Literary Heritage
Explore the timeless works of Hindi literature's greatest voices. From medieval saints to modern rebels, discover the poets and writers who shaped our literary consciousness.
Agyeya
1911 – 1987
Founder of Prayogvaad. Jnanpith Award. Edited Tar Saptak. Novel Shekhar: Ek Jivani....
Alok Dhanwa
1948
Sahitya Akademi Award. Landmark poem: Duniya Roz Banti Hai....
Ambika Prasad Divya
1906 – 1986
Recognized historical fiction writer....
Amir Khusro
1253 – 1325
Father of Qawwali. Pioneer of Hindavi/Khari Boli. Court poet of multiple Delhi Sultans....
Amrita Pritam
1919 – 2005
Jnanpith winner (first female recipient). Wrote in Punjabi & Hindi. Pinjar, Ajj Aakhaan Waris Shah Nu....
Anamika
1961
Sahitya Akademi Award. Feminist poet....
Ashapurna Devi
1909 – 1995
Wrote in Bengali; widely translated in Hindi. Jnanpith winner....
Ashfaq Ullah Khan
1900 – 1927
Freedom fighter and poet. Executed at 27. Wrote in Urdu and Hindi....
Ashok Chakradhar
1951
Padma Shri. Popular humor poet....
Ashok Vajpeyi
1941
Sahitya Akademi Award. Poet, essayist, arts administrator. Founded Bharat Bhavan....
Ashok Vajpeyi
1941
Sahitya Akademi Award. Arts administrator....
Bhagwati Charan Verma
1903 – 1981
Padma Bhushan winner. Author of Chitralekha, one of the most popular Hindi novels....
Bhagwati Prasad Vajpayee
1928 – 1999
Renowned journalist and essayist....
Bharatendu Harish Chandra
1850 – 1885
Father of modern Hindi. Andher Nagari is his most famous play....
Bhartendu Harishchandra
1850 – 1885
Father of modern Hindi literature and Hindi theatre. Wrote Andher Nagari and championed Hindi as a literary language....
Bhawani Prasad Mishra
1913 – 1985
Sahitya Akademi. Poem 'Satya Kya Hai'....
Bhisham Sahni
1915 – 2003
Padma Bhushan. Tamas is his most famous partition novel....
Bihari
1595 – 1663
Court poet of Amber whose 'Bihari Satsai' contains 700 elegant Braj Bhasha dohas on love, worldly wisdom, and devotion....
Chandrabali Pandey
1904 – 1980
Notable Hindi critic....
Chandrakant Devtale
1936 – 2017
Sahitya Akademi Award....
Chitra Mudgal
1944
Sahitya Akademi Award for Aavan....
Dharamvir Bharati
1926 – 1997
Padma Shri. Editor of Dharmyug. Wrote Gunahon Ka Devta and verse play Andha Yug....
Example Poet
Short bio...
Faiz Ahmad Faiz
1911 – 1984
Legendary Urdu-Hindi poet. Lenin Peace Prize....
Girija Kumar Mathur
1919 – 1994
Sahitya Akademi Award....
Gopaldas Neeraj
1925 – 2018
Padma Bhushan. Legendary film lyricist ('Karvan Guzar Gaya')....
Guru Nanak
1469 – 1539
Founder of Sikhism. His hymns and philosophy shaped Bhakti poetry....
Harishankar Parsai
1924 – 1995
Father of modern Hindi satire. Wrote 'Viklang Shraddha Ka Daur'. Sahitya Akademi Award....
Harivansh Rai Bachchan
1907 – 2003
Author of Madhushala. Padma Bhushan, Sahitya Akademi Award. Father of Amitabh Bachchan....
Hazari Prasad Dwivedi
1907 – 1979
Padma Bhushan. Novels: Banabhatt Ki Atmakatha, Charu Chandralekh....
Jainendra Kumar
1905 – 1988
Padma Bhushan. Psychological novelist. Novels: Sunita, Tyagpatra....
Jaishankar Prasad
1889 – 1937
Pillar of Chhayavaad. Kamayani is regarded as one of the greatest epic poems in modern Hindi....
Kabir
1440 – 1518
15th-century Indian mystic poet and saint whose verses influenced the Bhakti movement and Sikhism's Guru Granth Sahib. W...
Kaifi Azmi
1919 – 2002
Progressive poet. Wrote in Urdu, widely read in Hindi....
