Lakshminath Bezbarua (1864-1938) was an Assamese novelist, poet, playwright, satirist and children’s author. He was one of the prominent writers and literary stalwarts of the Jonaki era who contributed to modern Assamese literature. In the literary world of Assam, Lakshminath Bezibarua is known as “Sahityarathi” (Charioteer of English Literature) and “Rasaraaj” (King of Humor) for his expertise in literature.
Wiki/Biography
Lakshminath Bezbarua was born on Monday, November 14, 1864, in Ahatguri, Nagaon, Assam (died 73 years old). Lakshminath Bezbarua’s formal education began in Guwahati, but due to the nature of his father’s work, Lakshminath Bezbarua Having spent his childhood in different parts of Assam, his schools changed. Lakshminath Bezbarua received his early education in the Sibsagar administration. Sibsagar High School. In 1890 he received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Calcutta City College. He received his BA from Congress College, Calcutta. After graduation, he obtained MA and BA degrees from Calcutta University, but he failed to complete both degrees.
family
Parents and siblings
Lakshminath Bezbarua’s father, Dinanath Bezbarua, was a senior official and junior judge in the British government. His mother’s name was Thaneswari Devi.
wife and children
Hymendra Nath, third son of Lakshminath Bezbarua and Maharshi Devendra Nath Thakur, 1891 • Marriage of Pragyasundari Devi, daughter of Hemendra Nath Thakur, who swore the first Brahmin covenant on December 21, 1843. She belonged to the Thakur family of Jorasanko and was the niece of the great Indian. Poet Robindranath Tagore. Pragyasundari Devi was the first woman to write the three-volume cookbook Aamish O Niramish Aahar in Bengali. She was also the editor of a magazine called Punya, a literary agent in 1891, and a famous Odician dancer. Lakshminath Bezbarua had four daughters, one of whom died at a young age. The eldest daughter’s name is Aruna. His second daughter was named Ratna and the third was named Dipika. Laxminath’s granddaughter Rita Devi is also a famous Odisi dancer.
Pragyasundari Devi, wife of Lakshminath Bezbaroa
Lakshminath Bezbarua’s family
Profession
In 1893, Lakshminath Bezbarua started a timber business with Bolanath Baruah, a prominent Assamese businessman. In 1909, the magazine Banhi edited by Lakshminath Bezbarua was published and played a vital role in Assamese literature. Lakshminath Bezbarua chaired the literary conference of Assamese students in Guwahati in 1916. In 1924, Lakshminath Bezbarua became the Chairman of the Seventh Annual Assam Conference held in Guwahati. In 1889, Lakshminath Bezbarua started an Assamese monthly, Jonaki (Moonlight), which found a way to infuse the Assamese alphabet with a 19th-century romanticism that had begun to fade from Western literature . Lakshminath Bezbarua was exposed to Western literary culture during his studies in Calcutta. In 1888, the Assamese Language Development Society, together with Assamese students Lakshminath Bezbarua, Hemchandra Goswami and Chandrakumar Agarwala living in Calcutta, founded a project AVUSa which played an important role in the emergence of the Assamese language, And led to the beginning of Assamese and the growth of Assamese literature. In 1916, he became the founding chairman of the Asom Chattra Sanmilan (meeting of all Assamese students) in Ratahir, Guwahati.
writer
drama
Lakshminath Bezbarua’s plays are divided into two parts – humorous Bengali dramas and historical dramas.
Humor Bengali Drama Historical Drama
- Chakradwaji Sinha (1915)
satirical essay
- Kripabo Babarual Kakoto Tupla (1904)
- Kripabo Babarual Ubud Toni (1909)
- Babarul Babor Burbroni
biography
- Dinanath Bejbaruar Xankhipto Jibon Charity
- Mahaprush Sri Sankadev Alu Sri Madabudev
autobiography
English books
- History of Trans-Shinavaism in India
- Rasalila of Sri Krishna (Vadodara Lectures, 1934)
- The Religion of Love and Devotion (1968)
poetry collection
novel
- Kunwary Podium
short story collection
children’s literature
- Junuka (Folk Tale, 1910)
- Burhi aair xadhu (folktale, 1911)
- Kokadeuta aaru nati lora (Folktale, 1912)
edit
Awards, Honors, Achievements
- Lakshminath Bezbarua was conferred the title ‘Rasaraj’ at the Assam Sahitya Sabha meeting in Sivasagar in 1923 .
die
Lakshminath Bezbarua died on Saturday 26 March 1938 in Dibrugarh at the age of 73. The Sahitya Sabha of Assam declares this day as Sahitya Divas to celebrate.
