Buddhadeb Guha (29 June 1936 – 29 August 2021) was an Indian writer of fiction in

Bengali language Bengali ( ), generally known by its endonym Bangla (, ), is an Indo-Aryan language native to the Bengal region of South Asia. It is the official, national, and most widely spoken language of Bangladesh and the second most widely spoken o ...

. Apart from writing, he was a trained singer and a painter too.

Career

Born in

Calcutta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comm ...

, Guha studied at

St. Xavier's College A multitude of schools and universities have been named after St. Francis Xavier, a Spanish Roman Catholic saint and co-founder of the Society of Jesus. This page lists notable educational institutions named after St. Xavier, arranged by country a ...

of the

University of Calcutta The University of Calcutta (informally known as Calcutta University; CU) is a public collegiate state university in India, located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Considered one of best state research university all over India every year, C ...

. He spent his early years in various districts of

Eastern Bengal Eastern Bengal may refer to: * East Bengal, a historical territory, in the eastern part of Bengal, roughly corresponding to modern Bangladesh (while West Bengal is a state of India) * the former Roman Catholic Diocese of Eastern Bengal {{disambigu ...

(now

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million pe ...

). Those days in Rangpur, Jaipurhat and

Barisal Barisal ( or ; bn, বরিশাল, ), officially known as Barishal, is a major city that lies on the banks of the Kirtankhola river in south-central Bangladesh. It is the largest city and the administrative headquarter of both Barisal Di ...

are depicted in his Rivu series. Some of the ''Rivu'' books are dedicated to friends from his youth. He was also the creator of Rijuda, an imaginary character who explores jungles with his sidekick Rudra. The jungles that he wrote about were mainly in

Eastern India East India is a region of India consisting of the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal and also the union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The region roughly corresponds to the historical region of Magadha ...

. Guha received

Ananda Puraskar The Ananda Puraskar () is an award for Bengali literature awarded annually by the ABP Group to writers using Bengali, usually from West Bengal, India. History The award can be traced to a comment by Annada Shankar Ray ruing the absence of liter ...

in 1976. He was a chartered accountant by profession. Apart from writing, Guha was a trained singer of

Rabindra Sangeet ''Rabindra Sangeet'' ( bn, রবীন্দ্র সঙ্গীত; ), also known as Tagore Songs, are songs from the Indian subcontinent written and composed by the Bengali polymath Rabindranath Tagore, winner of the 1913 Nobel Prize in Li ...

which he learned at the famous Tagore school of music ''

Dakshinee Dakshinee is one of the music academies in Kolkata. It primarily focuses on teaching and promoting the Rabindrasangeet. History Suvo Guha Thakurta was a devotee of Rabindrasangeet. He wanted to spread it among Bengali masses which were the ...

'' and later also trained in

Hindustani classical music Hindustani classical music is the classical music of northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. It may also be called North Indian classical music or, in Hindustani, ''shastriya sangeet'' (). It is played in instruments like the violin, sit ...

and in old style

Tappa Tappa is a form of Indian semi-classical vocal music. Its specialty is a rolling pace based on fast, subtle and knotty construction. Its tunes are melodious and sweet, and depict the emotional outbursts of a lover. Tappe (plural) were sung mostly by ...

songs from

Ramkumar Chattopadhyay Ramkumar Chattopadhyay (1921 — 18 March 2009) was an eminent Bengali singer, composer and music director. He was well known as a classical singer with a unique repertoire of ''Puratani'' (old Bengali) songs, devotional songs and Tappa. Early l ...

and

Chandidas Mal Chandidas Mal (7 October 1929 – 8 December 2021) was an Indian musician perhaps best known for his rendition of Puratani Bangla Gaan (Bengali Sons of Olden times), Tappa, Shyamasangeet (Devotional Songs for Goddess Kali) and Agamani (Devotio ...

. He was also a gifted painter and towards the end of his life, when his eyesight began to fail and he began to dictate his writings, he fell back on painting which he was self-taught in but was very good at.

