Hazariprasad Dwivedi (1907-79)

Born in 1907, in a tiny village of Balia district in Uttar Pradesh, Hazariprasad was brought up under far from affluent circumstances, in a household of traditional learning and culture. He studied at the Benares Hindu University, obtaining degrees in Sanskrit literature and Astrology. Recommended by Madan Mohan Malaviya, Hazariprasad joined Visva-Bharati in 1930. He taught Sanskrit and Hindi; he was engaged in research and creative writing and stayed on in Santiniketan for two decades.

He helped to found the Hindi Bhavana and was its head for many years. He also found and edited the Visva-Bharati Patrika in Hindi. He was loved for his genial personality and respected for his erudition. Hazariprasad emerged as one of the foremost writers and critics in Hindi Literature.