Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, popularly known as Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, was a prominent Bengali writer, poet, and journalist who is best remembered for penning "Vande Mataram", which later became the national song of India. Bankim Chandra Chatterjee was born on June 26, 1838. He passed away on April 8, 1894. Bankim Chandra Chatterjee was the author of the 1882 Bengali language novel Anandamath, which is one of the landmarks of modern Bengali and Indian literature. Chattopadhyay wrote fourteen novels and many serious, seriocomic, satirical, scientific and critical treatises in Bengali. As Bankim Chandra Chatterjee birth anniversary 2024 is observed on Wednesday, here are some notable works of one of the great writers: Bankim Chandra Chatterjee Birth Anniversary: Inspiring Quotes by the Man Who Wrote Vande Mataram.

  1. Bankim Chandra Chatterjee's earliest publications were in Ishwar Chandra Gupta's weekly newspaper Sangbad Prabhakar.

  2. His notable works include novels, poems, and essays. His most famous novel is Anandamath (1882), which features the song "Vande Mataram".

  3. Chatterjee's first novel, Rajmohan's Wife, was published in 1864. It was one of the earliest novels in the Bengali language.

  4. Durgeshnandini, his first Bengali romance and the first ever novel in Bengali was published in 1865. His essay ‘Shakuntala, Miranda ebong Desdemona’ (1873) is considered as the first attempt of comparative analysis of different kinds of literature in Bengali and is studied closely in the school of comparative literature of Jadavpur University.

  5. Chatterjee's other notable works include Kapalkundala (1866), Krishnakanter Will (1878), and Devi Chaudhurani (1884). His writings often depicted the struggles of the Indian people and advocated for societal reform.

  6. One of the many novels of Chattopadhyay that are entitled to be termed historical fiction is Rajsimha (1881). Anandamath (The Abbey of Bliss, 1882) is a political novel that depicts a Sannyasi (Hindu ascetic) army fighting a British force. The book calls for the rise of Indian nationalism.

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee is known as Sahitya Samrat (Emperor of Literature) in Bengali. He was the recipient of the Bankim Puraskar (Bankim Memorial Award), the highest award given by the Government of West Bengal for contribution to Bengali fiction. His works had a significant influence on subsequent Bengali writers and intellectuals, including Rabindranath Tagore, who considered him a mentor.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 25, 2024 09:12 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).