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{{short description|Bengali poet, writer, and editor (1887-1923)}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{More citations needed|date=June 2020}}
{{infobox writer
| name = Sukumar Ray
| image = Sukumar Ray.jpg
| imagesize = 240px
| caption =
| birth_name = Sukumar Ray
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1887|10|30|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Mymensingh]], [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British India]] (Present-day [[Bangladesh]])<ref>{{Cite ODNB|id=107500|title=Ray, Sukumar}}</ref>
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1923|09|10|1887|10|30|df=yes}}
| death_place = [[Calcutta]], [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British India]]
| language = [[Bengali language|Bengali]]
| period = [[Bengal Renaissance]]
| occupation = Writer, poet
| subject =
| notableworks = ''[[Abol Tabol]]'', ''[[Pagla Dashu]]'', ''[[HaJaBaRaLa]]''
| alma_mater = [[Presidency University, Kolkata]] [[London College of Communication]]
| relatives = [[Dwarkanath Ganguly]] [[Kadambini Ganguly]]
| spouse = Suprabha Devi
| children = [[Satyajit Ray]] (son)
| awards =
| signature =
| parents = [[Upendrakishore Ray]] (father)
}}

'''Sukumar Ray''', {{Audio|Bn-সুকুমার রায়.oga|''Sukumār Rāẏ''}}; 30 October 1887 – 10 September 1923)<ref name="RayChatterjee">{{cite book|author1=Ray|author2=Sukumar (tr. Chatterjee|author3=Sampurna)|title=Wordygurdyboom!|date=September 2016|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ohsA1rdovbwC&pg=PA177|access-date=3 October 2012|publisher=Penguin Books India|isbn=978-0-14-333078-3|pages=177–}}</ref> was a [[Bengali people|Bengali]] writer and poet from the [[Indian subcontinent]]. He is remembered mainly for his writings for children. He was the son of children's story writer [[Upendrakishore Ray]] and the father of Indian filmmaker [[Satyajit Ray]].

==Family history==
According to the history of the Ray family, one of their ancestors, Ramsunder Deo (Deb), was a native of [[Chakdaha|Chakdah]] village in [[Nadia district]] of present-day [[West Bengal]], India. In search of fortune he migrated to Sherpur 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 Katiadi upazila of Kishoreganj district.<ref name = "sukumar1">''Sukumar Samagra Rachanabali 1, 1960, Asia Publishing Company, p 1</ref><ref>''Sukumar Ray: Jibankatha (Bengali Ed.)'', Hemanta Kumar Adhya, Pustak Bipani, Kolkata, 1990, p. 6</ref>

==Early years==
[[File:Upendrakishore Ray Chauduri, His wife and six childrens.jpg|thumb|left|Sukumar Ray with his father [[Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury|Upendrakishore Ray]], mother Bidhumukhi and five siblings.]]Sukumar Ray was born in a [[Brahmo]] family in [[Calcutta]], [[British India]] (present day [[West Bengal]]) on 30 October 1887. His family hailed from [[Masua]] village of [[Mymensingh]] division of Eastern Bengal in British India, presently in [[Bangladesh]].<ref name="birthdate">{{cite book|last1=Raychowdhury|first1=Hitendra Kishore|title=Upendra Kishore O Moshua - Ray Poribaarer Golposholpo|date=1984|publisher=Firma KLM Private Limited|page=1}}</ref> Sukumar's father [[Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury|Upendrakishore Ray]] was a famous [[Bengali language|Bengali]] writer, painter, violin player and composer, technologist, amateur astronomer and entrepreneur.<ref name="satyajit">{{cite book |year=1987 |editor1-first=Satyajit |editor1-last= Ray |editor2-first=Partha|editor2-last= Basu|title= Sukumar Sahitya Samagra Centenary Edition|publisher= Ananda Publishers Ltd.}}</ref> Sukumar's mother Bidhumukhi Devi was daughter of [[Dwarkanath Ganguly]].<ref name= sangsad >{{cite book |editor-last1=Sengupta |editor-first1=Subodh Chandra |editor-last2=Basu |editor-first2=Anjali |date=1998 |orig-year=First published 1976 |edition=4th |title=Sangsad Bāṅgālī Charitābhidhāna |type=Biographical dictionary |language=bn |page=67 |isbn=81-85626-65-0}}</ref>

