Khagendranath Mitra facts for kids

Khagendranath Mitra (born 1896, died 1978) was a famous writer from Bengal. He wrote many exciting stories and books especially for children and young teens. Even today, his books are still very popular with young readers!

Khagendranath Mitra's Life Story

His Early Life

Khagendranath Mitra was born in Kolkata, a big city in India. His family lived on Nilmani Mitra Street. His father, Shailendranath Mitra, worked as a Mukhtar. This was like a legal agent for the famous Tagore family estate.

When he was in school in Kushtia District, Khagendranath became interested in fighting for India's freedom. He even joined a group led by a brave leader named Bagha Jatin. Later, he also took part in the Non-cooperation movement. This was a big protest where people refused to cooperate with British rule. Because of this, he was put in jail before India became independent.

His Amazing Books and Magazines

Khagendranath Mitra was the first Indian children's writer whose books were translated into other languages. For example, his book Bhombol Sardar was translated into Russian. It became incredibly popular there! It was even used as a reading book for younger students in Russia.

Besides writing over 100 books, Mitra was also a busy editor. He helped create Kishor (The Preteens), which was the first children's magazine in all of Asia. He also edited many other popular magazines for young people. These included Notun Manush (New Man) and Shishusathi (The Children's Friend).

Popular Stories

Here are some of the stories Khagendranath Mitra wrote:

• Moutuski
• Sei Chhokrata (That Lad)
• Kopaler Lekha (The Fate)
• Swapne Paoya Golpo (The Story Obtained in a Dream)
• Kortababur Petni Dekha (The Female-Ghost Kortababu Saw)
• Mintur Chhobi (Mintu's Picture)
• GoneshChandrer Ashubho Jatra (The Unholy Journey of GaneshChandra)
• Parghater Alapeer Pallay (The Gossiping Man of Parghat)
• Chorer-o Adhom (Even Inferior Than a Thief)
• Badanpur Bungalowr Sei Rat (That Night At Badanpur Bungalow)

Exciting Novels

He also wrote many novels, including:

• Bagdi Dakat (The Bagdi Bandits)
• Africar Jongole (In the Forests of Africa). This book was inspired by a novel called The Gorilla Hunters.
• Sundarbaner Pothe (On the Way to Sundarban)
• Black Arrow
• Bhombol Sardar (Bhombol the Leader). This book has four parts. It tells the fascinating story of a village boy named Bhombol. Many people think it might be based on Khagendranath Mitra's own childhood memories.
• Pujoneeyo Dosyu (Adorable Dacoit). This was part of the Prohelika Series.
• Dakait Omnibus. This book collected stories about Bishe Dakait (Biswanath Sardar) and other bandits from rural Bengal.

Books on Screen and Radio

Khagendranath Mitra's popular book Bhombol Sardar was even turned into a radio play. It was broadcast by Akashbani, the government radio network in India. Later, it was also made into a Bengali movie!

Awards and Recognition

Khagendranath Mitra received many awards for his writing. These included the Bhubaneshwasi Padak (Medal) and the Mouchak Sahitya Purashkar. He got these from the University of Calcutta. He also received the Girish Silver Medal. In 1975, he was nominated for a big national award in literature. However, he chose not to accept it. This was because he felt that the authorities did not give enough respect to children's literature.