Vijaydan Detha

Vijaydan Detha (1 September 1926 – 10 November 2013), also known as Bijji, was a noted Indian writer of Rajasthani literature.[1] He was a recipient of several awards including the Padma Shri and the Sahitya Akademi Award.

Vijaydan Detha
Vijaydan Detha
Vijaydan Detha
Born(1926-09-01)1 September 1926
Borunda, Jodhpur State, British India
(now in Rajasthan, India)
Died10 November 2013(2013-11-10) (aged 87)
Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
Pen nameBijji
OccupationWriter
GenreSatire, folklore
SubjectSocialism, Antifeudalism, feminism
Notable awardsPadma Shri

Sahitya Akademi Fellowship
Sahitya Akademi Award

Rajasthan Ratna
SpouseSayar Kanwar
Children5 (including Kailash Kabir)

Detha has more than 800 short stories to his credit, which have been translated into English and other languages. With Komal Kothari, he founded Rupayan Sansthan, an institute that documents Rajasthani folklore, art, and music. His literary works include Bataan ri Phulwari (Garden of Tales), a 14-volume collection of stories that draws on folklore in the spoken dialects of Rajasthan. Many of his stories and novels have been adapted for the stage and the screen: adaptations include Mani Kaul's Duvidha (1973),[2] Habib Tanvir and Shyam Benegal's Charandas Chor (1975),[3] Prakash Jha's Parinati (1986),[4] Amol Palekar's Paheli (2005),[5] Pushpendra Singh's The Honour Keeper (2014),[6] Dedipya Joshii's Kaanchli Life in a Slough[7] (2020), Pushpendra Singh's Laila aur Satt Geet (2020)[8]

Biography

Detha said, "My land [Rajasthan] is full of stories, whatever I've written is just a drop of the ocean". Detha, was inspired by Shah Govradhan Lal Kabra to write in Rajasthani "till date I have not written in any other language", he said regarding his love for the language. He portrayed the sufferings of the poor in his writings and was also tipped for the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2011 which ultimately went to Tomas Tranströmer.[9]

Works

Rajasthani
  • Batan Ri Phulwari, vol. 1–14, 1960–1975, folklores Published by Rajasthani Granthagar, Jodhpur
  • Prerana co-edited with Komal Kothari, 1953
  • Soratha, 1956–1958
  • Parampara , edited three special issues – Folk songs, Gora Hatja, Jethava Ra
  • Rajasthani Lokgeet, folk songs of Rajasthan, six volumes, 1958
  • Tido Rao, first pocket book in Rajasthani, 1965
  • Uljhan,1984, novel
  • Alekhun Hitler, 1984, short stories
  • Roonkh, 1987
  • Kaboo Rani, 1989, children's stories

Hindi

Due to respect for his mother tongue Rajasthani, Bijji has never written in any other language, most of his works are translated into Hindi by one of his sons Kailash Kabeer.

  • Baton Ki Bagiya vol. 1–14, 2019, (Hindi translation of Batan Ri Phulwari) Published by Rajasthani Granthagar, Jodhpur
  • Usha, 1946, poetry
  • Bapu ke teen hatyare, 1948, critics
  • Column in Jwala Weekly, 1949–1952
  • Sahitya aur samaj, 1960, essays
  • Anokha Ped, illustrated children's stories, 1968
  • Phoolwari, Hindi translation by Kailash Kabir, 1992
  • Chaudharain Ki Chaturai, short stories, 1996
  • Antaral, 1997, short stories
  • Sapan Priya, 1997, short stories
  • Mero Darad Na Jane Koy, 1997, essays
  • Atirikta, 1997, critics
  • Mahamilan, novel, 1998
  • Priya Mrinal, short stories, 1998

Detha also been credited for editing following works[10]

  • Complete work of Ganeshi Lal Vyas for Sahitya Akademi
  • Rajasthani-Hindi Kahawat Kosh

Awards and honours

References
  1. "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  2. "Film flashback, The ghost in the tree, from 1973". TheGuardian.com. 14 July 2011.
  3. "Moviebuff".
  4. "Fate and Greed in Rajasthan A Long Time Ago". 19 April 2019.
  5. "'Paheli' is a whim of mine, says Shah Rukh". 20 May 2005.
  6. "A love story out of a folk take about a woman who claims her freedom in timeless Rajasthan". The Hollywood Reporter. 11 February 2014.
  7. "Kaanchli Life in a Slough movie review: Raw, bold & probing". 7 February 2020.
  8. "The Whole Idea of borders redundant: Laila aur satt geet director Pushpendra Singh". 5 March 2020.
  9. "Rajasthan's Vijaydan Detha in race for Nobel Prize". Archived from the original on 9 September 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  10. Who's who of Indian writers 1999
  11. Bihari K. K. Birla Foundation
  12. Interview on Tehelka
  13. Indian National Portal, Govt. of India
  14. "Books by Vijaydan Detha - Prabhat Prakashan". www.prabhatbooks.com. Retrieved 3 May 2023.

Bibliography
  • Dutt, Kartik Chandra (1999). Who's Who of Indian Writers. India: Sahitya Akademi. pp. 317–318. ISBN 81-260-0873-3.
  • "Padma Shri Award". National Portal of India, Govt. of India. Archived from the original on 29 April 2012. Retrieved 5 December 2007.
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