Gujarat is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about 1,600 km (990 mi) is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some 196,024 km2 (75,685 sq mi); and the ninth-most populous state, with a population of 60.4 million in 2011. It is bordered by Rajasthan to the northeast, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu to the south, Maharashtra to the southeast, Madhya Pradesh to the east, and the Arabian Sea and the Pakistani province of Sindh to the west. Gujarat's capital city is Gandhinagar, while its largest city is Ahmedabad. The Gujaratis are indigenous to the state and their language, Gujarati, is the state's official language.
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language native to the Indian state of Gujarat and spoken predominantly by the Gujarati people. Gujarati is descended from Old Gujarati. In India, it is one of the 22 scheduled languages of the Union. It is also the official language in the state of Gujarat, as well as an official language in the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. As of 2011, Gujarati is the 6th most widely spoken language in India by number of native speakers, spoken by 55.5 million speakers which amounts to about 4.5% of the total Indian population. It is the 26th most widely spoken language in the world by number of native speakers as of 2007.
Gandhinagar is the capital of the state of Gujarat in India. Gandhinagar is located approximately 23 km north of Ahmedabad, on the west central point of the industrial corridor between the megacities of Delhi and Mumbai.
Kanhaiyalal Maneklal Munshi, popularly known by his pen name Ghanshyam Vyas, was an Indian independence movement activist, politician, writer from Gujarat state. A lawyer by profession, he later turned to author and politician. He is a well-known name in Gujarati literature. He founded Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, an educational trust, in 1938.
Ravishankar Raval (1892–1977) was a painter, art teacher, art critic, journalist and essayist from Gujarat, India. He worked for the magazine Vismi Sadi until it closed in 1921, and then founded the cultural magazine Kumar.
The history of Gujarati literature may be traced to 1000 AD, and this literature has flourished since then to the present. It is unique in having almost no patronage from a ruling dynasty, other than its composers.
Rajendra Anantrai Shukla is a Gujarati poet. He taught at various places before voluntarily retiring. He published several poetry collections which won him several major Gujarati literary awards.
Gujarat Arts & Science College, popularly and previously known as Gujarat College, is one of the oldest educational institutions of India and the second arts and science college of Gujarat, near Ellis Bridge, Ahmedabad. It was founded in 1845 as a government-run educational institute, was established as a regular college in 1850, and is now under the direct management of the Education Department of the Government of Gujarat.
Gujarati theatre refers to theatre performed in the Gujarati language, including its dialects. Gujarati theatre is produced mainly in Gujarat and Maharashtra, in cities like Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Baroda, Surat and elsewhere Gujarati diaspora exists, especially North America. Rustam Sohrab, performed by Parsee Natak Mandali on 29 October 1853 in Mumbai, marked the beginning of Gujarati theatre.
Bholabhai Patel was an Indian Gujarati author. He taught numerous languages at Gujarat University and did comparative studies of literature in different languages. He translated extensively and wrote essays and travelogues. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2008.
Muni Jinvijayji was a scholar of orientalism, archeology, indology and Jainism from India.
Nalin Chandrakant Raval was a Gujarati poet and short story writer from India. Born in Ahmedabad and educated in languages, he taught in colleges. He published five poetry collections along with short stories. He received several awards including Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak.
Karan Ghelo: Gujarat's Last Rajput King is a Gujarati historical novel by Nandshankar Mehta. It was published in 1866 and was the first original novel in Gujarati. The book was translated in English in 2015.
Bindu Bhat is a Gujarati language novelist, storywriter, critic and translator from Gujarat, India. Her novel Akhepatar (1999) received the Sahitya Akademi Award for the year 2003. Her other significant works include Mira Yagnikni Dayari (1992) and Bandhani (2009).
Joseph Ignas Macwan was a Gujarati language novelist, short story writer and essayist from India. He received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1989 for his novel Angaliyat (1986). He was also a recipient of the Dhanji Kanji Gandhi Suvarna Chandrak (1990). His significant works include: Vyathana Vitak, Angaliyat and Mari Paranetar (1988). He died on 28 March 2010, in Nadiad following kidney failure.
Neerav Patel was a Gujarati and English language poet, translator and editor; primarily known for his contribution in Gujarati Dalit literature such as Burning From Both The Ends, What Did I Do To Be Black and Blue and Bahishkrut Phulo. He edited Swaman, a journal of Dalit writings in Gujarati.
Rasiklal Chhotalal Parikh (1897–1982) was a 20th-century Gujarati poet, playwright, literary critic, Indologist, historian, and editor from Gujarat, India. He was the president of Gujarat Sahitya Sabha and was appointed the president of Gujarati Sahitya Parishad in 1964. He received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1960 for his play Sharvilak. He is also a recipient of the Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak and the Narmad Suvarna Chandrak.
Hasmukh Jamnadas Baradi was a distinguished Gujarati playwright, theater artist, theater critic, and a Russian language expert from India. Over his career, Baradi authored more than two dozen plays, with six premiering at prestigious venues such as the Central Sangeet Natak Academy and the National School of Drama Festivals. He also penned the "History of Gujarati Theatre" which was published by the National Book Trust in New Delhi in 1996, and later translated into English by Vinod Meghani in 2003.
Patan trilogy consists of three Gujarati historical novels written by Indian writer Kanaiyalal Maneklal Munshi. These three novels are Patan Ni Prabhuta, Gujarat No Nath and Rajadhiraj. Written in chronological order, though having separate stories, the trilogy deals with the Solanki rule in Gujarat.
The Gujarat Literature Festival, also known as Gujarati Sahitya Mahotsav, is a literary festival which takes place annually in the Indian city Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The festival is held generally in December–January.
