Harikrishna Pathak
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Harikrishna Pathak (5 August 1938 – 28 March 2025) was an Indian Gujarati-language poet, short story writer, editor and children's writer from
Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, 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 List of states and union territories ...
.


Life and career

Pathak was born on 5 August 1938 at
Botad Botad, located in Gujarat's Saurashtra (region), is a significant city and district headquarters of the Botad district. Established as a separate district in 2013, Botad has developed into a key administrative and economic hub, connecting nearb ...
(now in Gujarat, India) to Monghiben and Ramchandra. His family was from Bholad village in
Ahmedabad district Ahmedabad (Amdavad) district is a district comprises the city of Ahmedabad, in the central part of the state of Gujarat in western India. It is the seventh most populous district in India (out of 739). Ahmedabad District Surrounded By Kheda dis ...
. He
matriculated Matriculation is the formal process of entering a university, or of becoming eligible to enter by fulfilling certain academic requirements such as a matriculation examination. Australia In Australia, the term ''matriculation'' is seldom used now ...
in 1956. He completed his B.Sc. from
Gujarat University The Gujarat University is a public state university located at Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. The university is an affiliating university at the under-graduate level and a teaching university at the post graduate level. It is accredited A+ by NAAC ...
in 1961. He worked as a teacher at
Songadh Songadh is a Tehsil, taluka in Tapi district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Gujarat. Geography Fort Songadh is located at . It has an average elevation of 112 metres (367 feet). The town is located at the fo ...
near
Bhavnagar Bhavnagar is a city and the headquarters of Bhavnagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It was founded in 1723 by Bhavsinhji Gohil. It was the capital of Bhavnagar State, which was a princely state before it was merged into the Dominion ...
in 1961–62. In 1963, he joined Department of Revenues,
Government of Gujarat The Government of Gujarat, also known as Gujarat Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Gujarat and its 33 districts. It consists of an executive of the legislators appointed by the Governor of Gujarat, a judiciar ...
as an assistant. He was later promoted as the divisional officer and later retired as the deputy secretary. He managed literary groups such as Mijlas and Brihaspatisabha for years. He also served as a vice president of
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 and ...
. He was also painter, sketcher and singer.


Personal life and death

Pathak married Chandrika in 1961 at
Bhavnagar Bhavnagar is a city and the headquarters of Bhavnagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It was founded in 1723 by Bhavsinhji Gohil. It was the capital of Bhavnagar State, which was a princely state before it was merged into the Dominion ...
and had six children. Pathak died in
Gandhinagar Gandhinagar () is the capital of the state of Gujarat in India. Gandhinagar is located approximately 23 km north of Ahmedabad, on the west central point of the industrial corridor between the megacities of Delhi and Mumbai. Gandhinagar ...
on 28 March 2025, at the age of 86.


Works

Harikrishna Pathak had experimented with several genres of literature. His first work, a satire, ''Natakno Takhto'' was published in ''Chandani'' while his first poem was published in ''
Kumar A coin, around 200 Yaudheyas.html" ;"title="BCE, of the Yaudheyas">BCE, of the Yaudheyas with depiction of Kumāra Karttikeya Kumar (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: wikt:कुमार, कुमार ''kumārá'') is a title, given name, mi ...
''. ''Sooraj Kadach Uge'' (1974) was his first poetry collection which had 82 poems including metrical poetry,
sonnet A sonnet is a fixed poetic form with a structure traditionally consisting of fourteen lines adhering to a set Rhyme scheme, rhyming scheme. The term derives from the Italian word ''sonetto'' (, from the Latin word ''sonus'', ). Originating in ...
s,
song A song is a musical composition performed by the human voice. The voice often carries the melody (a series of distinct and fixed pitches) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs have a structure, such as the common ABA form, and are usu ...
s,
ghazal ''Ghazal'' is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry that often deals with topics of spiritual and romantic love. It may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss, or separation from the beloved, and t ...
s and free verse. It has traditional as well as experimental poems. ''Halavi Hawane Pankhe'' (2005), ''Tapu'' and ''Jalna Padgha'' are his other poetry collections. ''Adva Pachisi'' (1984) has parody poetry on human nature delivered through fictional character Advo. It has shades of
burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.
. ''Mor Banglo'' (1988) and ''Natubhaine To Jalsa Chhe'' (2008) are his story collections. ''Galine Nakethi'' (1993) is his collection of criticism. ''Nagar Vase Chhe'' (1978) has selected poems from Brihaspatisabha edited by him. He also edited ''Gujarat Kavita Chayan'' (1994, 1996) as well as co-edited ''Swatantryottar Gujarati Geet Sanchay'', ''Gurjar Navalika Chayan'', ''Gurjar Adhunik Vivechan'' and ''Manubhai Trivedi - Sarod'' (2008). ''Aapni Yadi'' has poems of
Kalapi Sursinhji Takhtasinhji Gohil (26 January 1874 – 10 June 1900), popularly known by his pen name, ''Kalapi'' was a Gujarati poet and the Thakor (prince) of Lathi state in Gujarat. He is mostly known for his poems depicting his own pathos. He li ...
selected by him. ''Raina Phool'' (2004) is his travelogue. He contributed to
children's literature Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. In addition to conventional literary genres, modern children's literature is classified by the intended age of the reade ...
also. ''Koinu Kaik Khovay Chhe'' (1981) is a collection of children's poetry. ''Dostarini Vato'' (1993) is a collection of children's stories. ''Gulabi Arasni Laggi'' (1979) is a collection of teenage experiences initially serialized in ''Nutan Gujarat''. ''Hallo-Fallo'' (2005) is also his work on children's literature.


Awards

Pathak 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 195 ...
(1967), Chandrashekhar Thakkur Prize (1973), Critics Award (1984), Jayant Pathak Poetry Prize (1993), Narmad Suvarna Chandrak (1993, for ''Jalna Padgha''). He was awarded by
Gujarat Sahitya Akademi The Gujarat Sahitya Akademi () or Gujarat Sahitya Academy, established in 1981, is a government institution dedicated to the development of the languages spoken in Gujarat, India and their literature. Gujarati, an official language of Gujarat, i ...
also.


See also

*
List of Gujarati-language writers The following is an alphabetical list of Gujarati writers who has contributed in Gujarati literature; presenting an overview of notable authors, journalists, novelists, playwrights, poets and screenwriters who have released literary works in the Gu ...


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pathak, Harikrishna 1938 births 2025 deaths Gujarati-language poets Gujarati-language writers Poets from Gujarat Indian children's writers People from Botad district 20th-century Indian poets Novelists from Gujarat 21st-century Indian poets Indian male poets Gujarat University alumni Indian editors Indian male short story writers Indian children's poets People from Gandhinagar