Chandravati (poet)

Chandrabati (Bengali: চন্দ্রাবতী) was a medieval Bengali poet, widely considered as the first woman poet of Bengali language.[1] She is best known for her women-centered epic Ramayana.

For an Indian village, see Chandravati.
Chandravati
চন্দ্রাবতী
Born1550
Kishoreganj, Bengal (now in Bangladesh)
Died1600
Kishoreganj, Bengal
OccupationPoet
Parent(s)Bangshi Das Bhattacharya


Early life

Chandravati was born to Dij-Banshidas Bhattacharya, in circa. 1550 CE in the village of Patuyari, on the banks of the Fulesshori river in Kishoreganj which is currently located in Dhaka division of Bangladesh.[2] Bansidas was a composer of Manasa's ballads known as Manasar Bhasaner Gan. According to Sambaru Chandra Mohanta, he was one of the composers of Manasamangal.

Literary works

Chandravati was the first woman from the Indian subcontinent to compose the Ramayana in Bengali. She also composed Malua and doshsho kenaram.[3][4] She narrated the Ramayana from Sita's point of view and criticized Rama.[5] Chandravati is a highly individual rendition as a tale told from a woman's point of view which, instead of celebrating masculine heroism, laments the suffering of women caught in the play of male ego.[6] She however couldn't finish her work.

References
  1. Congress, Indian History (2002). Proceedings - Indian History Congress. Indian History Congress. p. 169. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  2. Sen, Dinesh Chandra (1988) [First published 1923]. The Ballads of Bengal. 1. Mittal Publications. pp. 14–.
  3. <url=http://sos-arsenic.net/lovingbengal/purbo.html#4>
  4. Mazumdar, Sucheta; Kaiwar, Vasant; Labica, Thierry (2010). From Orientalism to Postcolonialism: Asia, Europe and the Lineages of Difference. Routledge. p. 56. ISBN 978-1-135-21198-1. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  5. Dev Sen, Nabaneeta. "Building A Digital Feminary". Building A Digital Feminary: Chandrabati. Liz Henry. Archived from the original on March 19, 2012. Retrieved April 24, 2011.
  6. Bose, Mandakranta (2013). A Woman's Ramayana: Candravati's Bengali Epic. Routledge Hindu Studies Series. London: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-62529-7.
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