Garhwali That: One of the Greatest Stories of World Literature गढ़वाळी ठाट

(Review of First Modern Garhwali Story ‘Garhwali That’ (1913) written by Sada Nand Kukreti)

Notes on initial great modern stories; South American initial great stories; North American initial great modern stories; east European initial great modern stories; West European initial great modern stories; South European initial great modern stories; Asian initial great modern stories; south Asian initial great modern stories; SAARC countries initial great modern stories; Indian subcontinent initial great modern stories; Indian language initial great modern stories; north Indian language initial great modern stories; Himalayan language initial great modern stories; Mid Himalayan  language initial great modern stories; Uttarakhandi language initial great modern stories; Kumauni language initial great modern stories; Garhwali language initial great modern stories

                                               Bhishma Kukreti

                 As per Vishwambar Datt Chandola, the first modern Garhwali prose was published in 1830 as translation of New Testaments as ‘New Testaments’ and second prose book of Garhwali is translation of ‘Gospel of Matthews’ published in 1876 by Christian missionaries. Govind Prasad Ghildiyal published the translation of ‘Hitopadesh’ into Garhwali in the year 1900.

               The first original Garhwali prose is the first Garhwali story ‘Garhwali That’ written by Sada Nand Kukreti (Gweel, 1886-1937) published in series in news letter Vishal Kirti. Credit goes to Rama Prasad Ghildiyal for bringing such brilliant story in lime light to the modern readers (Himachal Saptahik, Muni ki Riti, 26^th January, 1953). Later on one of the finest Hindi story tellers of left wing Rama Prasad Ghildiyal Pahadi   edited the story, and published in Hilans, Mumbai (November, 1982) with the changed title ’Gundru kaunka Bhitar swala Pakoda’. However, Bahuguna criticized Pahadi for changing the title of the first modern Garhwali story.

                This author has the copy of Vishal Kirti (part -1; August, September, October, 1913 AD, number: 7-8-9) a monthly newspaper0 provided by famous artist B. Mohan Negi. There is a stamp on the paper –Vishal Mani Sharma, Upadhyaya, Guptkashi.  Dr. Anil Dabral Published previous portion of ‘Garhwal That’ in the book Garhwali Gady parampara: Itihas se vartman(2007) page 432-433.Dr.Anil got the story copy from the collection of Rama Prasad Ghildiyal ’Pahadi’.  There is a sentence before the start of story series in Vishal kirti (August-October, 1913, page 46-50) –

                                     गढ़वाळी ठाट ।

                              (गत संख्या से अगाडी)

 The last paragraphs of the series are as:

                                श्री वदरीनाथ जी के पंचरत्न पढंत पाप विनाशनै ।

               कोटि तीरथ भयउ पुन्ये प्राप्यते फल दायकं' ।। ७ ।।

                                                         ( प्रथम परिच्छेद समाप्त । )

                       It clearly shows that the story was very long and was not limited to Ganeshu and Gundaru characters as explained by Pahadi and perceived by others. The paper shows that ‘Garhwali that’ was written for showing various life styles of contemporary Garhwal.

                                    However, whatever is available (Pahadi’s collection and copy with this author) is marvelous example of storytelling style by Sada Nand Kukreti.

  The theme of story is to show the difference between two women- mother of Ganeshu and mother of Gunduru.  The mother of Ganeshu is well organized, energetic, likes cleanliness and has brilliancy to manage the house. While, the mother of Gunduru is lazy, does not care for hygienic factor in the hose. Father of Ganeshu is spiritual and a religious person who preaches morality to his new generation early in the morning.

     One of the great story writers of world literature Sada Nand Kukreti arranged events very wisely and the readers could feel the distinctions between characters.

     The immense fiction creator of world fiction world Sada Nand Kukreti is master of characterization. His words create images for each character.

     Tauntingly, tale teller creates character of lazy woman as:

कैकी पकोड़ी कैकी सकोड़ी, वोर वख दांत ही टूटी गै छ्या. बिचारि कि दाळ दुदळि करीन हि छई. बस बिना तेल वा दाळ छुस छास तव्वा मा उन्ने दमे अर वी पकोड़ा बणि गेन.

 The story creator narrates character of family of Ganeshu as

गणेशुं का भितर स्वाळा पकोदा की खूब खदर -बदर मचीन छ. एक तरफ मिठो भात बि उडणु छ. खनारा बि खूब जुड्या छन. लोगूँ की घपळ चौदस मचीं छ.

             The grand tale maker of world story literature Sada Nand Kukreti uses satirical style for describing various characters. He also used idealistic situations as and when is required.

