Nirmal Prabha Bordoloi

 

 

5th Aug 2011

 

 

Nirmal Prabha Bordoloi was born in the year 1933 at Shivsagar. She is an eminent Assamese poet and lyricist. Nirmal Prabha started writing poetry even when she was a child, from the age of nine.

 

Her career in the young age was disrupted due to some unfortunate happening. She was married to a man in her teen and the marriage did not last long. With courage and perseverance she struggled through valiantly and established her as teacher, researcher, poet and novelist.

She is the authoress of 85 books including nine collections of poems. She received prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award in 1983 for Sudirgha Din Aaru Ritu, her fifth collection of poems. According to the estimation of the Akademi, "it is an outstanding contribution to Assamese literature for its rich variety of moods, evocative imagery, its robust optimism and affirmation of human values." Apart from poetry Nirmal Prabha wrote thought provoking essays, plays, and juvenile literature and radio skits. One of the significant aspects of Bordoloi is as a researcher. She had made an in-depth and elaborate study of the original source-materials connected with Tantrik Saddhana of Assam, like Yogni Tantra, Kalika Purana, coupled with field studies of the Thans and temples connected with Shakti-worship of Assam. The result is her monumental work Devi. The book has received wide acclaim. Asom Sahitya Sabha recognised the book as an outstanding contribution in the field of original research and presented her an award. The Sanskirit Samaj of Assam conferred the title Saraswati on the writer for this work. Another highly researched work of hers is Shiva, dealing in the evolution of the cult of Shiva in Assam against an all-India perspective. The central theme of most of the poems of Nirmal Prabha is the emotional crises which the poetess underwent at the different stages of her life. Her poetry is often marked by her stringent protest against social ills and the establishment. But the dominant note of her poetry is a sad note woven around the main texture of her poetry. We cannot say Nirmal Prabha is always groping in the darkness glorifying the sad notes of humanity. Often she betrays her hope and optimism.

        “My name is Aniruddha
        A beautiful dream
        Has enchanted me.
        Nobody can stop my
        Onward march –
        That is why I am Aniruddha.”

Nirmal Prabha was emotionally involved in Assam’s agitation for identity, the Assamese identity threatened by perilous inroads of migrants from neighbouring erstwhile East Bengal, now Bangladesh. She wrote:

      

      “O my beloved land
        I promise
        I will inflame this night of terror
        With the flame of your courage.”

She is also known as a poet of love. But her love is more physical than spiritual or platonic. In some of her love poems she expresses her unique experience of transgressing the body, and thus has left aside the beaten track in Assamese love poetry. To her "Autumn is more love-loan, more so than the spring." She own the President’s Award for Children’s Literature for her book Chil Chil Chila,

 

 

In her life Nirmal Prabha Bordoloi received many awards and respects. She was Jawaharlal Nehru Professor of Gauhati University. In the year 1991 she was president of Asom Sahitya Sabha. Recipient of Sahitya Academy award in the year 1983 and Asom Sahitya Sabha awards. Nirmal Prabha as a cultural ambassador represented India in many international poetry conferences. In the International Literary Conference held in Tokyo, Japan, in the year 1983 she was honoured as the president of the poetry section. She was selected by I.C.C.R to represent India as the only representative in the World Poetry Conference held at Kualalumpur. In 1986 in the seminar held in Hamburg of South Germany, she received the award of the best scholar. In 1990 she visited China and participated in a seminar held in Kunamang. She died on the year 2003.

 

Collection of Poems:

 

Mon Faringar Rang (1987), samipeshu (1877), Antaranga (1978), Dinar Pisat Din (1979), Sudirgha Din Aru Ritu, Shabdar Ipare Shabdar Sipare (1992), Amitabh Shabda (1994), Selected Poems (1995), Aranya Prahar

 

Collection of Songs:

 

Sonbarani Aai (1980), Surujmukhi (1984)

 

Novel:

 

Jalapadma

 

Biography:

 

Rajani Kanta Bordoloi, Raghu Nath Chaudhury

 

Children Books:

 

Chil Chil Chila, Mon Uroniya, Shaliki Rotou Tou, Shisur Geeti Natya Sankalan, Suria Mat, Asomiya Omala Geet, Jikmikar Kotha, Enekhon Maramar Desh, Gase Gase Pati dile Phulore Sarai, Five Freedom Fighters

 

Travel Story:

 

Bismoykar Chin aru Cherry Phulor Desh Japan,