 Ashapurna Devi was a prominent novelist and poet of Bengali literature. She was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship in 1994, which is conferred to be the highest honour. Born in a Baidya family in 8th January, 1909, in North Kolkata at her maternal uncle's place, in her lifetime Ashapurna Devi has been widely honoured with a number of prizes and awards for her works.
Early Life of Ashapurna Devi Ashapurna Devi belonged to an extremely traditional and highly conservative family. In her family, because of the conservative ideals and the domination of her grandmother, the female kids of the house were not permitted to go school. There were private tutors for the boys of the house. Ashapurna Devi, when she was a kid, used to pay attention to her brother's readings. And in this way she studied the alphabets. Her father was a famous artist and designer and her mother was a huge book lover. The intensive interest of her mother for reading novels, short stories and classics transmitted to Ashapurna Devi at a very early age. Later on, her family shifted to their new house and that gave complete freedom to Ashapurna Devi, her mother and her sisters to read as much as their heart's desire. In their house, there had been constant flow of magazines and different types of books all the time. Ashapurna Devi was self educated and she had built a love relationship with reading and books. She got married at the age of 15 years and she moved to Krishnanagar, West Bengal. Ashapurna Devi died in the year 1995 on 13th July. Career of Ashapurna Devi Ashapurna Devi began writing at a very young age. She and her sisters used to compete by writing and composing new poems. This factor inspired her to send a poem to the then editor of a popular children's journal "Sishu Sathi". Her first poem got published when she was just 13 years old. The name of her first poem was "Bairer Dak" or The Call from the Outside. The editor requested her to send more stories and poems. It was the beginning of the never-ending career of Ashapurna Devi in the sphere of literature. In the initial stages she wrote only for the kids. In 1936, her first adult story "Patni O Preyoshi" was published in the special issue of 'Anandabazar Patrika', the leading daily of West Bengal. "Pratham Pratisthuti", "Swanlatha" and "Bokul Katha" comprise her popular trilogy.  Her novel of protest, Pratham Pratishruti (translated by Indira Choudhury as The First Promise, Orient Longman, 2004) shook the complacent bricks of genteel sophisticated Bengali society. Pratham Pratishruti, traces the journey of the heroine, Satyavati, a tomboy who refuses to fit into the childhood prescribed for her who revolts against the unjust words and actions against her elders as she goes out of her way to champion the cause of just and right. Marriage thrives to be the usual mixture of torture with boredom, but somehow she survives with her spirit intact and even opens a school for girls. Her hopes centre on her daughter Subarna, whom she wants to bring up with the advantages she never had, but her husband's family whisk Subarna off to the village and get her married in secret. Satyavati arrives too late to stop the ceremony, and in a memorable scene, merely gets back on the bullock cart and rides away again, never to return. The second volume of the trilogy, Subarnalata, published in 1967, describes Subarna's married life, but Subarna is a meek and cowed version of her mother, tamely accepting all the indignities heaped upon her. When she asks her husband to build her a balcony in their new house, it seems as if a window will open for her on to the outside world, but when she walks through the finished house, there is no balcony. Her husband has forgotten. The last volume, Bakul Katha (1974), is a pale shadow of the first two. The writings of Ashapurna Devi are popular for their strong female characters.
The writer's world of Ashapurna Devi, is not her own personal world. Rather, it is an extension of home-worlds of all of us. Touched by her pen, all roles, all characters, come alive in front of us - She wonderfully touched the contradictory and changing expectations of a man and woman relationship. She portrayed the female characters as obedient wives, traditional and stimulating as well. For her female centric themes, critics have described as "kitchen writer"- sometimes as a young daughter, sometimes as an adolescent girl and sometimes as a new bride; sometimes as a woman, as a loving mother in whose womb a new world is beginning, sometimes as an aunt and an ageing housewife or as a grandmother or as an old helpless woman watching the changes in the society from a prison cell. Through her writing she tried to explore the aspirations and inner desires of the women characters and their expectations. This legendary writer strived to make the female characters of her novels break the walls and limits made by the men and to liberate themselves. She portrayed the fights of women with the patriarchal system. Her books depict women characters in various ways. For instance, at times the protagonist is portrayed as an attractive modern opinionated individual whereas at times she is portrayed as highly oppressed and traditional. Throughout her career in the realm of Bengali literature, Ashapurna Devi penned down 242 novels, 62 children books and 37 short stories collection. Some of the names of her popular novels are as follows - • Aar Ek Ashapurna • Agniparikha • Asha Purna Devi r Rachanaboli [1-10] • Asha Purna Bithika • Anamaniyaa • Bakul Katha • Biswas Abiswas • Chabibandha Sinduk • Chitrakalpa • Chosma Palte Jai • Dibyahasini'r Dinolipi • Drishya Theke Drishyantore • Dwitiyo Adwitiyo • Ei To Sedin • Kalyani • Laghu Tripodi • Lila Chirontan • Nakhyatrer Akash • Noksha Kata Ghor • Pancha Nodir Teere • Prem O Proyojon • Priyo Galpo • Prothom Pratisruti • Sashi Babu'r Sangsar • Siri Bhanga Anka • Sthan Kaal Patra • Subarnalata • Tin Prohor (Baluchori, Sunglass, Srinkholita) • Trimatrik • V.I.P Bari'r Lok Some of her short stories collection includes - • Aloy Adityer Iccha Patra Rahasyo • Amorabatir Antorale • Bhitore Ki Chilo • Bhuture Kukur • Chutite Chotachuti • Chotoder Srestho Golpo • Doshti Kishore Uponyas • Durer Basi • Ek Kuri Golpo • Ek Samudra onek Dheu • Eker Modhe Teen • Golpo Holo Suru • Golper Moto Golpo • Hasir Golpo • Jibon Kalir Pakka Hiseb • Kanakdeep • Kishore Bachai Golpo • Kisor Sahityo Samagro • Kisor Sahityo Samvar • Kumkum • Nije Bujhe Nin • Nikharchai Amod • Panchasti Kishore Galpo • Pakhi Theke Hati • Poyela Doshra • Raajkumar Er Poshake • Rahasyer Sandhaane • Raja Noi Rani Noi • Rajai Golpo • Rani Mayabatir Antardhyan Rahosyo • Sakaler Sapno • Sarojanter Nayak • Sattyi Amod • Sei Sob Golpo • Sera Rahasyo Samvar • Shanirbachito Chotoder Shesto Golpo • Sono Sono Golpo Sono Awards of Ashapurna Devi Ashapurna Devi received several prestigious awards and prizes for her immense contribution to the world of Bengali literature. She was awarded the Lila prize in the year 1954 by the University of Calcutta. Government of West Bengal conferred her 'Raindrop Memorial Prize' in 1966. In the year 1976, she was given the "Padma Shri Award" by the Government of India. She also received the 'Jnanpith Award' in the same year. In the 1989, she was honoured with "Deshikottama" by the Visva-Bharati University. In 1993, University of Calcutta presented her 'Jagattarini Gold Medal'. Ashapurna Devi dealt with the common issues of the society with extreme clarity. Her writing was like a never-ending process. Through her writing she protested against the injustice, inequality and the gender based discrimination of the traditional societies. Her books presented a modern theoretical feminism approach. |
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