Sukumar Ray

• Born — 30 October 1887 • Birthplace — Calcutta, Bengal, British India • Died — 10 September 1923 • Place of death — Calcutta, Bengal, British India • Language — Bengali • Period — Bengal Renaissance • Occupation — Writer, poet, editor • Notable Works — * Abol Tabol • Pagla Dashu • HaJaBaRaLa • Education — * Presidency College • London County Council School of Photoengraving and Lithography • Manchester Municipal School of Technology • Relatives — * Dwarkanath Ganguly • Kadambini Ganguly • Spouse — Suprabha Devi • Children — Satyajit Ray (son) • Parents — Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury (father)

According to the history of the Ray family, one of their ancestors, Ramsunder Deo (Deb), was a native of Chakdah village in Nadia district of present-day West Bengal, India. In search of fortune, he migrated to the town of Sherpur, Sherpur district, in East Bengal. There he met Raja Gunichandra, the zamindar of Jashodal, at the zamindar house of Sherpur. King Gunichandra was immediately impressed by Ramsunder's stately appearance and sharp intellect and took Ramsunder with him to his zamindari estate. He made Ramsunder his son-in-law and granted him some property in Jashodal. From then on, Ramsunder started living in Jashodal. His descendants migrated from there and settled down in the village of Masua in what is now Katiadi Upazila of Kishoreganj District. • Illustration — Sukumar Ray, Bengali writer and poet

Sukumar Ray was born into a Brahmo family in Calcutta on 30 October 1887. His family hailed from Masua village of Kishorganj division of Eastern Bengal in British India (presently in Bangladesh). Sukumar's father, Upendrakishore Ray, was a famous Bengali writer, painter, violinist, and composer, technologist, amateur astronomer, and entrepreneur. Sukumar's mother, Bidhumukhi Devi, was the daughter of reformer Dwarkanath Ganguly. • Illustration — Sukumar Ray with his father, Upendrakishore Ray, mother Bidhumukhi, and five siblings Born in the era that can be called the pinnacle of the Bengal Renaissance, he grew up in an environment that fostered his literary talents. He befriended the likes of Jagdish Chandra Bose, Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray, and one of his biggest influencers, his father's friend, Rabindranath Tagore. His father was a writer of stories and popular science; painter and illustrator; musician and composer of songs; a technologist and hobbyist astronomer. Upendrakishore was also a close friend of Rabindranath Tagore, who directly influenced Sukumar. Among other family friends were scientists Jagadish Chandra Bose, Prafulla Chandra Ray, composer Atul Prasad Sen etc. Upendrakishore studied the technology of blockmaking, conducted experiments, and set up a business of making blocks. The firm M/s U. Ray & Sons, where Sukumar and his younger brother Subinay were involved. His sister, Shukhalata Rao, became a social worker and children's book author. Like his father, Ray also had a close acquaintance with Rabindranath Tagore.

First row sitting from left: Subinoy Ray, Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis, Atul Prasad Sen, Shishir Kumar Datta, Sukumar Ray Middle row from left: Jatindranath Mukhopadhyay, Amal Home, Suniti Kumar Chattopadhyay, Jibanmoy Roy Standing from left: Hiran Sanyal, Ajit Kumar Chakrabarty, Kalidas Nag, Pravat Chandra Gangopadhyay, Dr. Dwijendranath Maitra, Satish Chandra Chattopadhyay, Shrish Chandra Sen, Girija Shankar Roy Choudhury • Illustration — A group photo of the Monday Club, founded by Sukumar Roy • Illustration — Sukumar Ray with his wife Suprabha Ray (1914) In 1906, Ray graduated with double Honours in physics and chemistry from the Presidency College, then affiliated with the University of Calcutta. Before that, he attended City College School, Surya Sen Street along with his classmate who inspired his famous funny character "Pagla Dashu", which appeared in several of his penned stories. He was trained in photography and printing technology in England at the London County Council School of Photoengraving and Lithography and Manchester Municipal School of Technology, and was a pioneer of photography and lithography in India. While in England, he also delivered lectures about the songs of Rabindranath before Tagore won the Nobel Prize. Meanwhile, Sukumar had also drawn acclaim as an illustrator. As a technologist, he also developed new methods of halftone blockmaking, and technical articles about this were published in journals in England. The Penrose Annual published two articles by Ray. While in the United Kingdom, he joined the Royal Photographic Society in 1912 and remained a member until his death, gaining his Fellowship in 1922. Upendrakishore started a publishing firm, U. Ray and Sons, which Sukumar and Subinay helped to run. While Sukumar went to England to learn printing technology, Upendrakishore purchased land, constructed a building, and set up a printing press with facilities for high-quality halftone color blockmaking and printing. He launched the children's magazine, Sandesh, in May 1913. Very soon after Sukumar's return from England, his writings and sketches started appearing in Sandesh. After Upendrakishore died on 20 December 1915, Sukumar ran the printing and publishing businesses and the Sandesh for about eight years. His younger brother Subinoy helped him, and many relatives pitched in writing for "Sandesh". • Illustration — House Sukumar Ray at 100 A, Garpar Road, Kolkata - Heritage Building Tag by KMC

Sketches of characters created by Roy. • Illustration — Kumropatash in Abol Tabol • Illustration — Dashur Kirti • Illustration — Huko Mukho Hangla • Illustration — Kaath Buro • Illustration — Abujh • Illustration — The King • Illustration — Hijibijbij in HaJaBaRaLa • Illustration — Nyara in HaJaBaRaLa • Illustration — Udo in HaJaBaRaLa • Illustration — The Court Room in HaJaBaRaLa • Illustration — Shri Kakeswar Kuchkuche in HaJaBaRaLa • Illustration — The CAT in HaJaBaRaLa