Kundanika Kapadia was an Indian novelist, story writer, and essayist from Gujarat.
Biography
Kundanika Kapadia was born on 11 January 1927 at Limbdi to Narottamdas Kapadia. She completed her primary and secondary education from Godhra. She participated in the nationalist Quit India Movement in 1942. In 1948, she completed a BA in History and Politics from Samaldas College, Bhavnagar, affiliated with University of Bombay. She pursued an MA in Entire Politics from Mumbai School of Economics but could not appear in examinations. She married Gujarati poet Makarand Dave in Mumbai in 1968; They didn't have any children together. She co-founded Nadigram, an ashram near Vankal village near Valsad, with him in 1985. She was known as Ishama by her Nandigram fellows. She edited Yatrik and Navneet magazines. She died on 30 April 2020 at Nandigram near Vankal village in Valsad district, Gujarat, India at the age of 93.
Works
Snehdhan was her pen name. Parodh Thata Pahela was her first novel followed by Agnipipasa. She wrote Sat Pagala Akashma, which won her critical acclaim and is considered as her best novel which explored feminism. Her first story was "Premna Ansu", which won her the second prize in international story competition organised by Janmabhoomi newspaper. She started writing more stories thereafter. Premna Ansu was published as her story collection. Her other story collections are Vadhu ne Vadhu Sundar, Kagalni Hodi, Java Daishu Tamane and Manushya Thavu. Her stories explore philosophy, music, and nature. Her selected stories were published as Kundanika Kapadia ni Shreshth Vartao. She was influenced by Dhumketu, Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, Rabindranath Tagore, Shakespeare, and Ibsen. Dwar ane Deewal and Chandra Tara Vriksh Vadal are her essay collections. Akrand ane Akrosh is her biographical work. She edited Param Samipe, Zarukhe Diva and Gulal ane Gunjar. Param Samipe is her popular prayer collection. She translated Laura Ingalls Wilder's work as Vasant Avshe. She translated Mary Ellen Chase's A Goodly Fellowship as Dilbhar Maitri and Bengali writer Rani Chand's travelogue as Purnakumbh. Her other works of translation are Purusharthne Pagale, Florence Scovel Shinn's The Game of Life and How to Play It as Jeevan Ek Khel, Eileen Caddy's Opening the Door Within as Ughadata Dwar Anantna and Swami Rama's Living with the Himalayan Masters as Himalayana Siddha Yogi.
