Kavikalanidhi Devarshi Shrikrishna Bhatt information

Kavikalanidhi Devarshi Shrikrishna Bhatt (1675–1761), a contemporary of the Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II of Jaipur, was an 18th-century Sanskrit poet, historian, scholar, and grammarian.^[1] He was an immensely accomplished and venerated poet of Sanskrit and Brajbhasha at the courts of the Kings of Bundi and Jaipur. He belonged to a reputed Sanskrit family of Vellanadu Brahmins from modern day Andhra Pradesh in South India who migrated to North India in the 15th century on invitation from various erstwhile princely States. His father's name was Laxman Bhatt.^[2]

Sawai Jai Singh II (1688–1743) was a connoisseur of art and literature, besides being a great warrior. During his rule, he invited many prominent and reputed scholars, artists, tantriks, painters, architects and town planners from different parts of the country. Devarshi Shrikrishna Bhatt was one such Sanskrit scholar and poet. He was a witness to the Ashwamedha yajña (1716) and Vajapeya yajña (1734) performed by Sawai Jai Singh II and to the founding and construction of Jaipur city.^[3] His famous epic Ishvar Vilas Mahakavya provides an excellent description of the reigns of Kings Sawai Jai Singh II (1688–1743) and his son Maharaja Ishvari Singh (1743–1750).