Biography of Mamoni Raisom Goswami

Majestic woman Dr° Mamoni Raisom Goswami is an age-old name engraved with golden letters in Assamese literature history. This writer who picked up a pen in her childhood never had to look back on the field of literature. The protesting, feminist voice of this writer who picked up a pen in her hand at the age of thirteen is always spreading in the skies of Assam even in her absence. Mamoni Raisom Goswami is a successful storyteller, novelist and poet.

Biography of Mamoni Raisom Goswami

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Early Life:

Mamoni Raisom Goswami was born on November 14, 1942 in Kamrup district. Father Umakanta Goswami and mother Ambika Devi Goswami privileged child Mamoni Raisom Goswami’s father’s given name is Indira Goswami. Mamoni Raisom Goswami, who studied primary education in Guwahati, Shillong etc., studied and stayed in Assam for a long time in her education till the university. From Tarini Chaudhary Girls School in 1957 passed the high school education examination and studies IA at Handique Girls College. She later graduated with a bachelors’ degree from Cotton College as a major subject in Assamese. After graduation, she earned a master’s degree in Assamese subjects from Guwahati University. In 1973, she researched the subjects of ‘Tulsi Das’s Ramacharita Manas’ and ‘Assamese Ramayana of Madhav Kandali: A Comparative Study’ and she received a doctorate degree under Professor Upendrachandra Lekhrudev from Guwahati University.

Also Read: Biography of Homen Borgohain

Literary Life

As a Storyteller

Mamoni Raisom Goswami, who has been doing literature since the age of thirteen, initially made her short story debut. Mamoni Raisom Goswami made her debut as a storyteller on the New Assamese Page published in 1955 edited by Kirtinath Hazarika. Her first collection of stories, “Sinaki Morom/Familiar Love,” was published in 1962. From then till 2010, in nearly five decades, she has written several great quality stories and made a storehouse of Assamese short stories. Dr° Mamoni Raisom Goswami wrote stories of different societies or backgrounds. Some of Goswami’s stories are narrated by analyzing the psychological aspects of women’s life. Also, the stories of Mamoni Raisom Goswami are not wrong to say that they are a region, the living history of a society.

Dr° Mamoni Raisom Goswami’s collection of stories is called Sinaki Morom/The Familiar Love published in 1962, Koina/The Bride published in 1966, Hriday Ek Nadir Nam published in 1990,The Selected Story of Mamoni Raisom published in 1998 and the Priyo Galpa/Favorite story of Mamoni Raisom Goswami in 1998. On the other hand, in November 2019, Mamoni Raisom Goswami’s uncompiled collection of twenty-eight stories, not included in any of her stories, was ‘Magnolia’.

As a Novelist

Importantly, Mamoni Raisom Goswami, who rose to fame as a storyteller as well as a 20th century female novelist, has been recognized as a novelist since the seventies. Dr° Mamoni Raisom Goswami created a new genre by writing exceptional novels in the Assamese novel world. Dr° Goswami has written novels based on personal struggling life and real-life experience. To create experiences in Assam and India and different parts of India, the novels included Assam as well as India and the International background.

In parallel with presenting real-life events through stories, she presented the novelty of content, seriousness, social prejudices, various problems of women, hypocrisy of society, suffering of poor society, And the narrative of Dr° Mamoni Raisom Goswami’s novels that describes economic difficulties, has given novels a unique dimension.

The novels written by Dr° Mamoni Raisom Goswami are – Chenabar Hooth (1972), Neelakanthi Bridge (1976), Ahiran (1980), Mamore Dhara Taruwal(Sword) and Two Novels/Dukhan Upanyakh (1980). Dr° Goswami won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1982 for this book ‘Mamore Dhara Taruwal and Two Novels/Dukhan Upanyakh‘.  

Datal Hatir Uye Khowa Haoda /The Mother Eaten Haodah of the Tusker (1988), Hindi serial Dulal Roy titled “Kamrup Ki Kahaaniya” for this novel in 1996, produced under the direction of Ruma Ghosh for the national channel of television. On the other hand, based on this novel, Dr. Santana Bordoloi made a film called ‘Adahya’ in 1996. Importantly, it was for this novel that Dr° Goswami won the Vishnu Rava Award of the Assam Sahitya Sabha in 1988.

Sanskar, Uday Bhanu’s character, etc. (1989), it may be recalled that Dr° Goswami won the Bharat Nirman Award for her collection of these three novels.

Apart from these, other novels published by Dr° Goswami are: Ishwari Jakhami Yatri /Ishwari Injured Passengers etc. (1991), Blood and Dusty Pages/Tej Aru Dhulir Dukharit Pristha (1994), Mamoni Raisom Goswami’s whole novel/Mamoni Raisom Goswami’s Upanyakh Hamagra (1998), Dashrathi’s Steps/khuj (1999), The man From Chinnamasta/Chinnamatsta’r Manuhtu (2001), Copper Sword of Thangapakhari Tehsildar (2006). She also translated the Malayalam novel “Aranasikneram” into Assamese in 1978 as “Adha Ghanta Homoi/Half an Hour Time”.

