Chandrakiran Sonrexa

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Chandrakiran Sonrexa
BornKumari Chandrakiran
19 October 1920 (1920-10-19)
Naushera, Peshawar (Sadar), in British India (now in Pakistan)
Died18 May 2009 (2009-05-19) (aged 88)
New Delhi, India
Pen nameChhaya, Jyotsna
OccupationScript writer, editor
LanguageHindi, Urdu, Bengali, Punjabi, Gujarati and English
EducationPassed lower middle in 1933 from Mission Middle School, Meerut (Sadar), later studied at home and passed prabhakar, Visharad and Sahitya Ratna in Hindi. The last equivalent to BA, in Hindi
Years activeJanuary 1956 to 1978
Notable worksPinjare Ke Maina (Autobiography), Adamkhor, Den' Rozhdennii︠a︡
Notable awards
  • 1946: Seksaria Award on "Adamkhor" by Akhil Bhartiya Sahitya Sammelan
  • 1987: Saraswat Samman from Madhya Pradesh Sahitya Academy.
  • 1988: Subhdra Kumari Chauhan Gold Medal by UP Sahitya Sammelan.
  • 2001: Rs 1 lakh Hindi Sahitya Academy (Delhi) award for being the best Hindi woman writer of the century
SpouseShri Kanti Chandra Sonrexa, a writer journalist, photographer who later joined provincial civil service in U.P Cadre

Chandrakiran Sonrexa[1][2][3][4] (October 19, 1920 - May 18, 2009) (Saunareksā, Candrakiraṇa[1][2][3][4]) was a writer of Hindi literature. Her writings in Hindi,[2][5] spanning a period of 75 years have been published and translated in several languages including Russian,[6] Hungarian,[7] Czechoslovakian and English and also several Indian languages. She worked as a Script writer and Editor at All India Radio, Lucknow for over two decades (1957-1979). In 2001 she was awarded the title of Best Woman Hindi Short Story Writer of the 20th century by Hindi Academy (Delhi) and was presented the award by Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister of Delhi.

Biography[edit]

Early life[edit]

Chandrakiran's father was a storekeeper in the military which was a transferable job. He was posted at Naushera in Peshawar (now in Pakistan) in 1920 where Chandrakiran, his last child, was born. The date or “Tithi” according to the Hindu calendar was Saptami of Durga Navratri in the month of 'Aashwin' (October). By the time she was one and a half year old her father was transferred to Meerut in U.P. (United Province then and Uttar Pradesh now). At first the family rented a house in Rajman Bazar. But in 1923 shifted to Sadar Kabaadi Bazar which was a timber market. Their house was near Bholanath Temple.

Education[edit]

Chandrakiran's first school was Sadar Kanya Pathshala where she was admitted in class one in July 1926. She studied up to class 4th in this school and received a double promotion twice. Thus she cleared four classes in two years. For class 5th she joined Sadar mission school, which was run by Christian missionaries.

She was a very bright student who though always the youngest in class, was exceptionally good at all subjects especially Mathematics, Hindi, Geography. The only subject she could not cope with was drawing. A favorite of all the teachers, Chandrakiran often had to face the jealousy and bullying of her older classmates.

Influence of the Indian freedom movement[edit]

In the year 1931, when Mahatma Gandhi's non-cooperation movement was spreading all over the country she too started to wear Khadi (hand-spun cotton cloth). At the tender age of eleven she longed to participate in the sit-ins to protest at shops selling foreign liquor or clothes, and wanted to join the congress party. She was ready to court arrest even; of course she was not allowed to do any of these by her loving father, who doted on her.

Exposure to literature[edit]

A voracious reader, Chandrakiran devoured any printed matter she could lay her hands on - Hindi/Urdu stories, novels, poems, magazines - besides her text books. She finished 'Ramcharit Manas', Kabir's 'Sakhi-Sabad Ramaini' and 'Sukh-Sagar' even though she could not fully understand them. She read 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' in translation in a serialized form in an Urdu magazine. She finished entire works of renowned Hindi writers like Premchand, Kaushik and Sudarshan. Magazines like 'Madhuri, Saraswati Chand' etc., were borrowed from the neighbors. Even books which her elder sister prohibited her from reading – 'Devdas' of Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay or 'Hatimtaai' - were read on the sly. Because of the speed with which she finished reading entire volumes, and was a chatter box as well, her brother Kanhaiya Lal called her 'Peshawar Mail'.