    Sada Nand used perfect phrases for creating humor, satire, morality, abhorrence, enthusiasm as per need. Sada Nand had command over words.

  This author is from the same village Gweel-Jaspur (once same but now divided) and Sada Nand Kukreti was of my grandfather’s age.  By reading story, this author can say that Sada Nand Kukreti was of opinion to have standard Garhwali and Kukreti opted dialects for Pauri or Shrinagar area leaving Salani (his area) or Dhangwali dialects. Though, the humorous words of Sada Nand and culture in the story are from Dhangu (for example Mitho bhat is not served in auspicious feast except in Dhangu). There are less dialogues and they are from daily life. The dialogues are helpful in flow of story and characterization too.

              The flow in the story is very smooth and reader goes along with story.

           Since, after closure of ‘Vishal Kirti’, Sada Nand Kukreti took a very noble cause of opening Middle school in Silogi, Malla Dhangu, Ganga Salan, he could not write stories or verses. However, one long story is enough for Sada Nand to be one of the greatest story writers of world literature.

                The first modern Garhwali story   ‘Garhwali That’ has same place among greatest stories as Italian great stories ‘Mendicant Melodi’, ‘Lulu’s Trumph’I, and ‘Two Miracles’;  Spanish great stories – ‘The tall woma,  Malese perez the organizt’ ;  Japanese great stories- ‘The Pie’, and ‘A domestic animal’; Dutch stories as ‘The story of Saidjah’, ‘Sketches’; Hungarian great modern stories- The invisible Wound’, ‘A Ball’ and ‘The green fly’; Russian great initial modern stories-‘The district doctor’, ‘The Christmas tree and the Wedding’, ’The long Exile’ , ‘The bet’; great stories of Poland- ‘The lighthouse keeper of Asinwall’, ‘The human Telegraph’, Yiddish great  stories –‘a Woman’s Wrath’, ‘Passover Guest’; great initial modern stories of Denmark ‘Henrik and Rosalie’; Great initial modern stories from Sweden- ‘Love and Bread’, ‘The eclipse’; Belgian great initial modern stories-‘the mysterious Picture’, The massacre of the innocents’; Croatian initial modern story- ‘The neighbor’; Serbian initial modern story- ‘At The well’;  great initial modern stories  of Czechoslovakia  - Vampire, ‘Foltyn’s  Drum; great initial modern stories –‘The Priest’s tale’;   Romanian great initial modern stories- ‘The Easter Torch’ and ‘What Vasile Saw’; Bulgarian initial great modern story-‘The commissioner ‘s Christmas ‘; South American initial great modern stories –‘Chivalry’, ‘The Attendant’s Confession’, ‘The legend of Pygmalion’, ‘Creole Democracy’, American great initial modern stories – ‘The Specter Bridegroom’, ‘Mrs. Bullfrog’,’ Tell Tale-Heart’,’ Journalism in Tennessee’, ‘ The Man and the Snake’, ‘Supply and Demand’ have in international fiction world.

      As British story world provide respects to great story writers as Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832), Samuel Lover (1997-1868), Charles Dickens (1812-1870), Willkie Collins (1824-1889), Thomas Hardy (1840-), R. l. Stevenson (1850-1894), Oscar wild (1854-1900) for modernization of British stories ; world literature respects Sada Nand Kukreti initiated modern Garhwali fiction writing. Germans are proud of great story writers Jakob Grimm (1775-1859), E.T.A Hoffman (1776-1822), and Gottfried Keller (1819-1890) for modernizing German stories; North Indians are proud of Sada Nand Kukreti for modernizing Garhwali story writing. French people appreciate very much great story writers Voltaire (1694-1779), J.F. Marmontel (1723-1799), H.De Balzak(1799-1850) for modern stories ; Himalayan people appreciate Sada Nand Kukreti for his first Garhwali story;  Italians admire great story writers  Edmondo De Amics(1846-1908), Matilde Serao(born 1856), Grazia Deledda (born 1872) for modern Italian story writing, Mid Himalayan story lovers love Sada Nand Kukreti  for his first modern Garhwali story; Spanish have  high regard for great modern Spanish story tellers Pedro Antonio de Alarcon( 1833-1891), Gustavo Adolfo Becquer (1836-1870) and leopard Alas (1852-1901) for initiating modern Spanish story writing  same way Dhangwals has high regards for Sada Nand Kukreti as modern great Garhwali story writer;

                      Japanese are bigheaded for Mori Ogwai (1860-1922), Shimazaki Toson (born 1871) for their modernizing Japanese fiction world Garhwalis feel proud of Sada Nand Kukreti‘s initiative.

