Gulab Khandelwal

Education

He spent his childhood and received his early education at Gaya, Bihar. He received his undergraduate education at the Banaras Hindu University, graduating with a BA in 1943. While in Banaras, he came into contact with the great luminaries of Hindi Literature, including poets Suryakant Tripathi 'Nirala', Maithili Sharan Gupt, Hariaudh, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Bedhab Banarasi ; critics like Pt.Ramchandra Shukla, Nand Dulare Bajpai, Pt.ShriNarayan Chaturvedi; and scholars like Dr. Sampurnanand, Kamlapati Tripathi, SitaRam Chaturvedi, and his inborn poetic faculty matured.

Literary career

He started writing poetry at an early age. His first volume of poems was published in 1941 with preface by the famous poet Suryakant Tripathi 'Nirala'. Since then, more than 50 volumes of his poems and 2 dramatic works in prose have been published, some of which have been digitised by the Digital Library of India. Six of his books have received awards from the Uttar Pradesh government and one has received an award from the Bihar government.

He has translated some of his poems in English in Gulab Khandelwal: Selected Poems, which was published in 1986 with preface by Dr. Karan Singh, ex-Prince of Kashmir. He has been the president of Archana a literary society of Kolkata founded in the fiftees and has presided over many events organised by literary organisations, such as Archana He has worked extensively with other Hindi poets.

For the last eighteen years he has been the president of Akhil Bhartiya Hindi Sahitya Sammelan, Prayag. He is also the president of Bharati Parishad, an organisation founded by Mahamana Madan Mohan Malaviya. For fifteen years he has been the senior member of the editorial board of 'Vishwa Magazine', a tri-monthly literary magazine published in Hindi in the USA, the journal of the International Hindi Association He is currently the president of International Hindi Association.

Currently, he mostly lives in the USA but visits India every year and is still active in his literary pursuit. He has worked extensively with Indian organisations in the United States and has also presided on meetings in New York on "Vishwa Hindi Sammelan", an organisation which strives towards the firm establishment of the Hindi language.

He is still active after producing more than fifty volumes of poetry. At the age of 82, he wrote his auto-biography ज़िन्दगी है कोई किताब नहीं.

Awards

Some of his books were presented awards by Hindi Sansthan (U.P. Government), India

1. Usha – by U.P. Government in 1967
2. Roop Ki Dhoop – by U.P. Government in 1971
3. Sau Gulab Khile – by U.P. Government in 1975
4. Kuchh Aur Gulab – by U.P. Government in 1980
5. Ahalya – Vishisht Puraskar by U.P. Government in 1980
6. Har Subah Ek Taza Gulab – Nirala Puraskar by U.P. Government in 1989
7. Adhunik Kavi-19 – Akhil Bharatiya Granth Puraskar by Bihar Government
8. Ahalya – Akhil Bharatiya Rambhakti Puraskar by Hanuman Mandir Trust, Kolkata, 1984

Some of his books were selected as textbooks for colleges:

1. Kach Devyani – Had been in Intermediate in Magadh University, Bihar (India)
2. Usha (Mahakavya) – Had been in B.A. in Magadh University, Bihar (India)
3. Ahalya (Khand-kavya) – Had been subject for dissertation in Awadh University, U.P. (India)
4. Ahalya (Khand-kavya) – Had been in B.A. in Magadh University, Bihar (India)
5. Alok-Vritt (Khand-kavya) – Had been in B.A. in Magadh University, Bihar (India)
6. Alok-Vritt (Khand-kavya) – Is in Intermediate Board in Uttar Pradesh (India) since 1976

Research

A Dissertation For M.A. was presented by Mukul Khandelwal under the guidance of Shri Shyam Nandan Singh in 1978 from Magadh University and two dissertations were presented under the guidance of Shri Hans Raj Tripathi from Awadh University. Degree of Ph. D has been awarded to the following persons on his literature:

1. Sagar University, Madhya Pradesh to Yashvant Singh in 1966 (Hindi Ke Vaad-Mukt Kavi)
2. Magadh University, Bihar to Ravindra Roy in 1985 (Gulab Khandelwal : Vyaktitva Aur Krititva)
3. Meerut University, U.P. to Vishnu Prakash Mishra in 1992 (Gulab Khandelwal : Jeevan Aur Sahitya)
4. Ruhelkhand University, U.P. to Poorti Avasthi in 1994 (Kavi Gulab Khandelwal Ke Sahitya Ka Alochnatmak Adhyayan)
5. Mahatma Jyotiba Phule University, U.P. to Sneh Kumari Kanojiya in 2006 (Gulab Khandelwal Ke Kavya Ka ManoVaigyanik Adhyayan)
6. Kurukshetra University, Haryana – Under the guidance of Shri Ramapati Singh in 2006 (Gulab Khandelwal : Vyaktitva Aur Krititva)
7. Awadh University, Faizabad, U.P. to Ankita Mishra (Kavi Gulab Ki Kavya Drishti)

Recognition

US and Canada

1. Gulab Khandelwal was awarded the Honorary Citizenship of Baltimore City (USA) on 13 July 1985 "for his achievements and eminent gifts to our times.”
2. He was awarded the Vishisht Samman (Special Literary Award) by the Antar Rashtriya Hindi Samiti, Washington D.C. (USA) on 6 December 1986. This day was declared as Hindi Day in the entire state by the Governor of Maryland. The Mayor of Baltimore also declared this day as Hindi Day in the City of Baltimore.
3. On Republic Day celebration of India, 2006, he was honoured and the title of 'Kavi Samrat' was bestowed upon him by the Governor of Maryland, USA
4. He has been honoured by Hindi Parishad Toronto and Edmonton (Canada) and has been honoured by numerous literary and non-literary institutions in India and USA

India

1. Gulabji was felicitated by Uttar Pradesh Hindi Sahitya Sammelan in 1979.
2. He was conferred the highest honour of Sahitya Vachaspati (equivalent to the degree of PhD), by Akhil Bharatiya Hindi Sahitya Sammelan, under the president-ship of Padma Bhushan Dr. Ram Kumar Verma, in 1989.
3. His two books – Bhakti-Ganga and Tilak Kare Raghubeer were released by The President of India, honourable Shri Shankar Dayal Sharma in 1997.
4. He was felicitated jointly by the then Governor of U. P., Shri Vishnukant Shastri, Ex Chief Minister of U. P., Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav, Pujya Murari Bapu, and Ex Attorney General Shri Shanti Bhushan in Itawa in 2001.

Music

Gulab Ji's Bhakti Geet and Ghazals are sung by lots of artists in India as well as in USA.

Works

Works of Gulab Khandelwal