Gujarat, a western state of India, is known for music traditions of both folk and classical music.
Dula Bhaya Kag or Kag Bapu was an Indian poet, songwriter, writer, and artist born in 1903 in Sodvadari village, a village in the Saurashtra region, near Mahuva in the Indian state of Gujarat. He is mainly known for his work on spiritual poetry relating to Hinduism. He was facilitated with Padma Shri award in the year 1962.
Sarita Joshi is an Indian actress. Cited amongst the finest and most significant actors of Gujarati and Marathi theatre, Joshi is known for her Gujarati plays done with her husband Pravin Joshi in the 1970s. She garnered widespread recognition for her role as the matriarch Godavari Thakkar in the Star Plus hit dramedy Baa Bahoo Aur Baby (2005-2010). In 1988, she was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Acting in Gujarati by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. In 2020, she has been awarded with Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award for her contribution in Art. She was recently seen in (2019) Zee TV's Hamari Bahu Silk as a hard-working business woman who hates films especially 'A' grade films. Sarita Joshi is currently seen on Anupama: Namaste America a prequel web series to Star Plus show Anupamaa.
Heisnam Kanhailal was an Indian art theatre personality. For his work, he was awarded the Padma Shri civilian award in 2004 and the Padma Bhushan civilian award in 2016 by the Government of India. He was the founder-director of Kalakshetra Manipur, a theatre laboratory established in 1969 that explores a new vocabulary in the existing language of theatre.
Kumarpal Balabhai Desai is an author, critic, editor, journalist, columnist and translator from Gujarat, India. He studied and later taught at the Gujarat University. He is associated with several social and Gujarati literary organisations such as Gujarati Sahitya Parishad. He has written and edited more than hundred books including biographies and several works on Jainism. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2004.
Jhaverchand or Zaverchand Kalidas Meghani was an Indian Jain poet, writer, social reformer and freedom fighter. He is a well-known name in the field of Gujarati literature. The writer of "mor bani than ghat kare", the most popular Gujarati song. He was born in a Jain family in Chotila where the Government College has been renamed for this literary figure as Raashtreeya Shaayar Zaverchand Meghani College, Chotila. Mahatma Gandhi spontaneously gave him the title of Raashtreeya Shaayar. Besides this he received many awards like Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak and Mahida Paaritoshik in literature. He authored more than 100 books. His first book was a translation work of Rabindranath Tagore's called Kathaa-u-Kaahinee titled Kurbani Ni Katha which was first published in 1922. He contributed widely to Gujarati folk literature. He went from village to village in search of folk-lores and published them in various volumes of Saurashtra Ni Rasdhar. He was also the Editor of Phulchhab Newspaper of Janmabhoomi group.
Chandravadan Chimanlal Mehta, popularly known as C. C. Mehta or Chan. Chi. Mehta, was a Gujarati playwright, theatre critic, bibliographer, poet, story writer, autobiographer, travel writer and broadcaster from Vadodara, Gujarat, India.
Bindhyavasini Devi was an Indian folk musician. She was popularly recognised as Bihar Kokila. She was the founder of Vindhya Kala Mandir, a Patna based music academy promoting folk music, Vindhya Kala Mandir. The academy is associated with Bhatkhande University, Lucknow for 55 years now which is now run by her daughter-in-law Shobha Sinha, son Sudhir Kumar Sinha. She was born in Muzzafarpur in the Indian state of Bihar and specialised in Maithili, Bhojpuri and Magahi folk music. She also sang a popular song, Chhote Dulha Ke, in a movie, Vivah Geet and many of her songs have been released in CD format.
Valayapatti A. R. Subramaniam is an Indian classical musician and percussionist, considered by many as one of the foremost prominent exponents of thavil also known as dolu, a traditional percussion instrument in Carnatic music, accompanying windpipe instruments such as nadaswaram, saxophone, clarinet, etc, and string instruments like violin, mandolin, etc. He was awarded the Madras Music Academy's Sangeetha Kalanidhi in 2009. He is a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, in 2007, for his contributions to Music.
Kirtidan Gadhvi is an Indian singer from Gujarat.
Diwaliben Punjabhai Bhil, also known as Diwaliben Punjabhai Ladhia, was an Indian folk singer and playback singer from Gujarat. Her talent was discovered late; she then sang on radio and in Gujarati films and was awarded the Padma Shri in 1990.
Thanga Darlong was an Indian folk music artist, known for his contribution to the folk music of Tripura and his work in preserving and promoting the traditional instrument Rosem.
Joravarsinh Danubhai Jadav is an Indian folklorist and proponent of the folk arts from Gujarat. Exposed to folk culture as a child, he studied history and culture in Ahmedabad. He has written and edited more than 90 works on folk culture, folk literature, and folk arts. He established the Gujarat Lok Kala Foundation for the promotion of folk arts. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2019. He is also the current Vice-chairman of the Sangeet Natak Akademi.
Pingalshi Meghanand Gadhvi was a Gujarati folklorist, writer, singer and proponent of Charan literature from Saurashtra. Throughout his lengthy career, Gadhavi made significant contributions to the preservation and promotion of Gujarat's folklore and folk music as both a performer and scholar.
Dadudan Pratapdan Gadhvi, also known as Kavi Dad, was a Gujarati poet and folk singer from Gujarat, India. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2021.
Hemu Gadhavi, also spelled Hemu Gadhvi, was a Gujarati singer, songwriter, composer, playwright, and actor. He was an exponent of folk-music of Saurashtra.
Ambadan Rohadiya is a reputed writer, critic, academic, and scholar of Dingala, Gujarati, and Rajasthani and is considered as an authority in Charan literature as well as folk literature of Gujarat. His research works and publications of narrative charanic texts span around four decades. As an academic, Ambadan served as professor and HOD of Gujarati department at the Saurashtra University as well as presided as the Director of the Meghani Lok Sahitya Kendra which annually awards the Jhaverchand Meghani Award.
Kavi Kag Award is an annual award named after the Gujarati poet Dula Bhaya Kag, given to folk artists, writers, scholars and institutions for contributions to Gujarati folk as well as Charan literature. It was instituted in 2002 with the inspiration and blessings of Morari Bapu. The award is presented every year on the death anniversary of Dula Bhaya Kag, on Kag Chauth, at Kagdham (Majadar), Amreli.
Tumbel is a clan and division of the Charanas of Gujarat, Sindh, and Balochistan. Historically, they were known for their military services in the kingdoms of Kutch and Nawanagar.
