Kaka Hathrasi
| Kaka Hathrasi | |
|---|---|
| Born | Prabhu Dayal Garg [1] September 18, 1906 Hathras, British India |
| Died | September 18, 1995 (aged 89) |
| Occupation | satirist, humorist |
Kaka Hathrasi (Hindi: काका हाथरसी) (September 18, 1906 - September 18, 1995) was a noted Hindi satirist and humorist poet of India. His real name was Prabhu Dayal Garg, though he wrote under the pen name Kaka Hathrasi, after his home town Hathras, and published over 42 collections of humorous verse, in all. [1][2] He established in 1932, Sangeet Karyalaya (initially Garg and Co.), a noted publishing company for books on Indian classical music and dance, and subsequently in 1935, also started publishing a monthly magazine Sangeet, both in Hathras.[3][4]
He was awarded Padma Shri by Government of India in 1985. [1] Today, each year, the Delhi-based "Hindi Academy" awards the annual Kaka Hathrasi Award for outstanding contribution in the literary field.[5][6]
Contents |
[edit] Biography
He was born on 18 September 1906 in Hathras, a town in Hathras district (present Mahamaya Nagar district) in Uttar Pradesh. Kaka wrote very sharp satires on social, religious and political evils, greed and corruption engulfing India at that time. Kaka's unique style of humour and satire earned him rare popularity which inspired a whole crop of new humourists.
King of humorous poetry, Kaka Hathrasi was honored by the President of India with the Padma Shri award in 1985. He was a legendary poet – known as “जन-कवि ” or “the people's poet” who regaled Hindi-speaking audiences for over four decades with his humorous and satirical poems. The secret of his popularity lies in the simple, colloquial language of his verse, easily enjoyed by young and old. He had 42 books of humorous verse to his credit. Wherever he recited his poems, capacity audiences in auditoriums were consumed with laughter for hours. Kaka raised the popularity of humor and satire to unprecedented heights, both at home and abroad. Kaka was also a renowned musicologist and a fine painter.
A radio programme featuring Kaka Hathrasi, titled "Meethi Meethi Hasaiyan : सवाल आपके जवाब काका हाथरसी के was broadcasted for almost 11 years (total 786 programmes) creating a record of the longest-running programme in India. It was anchored by Romendra Sagar and Reeta Kapoor. Though not confirmed, it reportedly was mentioned in the Limca Book Of Records.
In the year 1932, Kaka established Sangeet Karyalaya, originally known as Garg and Co., at Hathras. Its main goal was to revive and breathe new life in Indian classical music which at that time was closeted in palaces and temples, with access limited only to the rich and affluent. Kaka decided to bring it to the common man by engaging himself in extensive research and detailed study on this great art form. He painstakingly gathered works of great artists and kings in various languages and analyzed and rewrote those classics in the language of the layman.
In 1935, Kaka started a monthly magazine Sangeet under the banner of Sangeet Karyalaya. "Sangeet" elaborated on the nuances and intricacies of various classical forms of music such as dhrupad, dhamaar, thumri, taraanaa etc., and popular forms such as geet, ghazal, quawwali, folk music and film music. After 75 years of its first publication, "Sangeet" still continues to spread the message of Indian music far and wide making it one of the longest-running monthly magazines of India. Sangeet Karyalaya today under Dr. Laxmi Narayan Garg, son of Kaka Hathrasi, is one of the largest publishing houses in India engaged in publishing literature on Indian classical music and dance.[4] He published his autobiography, Mera Jeevan : A-One in 1993.
Kaka started "Kaka Hathrasi Puraskaar", a prestigious award that is given annually to the best humorous poet/writer of the year and "Kaka Hathrasi Sangeet Sammaan" given to a distinguished musician/musicologist. Ashok Chakradhar, another renowned Hindi poet of India, is his relative, married to Kaka's niece.
Maybe it was a coincidence, or maybe it was Kaka’s last joke, that he died on his birthday, September 18 in year 1995 at the age of 89. September 18 was declared “Hasya Divas” (Humour Day) in his memory and a park in New Delhi was named “Kaka Hathrasi Udyaan.”
Kaka’s formula for good health:
भोजन आधा पेट कर, दुगुना पानी पी,
तिगुना श्रम, चौगुन हंसी, वर्ष सवासौ जी
(Eat until you are half full, drink twice as much water, work three times that much, and laugh four times as much. Then you will live to be a hundred and twenty-five.)
[edit] Works
- Kaka Tarang. Diamond Pocket Books (P) Ltd., 2005. ISBN 8171825133.
- Kaka Ki Chaupal. Diamond Pocket Books (P) Ltd., 2006, ISBN 8171827543.
- Jai Bolo Baiman Ki, Diamond Pocket Books (P) Ltd., 2006. ISBN 8128806939.
- Mera Jeevan : A-One (Autobiography), Diamond Pocket Books (P) Ltd., 1993. ISBN 8128810154.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c "Padma Awards Directory (1954-2009)". Ministry of Home Affairs. http://www.mha.nic.in/pdfs/LST-PDAWD.pdf. "1985: 35: Shri Prabhu Dayal Garg, alias Kaka Hathrasi"
- ^ Hindustan year-book and who's who, Volume 53. M. C. Sarkar.. 1985. p. 276.
- ^ About us Sangeet Karyalaya website.
- ^ a b Peter Lamarche Manuel (1993). Cassette culture: popular music and technology in north India. University of Chicago Press. p. 278. ISBN 0226504018. http://books.google.co.in/books?id=Q1JMZxYPNcYC&pg=PA278&dq=Kaka+Hathrasi&hl=en&ei=qBp6TtPlEsbRrQfBlum7Dw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAjge#v=onepage&q=Kaka%20Hathrasi&f=false.
- ^ "Hindi Academy awards presented". The Hindu. Dec 29, 2002. http://www.hindu.com/2002/12/29/stories/2002122907060300.htm.
- ^ "Surendra Dubey gets 'Kaka Hathrasi' award". DNA (newspaper). Nov 16, 2009. http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report_surendra-dubey-gets-kaka-hathrasi-award_1312391.
- Naamroop ka bhed, a popular poem at Hathras website.
[edit] External links
- Sangeet Karyalaya, website,
- Short biography on Hathras Online
- Brief introduction and a large collection of poems at IndiaWorld on the Net
- Poetry
