Acharya Shivpujan Sahay (9 August 1893 – 21 January 1963) was a noted Hindi and Bhojpuri novelist, editor and prose writer. He contributed in pioneering modern trends. His auto-biographical story "Mata ka Aanchal" ("Mother's Embrace") also featured in the NCERT Hindi textbook, Kritika, for the tenth grade. He was also conferred with the Padma Bhushan award by the Government of India.
Personal life
Shivpujan Sahay was born in a land-owning, Kayastha family in the Unwas village of Buxar, Bihar on 9 August 1893. His childhood name was 'Bholanath'.
Education and career After his early education and a short stint as a Hindi language teacher at Ara (1903–1921), Acharya Shivpujan Sahay went to Kolkata to edit 'Marwari Sudhar' and then joined Matwala as an Editor in 1923. He moved to Lucknow in 1924 to join the editorial department of Dularelal Bhargava's Madhuri where he worked with noted Hindi author Munshi Premchand and edited his Rangbhumi and some of his other stories.
In 1925, he returned to Calcutta and engaged in editing short-lived journals such as Samanway, Mauji, Golmal, Upanyas Tarang. Finally, Sahay moved to Varanasi (Kāśi) in 1926 to work as a freelance editor. For a short period in 1931, he went to Sultanganj near Bhagalpur to edit Ganga. However, he returned to Varanasi in 1932 where he was commissioned to edit Jagaran, a literary fortnightly brought out by Jaishankar Prasad and his circle of friends. Sahay once again found himself working with Premchand. He also went on to become a prominent member of the Nagari Pracharini Sabha and similar literary circles in Varanasi.
In 1935, he moved to Laheria Sarai with his family (Darbhanga) to work as editor of Balak and other publications of Pustak Bhandar owned by Acharya Ramlochan Saran. In 1939, he joined Rajendra College, Chhapra as a Professor of Hindi Language. In 1946, on a year's leave, he moved to Patna to edit Himalaya, a literary monthly which was published by Pustak Bhandar owned by Acharya Ramlochan Saran.
In 1950, Sahay finally came to Patna to work as Secretary of Bihar Rashtra Bhasha Parished, a government academy where he edited and published more than 50 volumes of Hindi reference works. Later he became Director of the Parishad and compiled and edited Hindi Sahitya Aur Bihar a literary history. He retired from Parishad in 1959.
His own works were compiled and published in 4 volumes of Shipujan Rachanavali (1956–59) by the Parishad. Later, after his death, his complete works were edited and published by his son Prof. Mangal Murty as 'Shivapoojan Sahay Sahitya samagra'(2011) in 10 volumes. Shivpujan Sahay is also remembered for his editing of several literary commemoration volumes, chiefly Dwivedi Abhinandan Granth (1933),Anugrah Abhinandan Granth (1946), Rajendra Abhinandan Granth (1950) and Jayanti Smarak Granth (1942). He also edited Dr. Rajendra Prasad's Atmakatha. He was awarded Padma Bhushan in 1960.
Works by Acharya Shivpujan Sahay
Stories and novels Wey Din Wey Log – 1965 Bimb:Pratibimb – 1967 Mera Jeevan – 1985 Smritishesh – 1994 Hindi Bhasha Aur Sahitya – 1996 Gram Sudhar – 2007 Dehati Duniya – 1926 Vibhuti – 1935 Mera Bachapan – 1960 Amar Senani Veer Kunwar Singh- 1962 Mata ka anchal
Edited works Dwivedi Abhinandan Granth – 1933 Rajendra Abhinandan Granth – 1950 Anugrah Abhinandan Granth – 1946 Jayanti Smarak Granth – 1942 Bihar ki Mahilayen (Rajendra Abhinandan Granth) – 1962 Atmakatha – 1947 Rangbhumi – 1925 Samanway – 1925 Mauji – 1925 Golmaal- 1925 Jagaran – 1932 Balak – 1930 Himalaya- 1946 Hindi Sahitya Aur Bihar- 1962 Madhuri- 1924
Bhojpuri
Kundan Singh-Kesar Bai (Short Story)
Death
He died in Patna on 21 January 1963. His posthumously published books are Wey Din Wey Log (1965), Mera Jeevan (1985), Smritishesh (1994), Hindi Bhasha Aur Sahitya (1996), and Gram Sudhar (2007) and 'Shivapoojan Sahay Sahitya Samagra' (10 Vols.)
References
Further reading Shivpujan Sahay by Mangal Murty, Published by Sahitya Academy, 35 Phirozshah Marg, New Delhi, India. ' Shivpujan Sahay : Pratinidhi Rachanayen' (Ed. Mangal Murty) Published by National Book Trust, New Delhi
External links
CM, Governor Pays Respect to Shivpujan Sahay – PatnaDaily.Com Acharya Shivpujan Sahay's Tribute