Yeasterday, it was the first death
ceremony of ‘Jnanpith’ award winner literary scholar Dr. Mamoni Roisom
Goswami, according to Hindu Calender year. Dr Mamoni Raisom Goswami is a notable name in the
world of literature. Some of her distinguishing creations are -The Moth
Eaten Howdah of a Tusker, The Man from Chinnamasta, Pages Stained With Blood, The Chenab's Current, The Blue-Necked Braja
etc.
She was also a poet, editor,
professor of Delhi University and became the Head of Assamese Department. Even
she played a role as social activist, acted as a mediator between ULFA and
Indian Govt. for a peace talk to bring peace & prosperity in Assam.
She was the winner of the Sahitya Akademi Award (1983), the Jnanpith
Award (2001) and Principal Prince Claus Laureate (2008). She
worked on her PhD thesis on the topic, a comparative analysis of Ramcharitmanas
by Tulsidas and Kotha Ramayan by Madhav Kandali. Later,
her thesis was published as a book, Ramayana from Ganga to Brahmaputra,
for which she was honoured with ‘International Tulsi Award’ from Florida
University. In 2002 she was awarded Padma Shri,
which she refused to accept.
A celebrity writer of
contemporary Indian literature, many of her works have been
translated into English from her native Assamese
which include The Moth Eaten Howdah of the Tusker,
Pages Stained With Blood and The Man from Chinnamasta etc.
Yesterday, her niece performed
all the holy rituals according to Hindu Vedic rules at her home,. On 29th November, her 1st
death ceremony(according to days or time, i.e. exactly after one year) will be
observed publicly & everybody will have another chance to remember this
very simple, generous yet great personality, eminent writer, a prolific author,
a Ramayani scholar.
