Rajnikumar Pandya (6 July 1938 – 15 March 2025) was an Indian

Gujarati language Gujarati ( ; , ) is an Indo-Aryan language native to the Indian state of Gujarat and spoken predominantly by the Gujarati people. Gujarati is descended from Old Western Rājasthāni, Old Gujarati (). In India, it is one of the 22 Languages with ...

writer and journalist 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 ...

. He was known for his short stories, novels, biographical essays, and columns. He had a significant contribution to

Gujarati literature The history of Gujarat, Gujarati literature () may be traced to 1000 AD, and this literature has flourished since then to the present. It is unique in having almost no patronage from a ruling dynasty, other than its composers. Gujarat Vidhya S ...

and journalism, particularly in the field of rural journalism. He was honored with numerous awards throughout his career, including the Kumar Suvarna Chandrak and awards from the

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 ...

and

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 ...

Biography

Rajnikumar Pandya was born on 6 July 1938 in Jetpur, British India (now in the

Rajkot district Rajkot district is one of the 33 districts of the Indian state of Gujarat. Located in Saurashtra (region), Saurashtra peninsula, Rajkot city is the administrative headquarters of the district. It is the third-most advanced and the fourth-most po ...

, India). His childhood was spent in Bilkha, where his father managed affairs on behalf of the minor ruler of the Bilkha State. He received his primary education in Bilkha, Charkha, Gopalgram, Dhasa, and Jetpur. His mother was educated, which fostered his early interest in reading and writing. Pandya obtained a B. Com degree 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 1959, followed by a B.A. degree from the same university in 1966. Professionally, he worked as a government auditor from 1959 to 1966 and as a bank manager from 1966 to 1989. He died in

Ahmedabad Ahmedabad ( ), also spelled Amdavad (), is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 ...

on 15 March 2025 at the age of 86.

Career

Pandya began his writing journey in 1959, with a special interest in short stories. His first collection of short stories, titled ''Khalel'', was published in 1977. From 1980 onwards, he started writing columns, and his "Zabkar" series became very popular. Additionally, his articles published in daily newspapers under the title "Manbilori" and his line drawings titled "Gulmohar" were also well-received by readers. His collected "Zabkar" writings were published as ''Samagra Zabkar''. In 1985, he ventured into novel writing, and his notable novels, including ''Koi Puchhe To Kahejo'', ''Chandraadah'', ''Parbhavna Pitarai'', and ''Kunti'' gained him fame. His novel ''Kunti'' was adapted into Hindi television series on national television. Other significant novels by him include ''Avatar'' and ''Pushpadaah''. He also penned a biography titled ''Hans Prakash'', based on the life of Hansraj Kalaria, a businessman from Malawi. His literary works have been translated into several languages, including Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, and German. A book titled ''Rajni Kumar: Aapna Sauna'' was published in his honor during his sixtieth birthday celebration. He had a deep appreciation for

Hindi film music Hindi film songs, more formally known as Hindi Geet or Filmi songs and informally known as Bollywood music, are songs featured in Hindi films. Derived from the song-and-dance routines common in Indian films, Bollywood songs, along with da ...

from the golden era (1940s to 1960s) and had personal connections with many artists. His book ''Aapki Parchhaiyaan'', a collection of articles based on his interactions with these artists, was published in Gujarati in 1995 and later translated into Hindi and English as ''Intimate Impressions''. He had a close bond with the poet Pradeep and even hosted the singer Jagmohan in his home for months. The music composer Anil Biswas also complimented Pandya on his singing voice. He was known for his contributions to rural journalism. He received a special award from the state government for this work. Pandya played a crucial role in the digitisation of ''Vismi Sadi'', a Gujarati periodical that had ceased publication in 1920. He also developed a website digitising the Gujarati periodical ''Prakruti''.

Awards and recognitions

Rajnikumar Pandya received numerous awards and recognitions throughout his literary and journalistic career, including: * Kumar Suvarna Chandrak in 2003 * Five awards from the

* Awards from the

* Saroj Pathak Award for short stories * Dhumketu Award * Gujarat Government's Special Award for Rural Journalism * Statesman Award by Kolkata's Statesman newspaper * Gujarat Government's Award in Best Journalism * Two awards from the Dainik Akhbar Sangh * Hari Om Ashram Award

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pandya, Rajnikumar Gujarat University alumni Writers from Ahmedabad 2025 deaths 1938 births Journalists from Gujarat Gujarati-language writers from India Indian novelists Indian short story writers Indian columnists People from Rajkot district

Biography

Career

Awards and recognitions

See also

References