Priyamvada Devi (1871-1935) was a Bengali writer and philanthropist.

Early life

Devi was born in 1871 in Gunaigacha,

Pabna District Pabna District ( bn, পাবনা জেলা) is a district in central Bangladesh. It is an economically important district in Bangladesh. Its administrative capital is the eponymous Pabna town. History Archeologist Cunningham conjectured ...

Bengal Presidency The Bengal Presidency, officially the Presidency of Fort William and later Bengal Province, was a subdivision of the British Empire in India. At the height of its territorial jurisdiction, it covered large parts of what is now South Asia and ...

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was him ...

. Her mother, Prasannamoyi, was a famous writer. Her father's name was Krishnakumar Bagchi. Her uncles were

Pramatha Chowdhury Pramathanath Chaudhuri ( bn, প্রমথনাথ চৌধুরী; 7 August 1868 – 2 September 1946), known as Pramatha Chaudhuri, ''alias'' Birbal, was a Bengali writer and an influential figure in Bengali literature. He was the neph ...

and Ashutosh Chaudhuri, notable writers as well. She studied in

Bethune School Bethune College is a women's college located on Bidhan Sarani in Kolkata, India, and affiliated to the University of Calcutta. It is the oldest women's college in India. It was established as a girls' school in 1849, and as a college in 1879. ...

. She completed her Bachelor of Arts from the Bethune College in Kolkata.

Career

Devi married Taradas Banerjee in 1892. Her husband was a lawyer. Her son died in 1896, after which she spend her time writing and engaged in her philanthropy work. She joined the

Brahmo Balika Shikshalaya The Brahmo Balika Shikshalaya is a girls' school in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It is guided by the principles of the Brahmo Samaj movement. It was established on 16 May 1890 by the Sadharan Brahmo Samaj on the 12th anniversary of its foundat ...

(Brahmo Girls' School) as a teacher. She served as the head of Bharat Stri-Mahamandal. She also worked in a number of educational institutions during this time. She translated Svapnavasavadatta which was a Sanskrit play. She translated parts of the Bible and published it as Bhaktavani. Her notable novels included "Women of Japan", Katha O Upakatha, Jhilejabgale Shikar Anath, Pavchulal, and Renuka, a book about

Geisha {{Culture of Japan, Traditions, Geisha {{nihongo, Geisha, 芸者 ({{IPAc-en, ˈ, ɡ, eɪ, ʃ, ə; {{IPA-ja, ɡeːɕa, lang), also known as {{nihongo, , 芸子, geiko (in Kyoto and Kanazawa) or {{nihongo, , 芸妓, geigi, are a class of female J ...

s in Japan. She also wrote a number of poems including Tara, Angshu, Renu, and Champa O Parul. She directed plays for charity.

Death

Devi died in 1935.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Devi, Priyamvada 1871 births 1935 deaths Bengali women artists People from Pabna District Writers from the Bengal Presidency 19th-century Indian women writers 19th-century Indian writers 20th-century Indian women writers 20th-century Indian novelists Indian women novelists Writers from British India