Interlude: Botadkar : This poet's jod sakhi nahi jade re lol

Lalit Khambhayata in the second half of the century.. a poem named 'Vidhamrig' was taught in the 'Hunter Training College' of Rajkot. While teaching a poem about taming a deer with music, the teacher told the students, 'The creator of the poem himself could not get admission in this college.' The teacher said the truth in sarcasm. That's why the poet had to work as an untrained teacher all his life. * * * The year was 1924 and a literature-appreciating town like Bhavnagar. The seventh session of 'Gujarati Sahitya Parishad' was going on. There, many young literature lovers like Jyotindra Dave, Chandravadan Mehta were searching for a creator. The creator was supposed to be on stage but was not visible. Also checked in the first two rows. Looked in the groups where the big creators were found but the creators who were looking for were not found. Finally, after asking, it came to know that the writer whom you are looking for is sitting in the middle of the audience, not in the middle. He has no desire for fame and also there is no insistence of the council that the immortal creator should come and sit in front! The name of the writer found in the last line is Botadkar. The poet who was mentioned at the beginning did not get admission in the college but Botadkar himself. In Gujarati literature 'Janini Jod Sakhi! He enjoys immortality with the poem Nahi Jade Re Lol'. But he was not fond of fame at all. That is why, even in the year of his death, i.e. at the age when he had created everything, he sat last in the assembly held in Bhavnagar, very few knew him and the poet did not care about him. * * * 'Literature that stands the test of time, all the rest are confectionary.' Such a statement was not made by Botadkar, but by his contemporary poet Khabardar. But Botadkar has proved that statement to be true, because even against the changing flow of time, his poetry is sung with enthusiasm even today. Be it garba or school-college annual festivals.. 'Janini Jod' is held in equal respect. A century has passed since Botadkar's era ended. On 7th September 1924, he passed away with a fat body. This is the way to remember them. * * * He was born on 27th November 1870 in the Modha Vanik family of Botad. Botad was a village so it was called 'Botadakar', and the surname was Shah (the first play written in 18 years was also called 'Shah Praneet Lalsingh-Savitri play'). Studied up to sixth standard, father passed away when he was seven years old, so he became responsible for the family at an early age. He worked in the village school for a salary of two and a half rupees. After that, he tried to get admission in a training school in Rajkot but did not get admission. Worked as steward of Vaishnav Maharaj in Mumbai and Ranpur. Made a speech on social equality which Maharaj did not like and chose to quit his job rather than compromise on the issue. A lifelong struggle to make ends meet, due to his depraved nature. He was doing many types of work such as farming, futures trading, Revadidana shop, Vaidharaj.. Writing poetry was a hobby since childhood. Circumstances were turning him this way and that, so he was getting experiences that could be used to write poetry. He also learned the Sanskrit language which was considered a symbol of learning in those days. The informants even say that the Sanskrit dictionary Amarkosh was in his mouth. It is not necessary, nor possible, that all his poems can be understood by the general public today, because the language used was from seven hundred years ago. Dukhi Zindagi, Sukhni Kavita 'Botadakar Shatabdi Adhyayan Granth', Manubhai Jodhani records that the poet used to become a salesman himself among the college students in Bhavnagar to sell his collection of poetry. The students used to make fun of him by looking at his attire. Even if we imagine that scenario, tears will rise. The copyrights of the first collection of poetry were also sold to meet the financial constraints, but later the time came when his poetry collections were also given as gifts on wedding occasions. Also, on the occasion of marriage, his poems were sung as songs. He never got the passion to shine on the stage or the craze to dabble in literature. Also, when his first collection of poetry was coming out, the writers praised him in private but no one welcomed him in public. However, the latter received appreciation from the likes of Amritlal Dani, who did whatever it took to shine a light on the poet. Physically he was very weak, suffering from asthma and his eyes were constantly watering. Could only walk a little. Two sons died at a very young age. The thing to see is that despite suffering all his life, he wrote poems of joy. Creator of Women Empowerment Women make up half of the earth, but the poets of its events have become less. It is not wrong to say that Botadkar was a poet of women. Meghani has written: 'Botadakar is as if he had completed seven female births and was already walking in a male avatar!' At the time when he was brought up, Panihari water was pouring from the well in Botad, there was no light, the sound of bells was heard from the house, the sound of Valona was repeated with the dawn, the sound of kos and kolu kept coming from the seams. In this way, the poets who told the folk life of that time should also be considered. However, there are four main themes in his poetry. Home life, village life, feelings of the heart and nature. One has to go through Botadkar's poetry to understand how family life was at that time. He wrote poems on topics like marriage, money, life in the world. Perhaps no other poet has written in that manner and in that number in Gujarat. He also knew how to sing well. Once the folk song 'Sona Indhoni Rupa Bedlu' was shown sung in different five ragas. He has also written several poems like 'Urmila', 'Buddha no Grihagaman', 'Ebhalwala'. Among them, 'Urmila' reached the students due to its selection in the textbook. 'Urmila' is an under-appreciated Balkat character of the Ramayana. By choosing to write a poem on it, the poet has made his range clear. For a long time his compositions were played in Ras-Garba. Rasghelu Gujarat is indebted to him in that way.} This poem became immortal because… Mitha Madhu Ne Mitha Mehula Re Lol Ethi Mithi Te Mori Mat Re Janini Jod Sakhi! Nahi Jade Re Lol Prabhuna's Prematani Putali Re Lol Jagti Juderi Ane Jaat Re Janani Jod Sakhi! Nahi Jade Re Lol Amini Filled Her Ankhdi Re Lol Valhane Fille Her Veen Re Janini Jod Sakhi! Nahi Jade Re Lol Yashwant Doshi has written: 'There is hardly an educated Gujarati who has not heard the composition 'Jannini Jod Sakhi Nahi Jade Re Lol…' in the first half of the twentieth century.' Even if we do not fully agree with the statement written in 1970 in Granth magazine, it is certain that it is included in the most famous poems of Gujarati language. There are several obvious reasons for the immortality of this poem included in the fourth anthology 'Rastarangini'… • The poem deals with motherly love. Mother is a subject that touches everyone. • The language of the poem is very simple, even after a quarter of a century, its words do not seem difficult • The poem can be sung very easily, so singers-artists continued to sing it again and again. • This poem continued to be used in Ras-Garba competitions as it was easy to garba on it. • All similes are also used in poetry, which once understood is not forgotten for a long time. Seemant mande madhuran re sukhsonal re lol, jinni jinni laziness upaje organ, re ankhdi udhadjo re lol, jojo sakhi aaj tano ushrang. This came and went in the wild valley, the horses came circling with the hooting, the only hope of this distance, the sweet mother sent the food. Some of the many events of Kutbjeevan's married life, Ray Rail Sakhi! Sambarre silvery night, darkening eye exposed silvery night. Bhaibij tall mangoes, tall sour mangoes, low wadi vines, tall climbs, low downs, aaj Bahavari Behini. Jan Vidaya Achch Nire is rising up Re Peli Vahani Vahe, Tearful Albeldi Re Aaj Sasari Sadhe. Today, the daughter used to take raw food in the yard, tomorrow she would leave it trembling in the ground.

Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).