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{{Short description|Bengali actor, director, and writer (1844–1912)}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Girish Chandra Ghosh
| native_name = গিরিশচন্দ্র ঘোষ
| native_name_lang = bn
| image = Girish ghosh.JPG
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1844|02|28|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Baghbazar]] in [[Calcutta]], [[Bengal Presidency]], British India
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1912|02|08|1844|02|28|df=y}}
|death_place = [[Calcutta]], [[Bengal Presidency]], British India
| alma_mater = [[Hare school]]
| spouse = Pramodini Devi
| occupation = Actor, director, and writer
| footnotes =
}}

'''Girish Chandra Ghosh''' (28 February 1844 – 8 February 1912) was a [[Bengali people|Bengali]] actor, director, and writer. He was largely responsible for the golden age of [[Bengali theatre]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Chatterjee |first1=Sudipto |last2=Ferdous |first2=Hasan |author1-link=Sudipto Chatterjee |editor1-last=Natarajan |editor1-first=Nalini |chapter=Twentieth-Century Bengali Literature |title=Handbook of Twentieth-Century Literatures of India |year=1996 |publisher=Greenwood Press |isbn=0-313-28778-3 |pages=47–48}}</ref><ref name="kundu">Kundu, Pranay K. ''Development of Stage and Theatre Music in Bengal.'' Published in Banerjee, Jayasri (ed.), ''The Music of Bengal''. Baroda: Indian Musicological Society, 1987.</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Sisir Kumar Das |year=1991 |title=History of Indian Literature: 1800–1910 : Western Impact, British Response |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sHklK65TKQ0C&pg=PA282 |publisher=[[Sahitya Akademi]] |page=283 |isbn=8172010060}}</ref> He cofounded the Great National Theatre, the first Bengali professional theatre company, in 1872; wrote nearly 40 plays and acted and directed many more;<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/232777/Girish-Chandra-Ghosh |title=Girish Chandra Ghosh |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |access-date=27 March 2009 |archive-date=23 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323021110/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/232777/Girish-Chandra-Ghosh |url-status=live}}</ref> and later in life became a noted householder disciple of [[Sri Ramakrishna]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Christopher Isherwood |author-link=Christopher Isherwood |year=1980 |title=Ramakrishna and his disciples |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6qVMrumO-g0C&pg=PA247 |publisher=Vedanta Press |page=247 |isbn=087481037X}}</ref>
[[File:House of Girish Ghosh.jpg|thumb|right|Home of Girish Ghosh]]

==Biography==
[[Image:GirishChandraGosh group photo.jpg|thumb | right |Girish Chandra Ghosh, with [[Swami Adbhutananda]], [[Mahendranath Gupta]] and other disciples and devotees of [[Ramakrishna]]]]

