Sumitranandan Pant (20 May 1900 – 28 December 1977) born in Kausani in the Almora district of Uttarakhand, was one of the major literary figures of modern Hindi literature who founded the Chhayavaad format of Hindi poetry. His childhood name was Gusain Dutt. Pant spent his childhood and adolescence in the picturesque Kumaon hills of Uttarakhand. Having finished his early education in Almora, he went to Queen’s College in Kashi (Varanasi) and then attended Prayag University where he spent some time and published his collections of poems “Veena” and “Pallav” under the name “Sumitranandan Pant”. It was shortly after Mahatma Gandhi’s call for Satyagraha Movement that Pant went to Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry and it was from that point onwards that he expanded his horizon and started writing in broader contexts. He was influenced by the progressive and philosophical writings of Sri Aurobindo and his essays and poems showed a philosophical touch under the influence of Sri Aurobindo.
Sumitranandan Pant attained most of his literary achievements in Allahabad. His initial writings were published as Yugvani and Gramya. His poems were impressions of his thoughts on the then socio-political scenario and he drew inspiration from his scenic surroundings in Kumaon.
Chhayavaad refers to the era of Neo-romanticism in Hindi literature, particularly Hindi poetry (1917-1938) which was marked by an upsurge of romantic and humanist content. It saw a renewed sense of the self and personal expression which was visible in the writings of that time. Chhayavaad is known for its leaning toward themes of love and nature.
Sumitranandan Pant had taken to poetry when he was just seven years old and was studying in the 4th grade. Having spent his childhood surrounded by the natural beauty of the mountains and their flora and fauna, it was only natural for him to have been inspired by the beauty around him. His earlier works reflect a sublime touch of scenic serenity. The period from 1907-1918 has been acknowledged by Pant himself, as the first phase of his notable writing career.
The poems that he wrote during this period have been compiled and published in “Veena” (1927).
Pant wrote mostly in Sanskritised Hindi. He authored twenty-eight published works including poetry, verse plays, and essays. Some of his prominent works are Chidambara, Veena Pallav, Gunjan, Gramya, Yugant, Yugvani, Lopkayatan, Kala aur Boodha Chand.
‘Chidambara’, a collection of his poems and writings is a virtual magnum opus with the imprints of the natural beauty of hills writ large in each stanza. Even at a very young age the promise and potential he showed in his creativity were unmatched. His poetry epitomized the Indian thought of Satyam, Shivam, and Sundaram. His eminence can be gauged from the fact that he was made a Fellow of the Sahitya Academy, way back in 1969, along with C. Rajagopalachari. He also received the Nehru Peace Prize for International Understanding.
Submitranandan Pant was awarded the Jnanpith Award in 1968 for a collection of his most famous poems, “Chidambara”. He was awarded the Nehru Peace Prize by the Soviet Union for “Lokayatan” and the “Sahitya Kala Academy” award for “Kala aur Boodha Chand”. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1961. Sumitranandan Pant died on 28 December 1977.
Kausani, near Almora in Uttarakhand, has a museum called “Sumitranandan Pant Gallery” dedicated to the memory of this great poet and writer. This museum contains manuscripts of the poems written by Pant, draft copies of his literary works, articles of his day-to-day use, the awards received by him and also the letters written by him and received by him.
Source: Information Brochure of Commemorative Postage Stamp issued by Department of Posts.