Kundanika Kapadia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kundanika Kapadia
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Kapadia at Nandigram Ashram, July 2018
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| Born | 11 January 1927 Limbdi, Wadhwan State, British India |
| Died | 30 April 2020 (aged 93) Valsad, Gujarat, India |
| Occupation | novelist, story writer, essayist |
| Language | Gujarati |
| Notable awards | Sahitya Akademi Award (1985) |
| Spouse |
Makarand Dave
(m. 1968; died 2005) |
Kundanika Kapadia (born January 11, 1927 – died April 30, 2020) was an Indian writer from Gujarat. She wrote many novels, short stories, and essays in the Gujarati language. She is well-known for her book Sat Pagala Akashma (Seven Steps in the Sky).
Contents
About Kundanika Kapadia
Kundanika Kapadia was born on January 11, 1927, in Limbdi, which is now in the Surendranagar district of Gujarat. Her father's name was Narottamdas Kapadia. She went to school in Godhra.
Early Life and Education
In 1942, when she was a teenager, Kundanika took part in the Quit India Movement. This was a big movement where people in India protested against British rule.
She earned her first college degree, a BA in history and politics, in 1948. She studied at Samaldas College in Bhavnagar. Later, she tried to get a master's degree in politics in Mumbai, but she didn't take the final exams.
Personal Life and Nandigram
In 1968, Kundanika married Makarand Dave, who was also a famous Gujarati poet. They did not have any children.
In 1985, Kundanika and Makarand started a special place called Nandigram. It was an ashram, which is a spiritual community or retreat, near a village called Vankal in Valsad district. People at Nandigram called her Ishamaa, which means "Mother Ishaa."
Kundanika also worked as an editor for magazines. She edited Yatrik from 1955 to 1957 and Navneet from 1962 to 1980.
She passed away on April 30, 2020, at Nandigram. She was 93 years old.
Her Books and Stories
Kundanika Kapadia used the pen name Snehdhan for some of her writings. A pen name is a fake name a writer uses instead of their real name.
Novels
Her first novel was Parodh Thata Pahela, published in 1968. After that, she wrote Agnipipasa in 1972.
Her most famous novel is Sat Pagala Akashma (Seven Steps in the Sky), which came out in 1984. This book is very important because it talked about feminism. Feminism is about believing that women should have the same rights and opportunities as men. This novel made her very well-known.
Short Stories
Kundanika's first short story was "Premna Ansu." It won her second prize in a worldwide story competition. This encouraged her to write more stories.
Her first collection of stories, Premna Ansu, was published in 1954. Other story collections include:
- Vadhu ne Vadhu Sundar (1968)
- Kagalni Hodi (1978)
- Java Daishu Tamane (1983)
- Manushya Thavu (1990)
Her stories often explored big ideas like philosophy, music, and nature. A collection of her best stories was published as Kundanika Kapadia ni Shreshth Vartao in 1987. She was inspired by other famous writers like Dhumketu, Rabindranath Tagore, and Shakespeare.
Essays and Other Writings
Kundanika also wrote collections of essays. Her essay collections are Dwar ane Deewal (1987) and Chandra Tara Vriksh Vadal (1988).
Akrand ane Akrosh (1993) is a book about her own life. She also edited popular prayer collections like Param Samipe (1982) and Zarukhe Diva (2001).
Translations
Kundanika Kapadia translated several books from other languages into Gujarati. Some of her translations include:
- Vasant Avshe (1962), which was a translation of a book by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
- Dilbhar Maitri (1963), from A Goodly Fellowship by Mary Ellen Chase.
- Purnakumbh (1977), a travel book by Rani Chand.
- Jeevan Ek Khel (1981), from The Game of Life and How to Play It by Florence Scovel Shinn.
- Himalayana Siddha Yogi (1984), from Living with the Himalayan Masters by Swami Rama.
Awards and Recognition
Kundanika Kapadia received many awards for her writing. She won several prizes from the Gujarati Sahitya Parishad and the Gujarat Sahitya Akademi.
Her book Chandra Tara Vriksh Vadal won her a prize from the Gujarat Sahitya Akademi. In 1985, she received the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award for Gujarati for her novel Sat Pagala Akashma. She also received the Dhanji Kanji Gandhi Suvarna Chandrak in 1984.