Bibliography

Novels

* Aainar Samne (Deys) * Abhilas (Deys) * Ababahika (Ananda Pub) * Aborohi (Ananda Pub) * Adbhut Lok (Sahityam) * Alokjhari (Deys) * Anwesh * Babli (Sahityam, 1985) * Baje Chandanpurer Korcha (Deys) * Bangri Poshir Doo Rattir (Sahityam) * Banjoytsnai, Sabuj Andhakare (Ananda Pub) * Basona Kusum (Sahityam) * Bati Ghar (Sahityam) * Bhabar Somoi * Bhorere Age (Ananda Pub) * Binnyas (Ananda Pub) * Boi Melate (Sahityam) * Bonobasar (Deys) * Bonobiharir Smriticharon (Rriti Prakashon) * Chabutara * Chandrayan (Sahityam) * Changhar e Gaan (Deys) * Chapras (Ananda Pub) * Charkanya (Sahityam, 2004) * Charumati (Sahityam, 2003) * Chayara Dirgho Holo (Sahityam) * Chou (Nirmal Sahityam) * Doshti Uponyas (Ananda Pub) * Doshti Uponyas (Sahityam) * Kumudini * Babli * Jongli Mohol * Ragmala * Chandrayan * Pakhsat * Adbhut Lok * Parijayee * Basona Kusum * Du-Nombor (Sahityam) * Ektu Ushnatar Jonno (Ananda Pub) * Gunja Phuler Mala (Deep Prakashon) * Hajarduari (Ananda Pub) * Halud Bosonto (Ananda Pub) * Ilmorander Deshe * Jagmogi (Sahityam) * Jaoya-Asa (Deys, 1986) * Jhaki Darshan * Jolchobi, Anumotir Jonnye (Deys) * Jongli Mohol (Sahityam) * Jongoler Journal (Deys) * Jongol Mahal (Deys) * Jongol Sambhar (Deys) * Jongol Mohol * Bonobasar * Jongoler Journal * Paridhi * Lobongir Jongole * Jujudhan (Sahityam) * Kangpokopi (Deys) * Khelaghar * Khela Jokhon (Ananda Pub) * Koeler Kache (Ananda Pub) * Kojagor (Deys) * Kumudini (Sahityam) * Lobongir Jongole (Deys) * Madhukari (Ananda Pub) * Mahulsukhar Chithi (Ananda Pub) * Mandur Rupamoti (Sahityam) * Mohorra * Nagno Nirjan (Sahityam) * Nana Galpa (Deep Prakashon, 2004) * Oaikiki (Ananda Pub) * Pakhshat (Sahityam) * Palashtalir Parshi (Deys, 1985–86) * Pamori (Sahityam) * Pancham Prabas * Panchasti Priyo Golpo (Sahityam) * Panchoprodip * Parijat Paring (Ananda Pub) * Paridhi (Deys) * Poheli Peyar * Premer Golpo * Priyo Galpo (Sahityam) * Prothom Probas * Prothomader Jonnye * Pujor Somoi e (Ananda Pub) * Ragmala (Sahityam) * Reunion (Ananda Pub) * Riya (Deys, 1990) * Sajhghore, Eka * Saldungri * Sanjhbelate (Dey's, 2002) * Sareng Miya (Deys) * Sasandiri (Ananda Pub) * Sabinay Nibedan (Ananda Pub, 1989) * Samo (Sahityam) * Sharaswata (Sahityam) * Sera baro (Bikash, 1999) * Sogotokti * Sondheyr Pore (Ananda Pub) * Sopord (Deys) * Srestha Golpo * Sukher Kache * Ek gharer dui raat

Rivu

* Durer Bhor * Durer Dupur (Deys) * Najai * Parnomochi * Parijayii (Sahityam, 2000) * Rivu (Deys, 1992) * Rivur Sraban (Ananda Pub) * Rivu -4(Deys)

Rijuda

* Albino (Ananda Pub) * Aro Dui Rijuda (Sahityam) * Aro Dui Notun Rijuda Kahini (Sahityam) * Saptam Ripu * Teen Nombor * Aro Tin Rijuda Kahini (Sahityam) * Bagher Mangsho Ebong Onnyo Shikar (Ananda Pub) * Bonobibir Bon e (Ananda Pub) * Duti Rijuda Kahini (Sahityam, 2004) * Gugunogumbarer Deshe (Ananda Pub) * Langra Pahan (Ananda Pub) * Moulir Raat (Ananda Pub) * Ninikumari r Bagh (Ananda Pub) * Rijuda Kahini (Sahityam) * Kuruboker Deshe * Projati Projapoti * Jomduar * Rijuda Samagra -5(Ananda Pub, 1993) * Rijudar Char Kahini (Sahityam, 2002) * Rijudar Songe Jongole (Ananda Pub) * Rijudar Songe Boxer Jongole Ebong (Ananda Pub) * Rijudar Songe Lobongi Bone (Ananda Pub) * Rijudar Songe Sodorbone o Anyanyo Golpo (Sahityam) * Rijudar Songe Sufkor e (Ananda Pub) * Ru Aha (Ananda Pub) * Taar Baghoa (Ananda Pub) * Tin Rijuda (Sahityam) * Tin Rijuda (Sahityam)

Death

Buddhadeb Guha died on 29 August 2021 after developing post-

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickl ...

health complications.

References

External links

*
Buddhadeb Guha Section in Library of Congress

Buddhadeb Guha Section in Boiwala

Short Biography of Buddhadeb Guha
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Guha, Buddhadeb 1936 births 2021 deaths Bengali novelists Recipients of the Ananda Purashkar University of Calcutta alumni Writers from Kolkata Novelists from West Bengal 20th-century Indian novelists Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in India