Surjit Patar (bornSurjit Hundal; 14 January 1945 – 11 May 2024). He was an IndianPunjabi language writer and poet fromPunjab.[2] His poems enjoy immense popularity with the general public and have won high acclaim from critics.[3]
Patar hailed from the village of Pattar (Punjabi:ਪੱਤੜ) Kalan inJalandhar district from which he got his surname.[4] His father's name was Harbhajan Singh and mother's Harbhajan Kaur. He had four older sisters. His father had migrated toKenya for work and would only return home for short time after every five years. He matriculated from a nearby village school. After that admitted in as science student in a college inKapurthala. But the next year, he took up Arts.[5]
Patar graduated from Randhir College,Kapurthala and then went on to get a Master's degree fromPunjabi University,Patiala and then a PhD in Literature on "Transformation of Folklore in Guru Nanak Vani" fromGuru Nanak Dev University,Amritsar. He then joined the academic profession and retired as Professor of Punjabi fromPunjab Agricultural University,Ludhiana.[4] He started writing poetry in the mid-1960s.[6] Among his works of poetry are"Hawa Vich Likhe Harf" (Words written in the Air),Birkh Arz Kare (Thus Spake the Tree),Hanere Vich Sulagdi Varnmala (Words Smouldering in the Dark),Lafzaan Di Dargah (Shrine of Words),Patjhar Di Pazeb (Anklet of Autumn) andSurzameen (Music Land).[4]
Patar was president of the Punjab Arts Council,Chandigarh.[10] Earlier, he had held the office of the President, Punjabi Sahit Akademi,Ludhiana. He was awardedPadma Shri in 2012.[6]
Patar died of cardiac arrest at his residence on Barewal Road inLudhiana, on 11 May 2024, at the age of 79.[11][12] According to his family members, he did not wake up that morning and was declared dead after arriving in the hospital.[13][14]
Among Patar's works are "Candles",[15] "Hanere Vich Sulagdi Varanmala",[16] "Aiya Nand Kishore",[3] "Hanera Jarega Kiven", "Fasla", and "Koi Daalia Cho Langeya Hawa Bann Ke".[17]
^abSingh, Surjit (Spring–Fall 2006). "Surjit Patar: Poet of the Personal and the Political".Journal of Punjab Studies.13 (1): 265.His poems enjoy immense popularity with the general public and have won high acclaim from critics.
^Patar, Surjit (Spring–Fall 2006). "Punjabi Poetry – with translations by Randi L. Clary, Gibb Schreffler, and Ami P. Shah".Journal of Punjab Studies.13 (1). Translated by Ami P. Shah.
^Patar, Surjit (Spring–Fall 2006). "Punjabi Poetry – with translations by Randi L. Clary, Gibb Schreffler, and Ami P. Shah".Journal of Punjab Studies.13 (1). Translated by Gibb Schreffler.
