About Sukumar Ray

The compositions of Sukumar Ray (1887-1923) are considered as nonsense work of art. However they are also the greatest treasure of Bengali Literature. He is often compared to Lewis Carroll. His works such as the collection of poems "Aboltabol", novel "HaJaBaRaLa", short story collection "Pagla Dashu" and play "Chalachittachanchari" are the nonsense masterpieces. He still remains one of the popular children`s writers in West Bengal. His first poem was "Nodi" that was published in the magazine "Mukul" in1904.

His father was also a famous children`s story writer Upendra Kishore Ray. He was the convenor of "Monday Club" which was a weekly gathering of likeminded people at the Ray residence. He was born in a Brahmo family on 30 October 1887. He studied the technology of block making thereby setting up a business of making quality blocks. He graduated in Physics from Presidency College. He is also known as a great illustrator. He had also developed new methods of halftone block making. He also learnt printing technology. He ran the publishing businesses and the Sandesh magazine for eight years. He was married to Suprabha Das.

He grew up in an environment that promoted his literary skills. His father was a multi faceted personality as he was a talented writer, painter and illustrator; musician and composer; a pioneering technologist and hobbyist astronomer. He had designed sliding calculator to help in setting up the camera during process work. He was very close to Rabindranath Tagore, who had great influence on Sukumar. Sukumar and his younger brother Subinay were involved in the firm M/s U. Ray & Sons. He was a leader of the reformist wing in the Brahmo Samaj. Sukumar Ray wrote a poem "Atiter Katha" that presented the history of the Brahmo Samaj.

He died in 1923 of severe infectious fever, "Leishmaniasis". His works are: Abol tabol, Pagla Dashu, Khai-Khai, Heshoram Hushiyarer Diary, HaJaBaRaLa, Jhalapala O Onanyo Natok, Lakkhaner Shoktishel, Chalachittachanchari, Shabdakalpadrum and Bohurupee. He wrote "Halftone Facts Summarized" that was published in the Penrose Annual (1912).

He had received Award of Merit by `Boy`s Own Paper` for excellence in photography in November 1904. He also wrote "Standardizing the Original" that was published in the Penrose Annual (1913-`14). He had also penned an article on the Pin-hole theory published in July, 1913 issue of The British Journal of Photography. He possessed a swift mind and synthesized words and images very well. He still remains the favourite poet of children in Bengal.

Works of Sukumar Ray

Sukumar Ray was the son of popular children short story writer, Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury, and a proud father of the renowned filmmaker Satyajit Ray. He also convened and presided over the famous "Monday Club", which was actually a gathering of Bengali intelligentsia during those times, to express their cheeky opinions about the society in general.

Sukumar Ray was a master story teller, humorous poet and a playwright. He was the pioneering force behind literary non sense, and was often referred to as Lewis Carroll of India. His collection of works ranges from poem to novels, to short stories. Works of Sukumar Ray is still as popular, even after his 90th death anniversary. And some of his celebrated literary pieces include "Aboltabol", "Gibberish", "Pagla Dashu", "Kahi Kahi", "Heshoram Hushiyarer Diary", "Jhalapala O Onanyo Natok", "Lakkhaner Shoktishel", "Chalachittachanchari", "Bohurupee" and "Shabdakalpadrum". These are all considered as masterpieces of "non sense" genre, identical in stature, if not more, to Alice in Wonderland.

Works of Sukumar Ray are looked upon as enormous treasures of Bengali literary world. Even after 90 years of his death, he remains equally popular among the children and adults alike, both in Bangladesh and West Bengal. All his works are popular and well read by book loving people.

Amongst the works of Sukumar Ray, the first and the most prominent name that comes to the mind is of course Abol Tabol. This is the collection of literary non-sense, packed with rhymes and poems composed by the master poet, Sukumar Ray. This collection was first published in the year 1923. The entire Abol Tabol consists of seven unnamed and forty three named rhymes, all in the genre of non-sense verse. With the publishing of Abol Tabol, the Bengali readers were exposed to a new version of literature, with complete different taste and feel, which was both engaging and interesting. This volume includes the best of Sukumar Ray`s world, where all the poetries are filled with fun, humour and satire.

Apart from Abol Tabol, Ray brilliance is also evident in his creation of the magnificent character of Pagla Dashu. This character is popular among the Bengali people. Pagla Dashu is a school boy well known for his crazy deeds filled with eccentricities, and inexplicable acts, which carry comedic and subtle satire. The character of Pagla Dashu was created mainly keeping in mind the taste and preference of children. It is creative and funny and very popular among school going kids. Adults also enjoy reading the peculiarity of Pagla Dashu and feel happy while doing so. Over the years, the character of Pagla Dashu has become an admired character in Bengali Literature, just like many of his other works in the non-sense genre.

HaJaBaRaLa is a novelette by Sukumur Ray and also belong to the non-sense fiction genre, like most of Ray`s fiction. The plot of this novel has a close resemblance with Alice In wonderland, but then, the characteristics are common to all non-sense fictions. The story begins with a boy, who suddenly wakes up from sleep only to realize that his handkerchief, which he had kept beside his pillow before going to sleep, has turned into a cat. And then the entire drama unfolds as the boy starts his conversation with the cat. Several characters, which include birds and animals, burst in the scene, all too randomly, and create an utter chaos. Then finally wakes up from this odd dream only to find a cat, which does not talk.

The works of Sukumar Ray are an all time classic. And the deep inner thoughts hidden in each verse makes it even more interesting. It is like old wine, aging has only made it better.

Abol Tabol by Sukumar Ray

Abol Tabol, one of the celebrated works of Sukumar Ray, introduces us to a bizarre and outlandish people, places, animals and things, and shakes one out of his strapping reality. Sukumar Ray is known for his non-sense fiction and has won million hearts through his writings. Abol Tabol takes us to a journey in an incongruous world, where nothing seems real, rational or logical, yet one would love to believe that such a world existed.

In the entire narrative of Abol Tabol one will witness weird association among people and objects. Though they are apparently nonsense and meaningless but they mean something when you carefully read through.

The eccentric association forms the basic idea of Ray`s non sense fiction. The apparently odd ideas merge with regular norms making the poem comprehensible. This type of poems, which falls under the category of light verse, is mostly colloquial, bank and pun. It treats the poem with good natured satire.

"Masi go masi pacche hasi
Neem gachete hocche seem
Hatir matay byanger chata
Kager basay boger dim."

While looking at the poem one might not get exactly what it is trying to portray, but the words have power and provides the push and the entire composition draws attention. Sometimes he invented words and also combined two words into one to formulate a Portmanteau, which makes the poem sound weird. Ray`s wit is further evident in the following lines;

"Tin buRo pondit takchuRo nagare
ChoRe ek gamlay paRi dey sagore
Gamlate chneda chilo age keu dekhoni,
Gaankhani tai more theme gelo ekhoni."

Through his creativity in Abol Tabol, Ray introduced series of unusual animals and they are well illustrated as well. For example the Tnyashgoru is actually a bird whose detailed description is provided by Ray. Some of his other creations like Ramgorurer Chana, (means serious men) Hnuko Mukho Hyangla (greedy for food) and Kumropotash (signifies fat men) also stand out.

The narrative of Abol Tabol is complicated by absurdities and irrationalities and one is left questioning the values and norms. This is actually nothing known as absolute reality in Ray`s Abol Tabol.