Badiuzzaman :
Pramatha Chowdhury, (1868-1946) litterateur, essayist, and one of the architects of Cholito Bhasa, was born on 7 August 1868 in Jashore. He was the son of Durgadas Chowdhury. His parental home was at Haripur in Pabna. He passed the Entrance examination from Kolkata Hare School and FA from St Xaviers’ College. He stood first class first both in BA (1889) honours in Philosophy and MA (1891) in English. He was also fluent in French. He went to England (1893) to study for the Bar. After becoming a Barrister he returned home and joined the Calcutta High Court. He married Indira Devi Chowdhurani (1891), a daughter of Satyendranath Tagore.
Pramatha Chowdhury served variously as lecturer at Law College, Manager of the Tagore Estate and the Dakshineshwar Devottor Estate, but he was more interested in literary pursuits, either editing or publishing journals or writing. He edited and published the monthly journal Sabujpatra, which introduced and popularised Cholito prose, and promoted a host of writers, including Rabindranath Tagore. Many satirical essays of Pramatha Chowdhury, under the pseudonym ‘Birbal’, were also published in this journal. He also edited other journals such as the Visva-Bharati (quarterly) and Alaka (monthly).
He was Vice President (1938-39) of the Bangiya Sahitya Parishad and President of the All-India Bangiya Sahitya Sammelon in Delhi (1926) and the Krishnanagar Bangiya Sahtiya Sammelon. Apart from essays, he also wrote poems and short stories.
Among his books are Tel Nun Lakri (essays, 1906), Sonnet Panchashot (poems, 1913), Char Yeari Kotha (short stories, 1916), Birboler Halkhata (essays, 1917), Nana Kotha (essays, 1919), Podocharon (1919), Ahuti (short stories, 1919), Amader Shiksa (essays, 1920), Birboler Tipponi (essays, 1921), Rayoter Kotha (essays, 1926), Pramatha Chowdhurir Gronthabali (1930), Nana Chorcha (essays, 1932), Nila Lohit (short stories, 1341), Nil Lohiter Adi Prem (short stories, 1341), Ghore Baire (essays, 1936), Prachin Hindustan (essays, 1939), Golpo Songroho (1941), Atmokotha (1946), The Story of Bengali Literature (1946), Tales of Four Friends (with Indira Devi, 1944).
Pramatha Chowdhury was awarded the Jagattarini Gold Medal (1938) by Calcutta University.
Pramatha Chowdhury died on 2 September 1946.
Pramatha Chowdhury, (1868-1946) litterateur, essayist, and one of the architects of Cholito Bhasa, was born on 7 August 1868 in Jashore. He was the son of Durgadas Chowdhury. His parental home was at Haripur in Pabna. He passed the Entrance examination from Kolkata Hare School and FA from St Xaviers’ College. He stood first class first both in BA (1889) honours in Philosophy and MA (1891) in English. He was also fluent in French. He went to England (1893) to study for the Bar. After becoming a Barrister he returned home and joined the Calcutta High Court. He married Indira Devi Chowdhurani (1891), a daughter of Satyendranath Tagore.
Pramatha Chowdhury served variously as lecturer at Law College, Manager of the Tagore Estate and the Dakshineshwar Devottor Estate, but he was more interested in literary pursuits, either editing or publishing journals or writing. He edited and published the monthly journal Sabujpatra, which introduced and popularised Cholito prose, and promoted a host of writers, including Rabindranath Tagore. Many satirical essays of Pramatha Chowdhury, under the pseudonym ‘Birbal’, were also published in this journal. He also edited other journals such as the Visva-Bharati (quarterly) and Alaka (monthly).
He was Vice President (1938-39) of the Bangiya Sahitya Parishad and President of the All-India Bangiya Sahitya Sammelon in Delhi (1926) and the Krishnanagar Bangiya Sahtiya Sammelon. Apart from essays, he also wrote poems and short stories.
Among his books are Tel Nun Lakri (essays, 1906), Sonnet Panchashot (poems, 1913), Char Yeari Kotha (short stories, 1916), Birboler Halkhata (essays, 1917), Nana Kotha (essays, 1919), Podocharon (1919), Ahuti (short stories, 1919), Amader Shiksa (essays, 1920), Birboler Tipponi (essays, 1921), Rayoter Kotha (essays, 1926), Pramatha Chowdhurir Gronthabali (1930), Nana Chorcha (essays, 1932), Nila Lohit (short stories, 1341), Nil Lohiter Adi Prem (short stories, 1341), Ghore Baire (essays, 1936), Prachin Hindustan (essays, 1939), Golpo Songroho (1941), Atmokotha (1946), The Story of Bengali Literature (1946), Tales of Four Friends (with Indira Devi, 1944).
Pramatha Chowdhury was awarded the Jagattarini Gold Medal (1938) by Calcutta University.
Pramatha Chowdhury died on 2 September 1946.
