Priyanath Bose
Encyclopedia
Priyanath Bose (1865–1920) was a 19th century India
n Bengali
entrepreneur
and the pioneer of Indian Circus
acts.
. Not much is known about the personal life of Priyanath Bose apart from that the soubriquets 'Dr. Bose' and 'Professor Bose' suggest him to be a college professor of some manner.
, gymnastics
, jugglers and shows with trained animals, in Bengal, dates back to the Melas (fairs) which used to be organized on the outskirts of towns and cities. The memoirs of Jyotirindranath Tagore
records that Nabagopal Mitra
pioneered the National Circus, and that was the start of organized circus acts in Bengal. Ram Chandra Chatterjee
, the pioneer aviator of India started his career at the National Circus.
. He was ably assisted in the venture by his brother Matilal Bose. Tours of this circus party took a hold on the towns and villages of Bengal, and even Swami Vivekananda
praised it as "More effective than articles and lectures".
The circus consisted of trapeze acts, gymnastics and wild animals. Not just men, but there were Women performers in the circus act as well. Bose hired Gus Burns, an American , to train the tigers and lions, and there were later Indian men and women who performed as ringmasters, as well.
Dr. Bose was himself an expert at juggling
and equestrian
events.
It was indeed a multi-cultural event, with Russian, German, French, and Germans aspart of the show, along with the Bengali artistes.
After Priyanath's death in 1920, the Circus was taken over and run by his brother Matilal, but perished thereafter.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n Bengali
Bengali people
The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
and the pioneer of Indian Circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
acts.
Personal life
Priyanath Bose was born to Monomohan Bose, a resident of Jagulia in North 24 Parganas, West BengalWest Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
. Not much is known about the personal life of Priyanath Bose apart from that the soubriquets 'Dr. Bose' and 'Professor Bose' suggest him to be a college professor of some manner.
Circus Shows in Bengal
The genesis of Circus acts with trapezeTrapeze
A trapeze is a short horizontal bar hung by ropes or metal straps from a support. It is an aerial apparatus commonly found in circus performances...
, gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
, jugglers and shows with trained animals, in Bengal, dates back to the Melas (fairs) which used to be organized on the outskirts of towns and cities. The memoirs of Jyotirindranath Tagore
Jyotirindranath Tagore
Jyotirindranath Tagore was a playwright, a musician, an editor and a painter. Endowed with an outstanding talent, he had the rare capability of spotting talent in others...
records that Nabagopal Mitra
Nabagopal Mitra
Nabagopal Mitra was an Indian playwright, poet, essayist, patriot and one of the founding fathers of Hindu nationalism. Along with Rishi Rajnarayan Basu he founded the Hindu Mela, the pioneer institution behind the genesis of Hindu nationalism...
pioneered the National Circus, and that was the start of organized circus acts in Bengal. Ram Chandra Chatterjee
Ram Chandra Chatterjee
Ram Chandra Chatterjee was an Indian acrobat, gymnast, balloonist, parachutist and patriot. He was the first Indian to fly in a balloon and land in a parachute. He was also the first Indian to take up ballooning as a profession...
, the pioneer aviator of India started his career at the National Circus.
Priyanath Bose's Circus Show
The 'Dr. Bose's Great Bengal Circus' founded by Dr. Bose in 1887 was the pioneering circus act and was a household name in late nineteenth and early 20th century BengalBengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
. He was ably assisted in the venture by his brother Matilal Bose. Tours of this circus party took a hold on the towns and villages of Bengal, and even Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda , born Narendranath Dutta , was the chief disciple of the 19th century mystic Ramakrishna Paramahansa and the founder of the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission...
praised it as "More effective than articles and lectures".
The circus consisted of trapeze acts, gymnastics and wild animals. Not just men, but there were Women performers in the circus act as well. Bose hired Gus Burns, an American , to train the tigers and lions, and there were later Indian men and women who performed as ringmasters, as well.
Dr. Bose was himself an expert at juggling
Juggling
Juggling is a skill involving moving objects for entertainment or sport. The most recognizable form of juggling is toss juggling, in which the juggler throws objects up to catch and toss up again. This may be one object or many objects, at the same time with one or many hands. Jugglers often refer...
and equestrian
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
events.
It was indeed a multi-cultural event, with Russian, German, French, and Germans aspart of the show, along with the Bengali artistes.
After Priyanath's death in 1920, the Circus was taken over and run by his brother Matilal, but perished thereafter.
Trivia
- Very few written records remain of Dr. Bose, but he was mentioned in Satyajit RaySatyajit RaySatyajit Ray was an Indian Bengali filmmaker. He is regarded as one of the greatest auteurs of 20th century cinema. Ray was born in the city of Kolkata into a Bengali family prominent in the world of arts and literature...
's novel Chhinnamastar Abhishap (Trans: The Curse of the Goddess), featuring the famous fictional detective, FeludaFeludaFeluda, or Prodosh Chandra Mitra, who uses the anglicised name Pradosh C. Mitter, is a fictional private investigator starring in a series of Bengali novels and short stories written by the famous Indian Bengali film director and writer Satyajit Ray. The detective lives at Rajani Sen Road,...
.
- Famous singer and actress Indubala was the illegitimate daughter of Matilal Bose, the younger brother of Priyanath Bose.