ARUN KOLATKAR’S SCEPTICISM IN JEJURI

Abstract

Arun Kolatkar has secured a prominent place in the Indian English Poetry. Kolatkar, born in Maharashtra, is considered to be a chief bi-lingual poet. He has penned down several works in the Marathi language and has also translated many works from Marathi to English. The works of Arun Kolatkar are abundant with scepticism. He satirises religious practices. His attacks on blind faith are apparent in his works. The poems in Jejuri run between The Bus and The Railway Station. In his poems, he majorly speaks of temple of God Khandoba, one of the forms of Lord Shiva - the supreme power of the universe, pilgrimages, bus-stop, and the priests. The faith of the mass swarming up to the temple of lord Khandoba is rich in itself. Jejuri is a revered temple in the Pune district of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It has its religious and cultural significance as the temple is of lord Shiva, Khandoba. Jejuri presents that irrespective of any caste and community, all the people worship God Khandoba with a faith that they will be blesses by the God. On the other hand, being the modern man, the poet also expresses his disbelief in several customs and satirises the priest who is more worried about his materialistic needs.