Narasimha Chintaman Kelkar
Encyclopedia
Narasimha Chintaman Kelkar (Devanagari
: नरसिंह चिंतामण केळकर) (1872-1947) was a literary and political figure from Maharashtra
, India
.
He was born on August 24, 1872 in the town of Modnimb near Miraj
. After finishing his high school education at age 16, he sequentailly attended Rajaram College
in Kolhapur, and Fergusson College
and Deccan College
in Pune
to receive his bachelor's degree at age 19. Three years later, in 1894, he received his law degree.
In 1896, Kelkar joined the staff of English daily Maratha which Lokmanya Tilak
had cofounded a few years earlier. The next year, he assumed the editorship of Maratha, and served in that capacity until 1908. He also wrote articles in Marathi daily Kesari (केसरी), which also had been cofounded by Tilak. He assumed the editorship of Kesari in 1910, and served eminently in that capacity until 1932.
Kelkar was a member of Pune municipal council for 25 years. During six of those years, he was the mayor.
In 1932, under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi
Kelkar served as a member of a round table conference which was held in London
with the British government to discuss India's independence.
Five years later, at age 65, he retired from public life, devoting his time thereafter entirely to literary pursuits until his death on October 14, 1947. (India had received its independence from the British Raj
two months earlier.) On the night of his death, he had peacefully gone to bed after composing a few hours earlier two poems on “death”.
. He wrote a scholarly book titled हास्यविनोदमीमांसा.
Because of his literary achievements, some Marathi literary associations conferred on him in 1932 the title Sahitya Samrat (साहित्यसम्राट).
He presided over Marathi Sahitya Sammelan
held in Badoda
in 1921.
The following is a list of the titles of plays which Kelkar wrote:
Devanagari
Devanagari |deva]]" and "nāgarī" ), also called Nagari , is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal...
: नरसिंह चिंतामण केळकर) (1872-1947) was a literary and political figure from Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
He was born on August 24, 1872 in the town of Modnimb near Miraj
Miraj
Miraj , is an historic town in southern Maharashtra, India. The history of the town dates back to the early 10th century, and the town is known for its rich tradition of Hindustani classical music and for religious harmony. It served as a stronghold and a strategic bastion because of its location...
. After finishing his high school education at age 16, he sequentailly attended Rajaram College
Rajaram College
Rajaram College, Kolhapur is a Government college affiliated to Shivaji University in Kolhapur. It runs degree level courses in science, humanities, languages and arts. It also has a popular junior college offering higher secondary education courses in science and arts. very old collge Rajaram...
in Kolhapur, and Fergusson College
Fergusson College
Fergusson College is a degree college in western India, situated in the city of Pune. It was founded in 1885 by the Deccan Education Society and at that time was the first privately governed college in India. It is named after Sir James Fergusson, the Governor of Bombay, who donated a then...
and Deccan College
Deccan College
Deccan College may refer to:* Deccan College Post-Graduate & Research Institute * Deccan College of Engineering and Technology * Deccan College of Medical Sciences, a medical college in Hyderabad, India....
in Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
to receive his bachelor's degree at age 19. Three years later, in 1894, he received his law degree.
In 1896, Kelkar joined the staff of English daily Maratha which Lokmanya Tilak
Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Lokmanya Tilak –, was an Indian nationalist, teacher, social reformer and independence fighter who was the first popular leader of the Indian Independence Movement. The British colonial authorities derogatorily called the great leader "Father of the Indian unrest"...
had cofounded a few years earlier. The next year, he assumed the editorship of Maratha, and served in that capacity until 1908. He also wrote articles in Marathi daily Kesari (केसरी), which also had been cofounded by Tilak. He assumed the editorship of Kesari in 1910, and served eminently in that capacity until 1932.
Kelkar was a member of Pune municipal council for 25 years. During six of those years, he was the mayor.
In 1932, under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
Kelkar served as a member of a round table conference which was held in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
with the British government to discuss India's independence.
Five years later, at age 65, he retired from public life, devoting his time thereafter entirely to literary pursuits until his death on October 14, 1947. (India had received its independence from the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
two months earlier.) On the night of his death, he had peacefully gone to bed after composing a few hours earlier two poems on “death”.
Literary career
Kelkar wrote literary criticism, poetry, plays, history, novels, essays, and a detailed biography of Lokmanya TilakBal Gangadhar Tilak
Lokmanya Tilak –, was an Indian nationalist, teacher, social reformer and independence fighter who was the first popular leader of the Indian Independence Movement. The British colonial authorities derogatorily called the great leader "Father of the Indian unrest"...
. He wrote a scholarly book titled हास्यविनोदमीमांसा.
Because of his literary achievements, some Marathi literary associations conferred on him in 1932 the title Sahitya Samrat (साहित्यसम्राट).
He presided over Marathi Sahitya Sammelan
Marathi Sahitya Sammelan
Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan is a conference for literary discussions by Marathi writers. Though the conference has sometimes been held in a town outside the Indian state of Maharashtra, it is typically held annually in one of the towns in Maharashtra where Marathi is the mother tongue...
held in Badoda
Badoda
Badoda is a city and a municipality in Sheopur district in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India.-Demographics: India census, Badoda had a population of 15,672. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Badoda has an average literacy rate of 48%, lower than the national average of...
in 1921.
The following is a list of the titles of plays which Kelkar wrote:
- सरोजिनी (1897)
- नवरदेवाची जोडगोळी (1898)
- तोतयाचे बंड (1912)
- चंद्रगुप्त (1913)
- कृष्णार्जुन युद्ध (1915)
- अमात्यमाधव (1915)
- वीरविडंबन (1919)
- संत भानुदास (1919)