Amrita Pritam is widely considered the first eminent female Punjabi writer, novelist and poet of the 20th century. It is not a stretch to say that she took the nation from romanticism to a contemporary lyric voice. Her work is regularly featured in high school syllabuses in Punjab. She is the author of over one hundred works, including poetry, essays, novels, biographies, etc. She was honored with prestigious awards in the nation like the Sahitya Akademi, Bharatiya Jnanpith, and Padma Vibhushan among many others. Perhaps her most famous work was the novel Pinjar which explores the societal role of women during the post partition period. It was later adapted into a major motion picture which won a national film award. Amrita Pritam is most remembered for her poem, “Ajj aakhaan Waris Shah nu”; a poem which became a rallying cry for those who endured the trials of the partition between India and Pakistan after the nation achieved its independence in 1947.
The Bird of Time
Oh God
My Soul Became A Yogi And My Body Became Ashes
