Amdavad: Veteran novelist and playwright Dhiruben Patel has passed away at the age of 97 in Ahmedabad.

She authored a diverse body of work that includes novels, short stories, and poems, all strongly influenced by the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. One of her most well-known novels, Aganthuk, was translated into English as Rainbow at Noon by Raj Supe in 2001. Other notable works include Adhuro Kol, Adithrag, Ek Lahar, Kitchen Poems, Kishore Vadhasamgrah, Namani Nagarvel, Pahlun Inam, Mayapurush, Vishrambhakatha, Shubbeej, and Hutasan.

Born on May 25, 1926, Dhiruben was honoured with the Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak award in 1980. The following year, she received both the K. M. Munshi Suvarna Chandrak and Sahitya Gaurav Puraskar awards from the Gujarat Sahitya Akademi. In 1996, she was presented with the Nandshankar Suvarna Chandrak and Darshak Awards. In 2001, her novel Agantuk earned her the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award for Gujarati literature. DeshGujarat