In 2013, British author Neil Richard Gaiman made it to the headlines, for an unusual reason though. This bestselling author from England was honoured by the Portsmouth City Council in a distinguished manner. The Council of the city in which Gaiman's grandfather has once settled, decided to rename one of its street after Gaiman's award winning novel The Ocean at the End of the Lane, which is actually set in the landscapes in which Gaiman grew up. But it was not the first time in the world that a city street has been renamed after a famous book to appreciate its author. In fact, Kolkata took the lead in this exceptional initiative.
From Portsmouth, South England, cut to Bagbazar, North Calcutta. In the City's oldest neighbourhood there exists a narrow lane officially known as BISWAKOSH LANE. The bengali word 'Biswakosh' means the Encyclopedia. The lane indeed has a strong connection with the first bengali encyclopedia compiled by Shri Nagendranath Basu. The author himself lived here.
Nagendranath Basu was born in Calcutta on 6th July, 1866. His ancestors came from Mahesh in Hooghly and settled here. Apart from being one of the bengali literati of that era, Basu was a pioneering archaeologist and historian too. Being a versatile scholar, early in life Nagendranath started writing poems and novels and soon became involved in editing. He used to edit two monthly journals : Tapaswini and Bharat. At this time, an English to Bengali dictionary called 'Shabdendu Mahakosh' was planned to be published. Nagendranath Basu took the responsibility at the age of 18 and became the first compiler and editor of the same. It is through this work that he came close to Shri Anandakrishna Basu and Shri Haraprasad Shastri, by whose influence he became a member of Asiatic Society. His collection of essays on ancient history of Bengal, presented at Asiatic Society meeting in 1894, was remarkable in every sense. Later on he was also associated with the compilation of the appendix of 'Shabda Kalpadruma', most notable dictionary of Sanskrit language published by Shri Radhakanta Deb.
Nagendranath was also a distinguished archaeologist. He travelled across the length and breadth of India, especially Orissa, in search of archaeological finds. He collected rock inscriptions, brass plates and ancient manuscripts in Bangla, Oriya and Sanskrit. He also deciphered many of these writings. It was his priceless collection of ancient manuscripts, with which Calcutta University opened its Bengali Department in 1919.
BENGALI ENCYCLOPEDIA 'BISWAKOSH' AND RENAMING OF KANTAPUKUR BY LANE -
The compilation work of 'BISWAKOSH', the most famous and most complete encyclopedia in Bengali was started by Shri Rangalal Mukhopadhyay, an Ayurvedic Physician and School Teacher, with the assistance of his brother Shri Trailokyanath Mukhopadhyay, a notable bengali fiction writer. Rangalal was a renowned physician at Birbhum. By his savings from the medical profession, he purchased a printing press and initiated the publication of the book. The first publication of first installment was made in 1885 by the Mukhopadhyay brothers from their native village Rahuta in 24 Parganas. The first regular volume of Biswakosh was published in 1887 under their joint editorship. Basu took over as its editor in 1888 and with relentless effort spanning a period of twenty-two years, compiled twenty-two volumes of the encyclopedia by 1911. Many prominent Bengali scholars of those times assisted the editor in preparing this glorious monument in the world of Bengali encyclopedias. Later a Hindi version of the Biswakosh came out in twenty-four volumes during the years 1916-31. Basu started the compilation of a second edition of Biswakosh in 1933, but could bring out only four volumes. Due to his death in 1938, the new edition remained incomplete.
Nagendranath Basu spent his entire life at his ancestral house at 8, Kantapukur By Lane, a neighbourhood at Bagbazar near present day Bagbazar Multipurpose School. With effect from 17th March, 1915, the then Calcutta Corporation renamed the lane as 'Biswakosh Lane' in honour of its famous resident. At present, Nagendranath's grandson Sambhunath and his family live in this semi-circular fashioned two-storied building, a Category IIA heriatge declared by KMC Heriatge Committee. A marble plaque in memory of Shri Basu was erected at the initiative of Sutanuti Parishad in July, 2002.
