Narmad

Narmadashankar Lalshankar Dave
Narmad, aged 27. Wood engraving for his publication, after an oil painting. (1860)
Native name	નર્મદાશંકર લાલશંકર દવે
Born	(1833-08-24)August 24, 1833 Surat, British India
Died	February 26, 1886(1886-02-26) (aged 52) Bombay (now Mumbai), British India
Pen name	Narmad
Occupation	Poet, playwright, essayist, lexicographer and reformer
Spouse	Gulab (m. 1844–53) Dahigauri (m. 1856–86) Subhadra (Narmadagauri) (m. 1869–86)
Children	Jayshankar (1870-1910)
Signature
Website
web.archive.org/web/20061119135700/http://www.narmad.com/index.html

Narmadashankar Lalshankar Dave (Gujarati: નર્મદાશંકર લાલશંકર દવે) (24 August 1833 – 26 February 1886), popularly known as Narmad, was a Gujarati poet, playwright, essayist, orator, lexicographer and reformer during British India. He is considered as the founder of modern Gujarati literature. Born in Surat and studied in Bombay, he taught at various school. He left his job to pursue literary career. During his prolific career, he introduced many literary forms in Gujarati. He faced economic struggle but proved reformer who voiced against religious and social orthodoxy. His large number of essays, poems, plays and prose were published in collections. His Mari Hakikat, the first autobiography in Gujarati, was published posthumously.

Narmad was born in Surat, Gujarat on 24 August 1833 to Lalshankar and Navdurga. His ancestral home in Amliran, Surat was engulfed in the great fire of 25 April 1837. He joined school of Nana Mehta in Bhuleshwar, Bombay at the age of five. He later joined Fakir Mehta and Ichchha Mehta's school in Surat and later again moved to Bombay where he joined Government Gujarati school of Balgovind Mehta at Pydhonie. He again moved to Surat where he joined school of Durgaram Mehta and Pranshankar Mehta. He joined English School in 1945. He was initiated in Upanayan at age of eight. He joined Elphinstone Institute, Bombay on 6 January 1845. He joined college in June 1850. He delivered his first public speech Mandali Malvathi Thata Labh (Advantages of Forming An Organisation) the same year. His mother died on 23 November 1850. He dropped out.

He was appointed as a teacher in school of Rander on 1 May 1851. He again recited his early eassay in Swadesh Hitechchhu Mandali and started Gyansagar magazine in July 1851. He was transferred to school in Nanpara in March 1853. After death of his wife Gulab, he left his job and went to Bombay on 2 January 1854. He again joined collegeon suggestion of his friend Jhaverilal Umiyashankar and Buddhivardhak Sabha, a literary group in June 1854. He started learning Siddhant Kaumudi. He got interested in poetry and started writing poetry in September 1855. In 1856, he studied literary metre. He presided Buddhivardhak Granth from March to December 1856. After his second marriage, he left college on 19 August 1856. In February 1857, he wrote Pingal Pravesh and dedicated it to his father. He joined Gokuldas Tejpal Vidyalaya as a teacher in February 1857 and started studying several Sanskrit literary works such as Laghu kaumudi, Chandralok, Nrisimhachampu, Kavyachampu, Prataprudra, Adhyatma Ramayana. He joined Central School as a teacher in February 1858. He resigned from school on 23 November 1858 and decided to pursue literary career.