===Early days===
Born in [[Bagbazar]], [[Kolkata]], on 28 February 1844,<ref>{{cite book |last=Chetanananda |first=Swami |date=2009 |title=Girish Chandra Ghosh, A Bohemian Devotee of Sri Ramakrishna |publisher=Vedanta Society of St. Louis |page=12 |isbn=978-0-916356-93-4}}</ref> the eighth child to his parents, Nilkamal and Raimani, he received his early education at [[Oriental Seminary]] and later studied at [[Hare School]] in the city but did not complete his education. His father, Nilkamal Ghosh, was a generous and kind-hearted person, and Girish retained some of his father's large heartedness. Girish said of his parents, "My father was an expert accountant and had a tremendous managerial capacity and worldly wisdom. My mother was very gentle and had great devotion for God... I inherited from my father a sharp intellect and pragmatic approach to life, and from my mother a love for literature and devotion to God" <ref>{{cite book |last=Chetanananda |first=Swami |date=2009 |title=Girish Chandra Ghosh, A Bohemian Devotee of Sri Ramakrishna |publisher=Vedanta Society of St. Louis |page=23 |isbn=978-0-916356-93-4}}</ref> He lost his parents early in life and went on to educate himself. After the death of his father, he married Promodini Devi, the daughter of Nabin Chandra Deb, and re-entered in class - I in the Oriental Seminary. After leaving school in 1862, Girish acquired an apprenticeship with a British Company in bookkeeping.<ref>{{cite book |last=Chetanananda |first=Swami |date=2009 |title=Girish Chandra Ghosh, A Bohemian Devotee of Sri Ramakrishna |publisher=Vedanta Society of St. Louis |page=34 |isbn=978-0-916356-93-4}}</ref> It was around this time that Girish became acquainted with Ishwar Chandra Gupta and began writing plays, songs, and poetry.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Ghosh,_Girish_Chandra |title=Ghosh, Girish Chandra |website=Banglapedia |access-date=4 February 2017 |archive-date=25 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170225122931/http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Ghosh,_Girish_Chandra |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Professional career===
[[File:Star Theatre Arnab Dutta.jpg|thumb|Star Theatre, founded by Girish Chandra Ghosh.]] Girish was a prominent actor in the Bagbazar Amateur Theatre where he had [[Ardhendu Sekhar Mustafi]], another great contemporary actor, as his partner. Together they performed in ''Sadhabar Ekadashi'' by the famous playwright [[Dinabandhu Mitra]], which became very popular. Later, Bagbazar Amateur was renamed in 1871 as the National Theatre. However, Girish left the National Theatre and went on to form the Great National Theatre in 1873. In 1877 Girish staged his first play ''Agamani'' there.<ref name=":0" /> Later he also worked at the Minerva Theatre and went on to become the manager. In 1883 Girish opened the [[Star Theatre, Kolkata|Star Theatre]] with his own money and managed it under his direction.<ref>{{cite book |last=Isherwood |first=Christopher |date=1965 |title=Ramakrishna and His Disciples |publisher=Methuen & Co. Ltd. |page=248}}</ref> The first play produced at the Star Theatre was ''Daksha Jagna'' by Girish Chandra Ghosh on the auspicious day of 21 July 1883. With [[Binodini Dasi]], he staged his play, ''Chaitanyalila'', at the [[Star Theatre, Calcutta|Star Theatre]] on 20 September 1884, with [[Sri Ramakrishna]] in the audience.

Girish wrote about 86 plays, most of which were based upon stories from the Purana, Ramayana, and Mahabharata. Among his famous works were ''Buddhadev Charit'', ''Purna Chandra'', ''Nasiram'', ''Kalapahar'', ''Ashoka'', ''Shankaracharya'', ''Chaitanyalila'', ''Nimai Sannyas'', ''Rup-Sanatan'', ''Vilwamangal'', and ''Prahlad Charit''. Most of his plays were performed in Star Theatre in Calcutta.<ref>[http://www.frankreport.com/Vivekananda/PPlHeKnew/RKPPL/GirishGhosh/Girishbio.html Girish Chandra Ghosh] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120219100631/http://www.frankreport.com/Vivekananda/PPlHeKnew/RKPPL/GirishGhosh/Girishbio.html |date=19 February 2012}}</ref> Girish also translated Shakespeare's Macbeth play into Bangla in 1893.<ref name=":0" />

===Influence of Sri Ramakrishna===
Girish first met Sri Ramakrishna in the ancestral home of his neighbour Kalinath Bose. On 21 September 1884, Sri Ramakrishna went to watch Chaitanya Lila in the Star Theatre. It is said that Girish's first meeting with Sri Ramakrishna was not very cordial. He saw Sri Ramakrishna in divine ecstasy and thought it to be some kind of a trick. But later, when Ramakrishna met him, the Master told him that the incident was no trick and Girish was extremely surprised to find the master reading his thoughts. Later, when the Master went to visit his theatre, he and Girish repeatedly went on exchanging salutes, and ultimately Girish had to give up. Girish later said about this incident that in this Iron Age the best weapon is "pranamastra" or the "salute weapon" with which God kills His enemies. In his play ''Nasiram'', Girish used much of the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna.<ref name="ReferenceA">Contemporary Bengali Literature – I, by Hiranmoy Mukherjee, Vedanta Kesari, April 2010</ref> There are many scenes in ''[[The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna]]'' involving Girish and Sri Ramakrishna.<ref>{{cite book |last=Nikhilananda |first=Swami |year=1992 |orig-year=First published 1942 |title=The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna |location=New York |publisher=Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center |page=721 |isbn=978-0-911206-01-2}}</ref> Sri Ramakrishna went to watch several of his plays in Star Theatre. He also blessed Binodini Dasi, one of the lead actresses.

