World Gujarati Language Day 2022 is celebrated on 24th August every year. The day is celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary of the great Gujarati writer Veer Narmad. “Gujarati Diwas” is celebrated because poet Narmad was considered the creator of Gujarati language. He made Gujarati literature international.
Who is Veer Narmad?
- Poet Veer Narmad was born on August 24, 1833 in Surat, Gujarat. He was from a Brahmin family. His full name was Narmadashankar Lalshankar Dave. His father Lalshankar lived in Mumbai. Narmad received his secondary education from the Elphinstone Institute. Earlier he wrote his compositions under the name Narmad. Narmad got married at the age of 11. After his primary education in Surat, he continued his education in Mumbai. Then, on the orders of his father-in-law, he came to Surat to take care of the family and started working as a school teacher for a salary of 15 rupees.
- After this he began to explain literature. Then he was working as a teacher in Mumbai. Narmad was a playwright, essayist, speaker, lexicographer and reformer under the British Raj whose poem “Jai Jai Garavi Gujarat” is now the state anthem of the Indian state.
World Gujarati Language Day Significance
People pay tribute to the poet who contributed significantly to the speech by also making a new Gujarati dictionary amid extreme tribulations. The dictionary contains words of all dialects with their diverse usages. Since then, looking at the historic Narmad philosophy, Vishwa Gujarati Diwas is observed annually to dedicate a day to the language and to the Gujarati culture.