                Critics appreciate E.d Dekker (1820-1887), Herman heijermans(1864-19240, for modernizing Dutch fiction and same way Sada Nand Kukreti is appreciated for Garhwali fiction.

               World literature values the importance of Hungarian short story writers Karoly Kisfaludi (1788-1830), Maurus Jokai (1825-1904), Kalman Mikszath (1849-1922) for modernizing Hungarian stories, same way there is importance of Sada Nand Kukreti in Asia for modernizing Garhwali stories. World fiction critics praise the works of Russian modern fiction writers as Puskin , Nikol Gogol (1809-1852), Ivan Turgenev (1818-1883), Feodor Dostoievsky (1821-1881), Leo Tolstoy (18128-1910), Anton Chekhav (1860-1904) for modernizing Russian fiction writing and Garhwali critics as Bahuguna and Dhoundiyal  praise Sada Nand Kukreti for his first Garhwali fiction.

                 As due to stories of Henryk Seinkiewicz (1846-1916), Boleslav Prus (1847-1912) the literature of Poland is modernized and due to story of Sada Nand Kukreti Garhwali prose literature got modernization.

                      Credit goes to Isaac L. Peretz (1851-1950),  Sholom Aleichem , for initiating modernization in Yiddish stories and credit goes to Sada Nand Kukreti for initiating Garhwali prose modernization.

                As Goldchmidt (1819-1887), J.P. Jacobsen (1847-1885) for Denmark fiction; P.C. Abjornbensen (1812-1878), Jorgen Moe (1813-1880) for Norway stories,   August Strindberg, Selma Lagerlolf (born 1858) for initiating modern Sweden fiction;  Charles De Coster (1827-1879), Maurice Maeterlink (born 1862)  for initiating modern Belgian fiction are appreciated S.D. Kukreti is appreciated for his initiating modern  Garhwali fiction.

        Vuk Karajich (1787-1864) is father of modern Serbian literature and Sada Nand Kukreti is father of modern Garhwali prose.

           As Neruda and Svatopluck Cech (1846-1908) are regarded initiating modern Czechoslovakian fictions Sada Nand Kukreti is regarded for modern Garhwali fiction. Sada Nand Kukreti has same place in modern Garhwali fiction literature as Greece fiction writers Demetrois Bikelas (1835-1908) has in Greece fiction literature.

     I.l. Caragiale (1852-1912), Marie queen of Romania (born 1875) initiated modern fiction in Romania and Kukreti initiated modern fiction in Garhwali language.

          Dimitr Inanov (born 1878) is considered modernizing Bulgarian modern short stories and same was Sada Nand is the father of modern Garhwali stories.

               Sada Nand Kukreti is remembered for his initiating acts in Garhwali story world as Ricardo Fernandez-Garcia (born 1867), Machado de Assis (1839-1908), V. Garcia-Calderon (b.1890) R.Blanco-Fombona, Ruben Dario (1867-1916) are remembered for their initiation in modern fiction of South America.   

                   Washington Irving (1783-1859), N.Hawthorne (1804-1864), Edgar A. Poe (1809-1849), Mark twain 91835-1910), Ambrose Bierce (1839-1914), Bret Harte (1839-1902), O.Henry  (1862-1910) took initiative for developing modern north American fiction. Same way, Sada Nand Kukreti took imitative for developing modern Garhwali fiction literature.

   Rama Prasad Ghildiyal rightly said that the story’ Garhwali That’ is competent enough to compete any story in any language of all times.

Reference-

1-Abodh Bandhu Bahguna, 1975, Gad Matyki Ganga, Alaknand prakashan, Delhi, India  

2- Dr. Anil Dabral, 2007, Garhwali Gady Parampara: Itihas se Vartman

3- Barrett Clark and Lieber (editors), 1925, Great Short stories of the world, Robert M. McBride and co

Copyright @ Bhishma Kukreti, 2/6/2012     

Notes on initial great modern stories; South American initial great stories; North American initial great modern stories; east European initial great modern stories; West European initial great modern stories; South European initial great modern stories; Asian initial great modern stories; south Asian initial great modern stories; SAARC countries initial great modern stories; Indian subcontinent initial great modern stories; Indian language initial great modern stories; north Indian language initial great modern stories; Himalayan language initial great modern stories; Mid Himalayan  language initial great modern stories; Uttarakhandi language initial great modern stories; Kumauni language initial great modern stories; Garhwali language initial great modern stories to be continued….