Legendary editor Ram Patwardhan passes away

Patwardhan was the editorial backbone of Marathi publishing industry. He, who was renowned as the headmaster of Marathi literature, edited Mouj’s Marathi periodicalSatyakatha.

Satyakatha was one of the few Marathi periodicals including Abhiruchi and Hans, which stepped up Maharahshtra’s cultural environment as it offered rich literature in form of stories and poems expertly edited by SP Bhagwat (Shree Pu Bhagwat) and Patwardhan. It was considered an honour for a writer to get published in Satyakatha.

Patwardhan spotted and nurtured many young talented writers. He encouraged writers like Asha Bage, Deepa Gowarikar, Anand Jategaonkar, Saniya, Narayan Surve and Namdev Dhasal among others to contribute to Satyakatha.  

However, the legendary editor himself did not write much. His Marathi translation of the The Yearling, a book written by Marjori Kinnan Rawlings, Padas, gained a good popularity thanks to the use of effective and sentimental language. He also translatedNine Fifty to Freedom in Marathi as Akercha Ram Ram and BK Iyengar’s book on Yoga as Yogadeepika.

Patwardhan, who was a professor at Mumbai’s Ruia College, left the job when he was chose to edit Satyakatha by Mouj Prakashan’s SP Bhagwat. Today, it has been over three decades that Satyakatha was last published in 1982; however, the names, Satyakatha and Ram Patwardhan will remain immortal in Marathi literature.