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Harish Chandra Paul, Bengali: হরিশচন্দ্র পাল

Harish Chandra Paul was an India Folklorist and writer from the Cooch Behar of West Bengal.

Life and Works

Harish Chandra Paul was born on the 8th of Aswin, 1322 B.E. (c.1915) at Dinhata, Cooch Behar (then one of the Princely States of India) in a prosperous Jotedar (Landlord) and Business family. He was the fourth son of Shashi Bhushan Paul Esquire and Gyanada Sundari Devi. Harish Chandra completed his Schooling from Dinhata High School and his Intermediate in Science from the University of Calcutta in 1938.

He was the founder member of the then one of the leading organizations in the North East, The Pioneer Club, Dinhata. Harish Chandra was a ploymath. He learned the Indian Raga-Music well and he had great expertise in playing the Esraj. He was also easy in other string instruments including Dotara & Violin, percussion instruments, such as the Dhol, Tabla, Pakhowaj etc. and others such as Piccalo, Flute, Mandolin, Harmonium etc. Later he became popular as a Director of Folk songs. Folk sketches and plays recorded from the His Master's Voice, Columbia & Hidusthan Records (now INRECO) Companies as well as a playwright and also served solely by passion as a Make up Artist for sometime. A lyricist, music-composer & a great enthusiast of Folk-music, Harish Chandra in his life-time (c.1947-1982) directed the recording of 94 Records of Folk songs (77 records in 78 R.P.M. & 17 records in 45 R.P.M. including Bhawaiya, Chatka, Bhatiali, Sari, Malsee & Boro songs), 9 Folk Plays (including plays of Khushan, Jag and Peeran songs) and 6 Sketches. Harish Chandra also composed the music of some of the songs he recorded and even performed acting in some of the plays. He also published nine pamphlets of the aforementioned plays.

He was the pioneer to publish the North Bengal folk songs with musical notes in his two volume magnum opus, 'Uttar Banglar Palligeeti' (Bhawaiya Khanda & Chakta Khanda). Some other books published by him are 'Gosanimangal', 'Uttar Banglar Loukik Bratakatha' and 'Duti Natak'. There are some posthumous issues also.

He had written several articles on folklore and his Autobiography, 'Chalar Pathe Gharer Katha' (incomplete) gained much attention.

As a photographer his personal collection consisted of about 10,000-12,000 self-taken, experimental and collected photographs. He was also a collector of Gramaphone records, Folk arts and a Numismatist.

He joined his family business after completing his studies and later by profession became an established Business personality.

He received the perstigious 'Tribitta' award for his contribution on folk-songs in 1973 and was posthumously honoued by the Government of West Bengal in his Birth Centenary on 2015. The crossing Harish Chandra Paul Chowpathi, located at the heart of Cooch Behar City is known after Harish Chandra.

He passed away on the 23rd of March, 1982 (8th of Chaitra, 1388 B.S.) at Cooch Behar.

Works