Dhani Ram Chatrik
| Dhani Ram Chatrik | |
|---|---|
| Born |
4 October 1876 Sheikhupura, Pakistan |
| Died | 18 December 1954 (aged 78) |
| Language | Punjabi |
| Nationality | British Indian, then Indian |
| Ethnicity | Punjabi |
| Education | Lopoke, Badonialli and Islamia school, Amritsar |
Dhani Ram Chatrik or Dhaniram Chatrik (October 4, 1876 – December 18, 1954) was a Punjabi poet and typographer.
He is considered one of the pioneers of modern Punjabi poetry. He is known for having actively promoted Punjabi culture, language and publications through his life's works. In 1926, he became the President of Punjabi Sahit Sabha, a Punjabi Literary Society.
He was the first person to standardize the typeset for Gurmukhi script, publish Guru Granth Sahib and Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha’s Mahan Kosh (the first Punjabi dictionary) by using modern technique at his Sudarshan Printing Press.
He was born in village Pasian-wala, district Sheikhupura (now in Pakistan). His father Pohu Lal, was an ordinary shopkeeper. His father moved to village Lopoke in search for work. His father taught him Gurmukhi and Urdu scripts. Dhaniram grew fond of calligraphy and went to Bombay to learn Gurmukhi typography. Though a Hindu by birth, he became an admirer of the Sikh faith after he came in contact with the major Punjabi poet of that era Bhai Vir Singh. It was after this meeting that he was inspired to write verses in the Punjabi Language.
He was a highly creative writer. He used his composing skills to experiment with different genres of Punjabi. He used simple and fresh vocabulary. His use of metaphor, tone, and style were easy to understand by the masses. It was more a descriptive or Qissa style. This style is evident from the following lines depicting peasantry written in narrative style:
His creations Himala, Ganga, Rat are well known. Another one of his poems, Kora Qadir, where we hear his passionate cry against the divisions of humanity through diversity of creed is as follows:
He has been called "Punjab’s greatest lyricist and poet". In 1985, Surinder Singh Narula published a book in his honour called "Dhani Ram Chatrik, Publisher: Sahitya-Akademi". Punjabi University Patyala honoured Chatrik by dedicating their annual diary to him.
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