5 verses · ~1 min
विकच कमल कमनीय कलाधर। मंद मंद आन्दोलित मलय पवन। तरल तरंग माला संकुल जलधि। परम आनन्दमय नन्दन कानन।1।
विपुल कुसुम कुल लसित बसंत। विविध तारक चय खचित गगन। कलित ललित किसलय कान्त तरु। श्यामल जलद जाल नयन रंजन।2।
कोमल आलोकमय प्रभात समय। रवि-कर विलसित सलिल विलास। प्रभापुंज प्रभासित कांचन, कलस। सुमन समूह अति सरस विकास।3।
मरीचिका मय मरु विदग्ध विपिन। प्रखर तपन ताप उत्प्त दिवस। भयंकर तम तोम आवरित निशि। सलिल रहित सर महि असरस।4।
राहु कवलित कलंकित कलानिधि। मदन दहन रत मदन-दहन। नभ तल निपतित वारक निचय। जीवन विहीन घन है जन जीवन।5।
इति
The Poet
अयोध्या सिंह उपाध्याय ‘हरिऔध’
Ayodhya Singh Upadhyay 'Hariaudh'
1865 · 1947
Ayodhya Singh Upadhyay, widely known by his pen name Hariaudh, fundamentally altered the course of modern Hindi poetry. Born in 1865 in Nizamabad, Uttar Pradesh, he initially wrote in Braj Bhasha before making a decisive shift to Khari Boli. This transition proved historic. In 1914, he published Priyapravas, universally recognized as the very first epic poem written in modern Hindi. Hariaudh did not just write a monumental text. He proved that the everyday language of the people possessed the aesthetic gravity necessary for grand mythological narratives. His poetry seamlessly blended profound devotion with contemporary social reform, reimagining the divine figures of Radha and Krishna as dedicated servants of humanity. He served for decades as a professor at Banaras Hindu University, mentoring an entire generation of modern writers. Passing away in 1947, Hariaudh left a legacy that permanently established the structural foundations of contemporary Hindi literature.
Paired Painting
Rain Drops on Lotus Leaves
In this evocative diptych, A. Ramachandran invites us into the sanctuary of the lotus ponds he so frequently visited in the outskirts of Udaipur. This work marks a significant evolution in his career, where he turned away from the stark, often painful socio-political themes of his youth to embrace the life-affirming rhythms of nature. To Ramachandran, the lotus was a symbol of the profound interconnectedness of life: the way a single drop of rain dances upon a leaf becomes a cosmic event. He draws heavily from the classical aesthetics of Kerala murals and the intricate beauty of the miniature tradition, yet he reimagines them on a monumental scale. The painting is a visual hymn to the beauty of the mundane, transforming a simple pond into a stage for a divine, natural play.
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