Reading My First Gujarati Novel, I Felt As If It Was The First Book of My Life!

(This post was sent by Himali Doshi. A language lover, Himali has worked as an education and community reporter, exploringthe communities in the city of Ahmedabad with DNA (Daily New Analysis) newspaper. Currently, she works as a Content Developer with the reputed e-commerce retailer. She calls herself an unbiased feminist who loves writing on any topic that empowers women in the society.)

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Are we raising culturally confused kids? Or, are we too trapped in the vicious circle of

cultural clashes and not able to identify the middle path? Let festivals like Navratri or an

occasion like marriage come in a family, and you will see parents exposing their kids to the

rich culture of Gujarat, from ‘Patan na Patola’ to ‘Garvo Gadh Girnar’! Dancing to the

tunes of devotional garbas (traditional Gujarati folk dance and song), they will boast about

the kind of heritage, traditions, customs, the value system we inherit and the need of its

preservation by the younger generation.

However, the child who gets stunned at the vibrant display of colours and rhythms finds it

difficult to grasp and internalize these occasional sermons. The child who was learning to

take his first baby steps in this world, was first taught to say ‘A’ for ‘Apple’ and ask ‘How

are you?’ and not ‘Kem cho?’ finds difficult to cope with the two extremes that exists in his

world.

Something similar happened with me. In my case, I could not blame my family, as it was my

grand-father and mother’s utmost wish that I should grow up to be a kind of person who is

just not fluent in Gujarati but also explore the finest nuances of its rich literature.

Unfortunately, call it peer influence or my inability to comprehend the significance of

learning one’s mother tongue at that young age, I left Gujarati language as a subject in

seventh grade and instead took up Hindi and Special Hindi. A decision I am still regretting!

This regret dawned on me when I joined a new workplace in August 2015. A colleague

with whom I share a desk is an ardent fan of Gujarati songs and literature. We both love

mythology. Our long discussion on the character of ‘Krishna’ and his life is what led to the

start of our friendship. She recommended that I read a book ‘Krishnayan’ in Gujarati

written by Kajal Oza Vaidya. In this novel, Krishna and his relationship with three important

women in his life – namely Draupadi, Radha and Rukmini are given different shades and

interpretations altogether.

In a quest to understand Krishna, I purchased this book in Gujarati even though the English translation  was available in the market. And, I cannot express the kind of emotions this

novel evoked in me. It was my first Gujarati novel and I felt as if it was the first book I was reading in my life! Every single Gujarati word on the paper gave me goosebumps

and a kind of euphoria that I have never encountered with any other novel reading before!

Gradually, she introduced me to some of the gems of Gujarati literature like Ankit

Trivedi, Khalil Dhantejvi and Bhikhudan Gadhvi. These days, amidst the dull office work,

when we shell out few minutes to refresh ourselves, we take refuge in the shelter of the

mellifluous Gujarati songs, discuss the beautiful lyrics and our interpretation on the same.

Understanding my mother tongue has been a life changing experience indeed. It helped me

overcome the murky past and balanced me as an individual. I couldn’t thank my colleague

enough! Thank You!