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The great Gujarati writer Veer Narmad’s birth anniversary is of great significance to the Gujarati community all over the world. It is celebrated on the 24th of August as World Gujarati Language Day or Gujarati Diwas. On this auspicious day, the Gujarati community celebrates the birth of their beloved poet, Gujarati culture, and language.
Key Takeaways
- World Gujrati Day is celebrated on 24th August every year
- The Gujarati language belongs to the Indo-Aryan family
- It started in remembrance of Veer Narmad
- Veer Narmad was a true patriot for Gujarat & drafted several compositions in the Gujarati language
- The Gujarati Language also known as Gojarati or Gujerati originates from the word Gurjar or Gujar
Significance of World Gujarati Language Day
Veer Narmad is also remembered and paid tribute to since he contributed immensely towards enriching the Gujarati Language. He compiled a new Gujarati dictionary during the adverse times of pre-independence. The dictionary proved to be a very effective and rich compilation.
Narmad always worked towards the betterment of Gujarati culture, language, and people. As a tribute, the Gujarati community dedicates a day to the Gujarati culture and language. During the pre-independence period, regional languages were spoken by people living in particular areas or regions and hence the language too was centred or bound within that limit. Although Gujarati was a regional language, Veer Narmad always struggled to bring it to the fore.
Who is Veer Narmad?
Poet Narmad’s full name was Narmadashankar Lalshankar Dave. Born into a Brahmin family on 24th August 1833 in Surat, Gujarat, he always had an inclination towards literature. He penned his first poem at the young age of 22 years. He chose teaching as a career and started working in Mumbai. A matchless writer, he excelled as a playwright, essayist, lexicographer, speaker, and reformer during British rule. His poem ‘Jai Jai Garavi Gujarat’ had become very popular during that period. Adopted as the state anthem of Gujarat, it fills the hearts of every individual with pride.
Origin of Gujarati Language
The Gujarati Language also known as Gojarati or Gujerati originates from the word Gurjar or Gujar. A community that is said to have settled in the region in the 5th Century C.E. The language belongs to the Indo-Aryan family (a branch of Indo-European languages).
It is one of the 22 official languages recognized by the Government of India and is also spoken in the Union Territories of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. The vocabulary of the language is not very extensive and most of its words are derived from the Sanskrit language and used with slight modifications.
The history of the language goes back to the 12th Century C.E. and is divided into 3 periods:
- The old period
- The middle period
- The modern period
The old period falls between the 10th to 14th centuries. During this period the Parsis learned Sanskrit and translated their religious texts into Sanskrit. After the Muslim rulers came to Gujarat, the Arabic and Persian languages took root and Sanskrit went into neglect. The texts of Avestan and Pahlavi were then translated into Gujarati.
The middle period lasted between the 15th to 17th centuries. During this period Gujarati was influenced by Persian and Urdu. The Parsis kept using the Gujarati Language and also translated their religious texts into Gujarati which was a combination of Sanskrit, Persian, and local dialects.
The 17th century is counted as the modern period. During this time the Gujarati Language was influenced by western languages.
