Upendrakishore Ray

Upendrokishore Ray (Bangla:????????????? ????), also known as Upendrokishore Raychowdhury (????????????? ??????????) was a famous Bengali writer, painter, violin player and composer. He was born on 10 May, 1863 in a little village called Moshua in Mymensingh district in Eastern Bengal, now a part of Bangladesh. He spent most of his adult life in Kolkata, where he died on 20 December 1915, aged only fifty-two. He was the father of famous writer Sukumar Ray and grandfather of renowned film-maker Satyajit Ray.

Related Topics:
Bangla - Bengali - 10 May - 1863 - Mymensingh - Bengal - Bangladesh - Kolkata - 20 December - 1915 - Sukumar Ray - Satyajit Ray

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Uprendrakishore is still regarded for his Bengali nonsense verses, short stories, science articles for children and a variety of other work greatly valued in Bengali literature. Although the Ray family embraced the liberal religious movement of Brahmo Samaj in the 1880s (and Upendrakishore was a deeply religious man), his scientific bend of mind is reflected in the numerous science articles he wrote for children.

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He was also a pioneer in half-tone block making and founded one of the finest early printing presses in Kolkata, (U. Ray & Sons) at 100 Garpar Road. He quickly earned recognition in India and abroad for the new methods he developed for printing both black & white and color photographs with great accuracy of detail. It was with the intention of running this business that his son Sukumar Ray spent a few years at the University of Manchester's printing technology department. This press was also the early lifeline of Sandesh, a popular children's magazine in Bengali that is still published today. This was the magazine where Upendrakishore (and later his son Sukumar and grandson Satyajit) published most of his children's literature.

Related Topics:
Kolkata - India - University of Manchester

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Upendrakishore's greatest contribution was in the field of children's literature in Bengali. His prominent works include the fantasy "Goopy Gayen Bagha Bagha Bayen" (on which Satyajit Ray based his acclaimed children's movie with the same name), children's verses in "?un?uni'r Boi", and the children's versions of the Hindu epics - "Chheleder Ramayon" and "Chheleder Môhabharot". He did most of the illustrations of his books himself.

Related Topics:
Satyajit Ray - Hindu - Ramayon - Môhabharot

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