AAW #131

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A happy and prosperous new year to all our readers and subscribers! Since this is our first AAW after the commencement of the Gujarati New year, let us reminisce the exponent of Vaishnava poetry Narsinh Mehta with our 131 AAW. The Gujarati poet who was also a saint is called the Adi Kavi who wrote celebrated prayers on Lord Krishna including Vaishnav Jan, Mameru Na Pada, Hundi and Har Mala, which are still sung by elderly of the Gujarati household. Born in Talaja and moved to Surendranagar in his youth, Mehta was a devotional poet, who chose the path of chastity in search spirituality. Even after facing all the atrocities given by the society, it is said Mehta was able to connect with inner self, from which emanated more than 22,000 kirtanas (devotional songs) composed by the saintly poet. He invented forms of writing including Pada (Verses), Aakhyan and Prabhatiya and since then many documents have been preserved and collected by various institutions to keep his legacy and heritage alive.