Shivani
Encyclopedia
Gaura Pant 'Shivani' , better known as Shivani, was one of the popular Hindi
magazine story writers of the 20th century and a pioneer in writing Indian women based fiction. She was awarded the Padma Shri
for her contribution to Hindi literature
in 1982. Almost all of her works are in print today and widely available across India.
She garnered a massive following in the pre-television 60s and 70s, as her literary works (like her most famous novel, 'Krishnakali'), were serialised in Hindi magazines like Dharmayug and Saptahik Hindustan, leading to her cult status as a Hindi magazine novelist. Through her writings, she also made the culture of Kumaon
, somewhat known to Hindi-speaking Indians across the country. Her novel 'Kariye Chima' was made into a film, while her other novels including 'Surangma', 'Rativilaap', 'Mera Beta', and 'Teesra Beta' have been turned into Television serials
Upon her death in 2003, Government of India
described her contributions to Hindi literature
as, "...in the death of Shivani the Hindi literature world has lost a popular and eminent novelist and the void is difficult to fill".
Brahmin
. Her mother was a Sanskrit scholar, and the first student of Lucknow Mahila Vidyalaya. Later her father became the Diwan with the Nawab of Rampur
and the member of Viceroy's Bar Council, thereafter the family moved to the princely state of Orchha
, where her father held an important position. Thus Shivani's childhood had influences of these varied places, and an insight into high class women, which reflected in much of her work. At Lucknow, she became the first student of the local, 'Lucknow Mahila Vidyalaya'.
As she grew older, she along with her brother and a sister, went to live with her grandfather, a Sanskrit scholar and a founding member of Banaras Hindu University
.
In 1935, Shivani's first story was published in the Hindi Children's magazine 'Natkhat', at age twelve. That was also when, the three siblings were sent to the study at Rabindranath Tagore
's Visva-Bharati University
at Shantiniketan. Rabindranath Tagore even visited their ancestral home in Almora
several times.
Shivani remained at Shantiniketan for another 9 years, left as a graduate in 1943. It was this period that she took to writing whole-heartedly and had the most profound influence in her writing sensibilities, a period she recounts vividly in her book, 'Amader Shantiniketan'.
Her first novel, Lal Haveli, established her reputation in the early sixties, and in the next ten years she produced several major works which were serialized in the Hindi magazine, Dharmayug. Proficient in many other languages including Sanskrit
, Gujarati
, Bengali
, Urdu
, and English
, Shivani received the Padma Shri
for her contribution to Hindi literature in 1982.
She was a prolific writer, her oeuvre consists of over 40 novels, many short stories and hundreds of articles and essays. Her most famous works include Chaudah Phere, Krishnakali, Lal Haveli, Smashan Champa, Bharavi, Rati Vilap, Vishkanya, Apradhini (a collection of interviews with women lifers); travelogues: 'Yatriki', based on her London travels and 'Chareivati', based on her travels to Russia.
Towards the end of her life, Shivani took to autobiographical writings, first sighted in her book, 'Shivani ki Sresth Kahaniyan', followed by her two-part memoir, ‘Smriti Kalash’ and ‘Sone De’, whose title she borrowed from the epitaph of a 15th Century Urdu Poet:
Thak Gaya Hoon Neend Aa Rahi Hai Sone De
Bahut Hein Zindagi Mene Diya Hai Saath Tere
(I am tired, sleep overtakes me, let me rest
I have been long enough with you in the journey of life)
Shivani continued to write till her last days, and died on 21 March 2003 in New Delhi.
In 2005, Her daughter, Hindi writer, Ira Pande, published a memoir based on Shivani's life, titled 'Diddi' My Mother's Voice. 'Diddi' in Kumaoni means elder sister, and that's what her children used to address her, as she really was a friend to them.
- 'Women Writing in India', Vol II, by Susie Tharu & K. Lalitha.
Many, if not most, of her stories were Mills & Boon type romances wherein the main protagonist was a beautiful and strong Kumaoni Brahmin woman who was also proficient in speaking the Bangla language, perhaps Shivani's own imaginary alter ego.
, this led to the family travelling to various places including Allahabad
, Nainital (1958–1964 and 1966–1968)(29.23°N 79.26°W Priory Lodge at Nainital, where Shivani stayed, 1958–1964 and 1966–1968), before settling in Lucknow
, where she stayed till her last days. She had four children, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Unforturnately her husband died at an early age, leaving her to take care of the four children, but a resilent Shivani chose to live independently at 66, Gulistan, Lucknow for over three decades - her home became a gathering place for budding writers and literary researchers. Her two daughters, Mrinal Pande
, Ira Pande are established writers, and Mrinal is currently Chairman of Prasar Bharati, the apex body of Indian broadcasting. Shivani's other two children are Veena Joshi, and Muktesh (Micky) Pant, who now lives in Dallas, Texas.
