Khôna | |
---|---|
Born | c. 8th–12th century CE Bengal |
Occupation | Poet, astrologer |
Period | Pala Empire |
Notable works | Khanar Bachan |
Khana also known as Dak or Lilavati (IPA: [khaw-naa] ) was an Indian poet and legendary astrologer, who composed in the medieval Bengali language between the ninth and 12th centuries AD. She is associated with the village Deulia (Chandraketugarh, near Berachampa), in present-day Barasat, North 24 parganas district, West Bengal.
Her poetry, known as Khanar Bachan (or vachan) (Bengali : খনার বচন; meaning 'khana's words'), among the earliest compositions in Bengali literature, is known for its agricultural themes. [1] The short couplets or quatrains reflect a robust common sense, as in this paean to industry:
The legend of Khana (also named Lilavati elsewhere) centers around her association with Pragjyotishpur (the Bengal/Assam border), or possibly Chandraketugarh in southern Bengal (where a mound has been discovered amongst ruins with the names of Khana and Mihir associated with it) and that she was the daughter-in-law of the famous astronomer and mathematician, Varahamihira, a jewel among Chandragupta II Vikramaditya's famed Navaratna sabha.
Daivajna Varāhamihir (505–587), also called Varaha or Mihira, was an Indian astronomer, mathematician, and astrologer born in Ujjain (or Bengal, according to some legends). The Indian Parliament building contains pictures of Varahamihira and Aryabhata, among other astronomers. Though little is known about his life, he supposedly hailed from South Bengal, where in the ruins of Chandraketugarh there is a mound called the mound of Khana and Mihir. Khana was the daughter-in-law of Varaha and a famous astrologer herself.
In all likelihood, she lived her life in Bengal, but a number of legends have grown up around her life. According to one legend, she was born in Sri Lanka and was married to the mathematician-astronomer Varahamihira, but it is far more widely believed that Khana was Varahamihira's daughter-in-law, and an accomplished astrologer, becoming thereby a potential threat to Varahamihira's scientific career. However, she exceeded him in the accuracy of her predictions, and at some point, either her husband (or father-in-law) or a hired hand (or possibly Khana herself under great duress) cut off her tongue to silence her prodigious talent. This is a theme that resonates in modern Bengali feminism, as in this poem by Mallika Sengupta, khanaa's song:
Shrii P.R. Sarkar writes about her:"Based on the all-pervasive influence of the celestial bodies, a branch of knowledge arose in day-to-day life. And this branch of knowledge was beautifully nurtured, with all its flowers, leaves and twigs, by Kshana, a beloved daughter of Ráŕh, the offspring of the Ráŕhii Vaidyas caste of Bankura /Senbhum."
Through the centuries, Khana's advice has acquired the character of an oracle in rural Bengal (modern West Bengal, Bangladesh and parts of Bihar). Ancient versions in Assamese and Oriya also exist. Advice such as "A little bit of salt, a little bit of bitter, and always stop before you are too full" is considered timeless. [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
On 15 June 2009, Indian-Bengali television channel Zee Bangla started to telecast a TV serial called Khona based on the life of Khana. The show follows the legend that states she was born and thereby lived in 'Sinhal' (Sri Lanka).
In 2019, Colors Bangla channel started a new serial named Khanar Bachan based on Khana's words and her conflicts with her father-in-law Varaha.
Barisal Division is one of the eight administrative divisions of Bangladesh. Located in the south-central part of the country, it has an area of 13,225 km2 (5,106 sq mi), and a population of 9,325,820 at the 2022 Census. It is the least populous Division in Bangladesh. It is bounded by Dhaka Division on the north, the Bay of Bengal on the south, Chittagong Division on the east and Khulna Division on the west. The administrative capital, Barisal city, lies in the Padma River delta on an offshoot of the Arial Khan River. Barisal division is criss-crossed by numerous rivers that earned it the nickname Dhan-Nodi-Khal, Ei tin-e Borishal.
Bhāskara II, also known as Bhāskarāchārya, was an Indian polymath, mathematician, astronomer and engineer. From verses in his main work, Siddhāṁta Śiromaṇī, it can be inferred that he was born in 1114 in Vijjadavida (Vijjalavida) and living in the Satpuda mountain ranges of Western Ghats, believed to be the town of Patana in Chalisgaon, located in present-day Khandesh region of Maharashtra by scholars. In a temple in Maharashtra, an inscription supposedly created by his grandson Changadeva, lists Bhaskaracharya's ancestral lineage for several generations before him as well as two generations after him. Henry Colebrooke who was the first European to translate (1817) Bhaskaracharya II's mathematical classics refers to the family as Maharashtrian Brahmins residing on the banks of the Godavari.
