Amrita Pritam
Indian poet and novelist who wrote in Punjabi and Hindi.
Amrita Pritam (31 August 1919 – 31 October 2005) was an Indian novelist, essayist, and poet who wrote in Punjabi and Hindi. A prominent figure in Punjabi literature, she is best remembered for her poignant poem 'Ajj aakhaan Waris Shah nu' (Ode to Waris Shah), an elegy expressing anguish over the massacres during the partition of British India, and for her novel 'Pinjar' (The Skeleton, 1950), which was made into an award-winning film. She was the first woman to receive the Sahitya Akademi Award for a work in Punjabi, in 1956, and later received the Jnanpith Award, Padma Shri, Padma Vibhushan, and Sahitya Akademi Fellowship.
Quick Facts
- Birth Name
- Amrit Kaur
- Birth Date
- 1919-08-31
- Birth Place
- Gujranwala, Punjab Province, British India (now Punjab, Pakistan)
- Death Date
- 2005-10-31
- Death Place
- Delhi, India
- Occupation
- Novelist, poet, essayist
- Period
- 1936–2005
- Genre
- Poetry, prose, autobiography
- Subject
- Partition of India, women, dreams
- Movement
- Romantic-Progressivism
- Notable Works
- Pinjar (novel) / Ajj aakhaan Waris Shah nu (poem) / Suneray (poem)
- Spouse
- Pritam Singh
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Amrita Pritam was born as Amrit Kaur in 1919 in Gujranwala, Punjab, British India, into a Sikh family. Her mother died when she was eleven, and she moved with her father to Lahore, where she began writing at an early age. Her first anthology, 'Amrit Lehran' (Immortal Waves), was published in 1936 at age sixteen, the year after she married Pritam Singh in 1935 and changed her name to Amrita Pritam. She initially wrote as a romantic poet but later joined the Progressive Writers' Movement, as seen in her collection 'Lok Peed' (People's Anguish, 1944), which criticized the war-torn economy after the Bengal famine of 1943. She also joined All India Radio, Lahore in 1947, just before the partition of India.
During the 1947 partition, she migrated from Lahore to India as a Punjabi refugee at age 28, settling in New Delhi. While traveling from Dehradun to Delhi, she wrote the poem 'Ajj Aakhaan Waris Shah Nu', which became a poignant reminder of the horrors of Partition. She worked in the Punjabi service of All India Radio, Delhi, until 1961. After her divorce in 1960, her work became more feminist, drawing on her unhappy marriage. She edited the monthly literary magazine 'Nagmani' for 33 years with Imroz, and later wrote prolifically in Hindi as well. Her autobiographies include 'Kala Gulab' (Black Rose, 1968), 'Rasidi Ticket' (Revenue Stamp, 1976), and 'Aksharon kay Saayee' (Shadows of Words).
Reader's Guide
Amrita Pritam's significance lies in her role as a pioneering female voice in Punjabi literature and her powerful literary responses to the trauma of the 1947 partition of British India. Her poem 'Ajj aakhaan Waris Shah nu' became an iconic elegy for the violence and loss of that period, while her novel 'Pinjar' (1950) addressed violence against women and the crisis of humanity during partition, later adapted into an award-winning film. She was the first and only woman to win the Sahitya Akademi Award for a work in Punjabi (1956, for 'Sunehade'), and received India's highest literary awards: the Jnanpith Award (1982), Padma Shri (1969), Padma Vibhushan (2004), and Sahitya Akademi Fellowship (2004). Her work was translated into several Indian and foreign languages, and she remained popular in Pakistan throughout her life. She also received international honors, including Bulgaria's Vaptsarov Award (1979) and France's Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Officier, 1987). Her legacy includes a Google Doodle on her 100th birth anniversary in 2019, and ongoing film and audio tributes.
Did You Know?
- Amrita Pritam was born as Amrit Kaur and changed her name after marrying Pritam Singh in 1935.
- Her poem 'Ajj aakhaan Waris Shah nu' was written while she was traveling from Dehradun to Delhi in 1947.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Amrita Pritam?
Amrita Pritam was an Indian poet, novelist, and essayist born on 31 August 1919 in Gujranwala, Punjab. She is widely regarded as one of the most significant voices in Punjabi literature and is celebrated for both her poetry and her prose.
What is Amrita Pritam's most famous poem?
Her most well-known poem is 'Ajj aakhaan Waris Shah nu,' an elegy that channels deep grief over the violence and massacres that accompanied the partition of British India. The piece is often cited as a defining literary response to that traumatic period.
What is the novel 'Pinjar' about?
'Pinjar' (The Skeleton), published in 1950, tells the story of a young Punjabi woman whose life is shattered by the upheavals of partition. The novel was later adapted into an award-winning film and remains a landmark work of Punjabi fiction.
What major awards did Amrita Pritam receive?
In 1956 she became the first woman to be honored with the Sahitya Akademi Award for a work written in Punjabi. She also went on to receive the Jnanpith Award, the Padma Shri, and the Padma Vibhushan, among other distinctions.
Why is Amrita Pritam considered important to women in literature?
She broke barriers as a woman writing in Punjabi at a time when the literary establishment was overwhelmingly male-dominated. Her pathbreaking Sahitya Akademi win in 1956 opened doors for subsequent generations of Punjabi women writers.
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