Another excerpt from “Travels through Gujarat, Daman, and Diu“, soon to be published by Adam Yamey:
[In JUNAGADH]
We went from the station to a busy road that borders the eastern edge of an almost circular lake named in honour of Narsinh Mehta (1414-81). He was a poet of Gujarat, who is revered like a saint. Born in Talaja (near Bhavnagar), he moved to Junagadh, where he lived until just before he died (probably in the town of Mangrol). We had come here to reserve coach seats at the agency that specialised in journeys to our next destination. We had tiny cups of tea nearby, before visiting a remarkable building…
… Without being asked, our driver took us to another of Junagadh’s landmarks, the Narsinh Mehta Choro. This place is built on the site where, during the 15th century, the poet/saint Narsinh Mehta used to conduct bhajan singing, meetings, and religious discourses. The compound, entered from the street via an archway, contains a small Hindu temple, another religious shrine, and a museum. The latter illustrates Mehta’s life with a series of panels. Most of them have text in Gujarati.
Here is a small sample of Mehta’s poetry, translated by Sachin Ketkar, copied from his website:
In this entire universe, you alone exist, Shri Hari,
Yet, in infinite forms you seem to be!
You are the divine in the human flesh,
The fire you become among the elements,
In the void, you become the Word, which the Vedas laud!
In this entire universe, you alone exist, Shri Hari,
Yet, in infinite forms you seem to be!
O Sustainer of the Earth! You are the wind!
You are the water and you are the Earth!
You are also the outstretched tree blossoming in the sky!
In this entire universe, you alone exist, Shri Hari,
GUJARAT, DAMAN, and DIU 
Reblogged this on yamey and commented:
A famous poet from GUJARAT
LikeLike