Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay: Lesser-known facts about the 'Vande Mataram' composer
Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay wore many hats—he was a novelist, poet, and journalist. Known as Sahitya Samrat (Emperor of Literature), he wrote novels ranging from serious to comical, satirical, and even scientific ones. Born on June 26, 1838, he holds the honor of composing Vande Mataram, India's national song. On his birth anniversary, let's dive into some lesser-known facts about this versatile genius.
Chattopadhyay got married at the tender age of 11
Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay was born in Naihati, West Bengal, to Durgadevi and Yadav Chandra Chattopadhyay. Coming from an orthodox Bengali Brahmin family, he was married at the tender age of 11, which was quite common at that time. Sadly, his first wife passed away, leading him to marry Rajlakshmi Devi. Together, they were blessed with three daughters.
He penned novels on paper and sold them weekly
Chattopadhyay had an interesting start to his writing career. Initially, he would distribute his novels in a paper and sell them week after week. Later, he began to write his books and distribute them himself. His early works found their way into the pages of the weekly newspaper Sangbad Prabhakar. This marked the beginning of his fulfilling career as an esteemed author.
He wrote 'Vande Matram' way before penning 'Anandmath'
In 1882, Chattopadhyay published his novel Anandamath, which also had the verses of Vande Mataram. The story was set during the devastating Bengal famine of 1770. He imagined untrained yet disciplined Sannyasi soldiers triumphing over the skilled East India Company forces. He penned the Indian national song way before he authored Anandamath. To be exact, he wrote it in the year 1875.
He launched the monthly magazine 'Bangadarshan' in April 1872
Bankim started the monthly literary magazine called Bangadarshan in April 1872. This significant publication adopted a groundbreaking approach, featuring a variety of content. Its pages showcased captivating stories, entertaining sketches, historical and miscellaneous essays, as well as articles on religion and devotion. With its diverse range of literary offerings, Bangadarshan left a lasting impact, contributing to the literary landscape of its time.
With limited English proficiency, he switched to Bengali
Bankim made several attempts to write books in English, but due to his limited proficiency in the language, he decided to shift his focus to Bengali. It was a wise choice, as his first Bengali novel was published in 1865. Recognizing his strength in his native language, he created literary works that left a lasting impact on the regional literature scene.
First major publications by him were 'Durgeshnandini' and 'Kapalkundala'
Durgeshnandini and Kapalkundala were his first major publications. These novels garnered immense popularity and were even translated into other languages. Encouraged by this success, he continued to write novels and gradually gained a wide readership. Some of his famous works are Chandrasekhar and Rajani. There have been over 50 movies made on his accounts in various dialects.
