Anand Kumar Ashodhiya
Anand Kumar Ashodhiya—known in the Haryanvi literary world by his pen name Kavi Anand Shahpur—embodies a rare confluence of creativity, discipline, and the living pulse of folk tradition.
A Career of Discipline and Dedication
A former Warrant Officer of the Indian Air Force, Ashodhiya served the nation for thirty-two years, carrying into his literary work the same clarity, order, and inner strength that defined his service. He was decorated for his contribution to Rajbhasha Hindi in the Air Force for eight consecutive years and has been writing prolifically since his retirement in 2016. He holds a postgraduate degree in English Literature from Annamalai University, providing him with the necessary linguistic depth to bridge the cultural and vernacular gap between Hindi/Haryanvi and English.
Custodian of Haryanvi Heritage and Trans-creation
Ashodhiya remains deeply rooted in the resonant soil of Hindi and Haryanvi culture. His poetic name "Anand Shahpur" honours his ancestral village Shahpur Turk (District Sonipat, Haryana) and continues the musical legacy of his revered mentor, the legendary folk poet Late Paleram Dahiya Halalpuriya.
As a custodian of Haryanvi folk heritage, he is not only a composer of Ragni (folk ballads) but also a scholar of its pingal (prosody) and performative tradition. This profound understanding of chhand (metre) and laya (rhythm) is what enables his work as a Transcreator, successfully bridging the specific musicality of the Hindi bhajan with the demands of English verse. His efforts ensure that the essential spiritual themes of the Mahabharata, particularly the philosophy of Niswarth Udyoga (Selfless Endeavor), are preserved for a global audience.
Significant Literary Contribution
Born on April 1 in Shahpur Turk, Haryana, to Shri Raghbir Singh and Smt. Ratni Devi, he now resides in Mumbai, uniting the discipline of a soldier with the imagination of a poet. He has authored over 250 compositions across genres, including dohā, geet, ghazal, short story, and especially Haryanvi folk poetry.
His celebrated works relevant to the epic tradition include:
• Adhirājan (folk epic in Ragni form, including the Second Edition)
• Thara Mudda Thari Baat
• Kissa Bhagat Puranmal
• Heer Ranjha
• Avikāvani
• Draupadi: A Folk Consciousness
• Prem ke Sau Rang
• Sākēt: An English Trans-creation
• And the present volume, NISWARTHI UDYOGA PARVA.
A recipient of numerous cultural honours—including Haryana Sanskriti Gaurav Ratna, Kargil Vijay Samman, Paramveer Samman, and Haryanvi Sahitya Ratna 2025—he remains devoted to the preservation of India’s living oral traditions.