Anand Kumar Ashodhiya: From IAF Skies to Literary Heights

Anand Kumar Ashodhiya, a retired Warrant Officer of the Indian Air Force with 32 years of service, has emerged as a vital force in preserving India's cultural heritage through poetry and publishing.[1][2] Known as Kavi Anand Shahpur in Haryana's literary circles, he now leads Avikavani Publishers from Mumbai, blending military discipline with poetic sensitivity.[4][3]

Military Roots and Literary Calling

Ashodhiya's career spanned aerial defense duties, instilling the precision that now shapes his writing in Hindi, Haryanvi, and English. After retiring, he founded Avikavani Publishers in Sonipat, Haryana, to champion folk traditions like Haryanvi Ragni and classical epics. His transition reflects a soldier's duty evolving into cultural stewardship, as noted in his LinkedIn profile and Issuewire feature.[1][2]

Major Works and Innovations

With over 13 titles and 380+ compositions, Ashodhiya reimagines epics for modern readers:

- **SĀKET: An English Transcreation** (2025) reframes Maithili Sharan Gupt's Ramayana through women's perspectives like Urmila and Kaikeyi.[10]

- **Antaryātrā — The Inner Journey** (2026) transliterates introspective dohā, geet, and ghazals into English.[11]

- **अथ मार्जरिका उवाच** (2025) symbolically encodes Indian history from Aryavarta to Amrit Kaal using 198 icons, narrated by a timeless cat "Mārgārika"—ideal for scholars and aspirants.[12][13]

Other gems include *अधराजण*, *हीर राँझा*, and *Niswarthi Udyoga Parva*, available on Pothi.com, Google Play, and Amazon.[6]

Awards and Recognition

Honored with the Haryanvi Sahitya Ratna (2025) and Kargil Vijay Samman, Ashodhiya elevates Pingal Shastra prosody in vernacular works. Press like Issuewire hails his "literary odyssey," positioning him as a bridge for global audiences.[2]

Legacy and Availability

Now based in Navi Mumbai, Ashodhiya's books—priced affordably at ₹200-450—preserve valor, devotion, and folk lore amid digital shifts. Explore his bibliography at anandkumarashodhiya.github.io or snag copies via Pothi.com for quick Indian delivery.[6][3] His story inspires: a sky guardian turned heritage sentinel.

Citations:

[1] Anand Kumar Ashodhiya - Avikavani Publishers 

[2] IAF Veteran Anand Kumar Ashodhiya's Literary Odyssey 

[3] Anand Kumar Ashodhiya | Official Biography & Bibliography 

[4] anand kumar ashodhiya 

[5] Books by Anand Kumar Ashodhiya on Google Play 

[6] Published Works Anand Kumar Ashodhiya 

[7] Anand Kumar Ashodhiya (कवि आनन्द शाहपुर) 

[8] NISWARTHI UDYOGA PARVA An English Translation 

[9] New Hindi Songs Geet Kavita 

[10] SĀKET: An English Transcreation by Anand Kumar Ashodhiya 

[11] Antaryātrā — The Inner Journey: An English Transliteration 

[12] अथ मार्जरिका उवाच 

[13] अथ मार्जरिका उवाच by Anand Kumar Ashodhiya - Books on ... 

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Avikavani Publishers: A Self-Publishing Imprint Rooted in Indian Literary Tradition

Avikavani Publishers: A Self-Publishing Imprint Rooted in Indian Literary Tradition

Avikavani Publishers: A Self-Publishing Imprint Rooted in Indian Literary Tradition

In an age when publishing is often driven by market algorithms, Avikavani Publishers stands apart as a purpose-driven literary imprint—devoted to preservation, authenticity, and cultural continuity.

Founded by Anand Kumar Ashodhiya (also known as Kavi Anand Shahpur), Avikavani Publishers is a self-publishing imprint created to document, interpret, and disseminate India’s folk, classical, and contemporary literary traditions. The imprint functions not merely as a publishing label, but as an extension of the author’s lifelong literary and cultural commitment.

Vision and Literary Focus

Avikavani Publishers primarily publishes the author’s own works—spanning Hindi, Haryanvi, and English—with a special emphasis on:

• Haryanvi Ragni and folk ballad traditions

• Modern Hindi poetry and social reflection

• Literary translation and trans-creation into English

• Research-oriented poetic epics rooted in Indian history and ethos

A central objective of the imprint is the preservation of oral traditions, particularly the Haryanvi Ragni form, by documenting them in scholarly yet accessible written formats.

