodlal Chhotalal Girls High School after the donor.Census of India, 1961 - Volume 5, Issue 1 - Page 187 The society changed its name to Gujarat Vidya Sabha in 1946. The Vidya Sabha is currently presided by the architect

Balkrishna Doshi Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi OAL (born 26 August 1927) is an Indian architect. He is considered to be an important figure of Indian architecture and noted for his contributions to the evolution of architectural discourse in India. Having worked ...

References

External links

* {{Authority control Gujarati literature Organisations based in Ahmedabad 1848 establishments in British India Educational organisations based in India Education in Gujarat Non-profit organisations based in India Indic literature societies Founders of Indian schools and colleges

History

See also

References

External links