Sursinhji Takthasinhji Gohel – A Renowned Gujarati Poet known as Kavi Kalapi, needs no introduction.
He was a King of Lathi-Gohilwad-Saurashtra- Gujarat and is alive in people’s heart as Kavi Kalapi.
Kavi Kalapi lived a short but memorable and valued life – Born on 26-01-1874, left the world on
09-06-1900 i.e. a life of 26 years, 5 months and 11 days.
Poet Kalapi’s life was short but his creation was immense and enormous. He penned down 259 poems including 15,000 verses in such a short span of life. Besides, he has also given us varied number of Prose’s. His 900 letters to his friends, and wives brings in front of us the facts and truth. He not only used Gujarati language as his medium to elaborate his own creation but also translated two great English Novels in Gujarati. More then 500 books in Gujarati, English, Farsi & Sanskrit were widely read by this great poet. All of this creation, reading, study and achievements were packed by him during the period of his age from 16 years to 26 years. i.e. in just a span of 10 years
Poet Kalapi’s life also reflects an intense love story. At the age of 15 years, he was married to two princesses. – One Rajba-Ramaba – the princess of Kach- Roha and Second Kesharba-Anandiba– the Princess of Saurashtra-Kotada. Ramaba was elder to Sursinhji by eight years while Anadiba was elder to him by two years
Sursinhji never could love Anandiba and get close to her but he never stepped back from his duties as her husband. He always respected her for being his wife till his last breath. Ramaba being intelligent and caring, gained Sursinhji’s love and affection. Monghi called as Shobhna by Sursinhji, was a maid who had come along with Ramaba when she got married and then stayed back in Lathi to serve Ramaba. At that time, Shobhna was just around 7- 8 year old. Shobhna’s smartness, beauty, innocence and her keen interest in his poems and literature caught Sursinghji’s attraction and he fell in love with her.
Sursinhji gave his heart to Shobhna when he was 20 year old and Shobhna was around 12-13 year old. But at the same time, he could not even forget his love towards Ramaba.
Thus Sursinhji Takthasinhji Gohel i.e. Kalapi had three women in his life. But he never did any injustice towards any of these women of his life.
Sursinhji was handed over the kingdom when he turned 21.
This was the time when he started establishing difference of opinion with Ramaba and her political temperament took him away slowly from Ramaba. During this period his affection towards Shobna became intense and she became the queen of his heart. He wanted to give result to this immortal love of his and therefore he proposed his wish of marrying Shobna in front of Ramaba . This was totally unacceptable by Ramaba. She tried all her ways out to separate the true lovers – Sursinhji and Shobhna but this did not happen. Sursinghji ultimately married Shobhna and gave result to his eternal love. But this wasn’t easy. Sursinhji constantly had to face the struggle and conflicts with his heart, mind, love, laws, and responsibilities and to add to that, Ramaba’s deceptions.
All this awarded him nothing but exorbitant amount of pain and suffering. Agony, to such extend that it ultimately took his life. It is said that he was taken to the deathbed by noone but his own wife- Ramaba whom he respected and loved enormously i.e. she played a scam and took his breath away by giving him poison. And thus his life was brought to an end when he was just 26 year old.
The book/drama on such a great Poet Kalapi written by Dr.Dhanvant Shah puts in front of you a perfect and beautiful weaving of Poet Kalapi’s life on Love, Laws and Pain. – All put together in the form of a gorgeous garland to present to you a visual in the form of a
Drama – “Kalapi” and a book named ” Rajvi Kavi Kalapi”
Poets of Sourashtra 