India celebrates 132nd birthday of Maithili Sharan Gupt

His most extraordinary contribution was the Khari Boli script, which led to the growth and development of modern Hindi poetry.

Maithili Sharan Gupt is one of the most notable and recognizable poets in the world of modern Hindi poetry. He has not only enriched Hindi literature through his works which consisted of poems, dramas and a lot more but also was one of the first person to use the Khari Boli Script.

Before Maithili Sharan Gupt, everyone used the Brajbhasa heard in Central and North India. Thus, he is regarded as the first person to use the Khari Boli Script, which is now widely used in Hindi Writing.

Maithili Sharan Gupt was born in Chirgaon, Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh in the Kankane Clan of the Gahoi Community. He was born in a very well to do family but his father lost most of its wealth when he was born.

He disliked school and as such, his father had arranged a home tutor for him. His literary career in Hindi started when his first chief work, which was Rang Mein Bhang, was published. Most of his work is inspired by mythologies and the lives of well-known political leaders.

Maithili Sharan's major poetical works were Rang Mein Bhang, Bharat- Bharati, Gurukul etc. His Bharat Bharati was published in 1912 which was a nationalist poem glorifying the history, culture, and tradition of India. The epic Saket is considered his most famous work.

He also translated many important works like Rubaiyats and even wrote dramas like Tilottama and Chandrahass.

He was a great patriot and nationalist who actively participated in the national freedom movement. After independence, he was made the honorary member of the Rajya Sabha and was a member of it till his death.

He was also awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1954.