Atma Ram Gairola: The Inspiring and Nature’s Image Making Garhwali Poetry Poet

Critical History and Characteristics of Garhwali Poetry –Part 5

                               Garhwali Poetry from 1750-1925

                

                                        Bhishma Kukreti

                  Initial Developing Phase of Modern Garhwali Poetry (1900-1925)

              Atma Ram Gairola is the Garhwali poets who initiated creating Garhwali poetry.

          Atma Ram Gairola was born 25th April, 1855 in Lal Dhung, Pati Badiyargarh of Tihri Garhwal.

           He used to publish his Garhwali poems in a monthly magazine- Garhwali. There are his poems published in Garhwali language poetry collection ‘Garhwali Kavitavali’. His poems are called as inspiring poems in Garhwali. Gairola used to inspire other Garhwalis to write poems in Garhwali rather than in Khadi boli.

         Chala gwero ! Goru hum charola bhyun ki raw, vakhi machha marla, dhungali bhi vakhi pakaula
Atmaramt Gairola is famous for his uses of pure Garhwali words in poem and was stern advocate of Garhwalism .  Atma Ram, Gairola pointed attention on the village system of Garhwal by his poems.
Atma Ram Gairola expired on 22 June, 1922

            The following poems of Gairola are proof that besides using pure Garhwali words he always used to pay attention on poetic values and lyrical values for creating poetries.

आत्माराम गैरोला (1855 -1922 ) की कविताएँ

      गई कुल्हाड़ी

गई कुल्हाड़ी दुई हाथ जोड़ी

डाळा  मु माँगी एक हाथ टैणी

नाचीज जाणी दिई तैन दीनी

सो , बेंड पैरी जड़ काटण बैठी। 

The Kulhadi poem stresses on cooperation and respecting each other than conflicts.

 पंछी पंचक

अरे जागा जागा कब बिटि च कागा उड़ी उड़ी

करी करी 'काका काका ' घर घर जगौणु तुम सणी. 

उठी गैन पंछी करण लगि गनै जय जय

उठा भायौ जागा भजन बिच लागा प्रभु जी का

"घूघती घूघती ' घुगति घूगता की अति भली

भली मीठी बोली मधुर मदमाती मुदमई

हरी डाँड्यौं कांठ्यौं धुनि पर धुनि छंन भरणी

हरी जी की गाथा हिरसी स्या च करणी

कुऊ कूऊ कुऊ कूऊ कुऊ कूऊ कुउऊ

छाजो धारु धारु बणु बणु बिटि गूंजण लगी
……।

The above poem is longer and shows that Gairola was master of creating geographical images.

          बटुलो 

घरमा कुछ आस मेरि छै

अब की दां सुत होण ज्यूं जरूर। 

सुत जोग  छ जन्म पत्री मा माँ

इनु जोशी जी भि बोल्दा छया।

हंसलो इनु खेललो इनु

इनु ग्वाया लगालो शनै शनै

हम दम्पति भी रहस्य मा

……. xxx

हत ! देंद सुणाइ 'बेटलो '

स्विलकूड़ा बिटि शब्द 'बेटुलो'

मरिगे निर्भाग'बेटुलो'

करिगे आस निरास 'बेटुलो'

सब ही आपण कुटुंब का

सुत माता अर भाई बंधु भी

छन शोक भर्याँ दुखी बड़ा

जनु कैको गयी हो मड़ो मरी

xxx

Betuli is is one of the best poems of Gairola. The poem discusses the importance of women and our ignoring their importance in society.

Garhwali magazine published follwong poems of Atma Ram Gairola

Poem----------------------------------Date of Publication

Panchi Panchak-------------------------July 1912

Abla Pukar ----------------------------------July 1912

Betulo-------------------------------------------September 1912

Suryoday ---------------------------------November 1912

Madyastak -----------------------------------April 1913

Tulsi --------------------------------------------October 1913

Ajency Mahima--------------------------------March 1914

Teeri --------------------------------------------January 1920

Garhwali Literature will always remember Atma ram Gairola for his contribution to establish Garhwali poetry of modern time

Copyright @ Bhishma Kukreti, Mumbai, India, 3/9/2013

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