Suresh Bhat
Encyclopedia
Suresh Bhat was a noted Marathi
poet from the state of Maharashtra
, India
. He was known as Ghazal
Samrat (Emperor of ghazals) for his exposition of the ghazal form of poetry and its adaptation to the Marathi language
.
family in Amravati
, Maharashtra
to Shridhar Bhat, a physician
. His mother was fond of poetry and made young Bhat learn famous Marathi poems by heart. He later acknowledged this practice to be a key influence in the development of his poetic abilities.
When he was two and a half years old, Bhat contracted polio
. The disease left his right leg incapacitated for the remainder of his life.
Bhat completed his education in Amravati
, and earned a BA
degree in 1955 after failing twice in his final exams. He said later that due to his physical disability and lack of interest in academics, he often suffered humiliation at home. According to him, his poems were the only source of comfort for him during such times of bitterness and depression.
After graduation, Bhat continued writing poems whilst holding various teaching jobs in Rural
areas around Amravati.
In his private life, Bhat made no bones about his hurt over the rejections and embarrassment that he suffered earlier in life, and said that he was not someone who forgives or forgets easily. His poems reflect his angst about human suffering, and due to their fiery nature, are generally popular amongst the youth.
He had two sons. One of them predeceased him when he was killed in an accident.
Suresh Bhat died of cardiac arrest
on March 14, 2003. He was 71.
Roopgandha and Ranga maazhaa wegalaa were the recipients of the state literary awards sponsored by the Government of Maharashtra
in their respective years of publication. Ranga maazhaa wegalaa was later taught in three universities in Maharashtra for the MA
course in Marathi.
Bhat's poems are generally classified as Marathi ghazals. He is considered a pioneer in adapting the ghazal (which originated as an Urdu
form of poetry) to the Marathi language.
Bhat's best-known verses gained popularity after they were set to music by Hridaynath Mangeshkar, and were sung by Lata Mangeshkar
and Asha Bhosle
.
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
poet from the state of Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He was known as Ghazal
Ghazal
The ghazal is a poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter. A ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. The form is ancient, originating in 6th century...
Samrat (Emperor of ghazals) for his exposition of the ghazal form of poetry and its adaptation to the Marathi language
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
.
Life
Bhat was born in a Karhade BrahminKarhade Brahmin
Karhade Brahmins are a predominantly Pancha Dravida Brahmins Marathi and Konkani speaking Hindu community in India.-Etymology and Origin:*The name Karháda or Karáda, is the...
family in Amravati
Amravati
Amravati is a city in the state of Maharashtra, India and the seventh most populous metropolitan area in Maharashtra. It is also the administrative headquarters of the Amravati district...
, Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
to Shridhar Bhat, a physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
. His mother was fond of poetry and made young Bhat learn famous Marathi poems by heart. He later acknowledged this practice to be a key influence in the development of his poetic abilities.
When he was two and a half years old, Bhat contracted polio
Poliomyelitis
Poliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an acute viral infectious disease spread from person to person, primarily via the fecal-oral route...
. The disease left his right leg incapacitated for the remainder of his life.
Bhat completed his education in Amravati
Amravati
Amravati is a city in the state of Maharashtra, India and the seventh most populous metropolitan area in Maharashtra. It is also the administrative headquarters of the Amravati district...
, and earned a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in 1955 after failing twice in his final exams. He said later that due to his physical disability and lack of interest in academics, he often suffered humiliation at home. According to him, his poems were the only source of comfort for him during such times of bitterness and depression.
After graduation, Bhat continued writing poems whilst holding various teaching jobs in Rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
areas around Amravati.
In his private life, Bhat made no bones about his hurt over the rejections and embarrassment that he suffered earlier in life, and said that he was not someone who forgives or forgets easily. His poems reflect his angst about human suffering, and due to their fiery nature, are generally popular amongst the youth.
He had two sons. One of them predeceased him when he was killed in an accident.
Suresh Bhat died of cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest, is the cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively...
on March 14, 2003. He was 71.
Works
Bhat published his first collection of poems, Roopgandha in 1961. In 1974, he published his second collection, Ranga maazhaa wegalaa and in 1983 he self-published a collection named Elgaar. Other collections of his poems include Zanjhaavaat and SaptarangaRoopgandha and Ranga maazhaa wegalaa were the recipients of the state literary awards sponsored by the Government of Maharashtra
Government of Maharashtra
Government of Maharashtra is the government for the state of Maharashtra in Western India.It is an elected government with 288 MLAs elected to the legislative assembly for a 5 year term.-Ministers:...
in their respective years of publication. Ranga maazhaa wegalaa was later taught in three universities in Maharashtra for the MA
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
course in Marathi.
Bhat's poems are generally classified as Marathi ghazals. He is considered a pioneer in adapting the ghazal (which originated as an Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
form of poetry) to the Marathi language.
Bhat's best-known verses gained popularity after they were set to music by Hridaynath Mangeshkar, and were sung by Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar is a singer from India. She is one of the best-known and most respected playback singers in India. Mangeshkar's career started in 1942 and has spanned over six and a half decades. She has recorded songs for over a thousand Hindi films and has sung songs in over thirty-six regional...
and Asha Bhosle
Asha Bhosle
Asha Bhosle is an Indian singer. She is one of the best-known and most highly-regarded Hindi playback singers in India, although she has a wider repertoire. Bhosle's career started in 1943 and has spanned over six decades. She has done playback singing for over a thousand Bollywood movies...
.
List of poetry collections
- Roopgandha (रूपगंधा)
- Ranga maazhaa vegalaa
- Elgaar
- Zanjhaavaat
- Saptaranga
- Rasvanicha Mujara