Suryakant Tripathi was an Indian poet. He was a popular Hindi language novelist, essayist and story writer. He was a famous sketch artist. He is known for his works Saroj Smriti and Ram ki Shaktipuja. His nickname was Nirala (unique). Nirala was one of the four pioneers of the Chhayavad era in Hindi literature along with the other three famous poets of India, Jaishankar Prasad, Sumitranandan Pant and Mahadevi Varma.
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Wiki/Biography
Suryakant Tripathi was born Surya Kumar on Sunday, 21 February 1897 (aged 64 at the time of death) in Midnapore, Bengal Presidency, British India. His zodiac sign was Pisces. His father belonged to a village called Gadhakola in Unnao, United Province; However, Suryakant was enrolled by his father in Mahishadal Raj High School, a Bengali medium school in Mahishadal, east of Midnapore in the Bengal Presidency. During his school days, he developed a keen interest in Sanskrit and was inspired by the writings and teachings of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Swami Vivekananda and Rabindranath Tagore. Soon after completing his matriculation, he first moved to Lucknow, and then to his family’s ancestral village, Gadhakola in Unnao district.
Physical Appearance
Hair Color: Salt and Pepper
Eye colour: black
Family
parents and siblings
His father’s name is Pandit Ramsahay Tripathi. Ramsahay was a government constable in the princely state of Mahishadal and later got promoted and became a Jamadar. Suryakant lost his mother in his childhood. He belonged to a very poor family and his father was the sole breadwinner of the family.
wife and children
When Nirala was twenty years old, he got married to Manohara Devi. His wife died after two years of marriage. The couple had a daughter named Saroj Tripathi who died at the age of 18. They had a son named Ramakrishna Tripathi. Reportedly, his father, wife, brother, and sister-in-law died in the 1918 Spanish flu influenza outbreak.
livelihood
Nirala began working as a proofreader and copy editor in the 1920s. Subsequently, he served as the editor of several well-known publications, including Samanavata and Matwala, which were published in Calcutta. Reportedly, in 1916, when he was twenty, he published a collection of poems titled ‘Juhi Ki Kali’. This is considered one of his invincible works. According to media sources, her collection ‘Juhi Ki Kali’ was the eighteenth issue of ‘Matwala’. It is believed that in 1920, Suryakant Tripathi Nirala’s first article ‘Pronunciation of Bengali language’ was published in ‘Saraswati’, whose owner was Acharya Mahavir Prasad Dwivedi. Dwivedi gave Tripathi the job of editing a magazine called Sammanaya, which was based on the Sri Ramakrishna Mission. Nirala came to Calcutta in 1923 and his poetry collection ‘Matwala’ was published by Seth Mahadev Prasad. This poetry collection became so popular that people started calling him Matwala. His health deteriorated between 1926 and 1928; He spent two years in deprivation. After this he published his first poetry collection ‘Anamika’.
Anamika book cover
In 1929, Suryakan Tripathi ‘Nirala’ moved to Lucknow and joined the office of the publisher ‘Ganga Pustak Mala’. Apart from this, he started working as an editor in a publication named ‘Sudha’.
literary work
Suryakant Tripathi Nirala’s famous books include novels like Prabhavati, Chhoti Ki Pakad and Nirupama; Poetry: Saroj Smriti, Parimal, Anamika and Geetika; Stories: Lily, Devi and Sukul’s wife; Essay: Rabindra Kavita Kannan and Prabandha Pratima; Further translations: Devi Choudharani, Chandrashekhar, Vish Vriksha, Sri Ramakrishna Vachanamrit, and Rajayoga. Later, David Rubin, an American novelist and translator, translated many of Nirala’s poems such as A Season on the Earth: Selected Poems of Nirala (Columbia University Press, 1977), The Return of Saraswati: Four Hindi Poets (Oxford University Press , 1993), and Of Love and War: A Shadowism Anthology (Oxford University Press, 2005). Doodhnath Singh wrote a critical analysis of his works in ‘Nirala: Atmahanta Aastha’.
