Haricharan Acharya

Haricharan Acharya (1861-1941) a notable kaviy'a'l (professional versifier). Also known as Hari Acharya, Haricharan was born in narsingdi. He became a professional versifier about the age of 15. His gurus were Ramkanai Acharya, Baikunthanath Chakraborty, and Harishchandra Chakraborty. He subsequently organised a troupe himself and rendered kavigan in different places of Bengal for almost fifty years.

Some of Haricharan Acharya';s songs were anthologised in Kavir Jha'b'k'a'r (Volume 1,1929). The second volume of the anthology was published in 1950. His other books are Amiya Lahar'i (1931), Banger Kavi La'da'i (1931), Basanta Lil'a'm'r'ta, etc.

Haricharan';s kavig'a'n are free from the vulgarity common to this genre and, instead, portray the social conditions of the times. He vividly describes the sufferings of common people, their poverty, their want of food and clothing. He was also politically conscious: the sufferings of the colonial subject and the swadeshi movement find a place in his kavigan. A non-communal man, he believed in Hindu-Muslim amity, and words like 'Veda-Purana';, 'Kitab-Quran';, 'Masjid-Mandir'; strew his verses.

Haricharan was a Vaishnava. He established 'Sri Sri Gour Visnupriya Ashram'; in his own village and taught kavigan and shastra to his disciples there. The scholar community of kishoreganj adorned him with the title of 'Kavigunakar'; for his contributions to kavigan. He died on 13 Jyaistha 1348 BS/ 1941 AD. [Ali Nawaz] [Nawaz, Ali former Director, Bangla Cell, Bangladesh Agricultural University]