Munshi Premchand was the greatest Hindi writer who came from the region of Uttar Pradesh. Born on the 31st of July, 1880, in the village of Lamhi in Varanasi district, he was originally named Danpat Rai. He wrote extensively in Urdu and Hindi under the pen names “Nawab Rai” and “Premchand.” The man became a beacon of Hindi literature in the north; his novels and stories resonated with the common man. He wrote extensively about the plight of the poor and the underprivileged, capturing the pain of the common Indian woman in his stories and books.
The house where he spent most of his life writing as the “Kalam Ka Sipahi” is where I decided to go today with my friend Tiwari ji. It was quite a distance, as there was a huge traffic jam. It took us more than an hour’s ride in an auto to get to the house of the great man. Premchand lived here with his second wife, Shiv Rani Devi.
The writer spent his life writing against imperialism and tried to awaken the masses with his novels and writings. His works depicted the society of that era. His collection of stories, Soz-e-Watan, was banned by the imperialist government, and its copies were confiscated and burned.
Situated on the Varanasi-Azamgarh road, the two-story house is now a national monument and a sort of museum that showcases the great writer’s books and many of his literary works, along with the numerous awards and cups he won for his novels. There is a room full of Premchand’s belongings. I particularly liked the man’s hookah, which was placed in a corner along with his lanterns.
Munshi Premchand Samarak: Lamhi
There are posters and paintings on the walls, and there is also an office of the caretaker of the place. I even managed to chat with him and promised to give him some of my own books to display in the house.
The great writer’s library is also open for visitors. All the old and antique copies of Premchand’s books are on display. In front of the library is an open courtyard where stands the white statue of Premchand, with his birth and death dates carved on a plaque. I even managed to see a charkha hanging from the wall, indicating that the writer was also influenced by the philosophy of Gandhi.
One can take a flight of steps and wander onto the first floor, which leads to the open balcony. It is an old-fashioned house with the architecture of the late eighteenth century. When I walked out of the house after my excursion, I was pleased to see the Munshi Premchand Shodh Evam Adhyayan Kendra, which is a kind of literary institute imparting knowledge to the youth of the city and the district.
We spent an hour just exploring the place and enjoying the view. The government has allocated Rs 10 crore to update the museum so that tourists and fans of the writer can enjoy his works and celebrate his life for ages to come. There are ongoing plans to create a virtual museum just behind the great man’s house.
