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Sometimes, literature exists to just remind us of the joys that we tend to overlook. This simplicity and delight of life are perfectly captured in the writings of Shiv Prasaad Singh.
Born on 19th August 1928
While the word Chthonic can be literally translated to subterranean, it also refers to a connection with the ground, a deep connection to your roots and identity. Chthonic, even though a Greek concept, features prominently in tales and stories from all around the world because all your humans want to remain tethered to their home.
This trait that has long been associated with powerful creatures and legendary heroes can also be used to describe Shiv Prasaad Singh, a writer and a son of the soil tied to his identity.
Born on 19 August 1928, Praasad is a prolific Hindi author whose works resonate with the themes of ordinary colours of life. While his stories are rooted in back at home traditions, they still retain a modern flavour and bold tastes of experimentation in narration.
Singh hailed from the small village of Jalalpur and later enrolled himself in the Banaras Hindu University for his higher education. A journey that began with him as a student ended with him becoming a professor at BHU, a long relationship that lasted until his retirement.
While the end of professional life is often seen as the end of a productive phase of an individual, Shiv did not believe in any such conventions for the magnum opus of his life, Neela Chand, came two years after his retirement. This book received the most prestigious literary awards of the country, including the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award.
It was not just the local themes that influenced his work, Prasaad was also impacted by the great literary traditions of the world. For instance, his Kashi trilogy drew heavily from Lawrence Durrell’s The Alexandria Quartet. With a string of rich-hewed works to his name, like Gali Age Mudti Hai, Daadi Maa, Uttaryogi Shri Arvind, and Alag Alag Vaitarni, he was one of the most influential Hindi writers of his time.
Be it the love for the bustling Varanasi or the calming city life, Shiv Prasaad Singh was not only a scholar par excellence who engaged with Hindi from an ivory tower, he wrote the words that resonated with the hearts of all.
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