Kaka Hathrasi
1906 – 1995
Padma Shri. Master of Hasya Kavita (comic poetry)....
Kaka Kalelkar
1885 – 1981
Padma Vibhushan. Gandhian and essayist....
Kamleshwar
1932 – 2007
Sahitya Akademi Award for Kitne Pakistan. Wrote screenplays for classic films....
Kashinath Singh
1937
Sahitya Akademi Award. Kashi Ka Assi is his most famous work....
Kedarnath Singh
1934 – 2018
Jnanpith Award (2013). Sahitya Akademi. Known for poems on village life....
Krishna Kalpit
1957
Contemporary Hindi poet....
Krishna Sobti
1925 – 2019
Jnanpith Award. Novels Zindaginama, Mitro Marjani, Ai Ladki. Sahitya Akademi....
Kumar Vishwas
1970
Popular contemporary Hindi poet....
Kunwar Bechain
1942 – 2021
Renowned Hindi poet, Padma Shri....
Kunwar Narayan
1927 – 2017
Jnanpith Award....
Kunwar Narayan
1927 – 2017
Jnanpith Award. Notable works: Atmajayi, Vajashrava Ke Bahane....
Leeladhar Jagoodi
1940
Sahitya Akademi Award. Padma Shri....
Mahadevi Verma
1907 – 1987
Called the modern Meera. Sahitya Akademi Fellow, Jnanpith winner. Fourth pillar of Chhayavaad....
Mahavir Prasad Dwivedi
1864 – 1938
Editor of Saraswati. Namesake of Dvivedi Yug....
Maithili Sharan Gupt
1886 – 1964
Pioneer of Khari Boli poetry. Author of Bharat-Bharati and Saket. Awarded Padma Bhushan....
Makhanlal Chaturvedi
1889 – 1968
Freedom fighter, poet, journalist. Famous for 'Pushp Ki Abhilasha'. Padma Bhushan....
Malik Muhammad Jayasi
1477 – 1542
Sufi poet. Padmavat is his most famous epic in Avadhi....
Manglesh Dabral
1948 – 2020
Sahitya Akademi Award. Journalist and poet from Uttarakhand....
Mannu Bhandari
1931 – 2021
Padma Bhushan. Novels: Aapka Bunty, Mahabhoj. Wife of Rajendra Yadav....
Meera Bai
1498 – 1547
Hindu mystic poet and devotee of Krishna. Composed hundreds of bhajans expressing love and devotion....
Mohan Rakesh
1925 – 1972
Father of modern Hindi drama. Plays: Ashadh Ka Ek Din, Adhe Adhure. Sahitya Akademi....
Mridula Garg
1938
Sahitya Akademi Award. Novels: Chittacobra, Kathgulab....
Muktibodh
1917 – 1964
Modernist poet. Chand Ka Munh Tedha Hai is a landmark collection....
Munshi Premchand
1880 – 1936
Foremost writer of modern Hindustani literature. Author of Godaan, Karmabhoomi, Idgah, Kafan, Poos Ki Raat....
Naagarjun
1911 – 1998
Peoples poet....
Nagarjun
1911 – 1998
People's poet. Wrote in Hindi and Maithili. Sahitya Akademi Award....
Nagarjuna Baba
1911 – 1998
People's poet, wrote in Hindi and Maithili....
Naresh Mehta
1922 – 2000
Jnanpith Award....
Nirala Bal Krishna Bhatt
1844 – 1914
Pioneer of Hindi journalism. Edited Hindi Pradeep....
Nirmal Verma
1929 – 2005
Founder of Nayi Kahani movement. Jnanpith Award. Novels: Ve Din, Lal Teen Ki Chhat, Antim Aranya....
Om Prakash Valmiki
1950 – 2013
Pioneer of Dalit Hindi literature. Autobiography Joothan is a landmark work....
Phanishwar Nath Renu
1921 – 1977
Master of Aanchalik (regional) fiction. Maila Aanchal is his magnum opus. Story 'Maare Gaye Gulfam' inspired film Teesri...
Prabha Khaitan
1942 – 2008
Feminist writer. Autobiography Anya Se Ananya....
Prayag Shukla
1940
Poet and editor....
Raghuvir Sahay
1929 – 1990
Sahitya Akademi Award. Editor of Dinman....
Rahi Masoom Raza
1927 – 1992
Wrote Adha Gaon. Scripted TV Mahabharat. Sahitya Akademi....