First published work[edit]

She wrote her first story titled 'Achhoot' (the untouchable) about the tough life of a village boy of low-caste (who later became an officer, having been educated and converted to Christianity by a priest), at the age of 11 only. It was sent for publication in the magazine 'Vijay' from Calcutta with a note to the editor to print it if found worthy otherwise to be thrown in the trash bin, but not to be sent back. It was signed by her without any address of the writer. But perhaps the editor found the city's name from the stamp of the envelope, hence it carried her name as 'Kumari Chandrakiran', Meerut. Her family and neighbors guessed that it was she, since her name was a rare one. She had expected a reprimand but received praise instead. And her writing career started.

Parents' demise[edit]

She was admitted in Class 8th in Raghunath Girl's High School by her father, despite her eldest brother's opposition. But fate willed otherwise. Her mother, who was a diabetic, fell seriously ill. Since there was no other female in the house to carry the household chores or look offer her mother, her studies came to an abrupt end. On October 10, 1933, when Chandrakiran was 9 days short of her 13th birthday, her mother left this world. Post her demise, she confined herself to the four walls of her home, pursuing whatever studies she could, while running the household. In April 1936 she lost her father too.

Published works[edit]

Novels[edit]

Year Title Description Length (Pages) Publisher ISBN Cover Image
1962, 2008 Chandan Chandni[8] 275 Mitra Prakashan,

Samanantar Prakashan

81-86306-49-8
1972, 2008 Vanchita[9] 120 Lokchetna Prakashan,

Samantar Prakashan

2003, 2008 Kahin Se Kahin Nahin[10] 216 Muhim Prakashan,

Adiba Books

81-8164-001-2
2003 Aur Diya Jalta Raha 127 Muhim Prakashan 81-8164-004-7

Collection of short stories[edit]

Year Title Description Length (Pages) Publisher ISBN Cover Image
1946 AadamKhor[11] 184 Saraswati Press
1962 Birthday Translated in Russian as "Den' Rozhdenniia"[6] 76 Moskva Izd 67056666 (LCCN)
1990 Jawan Mitti[12] 264 Prathibha Pratishthan
2002 Jaggo Tai National Book Trust 978-81-237-4120-8
2007 A Class Ka Qaidi[13] 183 Literacy House 81-88435-27-9
2007 Doosra Bachcha[14] 174 Itihas Shodh Sansthan 81-8073-064-5
2007 Saudamini 176 Sharda Prakashan 81-85023-39-5
2007 Vey Bhediye[15] 181 Parag Prakashan 81-7468-045-4

9788180990625

2007 Hirni 174 Sharda Prakashan 81-8070-052-6
2008 Meri Priaya Kahaniyaan[16] 350 Purvodaya Prakshan 81-7037-086-8
2011 Ferfiassag[7] Collection of 15 stories in Hungarian
2011 Nasamajh[17] DJ Publications 978-93-80786-14-8
2011 Aadha Kamra[18] Eastend Publications 978-93-80807-09-6
2011 Khuda Ki Den 93-80784-12-0
2011 Udhar Ka Sukh[19] Nalanda Prakshan 81-8073-069-7

Children drama/stories (2008)[edit]

Year Title Description Length (Pages) Publisher ISBN Cover Image
Pashu Pakshi Sammelan Drama Collection
2008 Jinhone Itihaas Racha Bharat Ke Veero ki Kahaniyan Akshay Prakshan 81-8077-023-0
2008 Shishe Ke Mahal Novel Antara Prakashan 81-8079-036-3
2007 Bhondu Aur Golu Story National Book Trust 978-81-237-5112-2
2008 Damyanti Novel Akshay Prakshan 81-8077-021-4

Other[edit]

Year Title Description Length (Pages) Publisher ISBN Cover Image
2008 Peedhiyon Ke Pul Collection of Street Plays 128 Antara Prakashan 81-8079-035-5
2008 Pinjrey Ki Maina Autobiography 416 Purvodaya Prakashan 81-7037-085-X

International publications[edit]

  • In 1962, sponsored by Academician E.P. Chelishave, a collection of best stories was published in Russian language as "Den' Rozhdenniia"[6] the title story being "Birthday".
  • Story on Family Planning "Grihasthi Ka Sukh" written in the fifties was selected among 10 best stories of Asia and Africa by the government of Czechoslovakia and published in collection named "Rodini Stati". It was translated by Professor Odolen Smekel (Later Czech Ambassador to India).
  • Collection of 19 Hindi stories[20] has been translated into English at the University of Oxford under the guidance of head of the department at the Faculty of Oriental Studies (Dr Imre Bangha).
  • Stories have been in the prescribed text at the University of London, University of Oxford in the UK and University of California at Berkeley.

Publications in Indian magazines and Indian languages[edit]

Her poems have been published in Kadambini, Naya Gyanodaya etc.

