Manoranjan Bhattacharya (writer) facts for kids

Manoranjan Bhattacharya (1903–1939) was a talented writer from Faridpur who wrote many stories and poems for children in Bengali. He is remembered for his exciting detective stories and humorous tales.

Early Life and Education

Manoranjan Bhattacharya was born in 1903 in Faridpur, which was part of British India at the time. He was a very bright student from a young age. He went to Hindu School and later studied at Presidency College, Calcutta.

He was excellent in his studies, earning top marks in Economics and Political Science. After getting his degrees, he became a professor at Ripon College, Calcutta.

A Young Genius

Manoranjan showed his amazing talent even when he was a child. He taught himself Sanskrit grammar, a very old and complex language, while still in his village school.

There was a big debate competition held by the Sanskrit College in Calcutta. Students had to speak only in Sanskrit. Manoranjan, who was only in Class VIII, really wanted to join the competition for Class X students. His headmaster was unsure because of his age. But Manoranjan convinced him and got permission to compete. He surprised everyone by winning the competition!

Writing for Young Readers

Manoranjan started his writing journey by contributing poems to different magazines while he was still a student. His focus shifted to writing for young people after a special magazine called Ramdhanu was created in 1928.

His father, Bishweshwar Bhattacharya, who was a District Magistrate, started Ramdhanu (which means 'The Rainbow'). This magazine was especially for teenagers. Manoranjan later took over as the editor of Ramdhanu from his father. He edited the magazine for eight years until he passed away too soon.

Manoranjan wrote popular detective stories featuring a Japanese detective named Hukakasi. These stories were different from other adventure tales of that time. Famous writers like Premendra Mitra and Satyajit Ray admired his detective fiction.

He filled the pages of Ramdhanu with all sorts of interesting content. This included fun school stories, funny tales, poems, and articles that taught readers new things. He also wrote a series of humorous stories called Nutan Puraan, which playfully retold old myths.

Some of his other story collections include Chaayer Dhnowaa, Haashyo O Rahashyo, and Apriloshyo Prothom Dibawshey. The last one was written with another well-known writer, Shibram Chakraborty. Many of his important works, including three Hukakashi novels and five short stories, were collected in a book called Manoranjan Bhattacharya's Chhotoder Omnibus. He also translated the novel The Channings.

After Manoranjan's death, his younger brother, Kshitindranarayan, who was also an author, became the new editor of Ramdhanu.

Manoranjan Museum Blog

Today, you can find a special online place called the Manoranjan Museum blog. This blog shows the original drawings and pictures that went along with Manoranjan Bhattacharya's stories when they first appeared in Ramdhanu and other magazines. It's a great way to see how his stories looked to readers back then!