Annada Shankar Ray
Encyclopedia
Annada Shankar Ray was a Bengali poet and essayist.
Annada Shankar Ray was born in 1904 at Dhenkanal
, Orissa
. He graduated in English from Ravenshaw College
. His father had shifted base from their ancestral village of Rameswarpur
near Dhamnagar in Bhadrak of Orissa, following a family feud. His family roots go back to the 'Ghosh Mahashayas' who migrated to Rameswarpur
from Kotarang near Howrah as a part of Todarmal's contingent during Akbar's reign.
He topped the list of Indian Civil Service examinees in 1927. He had failed to make the mark in the previous year being cut-off by one rank. It is said that he promised to his family and friends that if only one person was to be selected for ICS the next year, it would be himself, and he proved it. Incidentally he was the first ICS officer from the territory later forming the state of Orissa.
After serving in various administrative posts, he sought voluntary retirement in 1951 to devote himself to literary pursuits. Ray was a Gandhian in politics and Rabindranath Tagore inspired his literature
A Bengali rendering of a short story by Tolstoy and an appraisal of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s essay Narir Mulya marked his debut on the literary scene at the age of 16.
His first published book was Tarunya (1928), which gave him a footing as an essayist. His first two novels were Asamapika and Agun Niye Khela. As an essayist, he was urbane and sophisticated and combined in his craft two different styles of prose, represented by Tagore and Pramatha Choudhury.
A significant breakthrough in his literary career came with the publication of Pathe Prabase, a brilliant diary of his Europe trip, in 1931.
Ray also established himself as a short-story writer. His collections include Prakritir Parihas (1934), Man Pavan (1946), Kamini Kanchan (1954) and Katha.
He received the Vidyasagar Smriti Award from the state government and the Padma Bhushan
. He was made a fellow of the Sahitya Akademi
in 1989. The Visva Bharati conferred on him the Desikottama and an honorary D.Litt. He also received the Rabindra Puraskar, the Ananda Puraskar twice and the prestigious Zaibunnisa Award of Bangladesh
He was a bitter opponent of the partition of 1947 and wrote several bengali poems criticising it. Most notable is "Teler shishi bhaanglo bole khukur pare raag karo". Among his many essays, the book "Banglar Reneissance" has an analytical history of the cultural and social revolution in bengal. His married Leela Ray, an Indianized American lady with literary talent.
Annada Shankar's most famous work is "Pathe Prabaase" - a diary of his Europe trip in 1931.
From amongst his other great works in Oriya, the poetry "Sabita" finds place in higher studies of the language at College level, making him one of the rare poets to have the distinction of getting such acclaim from two different language speaking states of India.
He died in Kolkata on 28 October 2002.
He married an American pianist
called Alice Virginia Orndorf. After marriage Alice Virginia took the name Leela Roy.
His literary works were included in the curriculum of school level, secondary, higher secondary and graduation level Bengali Literature
in Bangladesh
.
Annada Shankar Ray was born in 1904 at Dhenkanal
Dhenkanal, India
Dhenkanal is a city and a municipality in Dhenkanal district in the state of Orissa, India.-Geography:Dhenkanal is located at . It has an average elevation of 80 metres .-Demographics:...
, Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
. He graduated in English from Ravenshaw College
Ravenshaw College
Ravenshaw College is located in Cuttack, India.The college was established in 1878 for Thomas Edward Ravenshaw, a descendant of William Withers...
. His father had shifted base from their ancestral village of Rameswarpur
Rameswarpur
Rameswarpur is a village near Dhamnagar in Bhadrak district of Orissa, India. This settlement was initiated about four centuries ago during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar by the "Ghosh Mahashays" who migrated to permanently settle down here, having come as a part of the contingent of Todarmal...
near Dhamnagar in Bhadrak of Orissa, following a family feud. His family roots go back to the 'Ghosh Mahashayas' who migrated to Rameswarpur
Rameswarpur
Rameswarpur is a village near Dhamnagar in Bhadrak district of Orissa, India. This settlement was initiated about four centuries ago during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar by the "Ghosh Mahashays" who migrated to permanently settle down here, having come as a part of the contingent of Todarmal...
from Kotarang near Howrah as a part of Todarmal's contingent during Akbar's reign.
He topped the list of Indian Civil Service examinees in 1927. He had failed to make the mark in the previous year being cut-off by one rank. It is said that he promised to his family and friends that if only one person was to be selected for ICS the next year, it would be himself, and he proved it. Incidentally he was the first ICS officer from the territory later forming the state of Orissa.
After serving in various administrative posts, he sought voluntary retirement in 1951 to devote himself to literary pursuits. Ray was a Gandhian in politics and Rabindranath Tagore inspired his literature
A Bengali rendering of a short story by Tolstoy and an appraisal of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s essay Narir Mulya marked his debut on the literary scene at the age of 16.
His first published book was Tarunya (1928), which gave him a footing as an essayist. His first two novels were Asamapika and Agun Niye Khela. As an essayist, he was urbane and sophisticated and combined in his craft two different styles of prose, represented by Tagore and Pramatha Choudhury.
A significant breakthrough in his literary career came with the publication of Pathe Prabase, a brilliant diary of his Europe trip, in 1931.
Ray also established himself as a short-story writer. His collections include Prakritir Parihas (1934), Man Pavan (1946), Kamini Kanchan (1954) and Katha.
He received the Vidyasagar Smriti Award from the state government and the Padma Bhushan
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
. He was made a fellow of the Sahitya Akademi
Sahitya Akademi
The Sahitya Akademi ', India's National Academy of Letters, is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of literature in the languages of India...
in 1989. The Visva Bharati conferred on him the Desikottama and an honorary D.Litt. He also received the Rabindra Puraskar, the Ananda Puraskar twice and the prestigious Zaibunnisa Award of Bangladesh
He was a bitter opponent of the partition of 1947 and wrote several bengali poems criticising it. Most notable is "Teler shishi bhaanglo bole khukur pare raag karo". Among his many essays, the book "Banglar Reneissance" has an analytical history of the cultural and social revolution in bengal. His married Leela Ray, an Indianized American lady with literary talent.
Annada Shankar's most famous work is "Pathe Prabaase" - a diary of his Europe trip in 1931.
From amongst his other great works in Oriya, the poetry "Sabita" finds place in higher studies of the language at College level, making him one of the rare poets to have the distinction of getting such acclaim from two different language speaking states of India.
He died in Kolkata on 28 October 2002.
He married an American pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
called Alice Virginia Orndorf. After marriage Alice Virginia took the name Leela Roy.
Works
Annadashankar Roy was a contributor of both prose and poetry.His literary works were included in the curriculum of school level, secondary, higher secondary and graduation level Bengali Literature
Bengali literature
Bengali literature is literary works written in Bengali language particularly from Bangladesh and the Indian provinces of West Bengal and Tripura. The history of Bengali literature traces back hundreds of years while it is impossible to separate the literary trends of the two Bengals during the...
in Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
.
Novels
- Satyasatya (6 Novels)
- Jar Jetha Desh
- Oggatobash
- Kolonkoboti
- Dukkhomochon
- Morter Sorgo
- Oposaron
- Agun Niye Khela
- Osomapika
- Putul Niye Khela
- Na
- Konna
Essays
- Tarunno
- Amra
- Jibonshilpi
- Eahara
- Jiyonkathi
- Deshkalpatro
- Prottoy
- Notun Kore Bacha
- Adhunikota
Short Story Collections
- Prokritir Porihash
- Du Kan Kata
- Hason Sakhi
- Mon Pahon
- Jouban Jala
- Kamini Kanchon
- Ruper Day
- Golpo