Carlos G. Vallés facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Carlos G. Vallés
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Vallés at St. Xavier's College, Ahmedabad, 2009
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| Born | Carlos González Vallés 4 November 1925 Logroño, Spain |
| Died | 8 November 2020 (aged 95) Madrid, Spain |
| Pen name | Father Vallés |
| Occupation | Author |
| Language | Gujarati, English, Spanish |
| Nationality | Indian and Spanish |
| Notable awards | Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak (1978), Padma Shri (2021) |
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Carlos González Vallés, also known as Father Vallés, was a Spanish-Indian Jesuit priest and author. He was born on November 4, 1925, and passed away on November 8, 2020. Father Vallés lived in India for five decades, which is 50 years. During his time there, he wrote many books, especially in the Gujarati language and about mathematics. He also wrote in English and Spanish. He received the Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak in 1978, which is the highest award for Gujarati literature. After he passed away, he was also given the Padma Shri in 2021, a very important award from the Indian government.
Contents
Biography
Early Life and Journey to India
Carlos Vallés was born in Logroño, Spain, on November 4, 1925. His father was an engineer. When Carlos was ten years old, his father died from a serious throat infection. Six months later, the Spanish Civil War began. Carlos, his mother, and his brother had to leave their home quickly and move in with his mother's aunt. They left everything behind.
Carlos and his brother went to a school run by the Jesuits. When he was fifteen, he decided to start training to become a Jesuit priest. In 1949, he was sent to India as a missionary, which means someone who goes to another country to share their faith and help people.
Years in India and Teaching Math
In India, Vallés studied at Madras University. He earned a master's degree in mathematics in 1953, getting top grades. To do this, he first had to learn English. Later, he started learning Gujarati. This was because he was asked to teach math at the new St. Xavier's College in Ahmedabad, where most students spoke Gujarati.
He spent two years learning Gujarati. Then, he practiced writing in Gujarati during his four years of studying theology in Pune. He officially became a priest on April 24, 1958. In 1960, he began teaching mathematics in Ahmedabad. He helped translate many math ideas into Gujarati for Gujarat University and even created new Gujarati words for them. He also helped start and regularly wrote for Suganitam, the first math magazine in an Indian language. He also wrote about math topics for a big book of knowledge called Gnanganga. He even attended large international math meetings in Moscow, Exeter, and Nice.
Becoming a Writer
In 1960, Father Vallés wrote a Gujarati book called Sadachar. He published it with his mother's help because no one else would. The book became very popular. Because of its success, the editors of the monthly magazine Kumar invited him to write for them. Five years later, he started writing for Kumar and won their annual prize for best writing.
Later, he began writing a column called Navi Pedhine ("To the new generation") in the Sunday newspaper Gujarat Samachar. This column was also very successful, and his articles were later collected into books. To better understand people's lives, he left his college housing and started living with different families. He would stay with one family for a few days, then move to the next. He lived this way for ten years.
Later Life and Legacy
Father Vallés retired from teaching mathematics and left India in 1990. He moved to Madrid, Spain, to live with his mother, who was 90 years old. She lived to be 101! He continued to write in Gujarati. He also started translating his works and writing new books in English and Spanish. These books often shared his experiences from India and Latin America.
Father Vallés passed away on November 8, 2020, in Madrid, Spain, just five days after his 95th birthday.
Works
Father Vallés wrote many books. He wrote 75 books in Gujarati, 24 in English, and 42 in Spanish. Twelve of his books were about mathematics. He also helped write a series of math textbooks in Gujarati. His books have been translated into Chinese and other European languages.
Some of his well-known books include:
- Gandhi: Alternative to Violence
- Nine Nights in India
- Life with Honour
- Two Countries, One Life
Some of his Gujarati books are:
- Sadachar
- Lagnasagar
- Gandhiji and Navi Pedhi
- Atmiya Kshano
His collections of essays include Maru Sukh, Maru Dukh and Jeevanni Taiyari. His autobiography, Atmakathana Tukda (meaning "Pieces of an Autobiography") in Gujarati, was translated into Marathi in 2020.
Recognition and Awards
Father Vallés won the literary prize for essays from the Government of Gujarat five times. He received the Kumar Chandrak in 1966. In 1978, he was given the Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak, which is the highest award in Gujarati literature. He was the first person from another country to receive this important prize.
His unique way of traveling and living with families to understand Indian culture earned him the Acharya Kakasaheb Kalelkar Award for Universal Harmony in 1995. He also received the Ramakrishna Jaidalal Harmony Award in 1997. He was even called an Honorary Jain because of his strong friendship with the Jain community in Mumbai. He also received the Santokbaa Award.
In 2021, after he passed away, Father Vallés was given the Padma Shri by the Government of India. This is one of India's highest awards for citizens, given to him for his important contributions to literature and education.
See also
- List of Gujarati-language writers
In Spanish: Carlos G. Vallés para niños
