Kumarpal Desai

Kumarpal Desai
Desai at Gujarati Sahitya Parishad in 2014
Born	Kumarpal Balabhai Desai (1942-08-30) 30 August 1942 (age 74) Ranpur (now in Botad district, Gujarat)
Occupation	writer, critic, columnist, translator
Language	Gujarati
Nationality	Indian
Education	Master of Arts Ph.D
Alma mater	Gujarat University
Notable awards	Dhanji Kanji Gandhi Suvarna Chandrak (2001) Padma Shri (2004) Sahitya Gaurav Puraskar (2009) Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak (2015)
Spouse	Pratima
Children	2 sons
Signature
Kumarpal Desai's voice Introduction of poet Niranjan Bhagat Kumarpal Desai Academic background Thesis title Anandghana: a study with special reference to Anandghana bavisi Doctoral advisor Dhirubhai Thaker Academic work
Website
Official website

Kumarpal Balabhai Desai is an author, critic, editor, journalist, columnist and translator from Gujarat, India. He studied and later taught at Gujarat University. He is associated with several social and Gujarati literary organisations such as Gujarati Sahitya Parishad. He has written and edited more than hundred books including biographies and on Jainism. He is awarded Padma Shri in 2004.

Kumarpal Desai was born on 30 August 1942 at Ranpur to Balabhai Desai whose non-de-plume was Jaybhikhkhu, a prolific Gujarati writer; and Jayaben. His family is native of Sayla. He joined H. K. Arts College. He completed Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in 1963 and 1965 respectively from Gujarat University with Gujarati as a major subject. He joined Navgujarat College in Ahmedabad as a professor in 1965. He obtained Ph.D. by writing thesis on Anandghan under Dhirubhai Thaker as his guide in 1980. In 1983, he joined Department of Gujarati Literature, School of Languages, Gujarat University. He became Reader in 1988 and Professor in 2000. He became Head of Department in November 2001 and the Director, School of languages in 2003 and served till 2004. He was elected Dean, Faculty of Arts and served for two years also. Twenty students received Ph.D. under him by researching subjects like Jain philosphy, Gujarati journalism and peace. He had worked as a sports commentator also. He serves as the Professor Emeritus at Vishwabharati Institute, Ladnu.

He started writing at the age of eleven. His first short story was published in children's weekly Zagmag. He was influenced by his father Jaybhikhukhu and several other writers like Jhaverchand Meghani, Gunvantrai Acharya, Dhumketu and Dula Bhaya Kag. His first book Vatan, Tara Ratan when he was in college. In 1962, he started writing column in Gujarat Samachar and his first book, a children's biography, Lal Gulab on Lal Bahadur Shastri was published in 1965. The book was successful and he wrote full biography Mahamanav Shastri on him in 1966. Subsequently he wrote several biographies. He also created as a wit and humour character Damodar Mehta for children's books.