Explore exam-oriented key details about the ‘First Woman to Receive Jnanpith Award.’ Additionally, uncover the list of all Jnanpith awardees from West Bengal.
Did You Know?
Question:
Who was the first woman to receive the Jnanpith Award?
Answer:
The first woman to receive the Jnanpith Award was Ashapoorna Devi, a renowned Bengali novelist.
She was awarded the prestigious accolade in 1976 for her novel “Pratham Protishruti” (The First Promise), the first book in a trilogy.
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About “Pratham Protishruti”
- “Prothom Protishruti, also known as ‘The First Promise,’ is a Bengali novel by Ashapurna Devi in 1964.
- Regarded as Devi’s masterpiece, the story revolves around Satyabati, who was married off at the tender age of eight to conform to societal norms.
- She lives under the strict surveillance of Brahmanical regulations. The novel portrays Satyabati’s struggle against family control, the mental toll of the polygamous system, and societal prejudices in a patriarchal setting.
- The book received the Rabindra Puraskar in 1965 and the prestigious Jnanpith Award in 1976.”
- Ashapoorna Devi’s contribution to Bengali literature was widely celebrated, and her win paved the way for more women to be recognized for their literary achievements in India.
Honours Received by Ashapurna Devi
| Award | Year | Institution | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lila Prize | 1954 | University of Calcutta | N/A |
| Bhuban Mohini Das Gold Medal | 1966 | None | N/A |
| Rabindra Award | 1966 | Government of West Bengal | N/A |
| Jnanpith Award | 1976 | Government of India | Prothom Protishruti |
| Haranath Ghosh Medal | 1988 | Bangiya Sahitya Parishad | N/A |
| Jagattarini Gold Medal | 1993 | University of Calcutta | N/A |
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Jnanpith Award Winners in Bengali
| Sl No | Name | Works | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay | Ganadevta | 1966 |
| 2 | Bishnu Dey | Smriti Satta Bhavishyat | 1971 |
| 3 | Ashapoorna Devi | Pratham Pratisruti | 1976 |
| 4 | Subhash Mukhopadhyay | Padatik | 1991 |
| 5 | Mahasweta Devi | Hajar Churashir Maa | 1996 |
| 6 | Shankha Ghosh | For exceptional contribution in the field of literature. | 2016 |
Source:
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