Born in the era which can be called the pinnacle of the [[Bengal Renaissance]], he grew up in an environment that fostered his literary talents. 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 [[Jagadish Chandra Bose]], [[Prafulla Chandra Roy]], [[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.<ref name="bpedia">{{cite book |last=Sarker |first=Sushanta |year=2012 |chapter=Rao, Shukhalata |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Rao,_Shukhalata |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]]}}</ref>

==Education and Profession==
[[File:Atul Prasad Sen a group photo.jpg|thumb|A group photo of Monday Club founded by [[Sukumar Roy]] First row sitting from left: Subinoy Ray, [[Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis]], [[Atul Prasad Sen]], Shishir Kumar Datta, Sukumar Ray Middle row from left: [[Bagha Jatin|Jatindranath Mukhopadhyay]], Amal Home, [[Suniti Kumar Chatterji|Suniti Kumar Chattopadhyay]], Jibanmoy Roy Standing from left: Hiran Sanyal, Ajit Kumar Chakrabarty, [[Kalidas Nag]], Pravat Chandra Gangoadhyay, Dr. Dwijendranath Maitra, Satish Chandra Chattopadhyay, Shrish Chandra Sen, Girija Shankar Roy Choudhury]]
[[File:Sukumar Ray and his wife.jpg|223x223px|thumb|Sukumar Ray with his wife Suprabha Ray (1914)|alt=|left]]In 1906, Ray graduated with double Honours in Physics and Chemistry from the [[Presidency College, Kolkata|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 story. He was trained in photography and printing technology in England at the [[London College of Communication|School of Photo-Engraving and Lithography, London]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www8.open.ac.uk/researchprojects/makingbritain/content/sukumar-ray |title=Sukumar Ray | |publisher=.open.ac.uk |access-date=3 October 2012}}</ref> 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.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}}

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 colour blockmaking and printing. He launched the children's magazine, ''[[Sandesh (magazine)|Sandesh]]'', in May, 1913.<ref name="RayChatterjee" /> 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".<ref name="satyajit" />

[[File:100 A Garpar Road Kolkata Heritage Building Tag by KMC.jpg|thumb|House Sukumar Ray at 100 A, Garpar Road Kolkata - Heritage Building Tag by KMC]]

==Contribution in literature==
<gallery mode="nolines">
File:Kumropatash.gif|Kumropatash in ''Abol Tabol''
File:Dashurkirti.gif|''Dashur Kirti''
File:Hukumukho hangla.PNG|''Huko Mukho Hangla''
File:Buro1.PNG|Kaath Buro
File:Abujh1.jpg|Abujh
File:Nbtjk.gif|The King
</gallery>
<gallery mode="nolines">
File:Hajabarala4.gif| Hijibijbij in ''HaJaBaRaLa''
File:Hajabarala6.gif| Nyara in ''HaJaBaRaLa''
File:Hajabarala3.gif| Udo in ''HaJaBaRaLa''
File:Hajabarala7.gif| The Court Room in ''HaJaBaRaLa''
File:Hajabarala2.gif| Shri Kakeswar Kuchkuche in ''HaJaBaRaLa'
File:Hajabarala1.gif| The CAT in ''HaJaBaRaLa'
</gallery>
Sukumar Ray delved into a unique genre of pure nonsense and gibberish, a pioneering work in Bengali literature with a few exceptions, work that was compared to Lewis Carrol's Alice in Wonderland. Amazing sense of humor, sharp power of observation and unfathomed wit merged with a profound command on selection of words produced a class of humor which was equally approachable by children as well as the grown ups. Satyajit Ray, in the preface of the first edition of the compilation of Sukumar Ray's complete works in his centenary year, ''Sukumar Sahitya Samagra'', wrote: {{quote|"উপেন্দ্রকিশোরের সম্পাদনাকালে সন্দেশে প্রকাশিত সুকুমারের কয়েকটি রচনায় তাঁর সাহিত্যিক বৈশিষ্ট্যের স্পষ্ট ইঙ্গিত পাওয়া যায়। ১৯১৪ সালে বেরোল আবোল তাবোল শ্রেনীর প্রথম কবিতা "খিচুড়ি"। এই প্রথম সুকুমার সাহিত্যে উদ্ভট প্রানীর আবির্ভাব। এখানে প্রানীর সৃষ্টি হয়েছে ভাষার কারসাজিতে -
হাঁস ছিল সজারুও, (ব্যাকরণ মানিনা) 
হয়ে গেল '''হাঁসজারু''' কেমনে তা জানিনা।

