Krittibas ojha images of hearts
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Krittivasi Ramayan was created during the first half of the 15th century which underwent noticeable changes at the hands of various puthi scribes who incorporated their perceptions fuelled by the demands of contemporary genre. Key offerings to the development in the regional languages did flourish under them and it was a sultan who commissioned Krittibas for the exertion of translating Ramayana in Bengali.
As he finished his studies with flying colours, he was traditionally honoured by the King of Gauda himself by the offerings of a garland, some sandal water and a silk scarf. Its influence extended to 19th- and 20th-century figures, including Michael Madhusudan Dutt and Rabindranath Tagore, who drew on its narrative style and bhakti ethos in their own compositions, thereby enriching Bengali poetic expression with themes of rebellion and humanism.[9][12]Socially, Ojha's use of simple, idiomatic language made the epic available to lower castes and women, who were traditionally excluded from Sanskrit learning, embodying the bhakti movement's egalitarian principles that challenged caste hierarchies and promoted inclusive spiritual participation.
Early Life of Krittibas Ojha
Having his roots ingrained in the Kulina (upper class) Brahmin family, Krittibas had his birth fated in Phulia village of modern-day Nadia district in the Indian state of Paschimbanga (West Bengal) and met with his physical decay in 1461. As for example the notion of Akal Bodhan or untimely Durga Puja by Lord Rama during the Autumnal spell was indeed an addition by the veteran Krittibas.
Upon returning to his home at Phulia, he translated the Valmiki Ramayana into Bengali.
Debojit Kumar Ghosh made a major documentary Krittibas and the Bengali Ramayana in the Bhasha Mandakini Project of Central Institute of Indian Languages, India (2009). It can't be said surely if Shanti was the name of a male child or the daughter. Rama Ram Panchali which bears the testimony of his genius is often termed as Krittibasi Ramayan.
Background
Krittibas Ojha was born in a Kulina (upper class) Brahmin family at Phulia village of modern-day Nadia district in the Indian state of Paschimbanga (West Bengal). The word `Krittibas` has an etymological epithet of Hindu god Shiva.
Over centuries, it shaped oral traditions like Ram Gaan recitations and folk performances such as jatra and patachitra, while its early printed editions in the 19th century—beginning in 1802–1803—facilitated wider dissemination amid Bengal's burgeoning print culture, ensuring its enduring presence in literature, arts, and community rituals.[10][12]
Recognition
Krittivasi Ramayan received its first printed edition from the Serampore Mission Press in 1802–1803, spanning five volumes and marking an early milestone in Bengali printing history.[7] A second edition, edited by Jaygopal Tarkalankar, followed from the same press in 1830–1834 across two volumes, refining the text for wider dissemination.[7]Modern editions and scholarly analyses persist in Bengali literature studies, with publications such as Amiya Sankar Chowdhury's Krittibas O Bangla Ramayan (Ananda Publishers, 2016) examining Ojha's contributions.Born into a Kulina Brahmin family in Phulia village of present-day Nadia district, West Bengal, he was the eldest son of Banamali Ojha.[1]Ojha's Sri Ram Panchali, composed in the 15th century in the payar meter and panchali form, adapts the epic into seven kandas while incorporating Bengali cultural elements and local customs.
It influenced oral recitations, terracotta temple art in regions like Baranagar (e.g., Jor-Bangla Temple, c. It was his ingenious work that later inspired the Bengal creative bombs like Michael Madhusudhan Dutta and Rabindranath Tagore. It is known that when Krittibas was born, his grandfather Murari Ojha was preparing for a pilgrimage to Chandaneswar in Odisha, hence the child was named after Shiva, the predominant deity of the nearest Odisha pilgrimage to Bengal.
In 1803, his work, edited by Jaygopal Tarkalamkar, was published by the Serampore Mission Press.
(The names of Bonomali"s offsprings were Krittibas, Shanti, Madhab, Mrityunjoy, Balbhadra, Srikantha and Chaturbhuj lieutenant can"t be said surely if Shanti was the name of a male child or the daughter The Family tree at the Mukopadhyay household in Behala, shows it as male child)
At the age of 11, Krittibas was sent to North Bengal (in other opinion, to Nabadwip) for higher studies.
After finishing studies he was traditionally honoured by the King of Gauda himself by the offerings of a garland, some sandal water and a silk scarf.
This translation, first printed in 1803 by the Serampore Mission Press under editor Jaygopal Tarkalamkar, rendered Hindu religious narratives accessible to ordinary Bengalis, blending Sanskrit divinity with vernacular storytelling.[1]The work's enduring impact lies in its foundational role in Bengali literature, characterised as the "Bible of the Gangetic Valley" for its musical language and emotional depth.
The family named him Krittibas in devotion to Shiva (Krittivasa) after his grandfather's planned pilgrimage to the Krittivasa temple in Orissa was canceled due to ill health.[1]As a member of a Kulin Brahmin family, Ojha's early life unfolded in a social milieu where such lineages held responsibility for safeguarding Sanskrit religious and literary texts amid the cultural shifts of the Ilyas Shahi dynasty (1342–1487), a period when Muslim rulers coexisted with Hindu scholarly traditions in Bengal.[3][4] Brahmin families like his played a pivotal role in preserving these texts through oral and written transmission, often navigating the influences of sultanate patronage while maintaining orthodox Hindu learning.[4]
Education
Krittibas Ojha, born into a scholarly Brahmin family in Phulia, received his initial education under the guidance of local priests, motivated by his father's emphasis on traditional learning.[1]At around age 11 or 12, he was sent for advanced studies to Nabadwip—a renowned center of learning in medieval Bengal.[1] Some accounts suggest North Bengal as an alternative location.[3]The education system in medieval Bengal, particularly in scholarly hubs like Nabadwip, relied heavily on the guru-shishya parampara, emphasizing oral transmission through memorization (shruti) and recitation of Vedic and Puranic texts, supplemented by scriptural study in tols and chatushpathis.[5] These institutions fostered expertise in grammar (vyakarana), jurisprudence (smriti), ancient traditions (purana), and philosophy, often supported by royal or zamindari patronage without formal fees, preparing students for roles in literature and religious discourse.[5][1]Upon completing his studies, Ojha received early recognition from the King of Gauda, who honored his composed verses with traditional gifts including a garland, sandal water, and a silk scarf; this accolade occurred during the turbulent early 15th century, amid the reigns of figures like Raja Ganesha (c.Later in the 20th century various editions were published based on the Jaygopal Tarkalankar version.