Life of Sukumar Roy
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pic - sukumar roy The source of this information is the book "When I was Young" by Satyajit Roy, the son of Sukumar Roy. The content is divided into three different categories. You can shift to the Did You Know section to get a quick view of some interesting facts in the life of Sukumar Roy. Here you get to know of some rather not much talked about qualities of the versatile genius.

button Brief Family Introduction

button Events in the life of the poet

button Did you know...


 

Brief Family Introduction:

Loknath Ray was from the Masua village in the district of Maimensingha. His son Kalinath was better known as Munshi Shyam Sundar for his knowledge of Sanskrit, Arabic and Persian languages. Among his five sons, the second son, Kamada Ranjan was adopted by Hari Kishore Ray Chowdhury, a distant relative. After adoption Kamada Ranjan was named Upendra Kiskore. His elder brother Sarada Ranjan and younger brother Muktida Ranjan were academicians and sportsmen. The fourth brother was known for his work on children's literature and photography. The fifth was a forest officer and authored books on forests and jungles.

Sukumar Ray was the second child born to Upendrakishore and Bidhumukhi's. The first born was daughter Sukhalata. Punyalata, Subinoy, Shantilata and Subimal were the other sisters and brothers.

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Events in the life of the poet:

 

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1887

Born on October 30

1895

First poem "Nodi" published in the magazine "Mukul". M/S U. Ray, Artist starts graphic arts & photo processes business.

1898

Grandfather (maternal) Dwarakanath passes away

1904

Award of Merit by Boy's Own Paper for excellence in photography in November

1906

Graduates with Hons. in Physics and Chemistry from the Presidency College of Kolkata

1907

Forms Nonsense Club

1910

Aalok published by Yuva Samity

1911

Visits Santiniketan on Tagore's fiftieth birthday

Sails for England on Guruprosonno Ghosh scholarship to study photography and half-tone printing

Writes "Halftone Facts Summarized", published in the Penrose Annual (1912)

1912

Becomes member of the Royal Photographic Society

Tagore arrives in England Reads paper "The Spirit of Rabindranath" in the club "East and West Society"

Designs sliding calculator to help in setting up the camera during process work

1913

Writes "Standardizing the Original", published in the Penrose Annual (1913-'14)

Article on the Pin-hole theory published in July, 1913 issue of The British Journal of Photography

First issue of Sandesh published by Upendrakishore.

Returns to Calcutta on Sept 29 together with Tagore and Kalimohan Ghosh

1914

Ray Chowdury family and M/S U Ray & Sons moves to 100, Garpar Rd

Joint Secretary of Sadharan Brahmo Samaj

1915

Father Upendrakishore passes away on December 20, 1915

Sukumar takes over as Editor of Sandesh

Monday Club formed

1917

Sukumar and PC Mohalnobis jointly propose that Tagore be admitted as honorary member of Sadharan Brahmo Samaj

1918

Admission Form Revision Committee formed

1919

Marriage with Suprabha Das, grand-daughter of the visionary Kalinarayan Gupta

on December 13, 1919

1920

Sandesh becomes irregular for a few issues.

Letter to Prasanta C Mohalnobis dated August 23, 1920

1921

Decision to hold parallel Maghotsav in January, 1921

referendum on March 21 admits Tagore as honorary member of Sadharan Brahmo Samaj

Son Satyajit born on May 2, 1921

Falls ill with black fever

1922

Becomes Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society

1923

Passes away on September 10, 1923

 

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Did you know...

  • At eight years old this embryonic family humorist completed his first creative feat - a poem to "Nadi", the river.
     
  • At about nine, he wrote "Tick, Tick, Tong" which was really a translation of the well-known nursery poem "Hickory, Dickory, Dock".
     
  • He formed a club while studying as a student of the Presidency College. Can you guess its name? It was the 'Nonsense Club' with membership open to those with a flair for the ridiculous, practical joking and acting.
     
  • He graduated from the Presidency college with honors in Physics & Chemistry.
     
  • He went to England for higher studies not in literature but in photography and half-tone printing.
     
  • Not many people know that the master of humor was also a master of photography. He got the Award of Merit by 'Boy's Own Paper' for excellence in photography in November, 1904 at the age of 17. He Designed the sliding calculator to help in setting up the camera during process work. He became the 'Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society'.
     
  • His article on the Pin-hole theory was published in July, 1913 issue of 'The British Journal of Photography'.
     
  • He became the joint Secretary of Sadharan Brahmo Samaj in 1914.
     
  • The famous work 'Abol Tabol' was published just 9 days before his death.
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The information in the 'brief family introduction' and 'events in the life of the poet' sections was compiled by Saumya Ganguly.



Updated on 1st August, 2009
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