A very large number of stories have been translated in several Indian languages like Bengali magazines Basumati, Prabasi, and Mahila Mangal, Punjabi magazines Preetalahiri, Tamil magazine Kalki, Urdu magazines Saqi and Ajkal.

Research projects[edit]

Doctorates awarded for research projects on her works.

Year Researcher Publisher Title
1992 Dr. Kuntal Kumari Aman Prakshan Srimati Chandrakiran Sonrexa Evam Sharatchandra ke Nari Patra
2014 Santosh Subhashrao Kulkarni Chandrakiran Sonrexsa ke kathasahitya me vyakta stri jivan ke vividh roop

Film made for TV[edit]

Gumrah, a Telefilm on Doordarshan on the topic of terrorism in Punjab

Honors and awards[edit]

Year Award Description Awarded By
1946 Seksaria Award Awarded for collection of short stories titled "Adamkhor" Akhil Bhartiya Sahitya Sammelan
1987 Saraswat Samman Madhya Pradesh Sahitya Academy
1988 Subhdra Kumari Chauhan Gold Medal UP Sahitya Sammelan
2001 Best Hindi woman writer of the century Hindi Sahitya Academy (Delhi)

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Sonrexa, Chandra Kiran. "Saunareksā, Candrakiraṇa, 1920- LC Linked Data Service: Authorities and Vocabularies | Library of Congress". Library of Congress. Archived from the original on 2020-11-30.
  2. ^ a b c Saunareksā, Candrakiraṇa. "Saunareksā, Candrakiraṇa 1920- [WorldCat Identities]". WorldCat Identites.
  3. ^ a b Sonrexa, Chandra Kiran. "Virtual International Authority File". Virtual International Authority File.
  4. ^ a b Sonrexa, Chandra Kiran. "Candrakiraṇa Saunareksā". Wikidata.
  5. ^ Sonrexa, Chandra Kiran. "Chandrakiran Sonrexa". Bhartiya Sahitya Sangrah. Archived from the original on 2016-08-19.
  6. ^ a b c Saunareksā, Candrakiraṇa (1962). Denʹ rozhdenii︠a︡ [Birthday] (in Russian). Moskva Izd. LCCN 67056666.
  7. ^ a b Saunareksā, Candrakirana; Bangha, Imre (2010). Férfiasság : Indiai elbeszélések női szemmel [Manliness: Indian Short Stories through a Woman's Eye] (in Hungarian). Csíkszereda : Pallas-Akadémia. ISBN 9789736653018. OCLC 895364296.
  8. ^ Sonrexa, Chandra Kiran (1962). Chandan Chandni. Mitra Prakashan. ISBN 81-86306-49-8. OCLC 19892092.
  9. ^ Sonrexa, Chandra Kiran (2008). Vanchita. Samānāntara Prakāśana. ISBN 9788186306482. OCLC 239253479.
  10. ^ Sonrexa, Chandra Kiran (2008). Kahin Se Kahin Nahin. Adiba Books. ISBN 9788189592066. OCLC 432588663.
  11. ^ Sonrexa, Chandra Kiran (1944). Aadamkhor. Sarasvati Pustak Mandir. OCLC 40555146.
  12. ^ Sonrexa, Chandra Kiran (1990). Jawan Mitti. Pratibha Pratishthana. OCLC 24216709.
  13. ^ Sonrexa, Chandra Kiran (2007). A Class Ka Qaidi. Literacy House. ISBN 978-8188435272. OCLC 190842926.
  14. ^ Sonrexa, Chandra Kiran (2007). Doosra Bachcha. Itihas Shodh Sansthan. ISBN 978-8180710643. OCLC 227064401.
  15. ^ Sonrexa, Chandra Kiran (2007). Ve Bhediye. Parag Prakashan. ISBN 978-8174680457. OCLC 182969213.
  16. ^ Sonrexa, Chandra Kiran (2008). Meri Priya Kahaniyan. Purvodaya Publication. ISBN 978-8170370864. OCLC 232392813.
  17. ^ Sonrexa, Chandra Kiran (2011). Nasamajh. D J Publications. ISBN 9789380786148. OCLC 759083043.
  18. ^ Sonrexa, Chandra Kiran (2011). Aadha Kamra. Eastend Publication. ISBN 978-9380807096. OCLC 759083039.
  19. ^ Sonrexa, Chandra Kiran (2011). Udhara Ka Sukha. Nalanda Prakashan. ISBN 978-8180730696. OCLC 757173765.
  20. ^ https://www.orinst.ox.ac.uk/files/publicationsibanghapdf [bare URL PDF]

External links[edit]

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