Rest In Peace Gopal Das ‘Neeraj’! Doyen Of Hindi Poetry Passes Away

Doyen of Hindi poetry and legendary lyricist Gopal Das ‘Neeraj’ passed away at the All-India Medical Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) in New Delhi on Thursday. He was 94.

He had been suffering from many old age-related ailments for the past few years and was shifted from Agra to the pulmonary department of AIIMS on Wednesday after he developed respiratory complications, a family member informed.

Shashank Prabhakar, son of Neeraj, told reporters in the national capital that the body of the late poet would be first taken to Agra for people to pay their last respects and after that it would be taken to Aligarh where the last rites would be performed.

Neeraj was born in Etawah district of Uttar Pradesh on January 4, 1924 and has endeared generations with his soulful poems and lyrics. Many of his books and compositions won acclaim from his followers world over.

His main compositions include Prangeet, Vibhawari, Antardhwani and Sangharsh, among others. He was honoured with the coveted Padma Shri in 1991 and the Padma Bhushan in 2007. The Uttar Pradesh government had bestowed on him the Yash Bharti award in 1994.