Mangala is the personification, as well as the name for the planet Mars, in Hindu literature. Also known as Lohita, he is the deity of anger, aggression, as well as war. According to Vaishnavism, he is the son of Bhumi, the earth goddess, and Vishnu, born when the latter raised her from the depths of the primordial waters in his Varaha avatar.According to Shaivism, once when Shiva was engrossed in meditation on Mount Kailash, three drops of perspiration from his forehead fell on Earth. From those drops was born a beautiful infant with a reddish complexion and four arms. Shiva handed the child to Mother Earth for upbringing. Brought up by Bhumi, the child was named Bhauma.
Varāhamihira, also called Varāha or Mihira, was an astrologer-astronomer who lived in or around Ujjain in present-day Madhya Pradesh, India.
Līlāvatī is a treatise by Indian mathematician Bhāskara II on mathematics, written in 1150 AD. It is the first volume of his main work, the Siddhānta Shiromani, alongside the Bijaganita, the Grahaganita and the Golādhyāya.
Mihir Sen was a famous Indian long distance swimmer and lawyer. He was the first Asian to conquer the English Channel from Dover to Calais in 1958, and did so in the fastest time. He was the only man to swim the oceans of the five continents in one calendar year (1966). These included the Palk Strait, Dardanelles, Bosphorus, Gibraltar, and the entire length of the Panama Canal. This unique achievement earned him a place in The Guinness Book of Records as the "world's greatest long distance swimmer".
Bina Das was an Indian revolutionary and nationalist from West Bengal.
Chandraketugarh, located in the Ganges Delta, is actually consists of a cluster of villages in the 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, about 35 kilometres (22 mi) north-east of Kolkata. The name Chandraketugarh comes from a local legend of a mediaeval king of this name. This civilization can perhaps be identified with the Gangaridai of Graeco-Roman accounts. In early historic times, Chandraketugarh was connected to the Ganga by the Bidyadhari River and must have been an important centre of trade and possibly also a political centre.
Nellie Sengupta was an English-Indian politician and social worker who fought for Indian Independence. She was the first woman Alderman for Calcutta and was elected president of the Indian National Congress at its 48th annual session at Calcutta in 1933.
Mallika Sengupta was a Bengali poet, feminist, and reader of Sociology from Kolkata, known for her "unapologetically political poetry".
Padmaja Naidu was an Indian freedom fighter and politician who was the 4th Governor of West Bengal from 3 November 1956 to 1 June 1967. She was the daughter of Sarojini Naidu.
Stephanie Sengupta is an American television producer and writer. She is a co-creator of the series Reign and known for writing and co-producing episodes of the police procedural dramas Hawaii Five-0, Law & Order and Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and for foreign adaptations of the Law & Order franchise.
Aamra is a 2006 Indian Bengali-language film directed by Mainak Bhaumik and starring Jisshu Sengupta, Parambrata Chatterjee, and Nilanjana Sharma.
Budha is the Sanskrit word for the planet Mercury. Budha is also a god of Planet Mercury.
Kadambari Devi was the wife of Jyotirindranath Tagore and daughter-in-law of Debendranath Tagore. She was ten years younger than her husband, whom she married on 5 July 1868, at the age of nine. Her husband arranged for her to be educated. She was nearly the same age as her brother-in-law Rabindranath Tagore, being only two years older than him.
Bhandaru Acchamamba was one of the pioneers in the early stages of women's movement. She is regarded as one of the early feminist historians in India. Acchamamba studied Telugu, English and Hindi classics under her brother's guidance and became knowledgeable in literature and women's issues. She wrote several biographies of Telugu and British women, which laid path for future historians. Her stories reflect the social conditions of her times and women's issues.
Khana Baraha is a Bengali historical drama film directed by Bijoy Bose and produced by Ashim Sarkar. This film was based the story of Manmatha Roy on the life of Khana and Varāhamihira, the ancient mathematician astrologers of India. It was released on 29 May 1981.
Pathey Holo Deri is a 1957 Bengali film directed by Agradoot. The film has been music composed by Robin Chatterjee. The film starring Uttam Kumar, and Suchitra Sen who was in leading role and others artists like Shishir Batabyal, Anil Bhattacharya, Mihir Bhattacharya, Chhabi Biswas, Bharati Devi, Chandrabati Devi, Jahar Ganguli, Anup Kumar, Shyam Laha, Gopal Majumdar, Chitra Mandal, Sova Sen, Kamala Mukherjee in the supporting roles. This is the first ever color Bengali film in history. The film become a huge success at the box office.
Shaheber Chithi is an 2022 show which premiered on Bengali general entertainment channel Star Jalsha from 27 June 2022. The show is produced by Acropoliis Entertainment, starring Pratik Sen and Debchandrima Singha Roy in the lead roles, alongside Devlina Kumar, Oindrila Bose, Madhupriya Chowdhury in supporting roles.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)