Chandra Kumar Agarwala

Chandra Kumar Agarwala (Assamese: চন্দ্ৰকুমাৰ আগৰৱালা; 1867–1938) was an eminent writer, poet, journalist from Assam. He is a pioneer people of Jonaki Era, the age of romanticism of Assamese literature. Agarwala was titled as Pratimar Khonikor in Assamese literature. Agarwala was the first editor and financer of the Jonaki magazine and a founder member of Oxomiya Bhaxa Unnati Xadhini Xobha, a literary organization of Assam with his intimate friends Lakshminath Bezbarua and Hemchandra Goswami. Agarwala, along with his friend Lakshminath and Hemchandra, are known as "Trimurti of Assamese literature" for their remarkable contribution to the very beginning of modern Assamese literature. Chandra Kumar Agarwala was the brother of writer and poet Ananda Chandra Agarwala and uncle of Jyoti Prasad Agarwala, a noted poet, playwright, composer, lyricist, writer and first Assamese Filmmaker.

Early life and education

Chandra Kumar Agarwala was born at Brahmajan near Gohpur in Sonitpur district on 28 October 1867. He was the second son of Haribilash Agarwala. He was from a rich business family of Assam. Chandra Kumar started his education at Tezpur. For a few years, Chandra Kumar also studied at Kolkata but before appearing in the Entrance examination. Passing the Entrance examination from Tezpur Government High School, then left for Kolkata to pursue higher studies. There he admitted into the FA classes of the Presidency College, as a student of the University of Calcutta. After passing FA, he took admission into the BA classes of the same college, but returned home, without completing his BA.

Literacy Works

A pioneer in the journalism movement of Assam, Chandra Kumar brought out an Assamese weekly called Asamiya from Dibrugarh in 1918 and later on shifted to Guwahati.

Some of his poetry books are:

• Pratima (প্ৰতিমা) (1914),
• Bin-boragi (বীণবৰাগী) (1923),
• Chandramrit (চন্দ্ৰামৃত)(1967)

Death

Chandra Kumar Agarwala died on 2 March 1938 at his house at Uzan Bazaar in Guwahati, Assam.