Research Works

Apart from the story, novels Dr° Mamoni Raisom Goswami performed various research work. They are:

1/Tulsi Das’s “Ramcharita Manas” and Madhav Kandali’s Assamese “Ramayana”: A Comparative Study

2/ Children’s literature in the Assamese Language, 

3/ Virendra Kumar Bhattacharya’s novel “Mritunjaya”: Contemporary Indian Literature,

4/ History of Assamese Literature, 

5/ Madhava Kandali and his Ramayana, 

6/ Assamese Literature since 1947, 

7/ Assamese Meters, 

8/ Assamese Drama: Modernity without Vitality, 

9/ Ramabhakti in Sankardeva, 

10/ Chronicle of a Great Woman, Indian Literature,

11/ Ankiya Nat’s of Assam,

12/ ‘’The image of Women in Assamese Literature’’ in The Image of Women in Indian Literature, 

13/ Comparative study of the Character of Ravana and Sita, 

14/ Bani Kanta Kakati, published in the Souvenir of Centenary Celebration of Bani Kanta Kakati held in the Department of Modern Indian Languages and Literary Studies, 

15/ Moheshwar Neog: Some Cherished Memories, 

National & International level discussion circle

Dr° Mamoni Raisom Goswami, who joined a large number of national and international seminars and workshops in addition to research started her career as a teacher at St. Mary’s High School of Guwahati in 1963. In 1971, Dr° Goswami joined Delhi University as a professor in modern Indian language subjects and retired from this department. Mamoni Raisom Goswami, who was also involved in various translation works, studied Ramayani literature in particular. Mamoni Raisom Goswami, who has been maintaining her association with various educational, social, literary and cultural institutions, was also particularly careful about the alpha problem in Assam and peace talks between alpha and the government.

Others

Importantly, the life of Dr° Mamoni Raisom Goswami was a document of hard struggle. Father Umakanta Goswami died of a court disease in 1955. Dr° Goswami’s favorite uncle Chandrakanta Goswami also passed away suddenly in 1960. In 1967, just a year after wedding, Dr° Goswami’s husband Madhavan Raisom Iyengar died in a motor accident on his way to Udhampur while he was posted as the manager of Shina Aqueducts in Kashmir. These shortcomings of personal life, the strict social system, also influenced the literary writings of Dr° Goswami. Goswami’s sensitive mind was left with a sense of loneliness due to these various incidents. Even because of this loneliness she tried to commit suicide and as a result she came back from the door of possible death, she was even criticized in the society for such incidents. 

Challenging all sorrow and suffering, Dr° Mamoni Raisom Goswami was able to establish herself in the context of the world by boldly standing in the field of life. By uniting life, pain and literature Dr° Mamoni Raisom Goswami composed the Durbhagyojanak Muktir Path/Path to the release of the Unfortunate. For which in her compositions, there was love and human feeling. Dr° Goswami gave a message of hope and courage to the oppressed people of the world through literary art. One of the aspects of her writings was to explore the truth. Dr°Goswami never hesitated to express the truth fearlessly.

Conclusion

Mamoni Raisom Goswami is an exceptional writer in the Assamese literary world who is honored with the “Jnanpith Award.” In every context of her literary creation, she describes the image of various places in India and outside India. On the basis of real life, many of the events that have been experienced in visual experience have brought to life in her literary writings. She is an exceptionally talented writer who can lively share various experiences of the lives of the common man in literature. On November 29, 2011, this talented writer died at Guwahati Medical College Hospital, but Dr Mamoni Raisom Goswami, who has been an Assamese literary store owner with huge literary work, is Pride for Assam and the Assamese.

FAQ

1. When and where was Mamoni Raisom Goswami born?

Ans: Mamoni Raisom Goswami was born on November 14 1942.

2. What is the original name of Mamoni Raisom Goswami?

Ans: Her original name is Indira Goswami.

3. By what name Mamoni Raisom Goswami was popularly known as?

Ans: She was known by her pen name Mamoni Raisom Goswami and popularly known as Mamoni Baideo.

4. When did she won Sahitya Akademi Award?

Ans: She was awarded with “Sahitya Akademi Award” in 1983.

5. When did she won Jnanpith Award?

Ans: She was awarded with “Jnanpith Award” in 2000.

6. Name some of her notable works?

Ans: Some of her notable works are- ‘The Moth Eaten Howdah of the Tusker’, The Man from Chinnamasta, ‘Pages Stained with Blood’ etc.

7. What is the name of Mamoni Raisom Goswami’s first collection of stories and when was it published?

Ans: Her first collection of stories, is “Sinaki Morom/Familiar Love,” and was published in 1962.

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