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Jhaverchand (Zaverchand Kalidas) Meghani

ジャヴェルチャンド・カリダス・メガニ

Zaverchand Kalidas Meghani

Aliases: Zaverchand Meghani / Zaverchand Kalidas Meghani / Raashtreeya Shaayar

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1896-08-28 （Chotila, Bombay Presidency, British India）
Died
1947-03-09 （Botad, Bombay Presidency, British India） age 50
Nationality
Indian
Languages
Gujarati
Religion
Jainism
Residence History
Chotila (birthplace) → Rajkot (education & work) → Kolkata (worked) → Belur (factory manager period) → Botad (place of death)

Career

Occupations
poet, writer, editor, folklorist, playwright, social reformer, freedom fighter
Active Years
1918-1947
Affiliations
Saurashtra weekly (editorial board), Phulchhab newspaper (editor), Gujarati Sahitya Parishad
Memberships
Gujarati Sahitya Parishad
Influenced By
Rabindranath Tagore

Education

University (details unknown)
Degree: BA
Period: 〜1917
Year of Graduation: 1917
Country: British India
Reported to have finished matriculation in 1912 and obtained BA in 1917; exact institution name not specified in source.

Awards

Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak
1928
Organization: unspecified (literary body)
Result: 受賞
Mahida Award
1946
Work: Mansai Na Deeva
Organization: unspecified
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Kurbani Ni Kathao

1922 short stories / translation

A short-story collection including translations of works related to martyrdom; cited as one of Meghani's earliest publications.

martyrdommoralitysocial themes

Veni Na Phool

1927 children's poetry

A collection of children's poems marking Meghani's venture into poetry.

childrennaturemoral education

Sindhudo

1930 poetry / patriotic songs

Contains songs intended to inspire participation in the independence movement; reportedly led to Meghani's imprisonment in 1930.

nationalismfreedomvalor

Saurashtra Ni Rasdhar

1920 folklore collection / ethnography

A representative work compiling folk tales and songs from the Saurashtra region gathered through fieldwork; multiple volumes and a cornerstone of Gujarati folklore studies.

folk talesoral traditionregional culture
Translations
  • A Noble Heritage
  • A Shade Crimson
  • The Ruby Shattered

Bibliography

  • Kurbani Ni Kathao (1922)
  • Veni Na Phool (1927)
  • Sindhudo (1930)
  • Saurashtra Ni Rasdhar (multiple volumes)
  • Mansai Na Deeva (1945)
  • Many others (over 100 works)

Adaptations

  • Credit/usage of his song lyrics in the film Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela (song: 'Man Mor Bani Thangat Kare')

Translations by Author

  • Translations of Rabindranath Tagore's works (early)

Translations of Works

  • A Noble Heritage
  • A Shade Crimson
  • The Ruby Shattered

Style & Themes

Literary Style
folklore-collecting, oral-tradition oriented stylelyrical yet accessible, aimed at the common peoplepatriotic and didactic poetic tone
Recurring Motifs
Saurashtra regional motifsfolk songs and balladsnational pride and sacrificerural life and common people's narratives

Legacy

Meghani is an important folklorist and poet in Gujarati literature, honored as a 'national poet'. His collections of folk tales and poems have been incorporated into curricula and significantly contributed to preservation of Saurashtra's cultural heritage and Gujarati literary history.

Academic Societies

  • Gujarati Sahitya Parishad

Archives

  • Collections related to Meghani (regional archives/libraries)

In Popular Culture

  • His song lyrics were credited/used in the 2013 film Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela

Trivia

  • He is said to have been given the title 'Raashtreeya Shaayar' (National Poet) by Mahatma Gandhi.
  • Reportedly imprisoned in 1930 for his collection 'Sindhudo'.
  • Authored over 100 books; his poems are included in Gujarat school curricula.