এই উদ্ভট সন্ধির নিযমেই সৃষ্টি হল বকচ্ছপ, মোরগরু,গিরগিটিয়া, সিংহরিণ, হাতিমি।<ref name=satyajit />"
}}
After his father's death in 1915, Sukumar had to take over responsibility of publication of "''Sandesh''", and his creativity reached its pinnacle. The 45 limericks in ''Abol Tabol'' and many other creations published in ''Sandesh'' still amuse the readers of all ages. He created many characters in his prose and poems. Kaath Buro, Tash Goru, Huko Mukho Hangla, Kumro Potash etc. were fictitious characters, though they were very close to our known world. He himself described his works as the product of ''Kheyal Ros''<ref name=satyajit /> (হঠাৎ ইচ্ছা;ঝোঁক/Wish; Whims; Freak; Fancy).

==Death==
Sukumar Ray died on 10 September 1923 at his Garpar residence in Kolkata<ref>{{cite web|title=LIfe of Sukumar Ray|url=http://aboltabol.freehostia.com/sukumar.htm#event|publisher=Freehostia}}</ref> of severe infectious fever, [[leishmaniasis]], for which there was no cure at that time. He left behind his widow and their only child, Satyajit, who was only two years old at that time. [[Satyajit Ray]] would later shoot a [[Sukumar Ray (film)|documentary on Sukumar Ray]] in 1987, 5 years before his own death.

==Bibliography==
* ''[[Abol Tabol]]'' (The Weird and the Absurd)
* ''[[Pagla Dashu]]'' (Crazy Dashu)<ref name="Datta1987">{{cite book|author=Amaresh Datta|title=Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: A-Devo|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ObFCT5_taSgC&pg=PA694|access-date=3 October 2012|year=1987|publisher=Sahitya Akademi|isbn=978-81-260-1803-1|pages=694–}}</ref>
* ''Khai-Khai'' (Eat-Eat)
* ''Heshoram Hushiyarer Diary'' (The diary of Heshoram Hushiyar) (early science fiction parody)<ref>[http://www.lehigh.edu/~amsp/2006/05/early-bengali-science-fiction.html Early Bengali science fiction], Amardeep Singh, lehigh.edu</ref>
* ''[[HaJaBaRaLa]]'' (Mumbo-Jumbo)
* ''Jhalapala O Onanyo Natok'' (Cacophony and Other Plays)
* ''Lakkhaner Shoktishel'' (The Weapon of Lakkhan)
* ''Chalachittachanchari''
* ''Shabdakalpadrum''
* ''Bohurupi'' (Many personalities)
* ''Abak Jalpan'' (Weird Drinking of Water 1914)
* ''Bhasar Atyachar'' (Torture of Language 1915)
* ''Desh-Bidesher Golpo'' (Tales from Many Lands)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Internet Archive author}}
* [http://sukumarray.freehostia.com/ Complete Sukumar Ray]
* [http://cafeirreal.alicewhittenburg.com/sukumar_ray.htm "Drighangchu" by Sukumar Ray] translation of short story in ''[[The Cafe Irreal]]''

{{commons category|Sukumar Ray}}
{{Bengal Renaissance}}
{{Ray family}}
{{Dwarkanath Ganguly family}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ray, Sukumar}}
[[Category:Sukumar Ray| ]]
[[Category:1887 births]]
[[Category:1923 deaths]]
[[Category:Bengali male poets]]
[[Category:Writers from Kolkata]]
[[Category:Bengali writers]]
[[Category:Bengali-language writers]]
[[Category:Bengali-language science fiction writers]]
[[Category:Bengali zamindars]]
[[Category:Culture of Kolkata]]
[[Category:Indian children's writers]]
[[Category:Indian illustrators]]
[[Category:Indian children's book illustrators]]
[[Category:Brahmos]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian photographers]]
[[Category:Presidency University, Kolkata alumni]]
[[Category:University of Calcutta alumni]]
[[Category:Deaths from leishmaniasis]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian poets]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian novelists]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian photographers]]
[[Category:Photographers from West Bengal]]
[[Category:Novelists from West Bengal]]
[[Category:Poets from West Bengal]]

Sukumar Ray - Revision history

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imported>Titodutta: /* Bibliography */ all the links on the page are redlinks, not worth giving as a reference at this moment