UPENDRAKISHORE

Zahiruddin Muhammad Babur was the patriarch of the Mughal Empire. His son Nasiruddin Muhammad Humayun carried the mantle for his son Abul Fatah Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar. Through Akbar, the Mughal dynasty shone with glory. A similar dynasty started from today's Mymensingh in Bangladesh. One Kamada Ranjan Ray was the patriarch of the Ray Dynasty.

On May 10, 1863, in the village of Masua, Kamada Ranjan Ray was born. His father, Kalinath Ray, was a pandit in Arabic, Farsi, and Sanskrit. Before his fifth birthday, Zamindar Harikishore Ray Chowdhury accepted Kamada as his foster child. From that day on, Kamada became Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury. Upendra passed the Entrance Exam in 1880 from Mymensingh Zilla School. He then went to Calcutta (now Kolkata). Although he left East Bengal forever, he took with him his imagination that he picked up through drawings, the flute and the violin. This love would later resonate from Calcutta to the world from one generation to the next.

Upendra needed a medium through which he could pass on his love of the arts.  It was thus natural that he'd enter the world of printing. In 1913, he founded 'U Ray and Sons' what was then the finest printing house in South Asia. The house printed colour photos. At the time this was ahead of its time. Sukumar Ray, his heir to be, was sent to Britain to learn the art and craft of printing.

If you can make children imagine and dream, you've laid the foundations for a brighter tomorrow.  Upendra's Goopy Gyne, Bagha Byne and Tuntunir Boi laid the foundations of children's literature in Bangla. That was just the beginning. In April 1913, Upendra published the first children's magazine that contained colour photos. It was named Sandesh. The magazine contained literary and scientific pieces. Upendra did the illustrations himself.

Alas! 100 years ago, Upendra died on December 20, 1915. The mantle was passed on to his eldest son, Sukumar Ray. Sukumar carried on his father's legacy with Ha-Ja-Ba-Ra-La based on non-sense in the light of Lewis Caroll and Alice in Wonderland. He added Pagla Dashu and Chala-Chitta-Chanchari. Like his father, Sukumar did the illustrations of Sandesh and made contributions to each issue. While Sukumar's son Satyajitwas less than three, Sukumar left the material world. The Akbar in the Ray Dynasty was left to conquer the world.

Through Satyajit, Upendra's passion for printing found a new outlet in film. Upendra and Sukumar's stories found new characters through 'Felu Da' (in the light of Sherlock Holmes), and 'Professor Shonku' (in the light of Upendra's love for science). Goopy Gyne, Bagha Byne was immortalised through Tapan Chatterjee and Robi Ghosh.

Outside our classical music, there are not too many instances where three generations from the same family have contributed to the arts as a whole and encouraged imagination in children. On the centenary death anniversary of Upendrakishore Ray, one can feel happy that the patriarch of the Ray Dynasty was born in today's Bangladesh. 

Asrar Chowdhury teaches economic theory and game theory in the classroom. Outside he listens to music and BBC Radio; follows Test Cricket; and plays the flute. He can be reached at: asrar.chowdhury@facebook.com