Neeraj’s mortal remains to reach Agra today

ALIGARH: The mortal remains of doyen of Hindi poetry Gopal Das Neeraj are to reach Agra on Saturday before being taken to Aligarh for fulfilling his wish for body donation.

The 93-year-old poet’s death has left his fans, followers and admirers in Braj region shocked. Noted poets and academicians have called him an unmatched Hindi poet who found acceptance in Bollywood too for his lyrics.

“Gopal Das Neeraj would live in the memories of all those who have heard him recite his rich poetry. He had a unique style of delivering compositions which struck a rapport with listeners, as they used to wait for his turn in long drawn kavi sammellans,” said an admirer.

“I heard him on radio on the night of Diwali way back in 1952 and the composition is still fresh in my memory. He had an ability to generate curiosity for his work and ruled the hearts of his followers for so long. His demise has created a void which cannot be filled because he was unmatched,” said Som Thakur, a noted Hindi poet residing in Agra. Padam Shri awardee and former vice chairman Sangeet Kala Academy, Mohan Swaroop Bhatia said that Neeraj was anxious to know about Braj literature.

“He served Hindi in multiple ways and was chairman of Bhasha Sansthan. He possessed an exemplary spectrum in writing and achieved name and fame deservingly,” said Bhatia. Neeraj had donated his body to Aligarh Muslim University’s Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College (JNMC) for research. The noted poet pledged his body to JNMC In 2016. His daughter Kundanika Sharma said the cadaver would be handed over to JNMC to fulfil his last wish.