JASHORE — The birthday of renowned Bengali writer Pramatha Chaudhuri is being observed Thursday. He was born on this day in 1868 in Jashore. His father, Durgadas Chaudhuri, was the son of a zamindar family from Haripur village in Chatmohar. The Pramatha Chaudhuri Memorial Preservation Council is marking the day through various programs. Although he spent his childhood and adolescence in Krishnanagar, Nadia, Chaudhuri visited his ancestral home in Haripur from time to time.
He passed the entrance examination from Hare School in Kolkata, earned an F.A. from St. Xavier’s College, a B.A. (honors) in philosophy from Presidency College and a master’s degree in English literature from the University of Calcutta. His varied career included a law practice at the Kolkata High Court, teaching at a law college and as an English literature professor, and serving as manager of the Tagore Estate. He turned to literature in the midst of that work. Chaudhuri elevated the colloquial Bengali language to a position of respect in literature, and few writers of his time matched his sharp taste.
His notable essay collections include “Birbaler Halkhata,” “Tel Nun Lakdi,” “Nana Katha,” “Amader Shiksha,” “Rayoter Katha,” “Nanacharcha” and “Prabandha Sangraha.” He wrote under the pen name Birbal and worked tirelessly for Bengali literature. Iqbal Kabir, lecturer and president of the Pramatha Chaudhuri Memorial Preservation Council, said three acres of his ancestral homestead were cleared of encroachment after three years of agitation and a library was built there with the district administration’s help.
Chaudhuri’s main literary reputation rests on his thoughtful essays, though he also wrote high-quality short stories and poetry. He was the first to write satirical essays in Bengali literature. A sharp, witty style is the defining feature of his prose and verse. He was skilled with cutting argument and ornate language and was well versed in English and French literature. He introduced French sonnet forms such as the triolet and terza rima into Bengali poetry. His notable books include “Tel-Nun-Lakdi” (1906), “Sonnet Pancashat” (1913), “Char-Yari Katha” (1916), “Birbaler Halkhata” (1916), “The Story of Bengali Literature” (1917), “Padacharan” (1919), “Rayoter Katha” (1926), “Nilolohit” (1932) and “Atmakatha” (1946).
Chaudhuri presided over the 21st Bengali Literary Conference held in Krishnanagar in 1937. In 1944, he delivered the Girishchandra Ghosh lecture on Bengali literature at the University of Calcutta. In 1941, the university conferred on him the Jagattarini Gold Medal. He died at Santiniketan on Dec. 2, 1946.
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