- Source: Hemchandra Bandyopadhyay
Hemchandra Bandopadhyay (Bengali: হেমচন্দ্র বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়, romanized: Hēmacandra bandyōpādhyāẏa, April 17, 1838 – May 24, 1903) was a student of Hindu College and a graduate of the University of Calcutta. Among the poets succeeding Michael Madhusudan Dutt, he was one of the most well known of his time. Hemchandra's works contributed to the tradition of Bengali epic poetry and are known for their patriotic sentiment.
Birth and early life
Hemchandra Bandopadhyay was born in a Gulatiya village near Rajbalhat. He was the eldest among four brothers and two sisters. His father, Kailashchandra Bandopadhyay, lived in abject poverty. Leveraging his aristocratic lineage, Kailashchandra married Anandamayi, the only daughter of Rajchandra Chakraborty, a solicitor of the Kolkata court. After the death of his grandfather, his family fell into financial hardship and Hemchandra's education at Khidirpur Bangla School in Kolkata came to a halt. However, in 1853, Prasannakumar Sarvadhikari, the principal of the Kolkata Sanskrit College, facilitated his admission into the senior school division of Hindu College in Kolkata, enrolling him in the second standard. In 1855, Hemchandra secured the second position in the Junior Scholarship Examination. That same year, he married Kamini Devi. Later, in 1857, he achieved fourth place in the Senior Scholarship Examination. When the scholarship tenure ended during his fourth-year studies, Hemchandra was forced to abandon his education.
Professional life
In 1859, Hemchandra began his career as a clerk in the Military Audit Office. Later, he was appointed as the headmaster of the Calcutta Training Academy. After earning his LL.B. degree in 1861, he commenced his legal practice at the Calcutta High Court. In 1862, he was appointed to the position of Munsif (a junior judicial officer). However, within a few months, he returned to practicing law at the High Court and successfully completed his Bachelor of Laws (B.L.) degree in 1866. In April 1890, he was appointed as a government pleader.
Poetry and literary pursuits
Hemchandra is remembered as a poet. He began with his first poem collection, Chintatarangini (1861). His most known work is Vrittasamhara (The Slaying of Vritra), published in two volumes between 1875 and 1877. In July 1872, his poem Bharat Sangeet (The Song of India) was published in the Education Gazette, drawing attention from the colonial government. Through other works such as Bharatbilap (The Lament for India), Kalachakra (The Wheel of Time), Ripan Utsav (The Ripon Festival), Bharater Nidravanga (India's Awakening), Ganga (The Ganges), and Janmabhumi (The Motherland), Hemchandra focused on national identity. His other works include:
Chintatarangini (1861) – his debut poetry collection
Birbahu (1864)
Ashakanan (1876)
Sangarupaka Kabya
Chhayamayi (1880)
Bibidha Kavita (Various Poems, 1300 Bangla Year)
Dash Mahavidya (The Ten Great Wisdoms, 1882)
Short poems
Jiban Sangeet (The Song of Life) – A philosophical adaptation of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's A Psalm of Life
Bharat Sangeet (The Song of India).
Bharat Bilap (The Lament for India).
Gangar Utpatti (The Origin of the Ganges).
Padmer Mrinal (The Lotus Stem).
Bharat Kahini (The Tale of India).
Ashoktaru (The Ashoka Tree).
Kulin Kanyaganer Akhep (The Lament of Aristocratic Daughters)
Death
Near the end of his life, Hemchandra lived in extreme poverty and was nearly blind. On May 24, 1903, he died in Khidirpur, Kolkata.