Ramnath Biswas ( bn, রামনাথ বিশ্বাস, Ramnath Bishshash; 13 January 1894 – 1 November 1955) was an Indian revolutionary, soldier, globetrotter and travelogue writer. He is known for circumnavigating the globe by bicycle.

Early life

Ramnath was born to Birajanath Biswas and Gunamayee Devi in the year 1894 in the Vidyabhusanpara village of

Baniachong Baniachong ( bn, বানিয়াচং) is an upazila of Habiganj District in the Division of Sylhet, Bangladesh. Village Baniyachong is the biggest and the most populous village in Asia. History Baniachong constituted the grand estate (zami ...

in the Sylhet District of Assam which now falls under Habiganj District of Bangladesh. In his childhood he attended the Harischandra High School till the eighth grade. He had to quit studies due to the untimely death of his father.

Career

Ramnath started his career as a manager at the Jatiya Bhandar Samiti, a Swadeshi enterprise based in Sylhet. Jatiya Bhandar Samiti had a motor car repairing workshop and Ramnath learnt driving. During his tenure in this organization, he also learnt how to ride a bicycle and became quite expert at it. Then he left the job at Jatiya Bhandar Samiti and took up another job. During this time he secretly joined the Anushilan Samiti. However, his association with the revolutionary group became public and he was expelled from his job. During this time the First World War broke out. Ramnath joined the Bengali Paltan and went to the war in Mesopotamia. In 1924, he took up a job with the British Navy and moved to British Malaya.

World tours

1st tour (1931-33)

In 1931, Ramnath embarked on his first world tour on a bicycle. In his possession he had a pair of slippers, two wrappers, a bicycle and a box containing tools for bicycle repair. The bicycle frame had a metal board with the message - "Round the world, Hindoo traveller". On 7 July 1931, Ramnath started his journey from Queen Street in Singapore. The expatriate Indians of Singapore gathered on the occasion to wish him success. He cycled through Malaya, Siam,

Indochina Mainland Southeast Asia, also known as the Indochinese Peninsula or Indochina, is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of Mainland China and is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the west an ...

, China, Korea, Japan and reached Canada. In Canada, he was arrested and jailed for a month. In 1934, he returned to India. On his return to his native place the village arranged huge felicitation programme at the historic Eralia grounds. At the programme, while sharing his experience of his world tour, Ramnath described Baniachang as the largest village of the world.

2nd tour (1934-36)

In 1934, Ramnath embarked on his second world tour. This time he travelled through

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, Afghanistan, Persia, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France and reached England. He toured Scotland as well. The long arduous journey took toll on his health. In 1936, he returned from London in a ship via Port Said and reached Mumbai. After regaining his health and fitness, he travelled to Santiniketan to meet Rabindranath Tagore.

3rd tour (1938-40)

In 1938, he embarked on his third world tour. This time he travelled to Africa. From Mumbai, he travelled to Mombasa in a ship. He started on his bicycle from Mombasa and travelled through Kenya, Uganda, Nyasaland, Rhodesia and reached South Africa. From there he travelled to the United States. He returned home in 1940.

Later life

After the Partition of India, his native place became a part of Pakistan. Ramnath didn't emigrate. However, when he wanted to publish a book on his travelogues, he couldn't find a publisher. He himself founded a publication house by the name of Paryatak Prakashana and began to publish his books. After he few years he left East Pakistan and settled in Kolkata. After his arrival at Kolkata, he began to publish his travelogues in Anandabazar Patrika. He died in 1955. Biswas's ancestral home has been illegally occupied in Bangladesh.

Publications

Ramnath wrote more than 30 books. The following is an incomplete list. * Andhakarer Afrika * Ajker Amerika * Jujitsu Japan * Tarun Turki * Duranta Dakshin Afrika * Nigro Jatir Natun Jiban * Prashanta Mahasagare Ashanti * Bedouiner Deshe * Bhabaghurer Bishwabhraman * Bhietnamer Bidrohi Bir * Maranbijayi Chin * Mao Maoer Deshe * Malayesia Bhraman * Lal Chin * Bidrohi Balkan * Sarbaswadhin Shyam * Holiwuder Atmakatha * Tour Round The World Without Money

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Rajesh Chandrasekar Rajesh Chandrasekar (born ) is an Indian male road and track cyclist. On the road he competed at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. At the track he competed in the scratch event at the 2013 UCI Track Cycling World Championships The 2013 UCI Track ...

* Chandan Biswas

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Biswas, Ramnath 1894 births 1955 deaths Indian revolutionaries Indian Army personnel Bengali Hindus Indian explorers People from Baniachong Upazila Indian male cyclists Bengali-language writers Indian travel writers 20th-century Indian non-fiction writers Writers from Assam Military personnel from Assam