Works online
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
magazine story writers of the 20th century and a pioneer in writing Indian women based fiction. She was awarded the Padma Shri
Padma Shri
Padma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
for her contribution to Hindi literature
Hindi literature
Hindi literature , is broadly divided into four prominent forms or styles, being Bhakti ; Shringar ; Veer-Gatha ; and Adhunik...
in 1982. Almost all of her works are in print today and widely available across India.
She garnered a massive following in the pre-television 60s and 70s, as her literary works (like her most famous novel, 'Krishnakali'), were serialised in Hindi magazines like Dharmayug and Saptahik Hindustan, leading to her cult status as a Hindi magazine novelist. Through her writings, she also made the culture of Kumaon
Kumauni people
Kumauni or Kumaoni are people from Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, India.They include all those who speak the Kumaoni language or any of its numerous dialects, living in the Almora, Bageshwar, Champawat, Pithoragarh, Nainital,Bijnor,Udham Singh Nagar,Moradabad, districts of Uttarakhand,...
, somewhat known to Hindi-speaking Indians across the country. Her novel 'Kariye Chima' was made into a film, while her other novels including 'Surangma', 'Rativilaap', 'Mera Beta', and 'Teesra Beta' have been turned into Television serials
Upon her death in 2003, Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
described her contributions to Hindi literature
Hindi literature
Hindi literature , is broadly divided into four prominent forms or styles, being Bhakti ; Shringar ; Veer-Gatha ; and Adhunik...
as, "...in the death of Shivani the Hindi literature world has lost a popular and eminent novelist and the void is difficult to fill".
Biography
Gaura Pant 'Shivani' was born on October 17, 1924, the Vijaya Dasami day in Rajkot, Gujarat, where her father, Ashwini Kumar Pande was a teacher with princely state of Rajkot.He was a KumaoniKumauni people
Kumauni or Kumaoni are people from Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, India.They include all those who speak the Kumaoni language or any of its numerous dialects, living in the Almora, Bageshwar, Champawat, Pithoragarh, Nainital,Bijnor,Udham Singh Nagar,Moradabad, districts of Uttarakhand,...
Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
. Her mother was a Sanskrit scholar, and the first student of Lucknow Mahila Vidyalaya. Later her father became the Diwan with the Nawab of Rampur
Rampur, Uttar Pradesh
Rampur is a city and a municipality located in Rampur District in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Rampur district is located at Longitude 78-0-54 to 69-0-28 East and Latitude 28-25 to 29-10 North and spans an area of 2,367 km².It also gave its name to a former princely state of British...
and the member of Viceroy's Bar Council, thereafter the family moved to the princely state of Orchha
Orchha
Orchha is a town in Tikamgarh district of Madhya Pradesh state, India. The town was established by Maharaja Rudra Pratap Singh in 1501, as the seat of an eponymous former princely state of central India, in the Bundelkhand region. Orchha lies on the Betwa River , 80 km from Tikamgarh &...
, where her father held an important position. Thus Shivani's childhood had influences of these varied places, and an insight into high class women, which reflected in much of her work. At Lucknow, she became the first student of the local, 'Lucknow Mahila Vidyalaya'.
As she grew older, she along with her brother and a sister, went to live with her grandfather, a Sanskrit scholar and a founding member of Banaras Hindu University
Banaras Hindu University
Banaras Hindu University is a public university located in Varanasi, India and is one of the Central Universities of India. It is the largest residential university in Asia, with over 24,000 students in its campus. BHU was founded in 1916 by Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya under the Parliamentary...
.
In 1935, Shivani's first story was published in the Hindi Children's magazine 'Natkhat', at age twelve. That was also when, the three siblings were sent to the study at Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
's Visva-Bharati University
Visva-Bharati University
Visva Bharati University is a Central University for research and teaching in India, located in the twin towns of Santiniketan and Sriniketan in the Indian state of West Bengal. It was founded by Rabindranath Tagore who called it Visva Bharati, which means the communion of the world with India...
at Shantiniketan. Rabindranath Tagore even visited their ancestral home in Almora
Almora
Almora is a municipal board, a cantonment town in the Almora district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. Almora was founded in 1568.It is a town bustling with activity and a rich cultural heritage and history. It is considered the cultural heart of the Kumaon region of...
several times.
