Karpoor Chandra Kulish of Rajasthan Patrika is dead

Karpoor Chandra Kulish, the man who started Rajasthan Patrika as a small evening newspaper in the fifties and took it to the heights of glory, is a visionary par excellence died this evening at his residence, We was 80 years and from past a year he was not well. A splendid genius who has lived the ideal as embodied in the oft-quoted Puranic aphorism charaiveti charaiveti (move on and on, rest not) and, above all, a man of extraordinary versatility, as reflected in his voluminous books on the Vedas.

He was acclaimed as a brilliant journalist, a scholar of the Vedas, a thinker, a philosopher and a poet. His search for knowledge remained endless. He keeps abreast of the latest developments at national and international levels and shares his perception of the local, national and international problems with lakhs of readers of Patrika every day, through his four-lined poetic expression entitled Polampol. It is said that brevity is the soul of wit and, verily, his daily comment that Kulishji contributes everyday epitomises the best form of creativity. It is his humble endeavour to keep the youths, fascinated by the dazzling modern world, familiar with the fragrance of their mother tongue. It also conveys the message to the young generation that they should not forget their roots. With a meagre capital of just five hundred rupees, Kulishji embarked on a difficult road of journalism, by launching an evening daily.

Kulishji’s journey continued uninterrupted, despite tumultuous tempests and hailstorms that hampered his path. His indomitable will and indefatigable courage stood him in good stead. The sapling he planted in 1956 has now grown too a mighty Banyan tree. Its branches are not confined to the frontiers of Rajasthan but they have percolated into the territories of Gujarat and South India. With fifteen editions and ten million readers, this newspaper is synonymous with Kulishji’s personality and work.

The man who strode across the land and dreamt of touching the sky had a humble beginning in a relatively unknown village. Born on March 20, 1926, in a village called Soda, which was a part of the erstwhile State of Diggi Kalyan and Lawa, Karpoor Chandra Kothari was metamorphosed into an internationally acclaimed personality, i.e., Karpoor Chandra “Kulish”. The seeds of greatness were sown in his emotional plane when he experienced a phase of uncertainty after passing his matriculation exam from the Punjab University.

He pledged to tread the path of struggle for survival. He accepted the job of a clerk, to begin with, in the State of Malpura, which fetched him just rupees 33 per month. It was a temporary job, which he soon lost. Destiny brought him to Jaipur to try his luck. In the meantime, he also got married. Now, he was not alone in the zigzag, barren and thorn-strewn path of life. In addition, he also kept himself busy in writing and reading religious and philosophical treatises. He also made his presence felt in the literary world.

Kulishji carved out the vision of vastness and took the plunge, though initially he did not hesitate to accept petty jobs. In 1951, he joined Rashtradoot, a Hindi Daily of Jaipur. Since he disdained restraints and curbs, he left Rastradoot too.

A plan to start a daily paper was formulated, developed an executed in a meticulous manner. The result is well known - Rajasthan Patrika was born on 7th March 1956 and grew in size and stature and engulfed the entire desert, it has made its mark as one of the leading ten papers of the country. It has been growing since birth and it continues to grow. Steps move on the ground, but the sky is the limit in eyes.

When Kulishji attained the age of sixty on March 20, 1986, he decided to relinquish his position as the editor of the paper, by writing a lead article on the front page entitled Namaskaar. The people inferred that Kulishji was following the tradition of government employees, who have to retire at the age of sixty, but, in fact, his decision was motivated by his desire to undertake an in-depth study of the Vedas - the treasure of ancient wisdom. He wanted to be fully immersed in it, which was the ultimate mission of his life. Courtesy: www.televisionpoint.com Team.

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