Priyanath Bose facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Priyanath Bose
প্রিয়নাথ বসু |
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Priyanath Bose
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| Born | 1865 Jagulia, 24 Parganas, Bengal, British India
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| Died | 21 May 1920 (aged 55) Singapore, Straits Settlements, British Malaya
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| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Equestrian and entrepreneur |
Priyanath Bose (born around 1865 – died May 21, 1920) was an amazing Indian circus performer and businessman. Many people called him Professor Bose. In 1887, he started the Great Bengal Circus. What was special about it? It had an all-Indian team! His circus traveled all over Bengal, India, and even to Southeast Asia. He is known as one of the first people to bring modern circus to India.
Contents
Early Life and Training
Priyanath Bose was born in 1865 in a place called Chhota Jagulia in Bengal. He was the youngest of three sons. His father, Manomohan Bose, was a famous poet and writer.
Priyanath went to school in Chhota Jagulia and later in Kolkata. He loved anything to do with physical fitness. He learned gymnastics from a popular teacher named Gourhari Mukhopadhyay. Priyanath became very good at many acts, like building human pyramids and juggling. He was also skilled on the parallel and horizontal bars, and he was great at horse riding. He became such a good gymnast that he also became an excellent teacher. Even though he was good at drawing and went to art school, his real passion was gymnastics.
Becoming a Trainer
Teaching Gymnastics
Priyanath's teacher, Gourhari Mukhopadhyay, inspired many young people to open akhadas (gymnastic clubs) in Kolkata. Since Gourhari couldn't teach at all of them, he asked Priyanath to help. Priyanath and some friends started their own gymnastic club in Simulia. Later, Priyanath started his own akhada there. Guess who trained at this akhada? None other than Narendranath Dutta, who later became the famous Swami Vivekananda!
Priyanath's success led to many more akhadas opening in Kolkata. He even coached at about 50 different clubs! He also set up clubs in other villages. When he started an akhada in his own village, some older people didn't like it. But his cousin, Amarnath Bose, a well-known lawyer, supported him and even sent his own sons to the club.
Priyanath believed in more than just physical training. He made his students do social work, like clearing bushes, fixing roads, and helping with funerals. He saved his pocket money and got extra money from his mother to travel to villages and train his students. He had three important rules for his students:
- They needed permission from their parents to join.
- They were not allowed to chew paan, smoke, or use snuff.
- They could not have fashionable haircuts.
Around 1885, Priyanath was invited to a special event at the Alipore Zoological Gardens in Kolkata. He showed off his students' amazing gymnastic skills. The Viceroy of India, Lord Dufferin, was there. He was so impressed that he asked, "Who is the professor?" When they met, Lord Dufferin called him Professor Bose. From then on, Priyanath became famous as Professor Bose.
Starting the Great Bengal Circus
Whenever big circuses like Wilson's Great World Circus came to Kolkata, Priyanath would go see them. He dreamed of starting his own circus with an all-Bengali team. He wanted to show that Bengalis were brave and skilled too! He would draw pictures of the performers and their equipment. He even bribed circus workers to let him see their gear so he could make his own.
One day, a very thin horse appeared at his akhada in his village. His students caught it. Priyanath saw this as a good sign to start his circus. He fed the horse well and began training it.
Starting a circus needed a lot of money. His father, Manomohan Bose, didn't like the idea of Priyanath working in a circus. He refused to give him any money and even tried to get him a job as a drawing teacher. But Priyanath was determined! He saved his own money and borrowed from family members. He formed a small team of gymnasts and left Kolkata without telling his family.
Priyanath and his team first went to Midnapore. Then they traveled to places like Jhargram and Bankura, performing at the homes of wealthy landowners called zamindars. At first, they didn't even have a tent! After earning some money, Priyanath returned to Kolkata. He bought equipment, monkeys, dogs, and horses from another circus. He also got a tent. In 1887, he officially launched his circus, calling it Professor Bose's Great Bengal Circus.
Touring India and Asia
India Tour
Priyanath took his circus on a tour across Bengal. They performed in cities like Dhaka and Barisal. In December 1888, the Great Bengal Circus was invited to perform for a zamindar at the Tajhat palace. The zamindar was so impressed that he kept them for two more nights and gave them shawls and a certificate of excellence! Soon, many other zamindars invited the Great Bengal Circus. Some even gave them equipment and horses. Later, kings from places like Tripura and Kashmir also supported the circus. Some of them even gifted tigers and elephants!
As news of the Great Bengal Circus spread, people in Kolkata wanted to see them. In November 1899, the circus came to Kolkata for the first time. Priyanath Bose set up his tent at the Maidan. Important people, including kings from Kapurthala and Cooch Behar, came to watch. From 1899 to 1912, Priyanath Bose's circus would camp in Kolkata every winter.
Asian Adventures
In the summer of 1900, Priyanath took his circus along the Indian coast to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). There, he hired a man who was famous for eating strange things like rags, raw meat, nails, and broken glass! He was advertised as the "Rakshasha of Lanka."
In 1902, Priyanath Bose started a tour of Southeast Asia. The Great Bengal Circus traveled to Yangon, Penang, Singapore, and Java. This tour was a huge success! Priyanath Bose returned home with new animals for his circus. After this, he traveled to Southeast Asia every season. His circus would spend most of the year in Burma, British Malaya, and the Dutch East Indies, returning to Kolkata in the winter.
Final Days
During one of his tours, Priyanath Bose became very sick with jaundice. While his circus was performing in British Malaya, Priyanath went to Singapore for treatment. He was treated by doctors for about a month, but his health did not get better. Priyanath Bose passed away on May 21, 1920, in Singapore.
Priyanath Bose's Circus Shows
The circus shows included exciting acts like trapeze artists, gymnasts, and wild animals. Not only men, but women performers also took part in the circus acts. Bose even hired an American named Gus Burns to train tigers and lions. Later, Indian men and women also became ringmasters, leading the acts.
Dr. Bose himself was a master at juggling and horse riding events.