This is the first instance of renaming a street after a book in the world.
He also edited the Sahitya Parishad Patrika, mouthpiece of Bangiya Sahitya Parishad, of which Basu can be considered as a pillar. He edited a number of ancient books and wrote several plays. He also translated Shakespeare's Hamlet & Macbeth into Bengali. He was also the founder of Kayastha Sabha, the association of Kayastha community.
For his extraordinary work in Archaeology, he was awarded the title of 'Prachyavidyamaharnav' (one who is steeped in eastern lore).
His notable works include :
This eminent Bengali scholar passed away in October, 1938 at the age of 72.
To find Biswakosh Lane in Bagbazar neighbourhood is not an easy task though, specially for someone not familiar with lane and by-lane culture of North Calcutta. The following extract from the Google Map will surely help a lot !
But the intriguing fact is this is not the only street in Kolkata named after a book. There is another one called Swarnalata Street near Hazra Road-Sarat Bose Road Crossing, named after the famous novel 'Swarnalata' by notable Bengali writer Shri Taraknath Ganguli, written in 1873. I wish to cover 'Swarnalata' Street in future.
Special Thanks:
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| SHRI NAGENDRANATH BASU |
BENGALI ENCYCLOPEDIA 'BISWAKOSH' AND RENAMING OF KANTAPUKUR BY LANE -
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| House of Nagendranath Basu Entrance of Biswakosh Lane from Sachin Mitra Lane |
Nagendranath Basu spent his entire life at his ancestral house at 8, Kantapukur By Lane, a neighbourhood at Bagbazar near present day Bagbazar Multipurpose School. With effect from 17th March, 1915, the then Calcutta Corporation renamed the lane as 'Biswakosh Lane' in honour of its famous resident. At present, Nagendranath's grandson Sambhunath and his family live in this semi-circular fashioned two-storied building, a Category IIA heriatge declared by KMC Heriatge Committee. A marble plaque in memory of Shri Basu was erected at the initiative of Sutanuti Parishad in July, 2002.
This is the first instance of renaming a street after a book in the world.
He also edited the Sahitya Parishad Patrika, mouthpiece of Bangiya Sahitya Parishad, of which Basu can be considered as a pillar. He edited a number of ancient books and wrote several plays. He also translated Shakespeare's Hamlet & Macbeth into Bengali. He was also the founder of Kayastha Sabha, the association of Kayastha community.
For his extraordinary work in Archaeology, he was awarded the title of 'Prachyavidyamaharnav' (one who is steeped in eastern lore).
His notable works include :
- Banger Jatiya Itihas
- Archaeological Survey of Mayurbhanja
- Kayasther Varnanirnoy
- Shunyopurana
- Social History of Kamrup
This eminent Bengali scholar passed away in October, 1938 at the age of 72.
To find Biswakosh Lane in Bagbazar neighbourhood is not an easy task though, specially for someone not familiar with lane and by-lane culture of North Calcutta. The following extract from the Google Map will surely help a lot !
But the intriguing fact is this is not the only street in Kolkata named after a book. There is another one called Swarnalata Street near Hazra Road-Sarat Bose Road Crossing, named after the famous novel 'Swarnalata' by notable Bengali writer Shri Taraknath Ganguli, written in 1873. I wish to cover 'Swarnalata' Street in future.
Special Thanks:
- Somnath Ghosh - for providing the rare info on Biswakosh Lane & Swarnalata Street.
Acknowledgement:
- Kolikata - Sekaler O Ekaler by Shri Harisadhan Mukhopadhyay.
- Bangali Choritabidhan from Samsad
- Encyclopedia of Bengali Literature by Amaresh Datta
- www.bdbiography.com - Article on Nagendranath Basu
Nice effort, best wishes.
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