Bengali children's writer Leela Majumdar dies
Apr 5, 2007 - 5:57:56 PM
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She created 'Manimala', the story of a 'very ordinary girl' whose grandmother starts writing to her from the time she turns 12, something that continues into her marriage and motherhood.
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By IANS,
[RxPG] Kolkata, April 5 - A hallowed era of Bengali children's literature came to an end Thursday with the passing away of legendary writer Leela Majumdar in a south Kolkata nursing home. She was 100.
Majumdar, who became a centenarian in February this year, was famous for creating immortal Bengali titles like 'Padipishir Bormibaksho' for children during a writing career that spanned from the 1920s to 1990. Generations of Bengali children grew up on her books.
The literary world in Bengal expressed profound grief at her death.
'I recall her once inviting me to her home. She then told me point blank that she had not read my books for adults but that she was happy to know that I had started writing for children also. I touched her feet and took her blessings,' said eminent writer Sunil Gangopadhyay.
Majumdar was the recipient of many awards, including Ananda Puraskar and Shishu Sahitya Puraskar. She was born in Kolkata to Pramada Ranjan Ray and Surama Devi.
She spent her childhood in Shillong where she studied at Loretto Convent. Her first story was published in the Sandesh magazine in 1922.
Some of here notable works are 'Holde Pakhir Palok', 'TongLing', 'Maaku', 'Podi Pishir Bormibaksho'. In her autobiography called 'Pakdondi', she described her childhood days at Shillong, her involvement with Santiniketan and All India Radio - as well as her unique journey through Bengali literature.
She also wrote for adults - books like 'Srimati' and 'Jonaki' - but she will be best remembered for children's books. She dominated the children's literature scene from 1950 to the late 1970s.
Along with late film maestro Satyajit Ray, to whom she was an aunt by relation, she also edited for the Sandesh literary magazine for children.
Sandesh was first published by Upendrakishore Roychowdhury, Ray's grandfather, in 1913. After the death of Roychowdhury in 1915, his eldest son and famous nonsense rhyme writer Sukumar Ray succeeded as the editor of the magazine in 1915. Majumdar was a cousin of Sukumar Ray.
Majumdar had not been keeping well of late and the end came Thursday in a south Kolkata nursing home. She is survived by her children and grandchildren.
She was commissioned by AIR to broadcast a series in 1947-48 on the 'natural and ordinary problems' in the everyday life of a girl growing up in a typical, middle-class Bengali family.
She created 'Manimala', the story of a 'very ordinary girl' whose grandmother starts writing to her from the time she turns 12, something that continues into her marriage and motherhood.
Her books were also adapted into films.
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