Notable Publications

Key works published under Avikavani Publishers include:

• Adhirājan — A folk epic in Ragni form (Revised Edition, 2025)

• Ath Marjarika Uvach — A symbolic epic re-reading Indian history (2025)

• Prem Ke Sau Rang — Modern Hindi poems on love and responsibility

• Sāket and Kahaan Kahaan Paiband Lagau — English translations

• Antaryātrā — The Inner Journey — English transliteration of Hindi poetry

Each publication reflects a balance of discipline, cultural fidelity, and literary craft.

The Author Behind the Imprint

Anand Kumar Ashodhiya served for 32 years in the Indian Air Force, retiring as a Warrant Officer. His military discipline informs the editorial rigor of Avikavani Publishers, while his poetic sensibility ensures emotional and cultural depth.

His contributions to regional and national literature have been recognized with honors such as the Haryanvi Sahitya Ratna 2025 and Haryana Sanskriti Gaurav Ratna.

A Living Literary Archive

Avikavani Publishers is not a commercial press in the conventional sense. It is a living archive—one that safeguards folk memory, reinterprets tradition, and opens regional literature to global readership through translation.

In an era of rapid content consumption, Avikavani Publishers reaffirms a simple yet powerful belief:
literature is not produced—it is preserved, lived, and passed forward.

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Anand Kumar Ashodhiya: Literary Journey and Poetic Vision

 Anand Kumar Ashodhiya: Literary Journey and Poetic Vision

Anand Kumar Ashodhiya, also known in the Haryanvi literary world as Kavi Anand Shahpur, is a poet, translator, and cultural chronicler whose work bridges folk tradition and modern literary consciousness. A retired Warrant Officer of the Indian Air Force, Ashodhiya brings to his writing the discipline of service and the sensitivity of a lifelong seeker of language and meaning.

Born in Shahpur Turk, Sonipat (Haryana), and presently residing in Mumbai, his literary identity remains deeply rooted in the soil, idiom, and oral traditions of Haryana. His pen name honours his ancestral village, reflecting a conscious commitment to regional authenticity.

From Oral Tradition to Written Legacy

Ashodhiya’s literary journey began with Haryanvi Ragni, a powerful folk-ballad tradition performed orally for generations. Recognising the fragility of oral heritage, he undertook the task of documenting, analysing, and reinterpreting these traditions through written literature. His work preserves folk rhythm while expanding its philosophical and social reach.

With over 250–380 compositions across Hindi and Haryanvi—including dohā, geet, ghazal, folk epics, and social poetry—his oeuvre reflects an expanding moral and artistic vision.

Thematic Concerns and Poetic Vision

Ashodhiya’s poetry is marked by clarity, restraint, and ethical seriousness. His themes move across:

• Patriotism and sacrifice, shaped by lived military experience

• Social conscience, addressing injustice, marginalisation, and moral silence

• Devotion and philosophy, rooted in Indian mythic and bhakti traditions

• Love and memory, treated with dignity rather than excess

His poems do not seek ornamentation; they seek recognition—of truth, pain, responsibility, and hope.

Translation as Cultural Bridge

Holding a postgraduate degree in English Literature (Annamalai University), Ashodhiya translates his own Hindi and Haryanvi works into English, ensuring fidelity to rhythm, cultural nuance, and emotional depth. His translations are not mechanical conversions but literary trans-creations, opening regional Indian literature to global readership.

The acclaimed volume Antaryātrā — The Inner Journey exemplifies this effort, presenting Hindi poetry in English transliteration while retaining its philosophical core.

Avikavani Publishers: A Literary Imprint

Ashodhiya publishes his work under Avikavani Publishers, a self-publishing imprint dedicated to preserving Indian folk and classical traditions through scholarly yet accessible literature. The imprint stands for cultural continuity, linguistic integrity, and disciplined publishing practice.

Recognition and Continuing Work

For his contribution to literature and cultural preservation, Ashodhiya has received honours including Haryanvi Sahitya Ratna (2025) and Haryana Sanskriti Gaurav Ratna. Yet his journey remains ongoing—across languages, genres, and generations.

Anand Kumar Ashodhiya’s literary vision is ultimately one of inner journey and collective memory—where poetry becomes conscience, tradition becomes dialogue, and language becomes a living bridge between past and present.

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