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| Sibendu Manna does reference work at home. (Gopal Senapati) |
“The officials approached me in 2010 with the proposal but I refused on grounds of health,” said Manna. The department again asked him after a few months and persuaded him to do the work.
It took Manna two years to complete the project. He included rare photographs, illustrations, maps as well as annotations. “I found a copy of the original book in the National Library. C N Banerji was posted in Howrah district from 1872 to 1897. He was deputy magistrate and deputy collector from 1891. He lived in Howrah and wrote his book in 1872. Later, I learnt that C N Banerji was a close friend of Michael Madhusudhan Dutta,” said Manna.
He used references from public libraries, personal collections and institutional records. He added supplementary notes on Census of Howrah and Hooghly in 1872, The Royal Botanic Garden, East India Railway Company and added maps of Howrah of 1836 and 1857.
Manna has worked extensively on the history of the district along with Tarapada Santra. His interest in local history started in his school in Garbalia in Jagatballavpur. “I met Santra at the end of 1974, when he was publishing Kaushiki,” said Manna. Santra was preparing to write Howrah Jelar Purakirti at that time and asked Sibendu to help him travel around Jagatballavpur, Udaynarayanpur and Amta. While at it Sibendu got to learn a lot about his village and adjoining areas.
Armed with a PhD in anthropology, Manna published a paper ‘Mother Goddess Chandi, Its Social-Ritual Impact on Folk Life’, which is now an important reference for students. He has written Jagatballavpur Janapadkatha, Badai Gaan, Banglar Lokmata Debi Chandi.
While researching, Manna also taught at his school in Garbalia and later became the curator of Ananda Niketan Kirtisala in Bagnan. “I have tried to accommodate my passion with my profession,” said the author.
More about sibendu
- DoB: February 26, 1940
- Born in: Howrah
- Family: Wife and three daughters (married)
- Loves: Folk and local history
- Hates: Back-biting
Dalia Mukherjee
