The Best of Harivansh Rai Bachchan
Harivansh Rai Bachchan
Harivansh Rai Bachchan, born Harivansh Rai Bachchan Shrivastav,
was a noted Hindi poet of Chhayavaad literary movement (romantic
upsurge) of early 20th century Hindi literature. He was also a famous
poet of Hindi Kavi Sammelan. He is best known for his early
work Madhushala. He is also the father of Bollywood megastar, Amitabh
Bachchan.
The Best of Harivansh Rai Bachchan
Personal Life
Born in a Srivastava Kayastha family, in the village of Babupatti
(Raniganj) in the district of Pratapgarh, U.P. near Allahabad in
the United Provinces (modern Uttar Pradesh) he was the eldest son of
Pratap Narayan Shrivastav and Saraswati Devi. He was called bachchan (meaning
promise at home. He received his formal schooling in a municipal school
and followed the family tradition of attending Kayastha Paathshaalas to
learn Urdu as the first step to a career in law. He later studied at
the Allahabad University and Banaras Hindu University. In this period,
he came under the influence of the independence movement, then under the
leadership o fMahatma Gandhi.