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Bharatchandra Ray (Bengali: ভারতচন্দ্র রায়) (1712–1760) was an eighteenth century Bengali poet and song composer famous for his Mangalkavya.^[1]

Early years

Son of Narendranarayan Ray of Pedo-Bhurshut (Howrah), he had to leave his ancestral home because of property disputes and marriage as per his own desire. He roamed from place to place. While living in Ramchandra Munshi's ashram (hermitage) at Debanandapur in Hooghly district, he learnt Persian. He later became the court poet of Maharaja Krishnachandra of Krishnanagar and was bestowed with the title ‘Raygunakar’. He was the first poet in the Bengali language to be identified as a people’s poet, and lent a new grace and beauty to the language.^[1]

Songs

Bharatchandra was the true representative of the transition of Bengali music from medieval to modern age. He was well versed in classical music, a skill he possibly acquired in the court of the Maharaja Krishnachandra. While he adopted the line of mangalgan (song of bliss) which was traditionally dedicated to the gods and goddesses, he attempted to liberate the poetical as well as musical compositions of Bengal from the hold of gods and goddesses and infused a human touch into them. Many of the songs he composed as part of long poetic works were on their own lyrical and could be sung independently. Bharatchandra may also be regarded as a pioneer in composing songs on Radha-Krishna love theme in raga musical form outside the area of padavali kirtan. In a way he is considered the forerunner of Ramprasad Sen and Ramnidhi Gupta (popular as Nidhu Babu).^[2]

Translations

Gerasim Lebedev translated a portion of Bharatchandra's Annadamangal into Russian. ^[3] He also borrowed from the lyrics composed by Bharatchandra for the musical composition of the two translated plays he stage in Kolkata. ^[4][3]

Works

Mangalkavya, Annadamangal, Vidyasundar, Rasamanjari, Satypirer Katha, and Nagastak.^[1]

References

External links

• Banglapedia biography of Bharatchandra