Sandesh (magazine) facts for kids
Sandesh June 1988 front cover
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| Editor | Upendrakishore Ray, Sukumar Ray, Subinoy Ray, Sudhabindu Biswas, Satyajit Ray, Subhash Mukhopadhyay, Leela Majumdar, Nalini Das, Bijoya Ray, Sandip Ray, Sujoy Shome |
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| Categories | Children's magazine |
| Frequency | Monthly |
| Founded | 1913 |
| Country | India |
| Language | Bengali |
Sandesh (Bengali: সন্দেশ, Shôndesh) is a popular children's magazine written in the Bengali language. It was first created by Upendrakishore Ray in 1913. He started it through his publishing company, M/s U. Ray and Sons.
Upendrakishore and his sons, Sukumar Ray and Subinoy, were the first partners in this exciting project. The magazine had to stop publishing twice in its history. However, its current run is the third and longest, lasting over 59 years!
Contents
How Sandesh Began
The Sandesh magazine first started from an office at 22, Sukeas Street. Later, the office and the printing press moved. They went to a new building built by Upendrakishore at 100, Garpar Road.
Upendrakishore's son, Sukumar Ray, traveled to Great Britain. He went there to learn advanced printing technology. After he returned, he became an active partner in the magazine.
Sukumar Ray's Time as Editor
Upendrakishore Roychowdhury passed away in 1915. His oldest son, Sukumar Ray, then became the editor of the magazine. This was also in 1915. Sukumar was a very talented writer. He was especially known for his funny stories and poems.
The years when Sukumar Ray was editor were very important. He made Sandesh a special magazine. It combined great writing with humor. It also shared interesting information from all over the world.
In 1923, Sukumar Ray also passed away. His younger brother, Subinoy, took over the magazine. Subinoy was also a gifted writer. But the business, U. Roy & Sons, faced big money problems. They could not keep the magazine going. So, Sandesh stopped publishing in 1925.
Bringing the Magazine Back to Life
In 1929, a new publisher bought the printing machines. They decided to bring Sandesh back. Subinoy Ray stayed on as one of the editors during this time. Many great works were published then. Even the famous writer Rabindranath contributed some pieces.
Sadly, in 1934, the magazine stopped publishing again.
Satyajit Ray's Revival of Sandesh
In 1961, Sandesh was brought back to life once more. This time, Satyajit Ray became the editor. He was a very famous film director. He was also the grandson of the founder, Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury, and Sukumar Ray's son.
Subhas Mukhopadhyay, a well-known poet, also joined as an editor. Many of Satyajit Ray's own stories first appeared in Sandesh.
Famous Characters Born in Sandesh
One of Satyajit Ray's most famous stories for the magazine was "Bankubabur Bandhu". This means "Banku Babu's Friend." It was a Bengali science fiction story written in 1962. It quickly became very popular among Bengali readers.
Ray also created his famous characters, Feluda and Professor Shonku, for Sandesh. These characters starred in short stories he wrote for the magazine.
In 1963, Sandesh faced money troubles again. Satyajit Ray formed a special group to help. It was a non-profit literary co-operative. He started it with friends and family who shared his vision. This group, Sukumar Sahitya Samavaya Samity Ltd., has been running the magazine ever since.
Satyajit's aunt, the writer Leela Majumdar, became an honorary joint editor. She took the place of Sri Subhas Mukhopadhyay. Upendrakishore's daughter, Punyalata Chakraborty, offered her house for the magazine's office. It was at 172/3, Rashbehari Avenue. The magazine still works from this address today!
From 1974, Satyajit's cousin, Nalini Das, became an honorary joint editor. She was Punyalata's daughter. Nalini Das was actually the main editor from 1963. Her husband, Asokananda Das, was the honorary publisher.
In 1992-93, the magazine faced a very tough time. Satyajit Ray, Nalini Das, and Asokananda Das all passed away within 14 months. From 1994, Leela Majumdar also became too ill to continue as editor.
Sandesh in the 1990s and Beyond
From 1993-94, Sandip Ray became the joint editor. He is Satyajit Ray's son. Amitananda Das, Nalini Das's son, became the publisher. However, the new team was not very experienced. They found it hard to keep up with the changing times.
There was a lot of competition from comics, TV, and colorful books. The number of children's magazines being sold went down. Sandesh was still a black and white magazine. It struggled, lost money, and sometimes missed publishing issues.
Popular Special Issues
Between 1995 and 2020, Sandesh started publishing special issues. These became very popular. In December 1995, a special issue called "Feluda 30" came out. It celebrated 30 years since the first Feluda story appeared in Sandesh. This issue was so popular that it had to be printed a second time!
Efforts to Keep Sandesh Going
In 2003, The Ford Foundation gave Sandesh a grant of 22 lakh rupees. This money was meant to help the magazine become financially stable. Even though the magazine added many colored pages and looked more attractive, it still struggled with money. Between July 2005 and April 2006, several issues were missed. After May 2006, four more issues were skipped.
In August 2006, a new effort was made to revive the magazine. Since then, it has been published a bit irregularly. Each year, the Saradiya annual issue comes out with over 300 pages. The stories and other writings in it are usually highly praised. However, between 2011 and 2014, the office had to move. During this time, the magazine could only publish three issues per year.
Celebrating 100 Years
The year 2013 was very special for Sandesh. It marked 100 years since the magazine was founded by Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury. It was also his 150th birth anniversary. He started the magazine when he was 50 years old.
The "Nababarsha" (Bengali New Year) special issue of Sandesh came out in May 2013. It celebrated Upendrakishore's 150th birthday. The 300-page Saradiya annual issue in September/October 2013 had a special section. It featured articles about the magazine's 100-year history.
The 100th birthday of Sandesh was celebrated from December 28 to 31, 2013. There was a special exhibition at "Nandan" and other events, including film shows. A special Sandesh issue celebrating the centenary year was also published in December.
Sandesh Today
In early 2014, Sandesh moved back to its original office. This is at 172/3, Rashbehari Avenue, Kolkata 700029. Since then, the magazine has been published more regularly.
Now, one annual (Saradiya) issue of over 300 pages is published. Also, four other issues, usually 96 pages each, come out. A series of recent special issues have been very popular. The number of people reading the magazine is slowly growing. Sandesh has helped new popular writers, like Rajesh Basu, become known.
The February 2017 issue featured a Sonar Kella cover story. The April 2017 issue had a Narayan Gangopadhyay cover story. Today, you can also find Sandesh available online from many sellers.
- Robinson, Andrew, Satyajit Ray: The Inner Eye, Andre Deutsch Ltd., Great Britain, 1989. Page 22-23, 28-29 (illustrations 6 & 14), p. 297.