Facts / Trivia
- Assam’s national anthem “O Mur Apunar Dekh” was composed by Lakshminath Bezbarua and tuned by Kamala Prasad Agarwala. It was first published in the Assam magazine Bahi in 1909 and was officially adopted as the national anthem of Assam in 1927.
- Lakshminath Bezbarua’s date of birth is uncertain because in the first paragraph of chapter one of his autobiography Mor Jiban Xuworon, Lakshminath Bezbarua (Mor Jiban Xuworon) said that he could not remember his exact date of birth and that at a young age, when he needed the date of birth as a necessary record and document, he himself created his own date of birth for this purpose.
- Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Sunday, February 16, 2020, inaugurated the Sahityarathi Lakshminath Bezbarua statue, built by the Cultural Affairs and Administration Department of the Government of Assam at Assam House in Kolkata.
Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the statue of Lakshminath Bezbarua at Assam House in Kolkata.
- Lakshminath Bezbarua testifies in his autobiography that he was born on the night of the full moon in autumn, the husband of Goddess Lakshmi, and named after Vishnu, the husband of Goddess Lakshmi. The Lord’s name is named Lakshminath. This fall festival, usually held in October, is celebrated during the Ashwin full moon. In November 1868, there was only the 30th full moon day, but apparently no Lakshmi puja was celebrated that year. Therefore, the Assam Sahitiya House fixed his birth date as October 14, 1864, the night of the full moon at Lakshmi Puja in India.
- Followers of Assamese literature pay homage to a portrait of Sahitirati Lakshminath Bezbarua on his 150th birth anniversary, October 11, 2014. The event was organized by the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) in Guwahati. More than 100,000 students gathered at 42 locations in Assam to recite famous poems by Sahityarathi Lakshminath Bezbarua.
The All Assam Student Union (AASU) celebrated the 150th birthday of Lakshminath Bezbaroa in Guwahati.
- After completing his bachelor’s degree, Lakshminath Bezbarua was offered a government job twice by the government, but he turned it down both times.
- Jonaki magazine published by Lakshminath Bezbarua gives an important and unique place to the Assamese language and culture through literature.
- On September 3, 2020, Sahityarathi Lakshminath Bezbarua Sahitya Manishi Upaban Morigaon was inaugurated by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal under the Manipur Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) scheme. This time, he planted and distributed saplings to co-supporters, media and organizing teams. He also mentioned this in one of his tweets, in which he wrote:
Our government is working hard to protect and preserve the biodiversity of Assam. We have made huge progress in planting 100 million saplings across the state. I urge people to plant as many trees as possible to achieve a “clean and green Assam”.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in honor of Sahitya Lakshminath Bezibarua Sahitya Manish Upaban (Sahityarathi Lakshminath Bezbaruah Sahitya Manishi Upaban) Inauguration
- In 1968, the Government of India issued a Lakshminath Bezbarua commemorative stamp in recognition of his written works and his contribution to Assam through literature.
India Lakshiminath Bezbarua 1968 stamp
- Lakshminath Bezbarua’s eldest daughter sold his house in Sambalpur to locals. After the lease expired, state offices occupied the premises. The Assam government wants to spend over Rs 1 crore to build a Smruti Bhawan in memory of Sahityarathi Lakshminath Bezbarua.
Lakshimath Bezbaruah used to live with his parents in a house near Mandela Chowck in Sambalpur, Odisha. The government of Odisha is planning to convert the house into a museum.
- In 1932, Lakshminath Bezbarua’s third daughter Dipika converted to Christianity, but Lakshminath Bezbarua did not appreciate it.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education