Maithilisharan Gupt
Dr Maithilisharan Gupt | |
|---|---|
| Born | 3 August 1886 Chirgaon, North-Western Provinces, British India |
| Died | 12 December 1964 (aged 78) India |
| Occupation | Poet, politician, dramatist, translator |
| Education | Macdonal High School Jhansi |
| Alma mater | Doctorate from Banaras Hindu University |
| Literary movement | Indian Nationalist Movement |
| Notable works | Bharat Bharti, Saket |
| Notable awards | Padma Bhushan (1954) |
| Spouse | Sarju Devi (Jiya) |
| Children | Urmila Charan Gupt |
| Relatives | Mr Saurabh Gupta (Grandson) Dr Vaibhav Gupta (Grandson) |
| Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha (Nominated) | |
| In office 3 April 1952 – 2 April 1964 | |
Dr Maithilisharan Gupt (3 August 1886 – 12 December 1964) was one of the most important modern Hindi poets. He is considered one among the pioneers of Khari Boli (plain dialect) poetry and wrote in Khari Boli dialect, at a time when most Hindi poets favoured the use of Braj Bhasha dialect. He was a recipient of the third highest (then second highest) Indian civilian honour of Padma Bhushan. For his book Bharat-Bharati (1912), widely quoted during India's freedom struggle, he was given the title of Rashtra Kavi by Mahatma Gandhi.
In 1956, Rashtrakavi Maithili Sharan Gupt Abhinandan Samiti Calcutta published an Abhinandan Granth, a comprehensive 1000 page document in honour of his life and work.
His family now runs the RMSG Group of Institutions in Chirgaon, promoting his ideals of empowering education, especially among girls.