Every year on February 27, Marathi Bhasha Din (Marathi Language Day) is observed. The day commemorates the birth of famed Marathi poet Vishnu Vaman Shirwadkar, often known as ‘Kusumagraj.’ Following his death in 1999, the Maharashtra and Goa governments began commemorating ‘Marathi Rajbhasha Gaurav Din’ in their respective states.
Who is Kusumagraj?
Kusumagraj was a poet, playwright, novelist, short story writer, and humanist who lived in Marathi. He published 16 collections of poetry, three novels, eight collections of short stories, seven collections of essays, 18 plays, and six one-act dramas. His work focused on topics of liberty, justice, and societal ills such as poverty.
Kusumagraj received various state and national prizes, including
- the Marathi Sahitya Akademi Award for Natsamrat in 1974
- the Padma Bhushan Award in 1991
- the Jnanpith Award in 1987
In 1964, he was the president of the Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, which was held in Margao.
Significance of Marathi Language Day
The state of Maharashtra’s official language is Marathi. Few people realise that, behind Hindi, Bengali, and Telugu, it is India’s fourth most widely spoken language. The Marathi language ranked 19th among the world’s most widely spoken languages. People who speak Marathi celebrate Marathi Day with great zeal. The purpose of the day is to honour Marathi literature. Some of the oldest literature in all present Indo-Aryan languages is found in Marathi. It is one of India’s most widely spoken languages.
On this auspicious day, several essay writing competitions and seminars are organized in schools and colleges around the state .
Chief Minister of Maharashtra ‘s Message
Uddhav Thackeray, the chief minister of Maharashtra, congratulated the people of Maharashtra and encouraged them to utilise the Marathi language more frequently in their daily lives. He also thanked poet Shirwadkar for his contribution to the advancement of the Marathi language and wished him a happy birthday. “I am Marathi, my Marathi!” says the speaker. Let’s do our best to save the bow!. Let us think in Marathi, speak in Marathi, and express ourselves said the Chief Minister Thackeray.
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