Shakti Dan Kaviya (17 July 1940 – 13 January 2021) was a poet, writer, critic, and scholar from Rajasthan, India. Kaviya had served as the department head of Hindi as well as Rajasthani section multiple times at Jai Narain Vyas University. He was considered an authority in Dingal (Rajasthani) literature as well as a great scholar of Hindi and Braj-Bhasha. Kaviya was also a Sahitya Akademi Award recipient for his work 'Dharti Ghani Rupali'
Early life and family
Shakti Dan Kaviya was born on 17 July 1940 in Birai village of Jodhpur, Rajasthan. His father Govind Dan ji Kaviya was a scholar of Rajasthani (Dingal) and Braj literature.
His maternal uncle, Alseedan ji Ratnu was the Raj-Kavi (Poet-Laureate) of Jaisalmer state. In 1956, Shakti Dan was married to Leher Kanwar of Kharoda, Sindh. Kaviya has five sons:
Virendra Kaviya
Manjit Singh Kaviya
Narpat Dan Kaviya
Himmat Singh Kaviya
Vasudev Kaviya
Education
Kaviya's school education was completed in Balesar Government School and Mathania School. For the metric exam, he went to Chopasani school in Jodhpur. During his studies in Mathania School, he was a student under Padma-Shree Sita Ram Lalas, who went on to write the first dictionary of Rajasthani language, Rajasthani Sabadakos.
During his education in Jodhpur, Kaviya actively participated in social, literature, and debate events winning accolades for his performance. He took part in Rajasthani & Hindi poetry events as well as translation of English works into Rajasthani.
Even at this young age, Kaviya came in contact with important litterateurs and dignitaries. In 1951, when Kaviya was in fifth-standard, he started a correspondence with Shankar Dan Detha, Raj-Kavi (Poet-Laurette) of Limbdi(Kathiawar) State. In sixth standard of schooling, Kaviya published his composition dedicated to Hindu Goddess Karni Mata titled 'Shri Karni Yash Prakash' in Sadhna Press (Jodhpur). During his Bachelor of Arts studies in university, Kaviya translated the English poem Elegy by Thomas Grey into Rajasthani and wrote its meaning in Hindi. This Rajasthani rendering & the associated Hindi gist was published in the monthly Prerna magazine in its April edition in 1959.
Kaviya was the first student of SKS College (Jodhpur) whose poems and compositions were selected for regular broadcast in Akasvani (All India Radio) Jaipur. Later, he became an elected member of Akasvani Program Advisory Committee.
Kaviya was also active during India-China war of 1962 and his Dingal and Braj poems on the subject were regularly published.
In 1964, when Jai Narain Vyas University started publication of its Annual Magazine, Kaviya worked as Advisor of its Rajasthani section.
In 1969, Kaviya completed his Ph.D. from Jodhpur University over his research thesis on Dingal ke Aitihasik Prabhandha Kavya.
Career
Kaviya joined Jai Narain Vyas University Jodhpur as a lecturer and was a part of the institution for 40 years. For 17 years, he taught as part of Hindi department and for 20 years, he taught in Rajasthani Department.
Kaviya was a great scholar of literature. His works focused on Rajasthani, Dingal, Hindi, and Braj literature. Kaviya served thrice as the Head of Department of Rajasthani at Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur.
In 1974–75, the Rajasthani language was recognized by Sahitya Akademi & Jai Narain Vyas University launched the first-ever Rajasthani classes at the graduate level. Despite the low count of three students, Shakti Dan Kaviya accepted the responsibility of teaching the first batch and persuaded students to join the course, ultimately increasing the number of students to 19. He is credited as the first lecturer in the institution's history to teach Dingal Literature unviversity wide. During his tenure as Department Head of Rajasthani, JNVU University became the first in the world to offer MPhil course in Rajasthani language.
In 1993, Kaviya was awarded Sahitya Akademi Award for Dharti Ghani Rupali, which was a Rajasthani translation of 20 poems of Tarun Poetry by Rameshwar Lal Khandelwal.
Kaviya excelled at Dingal poetry and promoted it. He gave an introductory recital performance of Dingal poetry at Jaipur Literature Festival and was called "great maestro of Rajasthani Dingal poetry".
Academic usage of Kaviya's works
Rangbhini
For the academic session 1976–77, Rangbhini by Shakti Dan Kavia was added to the official textbook for the second year syllabus of Bachelor of Arts studies.