Swami Anand

Swami Anand Biography

Swami Anand was a monk and writer belonging to Gujarati literature. He was also a Gandhian closely associated with Mahatma Gandhi. He served as the manager of the publications - Navajivan and Young India started by Gandhi and is also said to have inspired Gandhi to write his autobiography. He has also worked with Kesari newspaper started by  Bal Gangadhar Tilak. His Gujarati work Kulkathao earned him Kendra Sahitya Academy Award in 1969. The famous saint poet Makarand Dave was referred as Sai by Swami Anand.

His birth name is Himmatlal Ramchandra Dave. He was born in Shiyani village near Wadhwan in the year 1887. His childhood and younger days were spent in Mumbai where he completed his education. He took a vow of renunciation during his teens and also became a monk with the Ramakrishna Mission. He took the new name, Swami Anandnand also. He got drawn towards revolutionary movement during his younger days and that’s how he got introduced to the freedom struggle movement in 1907. He was also associated with revolutionary leaders of Bengal in those days.

He met Gandhi for the first time in 1915. When Navjeevan was started at Ahmedabad, Mahatma Gandhi appointed Swami Anandnand as its manager. He also worked as an editor of the magazine. Anand later got associated with Gandhi’s next publication, Young India as well. He served as Vallabhai Patel's secretary during the Bardoli Satyagraha of 1928. Swami Anand founded the Gandhi Ashram in Bordi in 1931. After Indian Independence he took interest in agriculture.

Swami Anand was a great scholar and polyglot, proficient in many languages. He authored both fiction and non-fiction works. Ambavadiyun and Amaratvel are his famous novels. Dharthinum lun, Kulkathao, Anant Kala, Santona Anuj and Naghrol are other noted works. He passed away on 25 January 1976.

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Updated: July 09, 2016