In black and white

It all started in the year 2003,when after retiring from Kirloskar Oil Engines,Gokhale was mulling over further plans to keep himself busy. “Even during my service tenure,I was known for my good handwriting. The seniors used to insist on getting important letters written by me. So,in 2004,I decided to share my skills with others,especially children,” he says.

Since he didn’t want to make it a business,he started visiting city schools with a request to conduct free workshops that offered tips and methods of improving handwriting. Soon he was invited to a number of schools to share his knowledge. Till date,Gokhale has reached out to over 75,000 students across Maharashtra. In the city,he is associated with schools like Abhinav Vidya Mandir,Saraswati Vidya Mandir,Gyanada and Garware School to name a few. He has also been to a number of schools in places like Nasik,Jalgaon,Satara,Sangli and so on.

During his visits,he observed that apart from the technique of writing,there was also a need of presenting the kids with a few examples of good handwriting. Thus began his extensive and dedicated journey. Be it the 327 page of Dasbodh or 238 pages of Bhagwad Gita,each and every line is refined and perfect. The most commendable thing about his samples is the uniformity – there is absolutely no visible difference or change in his handwriting. The style is constant from the first line till the last.

A great example of his skill is the long Shree Jnaneshwari. In a span of one and a half years,he finished writing 18 chapters (5000 pages) of Shree Jnaneshwari. The way he has written and packaged Jnaneshwari into attractive 18 religious pothis speaks volumes about his passion for writing. Currently,he is writing Tukaram Abhangs,which he hopes to complete by December 2012. Out of the 4500 abhangs,he has already finished writing 1200 abhangs.

Talking about the challenges of writing such age-old books,he says,“Jnaneshwari is 800 years old,while Dasbodh is 400 years old. Marathi was very different during those days. There were so many words which were incomprehensible; writing them required patience,care and time.”

In his drawing room,he has a special table with an attached pen stand. The writing space is not flat but has a slight tilt. The pen stand has only fountain pens with nibs of different degrees. Gokhale never uses lined paper or notebooks to write in a straight line. He has developed 18 symbols,using which one can write any letter of the English,Hindi or Marathi alphabets.

“Hastalipi (handwriting) used to be a part of our syllabus. Handwriting has taken a backseat these days because teachers are in a hurry to finish the syllabus and students are in a hurry to take down notes,” explains Gokhale,who tells his students that achieving good handwriting is like running a marathon. One needs to practice for both.

Gokhale has been skilled in good handwriting right since childhood. But,once he became aware of it,he started following Lekhankriya Nirupan,a book by Swami Samarth Ramdas,an eminent Marathi saint and religious poet. “In one of his teachings,he has said,‘Disa maji kahi tari te lihave,prasangi akhandit vachit jave’. It means,one should write something every day and read at every opportune moment. I follow this advice religiously,” he concludes.