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MORE →Reflects the personal views, recollections, and perspective of the author, Mike Davis.
This is a personal recollection on the Move fire on May 13, 1985
Surdas | |
|---|---|
 Detail of a painting of Surdas, Kishangarh style, Rajasthan, circa 18th century | |
| Personal life | |
| Born | c. 1483 Gram Sihi, Faridabad, Delhi Sultanate |
| Died | c. 1563 Braj Parsauli, Mughal Empire |
| Parents | |
| Notable work(s) | Sur Sagar, Sur Saravali, Sahitya Lahari |
| Known for | Influencing the Bhakti movements, Sant Mat, |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Philosophy | Bhakti |
Surdas was a 16th-century blind Hindu devotional poet and singer, who was known for his works written in praise of Krishna.[2] Most of his devotional songs, or bhajans, were written in the Braj language, while some were also written in other dialects of medieval Hindi, like Awadhi.[3]
Surdas's biography is most often told through the lens of the Vallabha Sampradāya aka the Puṣṭimārga. The Puṣṭimārga regards Surdas as an initiated disciple of Vallabha, and his hagiography is told in the Caurāsī Vaiṣṇavan kī Vārtā by Gokulnāth and Harirāy. Surdas' poems, along with those of other Aṣṭachāp poets, form a central part of Puṣṭimārga liturgical singing-worship. However modern scholars consider the connection between Sūrdās and Vallabha and his sect to be ahistorical.[4]
The book Sur Sagar (Sur's Ocean) is traditionally attributed to Surdas. However, many of the poems in the book seem to be written by later poets in Sur's name. The Sur Sagar in its present form focuses on descriptions of Krishna as the lovely child of Gokul and Vraj, written from the gopis' perspective.
The Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature suggests a birth year of 1258 into a Brahmin family of Uttar Pradesh.[5] Encyclopædia Britannica states that his lifespan is "traditionally" given as 1483-1563.[6] Sources state he was either a Sārasvata Brāhmaṇa, a Jāṭa, or a Ḍhāṛhī.[7]
Surdas, whose name translates to "servant of the sun", is celebrated as the pinnacle of poetic artistry in Braj bhasha. This language is linked to the Braj region, where Krishna is said to have spent his childhood. The hagiographer Nabha Dass, in his Bhaktamal, praised Surdas for his poetic skill, especially in depicting "Hari's playful acts", a reference to Krishna's divine activities. Surdas also composed poems about Ram and Sita but primarily focused on Krishna's life and deeds.[8]
Surdas's poetry was written in a dialect of Hindi called Braj Bhasha, until then considered to be a very plebeian language, as the prevalent literary languages were either Persian or Sanskrit. His work raised the status of the Braj Bhasha from a crude language to that of a literary one.[9]
Surdas's poems are collectively known as the Sursagar or "Ocean of Sur" due to a large volume of poems attributed to his name. The traditional format of the Sursagar is divided into twelve parts, similar to the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavata Purana. Just as the Bhagavata Purana describes the life and actions of Krishna, the Sursagar also takes on a similar feat with a majority of its poems dedicated to Krishna. Many of the poems found in Sursagar are pads, containing six to ten rhymed verses. Other subject matter covered include Rama and Sita, Vishnu, Shiva, heroes within Hinduism like Gajendra and King Bali, and the poet's spiritual struggles.[10][11]
Eight disciples of Vallabha Acharya are called the Aṣṭachāp, (Eight seals in Hindi), named after the oral signature chap written at the conclusion of literary works. Sur is considered to be the foremost among them.[12]
Several films have been made about the poet's life. These include:[13] Surdas (1939) by Krishna Dev Mehra, Bhakta Surdas (1942) by Chaturbhuj Doshi, Sant Surdas (1975) by Ravindra Dave, Chintamani Surdas (1988) by Ram Pahwa.
The legend of the blind poet Bilwamangala (identified with Surdas) and Chintamani has also been adapted several times in Indian cinema. These films include:[13] Bilwamangal or Bhagat Soordas (1919) by Rustomji Dhotiwala, Bilwamangal (1932), Chintamani (1933) by Kallakuri Sadasiva Rao, Chintamani (1937) by Y. V. Rao, Bhakta Bilwamangal (1948) by Shanti Kumar, Bilwamangal (1954) by D. N. Madhok, Bhakta Bilwamangal (1954) by Pinaki Bhushan Mukherji, Chintamani (1956) by P. S. Ramakrishna Rao, Chintamani (1957) by M.N. Basavarajaiah, Chilamboli (1963) by G. K. Ramu, Bilwamangal (1976) by Gobinda Roy, Vilvamangal Ki Pratigya (1996) by Sanjay Virmani.
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Source: Wikipedia. Article content is retrieved live through the MediaWiki API.
Surdas was a 16th-century blind Hindu devotional poet and singer, who was known for his works written in praise of Krishna. Most of his devotional songs, or bhajans, were written in the Braj language, while some were also written in other dialects of medieval Hindi, like Awadhi. Surdas's biography is most often told through the lens of the Vallabha Sampradāya aka the Puṣṭimārga. The Puṣṭimārga regards Surdas as an initiated disciple of Vallabha, and his hagiography is told in the Caurāsī Vaiṣṇavan kī Vārtā by Gokulnāth and Harirāy. Surdas' poems, along with those of other Aṣṭachāp poets, form a central part of Puṣṭimārga liturgical singing-worship. However modern scholars consider the connection between Sūrdās and Vallabha and his sect to be ahistorical. The book Sur Sagar (Sur's Ocean) is traditionally attributed to Surdas. However, many of the poems in the book seem to be written by later poets in Sur's name. The Sur Sagar in its present form focuses on descriptions of Krishna as the lovely child of Gokul and Vraj, written from the gopis' perspective.
The Sant Surdas (Sihi) metro station (formerly known as NCB Colony (Good Year) metro station) is located on the Violet Line of the Delhi Metro in Faridabad, Haryana.
Bhakta Surdas is a 1942 Indian Hindi language film devotional film. It was the third highest grossing Indian film of 1942. This was K. L. Saigal's first film after his move to Bombay from Calcutta. The film was directed by Chaturbhuj Doshi for Ranjit Studios. It had music by Gyan Dutt with lyrics by D. N. Madhok. Khursheed, after acting in several less popular films, finally became a big success with this film. The cast included K. L. Saigal, Khursheed, Monica Desai, Nagendra, M. Saigal and N. Desai.
Sriman Surdas is a 2018 Indian Odia language action comedy film directed by Ashok Pati and Produced under banner Tarang Cine Productions. It is a remake of the 2017 Telugu film Andhhagadu. Babushaan and Bhoomika Dash played lead roles in the film.
Before the 1921 destruction of Tulsa’s Greenwood District, Black residents had created a remarkable center of business and community life. The district included stores, professional offices, entertainment venues and homes owned by Black citizens. Understanding Greenwood means learning what was built—not only what was burned.
MORE →Madam C.J. Walker
