Who was Ramdhari Singh Dinkar? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Indian Celebrities Born In September

Also Known As: Ramdhari Singh

Died At Age: 65

Family:

father: Babu Ravi Singh

mother: Manroop Devi

siblings: Kedarnath Singh, Ramsevak Singh

Born Country: India

Poets Indian Men

Died on: April 24, 1974

place of death: Begusarai

More Facts

education: Patna College

awards: Jnanpith Award
Padma Bhushan
Sahitya Akademi Award

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Childhood & Early Life

Ramdhari Singh Dinkar was born on 23 September 1908, in Simaria village, British India (currently in Begusarai district, Bihar) to Manroop Devi and Babu Ravi Singh.

As a student, he studied history, philosophy, Hindi, Sanskrit, politics, English, Maithili, Urdu, and Bengali. He read the works of Iqbal and Rabindranath Tagore, and translated the works of Tagore from Bengali to Hindi.

In 1920, Dinkar founded Manoranjan Library. Following his graduation from Mokama High School, he enrolled in Patna College in 1929.

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Writing Career

Ramdhari Singh Dinkar’s first major poetical work was ‘Vijay Sandesh,’ which was published in 1928. This work consisted of ten poems based on the peasant's satyagraha led by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

On 14 September 1928, his poem on Jatin Das was published. During this time, he also wrote ‘Meghnad-Vadh’ and ‘Birbala’, both of which have been lost. A year later, the poet composed ‘Pran-Bhang’. He soon came with his first collection of poems called ‘Renuka’ that was published in 1935.

In 1946, Ramdhari Singh Dinkar came with a narrative poem titled ‘Kurukshetra’ that was based on Mahabharata’s Santi Parva. Some of his works in the late 1940s include ‘Dhoop Chhah’, ‘Saamdheni’, ‘Baapu’, and 'Mitti ki Or'.

He started the next decade with his major composition, ‘Rashmirathi’, a Hindi epic that centered on the life of unmarried queen Kunti’s son, Karna. It is regarded as the best Hindi version of Mahabharata.

His works in 1954 included ‘Dilli’, ‘Neem ke Patte’, ‘Neel Kusum’, ‘Samar Shesh Hai’, and ‘Reti ki Phool’. A year later, Dinkar came up with his major composition ‘Sanskriti ke Char Adhyaya’. Divided into four vast chapters, the poem stressed on the spirit of unity in India despite the nation being a land of several cultures.

This was followed by ‘Kavishri’, ‘Seepee aur Shankh’, and ’Naye Subhaashit’, all of which were published in 1957. The following year, the poet came up with ‘Kaavya ki Bhumikaa’ and ‘Venu Van’.

During the early 1960s, he wrote ‘Parashuram ki Pratiksha’, ‘Koylaa aur Kavitva’, ‘Mritti Tilak’, and ‘Atmaa ki Ankhe’.

He ended the decade by releasing his analytical compositions, ‘Saahityamukhi’ and ‘He Ram’. The latter consists of the metaphors that have been written on the lives of great men like Mahatma Gandhi and Swami Vivekananda.

Dinkar’s love for the nation was also showcased in his works in the 1970s. These works included ‘Bhaaratiya Ekta’. He spent his last years writing ‘Dinkar ki Daayri’, ‘Vivah ki Musibaten’, and ‘Dinkar ke Geet’.

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His major works also include ‘Krishna Ki Chaetavani’, a poem based on the epic ‘Mahabharata.’ Another one titled ‘Urvashi’ earned him the Jnanpith Award in 1972. The poetry was based on love and connection between man and woman on a spiritual level.

Political Career & Other Positions

Ramdhari Singh Dinkar entered politics during the time of India's struggle for freedom from British rule. He initially supported the revolutionary movement, but later became a Gandhian. However, he still supported violence to a degree, and therefore, regarded himself as a “bad Gandhian.”

From 1934 to 1947, he served as sub-registrar and deputy director of the publicity department in the service of the Government of Bihar.

After India’s independence in 1947, he was elected to Rajya Sabha and served in the house from 1952 to 1964.

From 1965 to 1971, Dinkar served as the Hindi advisor to the Government of India.

Apart from politics, the poet held significant positions in various colleges and universities. He served as the head of Muzaffarpur College’s department of Hindi from 1950 to 1952. During 1964 and 1965, he was the vice chancellor at Bhagalpur University.

Family & Personal Life

Ramdhari Singh Dinkar got married in Bihar’s Tabhka village of Samastipur district. However, the name of his wife is not known.

On 24 April 1974, he died in Begusarai, at the age of 65.

Since his death, the legendary poet has been remembered and honored by the nation from time to time. On 30 September 1987, then-President of India Shankar Dayal Sharma paid him tribute to mark his 79th birth anniversary.

In 1999, Dinkar was one of the Hindi writers to be featured on a commemorative postal stamp that was released to celebrate ‘Linguistic Harmony of India’.

The government of India also released a book on his birth centenary. The book was authored by famous writer and poet Khagendra Thakur.

Dinkar Chowk in Patna has been named after the legendary poet. This intersection also has the famous Dinkar statue.

On 22 December 2013, Nitish Kumar, the Chief Minister of Bihar, laid the foundation stone of Rastrakavi Ramdhari Singh Dinkar College of Engineering. The engineering college is in the district of Begusarai where the poet was born.

In May 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the golden jubilee celebrations of Ramdhari Singh Dinkar's famous works ‘Parshuram ki Pratiksha’ and ‘Sanskriti ke Chaar Adhyaye’ at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.

Ramdhari Singh Dinkar Biography