Cover of the book ‘Nirala – Suicide Faith’
Death
According to some media sources, Suryakant Tripathi lived most of his life according to the bohemian tradition. Most of his works strongly advocated against social injustice and exploitation in the society. His work faced much ridicule and ridicule in his later life, which led him to suffer from schizophrenia. As a result, he was admitted to the Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi. Suryakant Tripathi ‘Nirala’ died on 15 October 1961 in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Suryakant Tripathi ‘Nirala’ (second from right) with his friends in the last days of his life
Facts/General Knowledge
- Suryakant Tripathi was also popular with the names ‘Nirala’ Mahapran Nirala, Mahapran Nirala, ‘Matwala’, ‘Kabir’ and ‘Mastamaula’. Some people called him ‘Batalik’ of cultural renaissance and ‘rebel poet’.
- He was inspired by the eminent scholar of Hindi literature, Acharya Mahavir Prasad Dwivedi, who recognized his talent and inspired him to write poetry.
- Soon after marriage, his wife pressured him to learn Hindi. According to some media sources, Nirala learned the Hindi language late in life, but he made rapid progress in learning the language and started writing poetry in Hindi rather than Bengali. He was proficient in Hindi, Bengali, Sanskrit and English languages.
- Indian poet Mahadevi Verma used to tie Rakhi to Nirala for more than forty years; He was like a brother to her. Nirala gave her the title of Saraswati of modern Mira and the great temple of Hindi. Reportedly, he used to ride a rickshaw to Mahadevi’s house to tie Rakhi. Mahadevi Verma once narrated an incident of Rakhi while interacting with the media, she said,
Once he came and said to me – “First lend me two rupees.” I gave two rupees and asked – “Why do you want this money?” “Laughing, Nirala ji said – “Give one rupee to the rickshaw puller. And one rupee for tying Rakhi to you.”
Suryakant Tripathi ‘Nirala’ with Mahadevi Verma
- Suryakant Tripathi ‘Nirala’ dedicated one of his famous poems Saroj Smriti to his late daughter Saroj who died at a very young age. Saroj was married to Shivshekhar Dwivedi; However, he died in 1935, five years after their marriage. In one of his articles, he mentioned his sufferings and wrote that his loved ones left him too soon, and he was suffering alone because of the karma of his past life. He has written,
I don’t know what sins I had committed in my previous life that my dear mother went to heaven as soon as I was born. At that time even father’s love could not be fully realized. My wife also left me alone during my youth. He left behind a son and a daughter. My daughter also got separated from me while attaining puberty.”
- In 1942, Suryakant Tripathi ‘Nirala’ came to Allahabad where he met the famous Hindi literature writer Premchand and poets Sumitranandan Pant and Jaishankar Prasad, who became his good friends. He used to organize literary seminars, poetry conferences and poetry reading seminars at his residence in Allahabad. In Allahabad, Suryakant Tripathi ‘Nirala’ wrote poems based on issues related to social inequality like ‘Apara,’ ‘Naya Patta,’ ‘Bela,’ ‘Archana,’ ‘Aradhana,’ ‘Geetkunj,’ and ‘Kavi Shri.’
- Reportedly, David Rubin once said in a media interaction that Nirala’s poetic works are much better than those of other Hindi poets of the 20th century.
Suryakant Tripathi ‘Nirala’ (left) and Girija Kumar Mathur at Nirala’s residence in Bombay on 22 January 1961
- The Government of India dedicated a park named Nirala Udyan, an auditorium named Nirala Auditorium and the prestigious Nirala Degree College in the memory of Nirala in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh.
Mahapran Nirala Degree College, Unnao District
- In 1976, a twenty-five paisa postage stamp was issued in his name by the Indian Postal Department to honor Suryakant Tripathi’s contribution to Hindi literature.
A photograph of Suryakant Tripathi on an Indian postage stamp
- In 2017, a short documentary film named Suryakant Tripathi Nirala was produced by the Indian Film Division in his name, and the film was directed by Rajeev Kumar. The film covers the major works and achievements of Suryakan Tripathi.
A scene from the picture ‘Suryakant Tripathi Nirala’
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn