Pujalal

Pujalal Ranchhoddas Dalvadi (17.6.1901—27.12.1985) was an associate of Ambalal Balkrishna Purani. He trained the youth of Gujarat in different forms of physical exercises in the gymnasium at Bharuch started by Purani. He visited Pondicherry for the first time on either 23rd or 24th October 1923 and had the Darshan of Sri Aurobindo. After a couple of visits he settled in Pondicherry as a permanent member of Sri Aurobindo’s household in 1926. He worked in the first floor of the Ashram main building which housed the apartments of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. His activities included cleaning the Mother’s room and bathroom and dusting the carpet and furniture. A born poet, he has written many poems and invocations in Sanskrit, English and Gujarati addressed to Sri Aurobindo, the Mother and Sri Krishna. The Mother used to call him, “My Poet.” He taught Sanskrit hymns and verses to many young pupils of the Ashram School. He has also translated Sri Aurobindo’s Savitri into Gujarati. He also wrote a book on the different forms of poetry titled Chchandapravesh. Though he had studied till the twelfth class some of his writings are now prescribed texts in various schools, colleges and universities of Gujarat.