Rahim
1556 – 1627
Poet in Akbar's court, one of his Navaratnas. Master of Braj Bhasha and Awadhi couplets....
Rajendra Yadav
1929 – 2013
Editor of Hans magazine. Co-founded Nayi Kahani movement....
Rajkamal Chaudhary
1929 – 1967
Prolific novelist and poet....
Rajni Kumar
1930
Contemporary novelist....
Ramanand Sagar
1917 – 2005
Filmmaker and writer. Made iconic TV Ramayan....
Ramchandra Shukla
1884 – 1941
Pioneer of Hindi literary criticism. 'Hindi Sahitya Ka Itihaas' is a foundational text....
Ramdhari Singh Dinkar
1908 – 1974
Rashtrakavi (National Poet). Jnanpith winner. Wrote Rashmirathi and Kurukshetra....
Ramkumar Verma
1905 – 1990
Padma Bhushan. Pioneer of one-act plays in Hindi....
Ramvriksh Benipuri
1899 – 1968
Freedom fighter, socialist, essayist. Master of Hindi sketch (rekhachitr)....
Rangey Raghav
1923 – 1962
Prolific writer. 150+ books despite short life. Novel: Kab Tak Pukaroon....
Rangnath Pathak Bharatiya
1929 – 2008
Novelist and story-writer....
Ranjit Kapoor
1948
Theatre and film screenwriter....
Sahir Ludhianvi
1921 – 1980
Legendary poet-lyricist. Padma Shri. Wrote 'Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaye'....
Sant Ravidas
1450 – 1520
Bhakti saint and social reformer. His verses are in Guru Granth Sahib....
Sarveshwar Dayal Saxena
1927 – 1983
Sahitya Akademi Award. Editor of Parag....
Shivani
1923 – 2003
Padma Shri. Popular novels: Krishnakali, Chaudah Phere, Bhairavi. Known for Kumaoni cultural depiction....
Shivmangal Singh Suman
1915 – 2002
Padma Bhushan. Progressive poet. Famous poem: Mitti Ki Mahima....
Shrikant Verma
1931 – 1986
Sahitya Akademi. Magadh is his most famous collection....
Shrilal Shukla
1925 – 2011
Jnanpith Award. Raag Darbari is a satirical masterpiece on rural politics....
Subhadra Kumari Chauhan
1904 – 1948
Freedom fighter and poet. 'Jhansi Ki Rani' is one of the most recited Hindi poems....
Sumitranandan Pant
1900 – 1977
Third pillar of Chhayavaad. First Hindi poet to win Jnanpith Award (1968). Famous for Chidambara and Kala Aur Budha Chan...
Sunita Jain
1941 – 2017
Padma Shri. Novelist and poet....
Surdas
1478 – 1583
Blind Hindu devotional poet and singer, known for songs dedicated to Lord Krishna. His major work is Sur Sagar....
Surendra Verma
1941
Sahitya Akademi Award for Muzhe Chand Chahiye....
Suryabala
1943
Contemporary novelist and short story writer....
Suryakant Tripathi 'Nirala'
1896 – 1961
One of four pillars of Chhayavaad. Known for 'Ram Ki Shakti Puja' and 'Saroj Smriti'. Champion of free verse in Hindi....
Suryakumar Pandey
1950
Contemporary humor poet....
Trilochan Shastri
1917 – 2007
Sahitya Akademi Award. Master of sonnet in Hindi....
Tulsidas
1532 – 1623
Ramanandi Vaishnava saint and poet, celebrated for his devotion to Rama. Author of Ramcharitmanas, the retelling of Rama...
Uday Prakash
1952
Contemporary voice. Warren Hastings Ka Saand. Sahitya Akademi (returned in protest)....
Vijaydev Narayan Sahi
1924 – 1982
Poet and critic....
Vinod Bhardwaj
1953
Contemporary poet and art critic....
Vinod Kumar Shukla
1937
Sahitya Akademi Award. Novels: Naukar Ki Kameez, Deewar Mein Ek Khirki Rahti Thi....
Vishnu Khare
1940 – 2018
Poet and film critic....
Vishnu Prabhakar
1912 – 2009
Padma Bhushan. Awaara Masiha - biography of Sharat Chandra....
Vrindavan Lal Verma
1889 – 1969
Padma Bhushan. Historical novels: Jhansi Ki Rani, Mrignayni....
Yashpal
1903 – 1976
Revolutionary and writer. Jhootha Sach is his most acclaimed work on Partition. Sahitya Akademi Award....