Shivani remained at Shantiniketan for another 9 years, left as a graduate in 1943. It was this period that she took to writing whole-heartedly and had the most profound influence in her writing sensibilities, a period she recounts vividly in her book, 'Amader Shantiniketan'.
Career
In 1951, her short story, 'Main Murga Hun' (I am a Chicken) was published in Dharmayug, and she became Shivani, from Gaura Pant.Her first novel, Lal Haveli, established her reputation in the early sixties, and in the next ten years she produced several major works which were serialized in the Hindi magazine, Dharmayug. Proficient in many other languages including Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
, Gujarati
Gujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
, Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
, Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
, and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Shivani received the Padma Shri
Padma Shri
Padma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
for her contribution to Hindi literature in 1982.
She was a prolific writer, her oeuvre consists of over 40 novels, many short stories and hundreds of articles and essays. Her most famous works include Chaudah Phere, Krishnakali, Lal Haveli, Smashan Champa, Bharavi, Rati Vilap, Vishkanya, Apradhini (a collection of interviews with women lifers); travelogues: 'Yatriki', based on her London travels and 'Chareivati', based on her travels to Russia.
Towards the end of her life, Shivani took to autobiographical writings, first sighted in her book, 'Shivani ki Sresth Kahaniyan', followed by her two-part memoir, ‘Smriti Kalash’ and ‘Sone De’, whose title she borrowed from the epitaph of a 15th Century Urdu Poet:
Thak Gaya Hoon Neend Aa Rahi Hai Sone De
Bahut Hein Zindagi Mene Diya Hai Saath Tere
(I am tired, sleep overtakes me, let me rest
I have been long enough with you in the journey of life)
Shivani continued to write till her last days, and died on 21 March 2003 in New Delhi.
In 2005, Her daughter, Hindi writer, Ira Pande, published a memoir based on Shivani's life, titled 'Diddi' My Mother's Voice. 'Diddi' in Kumaoni means elder sister, and that's what her children used to address her, as she really was a friend to them.
Thematic style
"Shivani's fiction proclaims a quiet, warm humanism. Characters who might seem pale and uninteresting in real life– an undistinguished, very orthodox Brahmin priest in a village up in the foothills of the Himalayas, his traditional wife, the village idiot, the widowed mother– take on a human glow and their lives an unexpected resonance. It is the small events, little gestures, nondescript people, that suffuse the world of Shivani's fiction with hope, and the future is something one enters with courage. Shivani's feminism is like a gentle humanism that does not stop short when it meets the female. Within the world-view of her fiction, there are few contradictions or problems that cannot be transcended with a little sympathy and a belief in the goodness of humankind."- 'Women Writing in India', Vol II, by Susie Tharu & K. Lalitha.
Many, if not most, of her stories were Mills & Boon type romances wherein the main protagonist was a beautiful and strong Kumaoni Brahmin woman who was also proficient in speaking the Bangla language, perhaps Shivani's own imaginary alter ego.
Family
Shivani was married to 'Shuk Deo Pant' (S. D. Pant), a teacher who worked in the Education Department of Uttar PradeshUttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
, this led to the family travelling to various places including Allahabad
Allahabad
Allahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...
, Nainital (1958–1964 and 1966–1968)(29.23°N 79.26°W Priory Lodge at Nainital, where Shivani stayed, 1958–1964 and 1966–1968), before settling in Lucknow
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
, where she stayed till her last days. She had four children, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Unforturnately her husband died at an early age, leaving her to take care of the four children, but a resilent Shivani chose to live independently at 66, Gulistan, Lucknow for over three decades - her home became a gathering place for budding writers and literary researchers. Her two daughters, Mrinal Pande
Mrinal Pande
Mrinal Pande is an Indian television personality, journalist and author, and till recently chief editor of Hindi Daily, Hindustan. She left Hindustan on Aug 31, 2009. She is appointed chairperson of Prasar Bharati, the apex body of official Indian Broadcat Media.This appointment came on Jan 23, 2010...
, Ira Pande are established writers, and Mrinal is currently Chairman of Prasar Bharati, the apex body of Indian broadcasting. Shivani's other two children are Veena Joshi, and Muktesh (Micky) Pant, who now lives in Dallas, Texas.
English translations
- Trust and other stories. Calcutta: Writers Workshop, 1985.
- Krishnakali and other stories. Trans. by Masooma Ali. Calcutta: Rupa & Co., 1995. ISBN 81-7167-306-6.
Further reading
- Diddi, My Mother's Voice. Ira Pande, January 2005, Penguin. ISBN 0143033468.
External links
- A Conservative Rebel: Memories of an Unusual Mother, a Memoir, by Ira Pande
- A conversation with Ira Pande on her mother Shivani
Works online