Ashapurna Devi Biography: On January 8, 1909, Ashapurna Devi, a prominent Indian novelist and poet from Bengal, was born. In 1994, the Sahitya Akademi awarded her its highest honour, the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship, in recognition of her contributions as a novelist and short story author.
In addition to children’s fiction, Ashapurna wrote over thirty novels, poetry, and ten volumes of collected works during her lifetime. Nevertheless, it was her powerful trilogy that propelled her to renown and glory.
Pratham Protisruti, Subarnalata, and Bokul Katha (written between 1964 and 1974) depict women’s liberation from colonial to independent India.
Ashapurna Devi Biography
Early Years
She was born on January 8, 1909 in north Calcutta to a traditional Bengali family. Her father was the renowned artist Harendra Nath Gupta, and her mother was a member of a liberal family.
Their blended family had a large gender disparity between male and female offspring. While the girls were compelled to remain illiterate and uneducated, the boys were instructed by private tutors.
Despite her lack of formal education, Ashapurna educated herself sufficiently for people to take notice. Asha was able to master the Bengali alphabets by regularly listening to her siblings’ readings.
Ashapurna married Kalidas Gupta at the age of 15 and had to balance domestic duties with her literary creativity.
Ashapurna Devi Career
At first, she only wrote for youngsters. Her children’s book Chhoto Thakurdar Kashi Yatra (Great Uncle Goes to Varanasi) was a bestseller.
In 1936, she published her first work of mature fiction. Her story Patni O Preyoshi was published in the Ananda Bazar Patrika puja bumper issue. Her first adult novel, Prem O Prayojan, was published in 1944.
The focus of her entire literary output is on gender bias (discrimination) and the sexist mentality of males. Her short stories and novels vividly depict the emergence of middle-class Bengali women, including their repression, angst, increased awareness, awakening of conscience, and ultimate revolt.
Awards
In 1976, the Government of India presented Ashapurna Devi with the Jnanpith Award and the Padma Shri for her significant contributions to the field of literature, particularly feminist literature. She was awarded a D.Litt by the universities of Jadavpur, Burdwan, and Jabalpur. In 1989, Vishwa Bharati University (Shantiniketan, Bolpur, West Bengal) awarded her the Deshikottama. In 1994, she also received a Sahitya Akademi fellowship.
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Ashapurna Devi Death Anniversary
The death of Ashapurna Devi occurred on July 13, 1995. Her literary works, which have been translated into numerous languages, continue to be taught in schools. As a co-recipient of the prestigious Jnanpith award, the Indian Postal Administration issued a stamp featuring her in 1998.
