Khudiram Das was an Indian scholar, educationist, critic, litterateur, an authority on Rabindra literature and linguistic expert.
Early life and family
Khudiram Das was born in Beliatore situated in Bankura District, West Bengal to Satish Chandra Das and Kaminibala Devi. He studied in Middle English School in Bankura till Sixth standard and passed the Matric Examination in 1933 with Letter marks in Bengali and Sanskrit and I.A. Examination in 1935 from Bankura Zilla School, achieving 1st Division in both examinations. He graduated in Sanskrit with Honours from Bankura Christian College attaining 1st Class Third position in the year 1937. He then moved to Kolkata for higher studies. He completed his Master’s in Bengali from University of Calcutta attaining 1st Class 1st position with the then record marks of 72.6%. He was endowed with the Calcutta University Gold Medal and 5 endowment Gold Medals and Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee Silver Medal for standing First in Class in M.A Bengali. He was also awarded with Kavya Tirtha and Kavya Ratna for his excellence in Sanskrit. He passed B.T. examination in 1941.
Research Degree
He was awarded the D.Litt. Degree of Calcutta University in 1962 which was the first Doctor of Literature awarded in Bengali Literature. Rabindra Pratibhar Parichay, his first book on Tagore's poetical genius, won him this award.
Career
He started his career as a School Inspector in 1941 and continued in that post for a few months. He taught at the Calcutta Women’s College and Scottish Church College from 1941 to 1944, Presidency College from 1945 to 1955, Cooch Behar Raj College in 1955, Krishnagar Government College from 1955 to 1959, Maulana Azad College from 1959 to 1973, Hooghly Mohsin College in 1973, and as a Part Time Lecturer at Rabindra Bharati University from 1969 to 1973. He taught at the University of Calcutta as Ramtanu Lahiri Professor of Bengali & Head of the Department of Modern Indian Languages from 1973 to 1981. He retired from government service in the rank of West Bengal Government Senior Education Service. He was engaged with many organizations and held important positions. He was the President of Bangiya Sanskrita Siksha Parishad, Govt. of West Bengal, Member of Calcutta University Senate Arts Faculty and Ph. D committee, Bangiya Sahitya Parishad, Paschimbanga Bangla Academy, Rabindra Sadan Committee, and Editorial Board of Rabindra Rachanabali Publication Committee. After his retirement from active career, he was the Chief Editor of a project of West Bengal State Book Board on a linguistic dictionary of current Bengali words, titled "Bengali Linguistic Dictionary for both Bengalis and Non-Bengalis", from 1982 to 1994.
Lectures
He was invited by the University of Calcutta to deliver the D.L. Roy Lecture and the Vidyasagar Lecture.
Works
Rabindra Pratibhar Parichay Bangla Kavyer Rup o Riti Chitra Gitamayi Rabindra Vani Vaishnava Rasa Prokash Samaj Pragati Rabindranath Rabindra Kalpanay Bigyaner Adhikar Bangla Sahityer Adya Madhya - A History of Bengali Literature Banan Bananor Bondore Choddosho Sal O Choloman Rabi Desh Kal Sahitya Santhali Bangla Samashabda Abhidhan Bachai Prabandha Pather Chhayachabite Adhyapak Khudiram Das He edited the Kavikankan Chandi by Mukundaram Chakrabarty in 1976. He also edited Rabindra Prasanga Bodh, a book published by Govt. of West Bengal. He was the Chief Editor of a project of West Bengal State Book Board on a linguistic dictionary of current Bengali words, titled "Bengali Linguistic Dictionary for both Bengalis and Non-Bengalis", from 1982 to 1994. Some of his books are available in ebook format in his website the link to which is http://professorkhudiramdas.com/ebooks-by-professor-khudiram-das. মনীষয়া দীপ্যতি was published by Dey's Publishing in 2016 commemorating 100 Years of Birth Anniversary of Dr. Das. Ebooks -
Honors
He was conferred the title of Kavya Tirtha and Kavya Ratna for his expertise in Sanskrit Language and the title of Adya Madhya in Sanskrit Grammar. He was endowed with the Calcutta University Gold Medal and 5 endowment Gold Medals and Sir Ashutosh Silver Medal for standing First in Class in M.A Bengali. He was bestowed with many honors including. Pranotosh Ghatak Smriti Puraskar Vidyasagar Smriti Puraskar Sarojini Basu Gold Medal Sahitya Ratna Rabindra Tattwacharya Rabindra Smriti Puraskar Narayan Ganguli Smarak Puraskar Rabi Tirthankar Khudiram Das Memorial Lecture is held every year in Department of Bengali Language and Literature, University of Calcutta in his memory. A bust of him was erected beside Rabindra Bhawan, Krishnagar on 9 October 2018 in association with Krishnagar Municipality as a part of his birth centenary programme.
Memorial Prize
Kshudiram Das Memorial Prize is awarded for highest proficiency in Bengali Honours in B.A.Examination from Bethune College under University of Calcutta.
Death
He died on 28 April 2002 in Krishnagar, Nadia at the age of 85.
