Maniklal Sinha, also Maniklal Singha; (13 January 1916 -21 March 1994)[1] was an Indian
archaeologist,[2]writer,[3] poet,[4] folk-culture scholar[1] (Lokasangskritibid), novelist[5] and assistant teacher at
Bishnupur High School. He was the main entrepreneur and founding director of Acharya Jogesh Chandra Pura Kirti Bhavan[2](museum) and
Bangiya Sahitya Parishad – Bishnupur Branch[2][6] in 1951 at
Bishnupur. He was awarded an honorary
D.Litt. degree by the
University of Burdwan in 1989 for his contribution as an archaeologist, writer and novelist.
Biography
Maniklal Sinha, son of Amulyaratan Singha and Narayani Debi was born on 13 January 1916 at
Joykrishnapur, near
Bishnpur.[1] In 1934, he passed
Matriculation from
Bishnupur High School (English Medium) and then completed I.S.C from
Bankura Christian College. On 16 June 1936, Sinha was arrested from his home in
Joykrishnapur on charges of sedition for the crime of
Swadeshi. On that day he was kept in Bishnupur Jail, but the next day i.e. 17 June, Sinha was transferred to
Mednipur Central Jail[1][7] after that on fourth of September, he was again transferred to Madarganj,
Mymensingh . Finally, on 22 December 1937, he was released from jail. In 1938, he married Jui Rani Sinha and later in 1942, he completed a Bachelor's and a master's degree (1945) from
Calcutta University and joined
Bishnupur High School as an assistant teacher. He took up teachers training i.e. B.T training from David Hare training college[1] in 1952.
At the age of 78, Maniklal Sinha died[1] due to physical
ailments of old age at home. In 2016, S.D.O,
Bishnupur and D.M,
Bankura, organised few events to celebrate his 101 years of birth day at
Bishnupur and
Bankura.[8]
Maniklal Sinha and Jui Rani Sinha have five sons. Among of them Pradip Kumar Sinha[9] and Pranab Kumar Sinha[10] are eminent writer, Sukanta Sinha is a publisher,[11] Dr. Srikanta Sinha[12] is a scientist,
ISRO, Satellite Center,
Bangalore, India and Srikrishna Sinha[13] is an independent researcher.
Works
In the 1970s, Maniklal Sinha discovered a
Chalcolithic emplacement at
Dihar[2][14][15] north of
Bishnupur, on the north bank of
Dwarakeshwar river. Coins, beads, semiprecious stone jewellery, and pottery were excavated. Sinha wrote to the archaeological department,
University of Calcutta to take charge of it.
Furthermore, his archaeological research was embodied through these books which are Kasai Sabhyata,[16]Paschim Rarh Tatha Bankura Sanskrti,[3]Rarher Jati o Kristi,[11]Subarnarekha hoite Mayurakshi,[17]Rarher Mantrayan[18] etc. These books are the products of the author's lifelong hard work and so much affection for Rarh region.[19] Moreover, he highlighted the
Jhumur song.[20][21]
^Sinha, Maniklal (1954). Kansai Sabhyata (in Bengali). Bangiya Sahitya Parisad. pp. 1–102.
Bibliography
Rediscovering Living Buddhism in Modern Bengal: Maniklal Singha's The Mantrayāna of Rārh (1979) : From the book Buddhism and Medicine: Mukharji Bihari Projit,
https://doi.org/10.7312/salg18936-028
Late Mediaeval Temples of Bengal (Origins and Classifications Calcutta: The Asiatic Society, 1972) McCutchion David.
Brick Temples of Bengal: From the Archives of McCutchion, David. (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1983), his research collected, interpreted and published by George Michell.