Narmad Suvarna Chandrak (Narmad Gold Medal)
1 appearances
-
Edition 50 (1989) Winner
Narayan Desai
ナラヤン・デサイ
Narayan Desai
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1924-12-24 （Bulsar (now Valsad), Gujarat, India）
- Died
- 2015-03-15 （Surat, Gujarat, India） age 90
- Nationality
- Indian
- Languages
- Gujarati, Hindi, English
- Religion
- Hinduism
- Residence History
- Sabarmati Ashram (Ahmedabad) → Sevagram (near Wardha) → Vedchhi (Vedchhi) → Valsad (formerly Bulsar) → Surat (place of death)
Career
- Occupations
- Author, Gandhian activist, Teacher, Biographer, Peace activist, Oral storyteller (Gandhi Katha narrator)
- Active Years
- 1940-2015
- Affiliations
- Akhil Bharatiya Shanti Sena Mandal (Indian Peace Brigade), Peace Brigades International (involvement), War Resisters' International (served as chairman), Gujarat Vidyapith (served as Chancellor), Sampoorna Kranti Vidyalaya (Institute for Total Revolution)
- Memberships
- War Resisters' International (served as chairman), Peace Brigades International (involvement), Akhil Bharatiya Shanti Sena Mandal (Indian Peace Brigade)
- Influenced By
- Mahatma Gandhi, Mahadev Desai (father, Gandhi's secretary), Vinoba Bhave, Jayaprakash Narayan (JP)
- Influenced
- Gandhian activists and followers, Numerous students and volunteers trained in non-violence, Peace activists in India and abroad
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sabarmati Ashram (ashram-based education) | — | Non-formal education (Nai Talim, etc.) | — | 1930s–1940s | India |
Sabarmati Ashram (ashram-based education)
Non-formal education (Nai Talim, etc.)
Period:
1930s–1940s
Country:
India
Formal schooling was discontinued early; he was educated and trained at the ashram by his father and ashram residents, learning spinning and khadi weaving.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Sahitya Akademi Award (Gujarati) | Biography of Mahadev Desai (Gujarati) | — | Sahitya Akademi | 受賞 |
| — | Sahitya Akademi Award (childhood reminiscences) | Memoirs of childhood memories of Gandhi (title unknown) | — | Sahitya Akademi | 受賞 |
| 1998 | UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence | — | — | UNESCO | 受賞 |
| 1999 | Jamnalal Bajaj Award | — | — | Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation | 受賞 |
| 1989 | Narmad Suvarna Chandrak | Agnikundma Ugelu Gulab (Gujarati) | — | Narmad Literary Award Committee | 受賞 |
| 2001 | Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak | — | — | Ranjitram Award Committee | 受賞 |
| 2004 | Moortidevi Award (18th, 2004) | Maroon Jeewan Aj Mari Vaani (work based on life and philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi) | — | Bharatiya Jnanpith | 受賞 |
| 2013 | Dhirubhai Thakar Savyasachi Saraswat Award | — | — | Dhirubhai Thakar Award Committee | 受賞 |
Sahitya Akademi Award (Gujarati)
1993
Work:
Biography of Mahadev Desai (Gujarati)
Organization:
Sahitya Akademi
Result:
受賞
Sahitya Akademi Award (childhood reminiscences)
Work:
Memoirs of childhood memories of Gandhi (title unknown)
Organization:
Sahitya Akademi
Result:
受賞
UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence
1998
Organization:
UNESCO
Result:
受賞
Jamnalal Bajaj Award
1999
Organization:
Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation
Result:
受賞
Narmad Suvarna Chandrak
1989
Work:
Agnikundma Ugelu Gulab (Gujarati)
Organization:
Narmad Literary Award Committee
Result:
受賞
Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak
2001
Organization:
Ranjitram Award Committee
Result:
受賞
Moortidevi Award (18th, 2004)
2004
Work:
Maroon Jeewan Aj Mari Vaani (work based on life and philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi)
Organization:
Bharatiya Jnanpith
Result:
受賞
Dhirubhai Thakar Savyasachi Saraswat Award
2013
Organization:
Dhirubhai Thakar Award Committee
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak
1 appearances
-
Edition 74 (2001) Winner
Works
Major Works
Four-volume biography of Gandhi (Gujarati)
Biography / Non-fiction 2000 pagesA comprehensive four-volume, c.2000-page biography of Mahatma Gandhi in Gujarati. Written as a tribute to his father Mahadev Desai and covering Gandhi's life and thought in detail.
Non-violenceGandhian philosophyLeadershipSelf-sufficiency / KhadiEthics and social reform
Maroon Jeewan Aj Mari Vaani (based on Gandhi)
Essays / Biographical workA work based on the life, philosophy and work of Mahatma Gandhi, dealing with leadership and Gandhian way of life. Winner of the Moortidevi Award.
Gandhi's thoughtLeadershipEthics
Bibliography
- Biography of Mahadev Desai (Gujarati, 4 volumes)
- Maroon Jeewan Aj Mari Vaani
- Agnikundma Ugelu Gulab
- Bhoomiputra (magazine, editor)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Plain, colloquial narrativeStructured for oral storytelling and recitationFact-based writing with moral and didactic emphasis
- Recurring Motifs
- Non-violence (Ahimsa)Charkha (spinning wheel)Community and rural lifeAnecdotes and lessons from Gandhi
Health
-
Coma / age-related complications (details unspecified)2014-12-10 から 2015-03-15He slipped into a coma on 10 December 2014 but later recovered briefly. Afterwards he had difficulty with daily activities, was on a liquid diet, and ultimately died in hospital on 15 March 2015.
Legacy
Narayan Desai, as a custodian of Gandhian thought, influenced education, non-violence movements and audiences worldwide through his Gandhi Katha narrations. He is highly regarded for his biographical works and contributions to peace education.
Academic Societies
- Gujarat Vidyapith
Archives
- Sampoorna Kranti Vidyalaya (archive / repository)
In Popular Culture
- His Gandhi Katha narrations became popular in India and abroad and have been featured in documentaries and public lectures.
Trivia
- He was the son of Mahadev Desai, Gandhi's personal secretary.
- He began performing Gandhi Katha in earnest at age 81 and toured internationally.
- In his early years he worked as a teacher at a Nai Talim school in Vedchhi.
- He founded and edited the magazine 'Bhoomiputra' and served as its editor until 1959.
- He was cremated at Sampoorna Kranti Vidyalaya.