Shankha Ghosh
Encyclopedia
Shankha Ghosh (1932-) is a Bengal
i India
n poet and critic. Ghosh was born on February 6, 1932 at Chandpur
of what is now Bangladesh
. Shankha Ghosh is regarded a leading authority on Rabindranath in addition to being one of the most prolific writers in Bangla.
from the Presidency College
, Kolkata
in 1951 and subsequently his Master's degree from the University of Calcutta
. He taught at many educational institutes, including Bangabasi College
, City College
(all affiliated to the University of Calcutta) and at Jadavpur University
, all in Kolkata
. He retired from Jadavpur University in 1992. He joined the Iowa Writer's Workshop, USA in 1960's. He has also taught Delhi University, the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies at Shimla
, and at the Visva-Bharati University
.
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
i India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n poet and critic. Ghosh was born on February 6, 1932 at Chandpur
Chandpur District
Chandpur is a district in east-central Bangladesh. It is located at the mouth of the Meghna River. It is a part of the Chittagong Division. The town of Chandpur is terminus of a metre gauge branch of Bangladesh Railways. It also has a water terminal situated here.-Geography:Chandpur district has a...
of what is now 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...
. Shankha Ghosh is regarded a leading authority on Rabindranath in addition to being one of the most prolific writers in Bangla.
Life
He got his undergraduate degree in Arts in Bengali languageBengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
from the Presidency College
Presidency College, Kolkata
Presidency University, Kolkata, formerly Hindu College and Presidency College, is a unitary, state aided university, located in Kolkata, West Bengal. and one of the premier institutes of learning of liberal arts and sciences in India. In 2002 it was ranked number one by the weekly news magazine...
, Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
in 1951 and subsequently his Master's degree from the University of Calcutta
University of Calcutta
The University of Calcutta is a public university located in the city of Kolkata , India, founded on 24 January 1857...
. He taught at many educational institutes, including Bangabasi College
Bangabasi College
Bangabasi College is a Kolkata based liberal arts, commerce and sciences college. It offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses of the University of Calcutta. It was founded by Acharya Girish Chandra Bose, the eminent educationist, social reformer and agriculturist in 1887...
, City College
City College, Kolkata
City College is a constituent undergraduate college of the University of Calcutta. Established in 1881, it is one of the heritage institutions of Calcutta which played a prominent social role in the wake of the Bengal Renaissance of the nineteenth century. The college is located at 102/1, Raja...
(all affiliated to the University of Calcutta) and at Jadavpur University
Jadavpur University
Jadavpur University , is a premier educational and research institution in India.It is located in Kolkata, West Bengal and comprises two campuses - the main campus at Jadavpur and the new campus at Salt Lake...
, all in Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
. He retired from Jadavpur University in 1992. He joined the Iowa Writer's Workshop, USA in 1960's. He has also taught Delhi University, the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies at Shimla
Shimla
Shimla , formerly known as Simla, is the capital city of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared the summer capital of the British Raj in India. A popular tourist destination, Shimla is often referred to as the "Queen of Hills," a term coined by the British...
, and at the Visva-Bharati University
Visva-Bharati University
Visva Bharati University is a Central University for research and teaching in India, located in the twin towns of Santiniketan and Sriniketan in the Indian state of West Bengal. It was founded by Rabindranath Tagore who called it Visva Bharati, which means the communion of the world with India...
.
Awards
- Narsingh Das Puraskar (1977, for Muurkha baro, saamaajik nay)
- Sahitya AkademiSahitya AkademiThe Sahitya Akademi ', India's National Academy of Letters, is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of literature in the languages of India...
Award (1977, for Baabarer praarthanaa) - Rabindra-Puraskar (1989, for Dhum legechhe hrit kamale)
- Saraswati SammanSaraswati SammanThe Saraswati Samman is an annual award for outstanding prose or poetry literary works in any Indian language listed in Schedule VIII of the Constitution of India. It is named after an Indian goddess of learning and is considered to be among the highest literary awards in India.The award consists...
for his anthology Gandharba Kabitaguccha - Sahitya AkademiSahitya AkademiThe Sahitya Akademi ', India's National Academy of Letters, is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of literature in the languages of India...
Award for translation (1999, for translation of raktakalyaan) - Desikottam by Visva-Bharati (1999)
- Padma BhushanPadma BhushanThe 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:...
by the Government of India (2011)
Selected works
- Adim lata-gulmomay (Ancient vines and trees)
- Murkha baro, samajik nay (A fool, not social)
- Kabir abhipray (The poet's intention)
- Mukh dheke jay bigyapane
- Babarer prarthana (Babur's prayer)
Quotations from works
... Eto jodi buhya chakra tir tirandaj, tabe keno
Sharir diyechho shudhu, barmo khani dite gechho bhule
... if so abundant are arrows and ambushes, then why
Have you only given a body, forgetting the body armor.
From poem Barma in Murkha baro, samajik nay
- "Four years have elapsed after Independence,the news reached people, but not the food."
- "It is so scary to write on oneself, prose talks so directly, lets know so much."
- "These days people no longer live in the jungle,but in Kolkata."
- "Not the front page,our identity lies in the short news inside pages of the newspaper."
- "This life encircled by protest and death,is attached to beauty."
- "We hardly see the complete in completeness."