Many of the followers of Sri Ramakrishna were shocked that Girish was held in such high regard by the Master. Girish was known to visit houses of prostitution, get falling-down drunk, and even curse Ramakrishna, yet he came to regard Ramakrishna as an [[Avatar]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Chetanananda |first=Swami |date=2009 |title=Girish Chandra Ghosh, A Bohemian Devotee of Sri Ramakrishna |publisher=Vedanta Society of St. Louis |page=21 |isbn=978-0-916356-93-4}}</ref>

===Power of attorney===
After testing Sri Ramakrishna for years, seeking to find fault or hypocrisy but finding none, Girish finally asks what spiritual practices to adopt.
<blockquote>
Ramakrishna answered, "Try and call on God three times a day."

Girish says, "I'm sorry. I can't promise to. I may forget."

Then the Master said, "Do it twice a day. Do it once."

Girish, in dismay, "No, no, I can't promise anything."

Finally, Ramakrishna says, "All right, then give me your [[Power of attorney]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Isherwood |first=Christopher |date=1980 |title=My Guru and His Disciple |publisher=Farrar Straus Giroux |page=199 |isbn=978-0-374-21702-0}}</ref> I'll be responsible for you. Now you have no will at all. You will only say, 'I do whatever the Lord wills'. Don't ever say again, 'I will do this' or 'I will do that'.<ref>{{cite book |last=Chetanananda |first=Swami |date=2009 |title=Girish Chandra Ghosh, A Bohemian Devotee of Sri Ramakrishna |publisher=Vedanta Society of St. Louis |page=18 |isbn=978-0-916356-93-4}}</ref>
</blockquote>
At first, he felt relieved, thinking he could go on doing whatever he liked. But slowly he came to realize that he had to be honest with himself and ask, is this something God wants me to do, or just my lower nature?<ref>{{cite book |last=Chetanananda |first=Swami |date=2009 |title=Girish Chandra Ghosh, A Bohemian Devotee of Sri Ramakrishna |publisher=Vedanta Society of St. Louis |page=316 |isbn=978-0-916356-93-4}}</ref>

===Christopher Isherwood and Girish Ghosh===

World famous English author [[Christopher Isherwood]] was a beloved disciple of [[Swami Prabhavananda]], and closely identified with Girish. He wrote and gave lectures on the Bengali playwright. In Isherwood's autobiographical book, ''My Guru and his Disciple'', he said, "Girish became a kind of patron saint for me - I felt closer to him than any other member of the Ramakrishna circle.<ref>{{cite book |last=Isherwood |first=Christopher |date=1980 |title=My Guru and His Disciple |publisher=Farrar Straus Giroux |page=196 |isbn=978-0-374-21702-0}}</ref>"

On December 7, 1975, Isherwood gave the Sunday lecture at the [[Santa Barbara Vedanta Temple]] titled ''Girish Ghosh'', where he describes the parallels in their two lives - coming from a state of worldly drunkenness and debauchery to accepting the teachings of a holy man, who offered them unconditional love and brings them to God. The lecture was recorded and released on CD by mondayMEDIA.<ref>[https://www.allmusic.com/album/girish-ghosh-mw0002040682 Girish Ghosh, a lecture by Christopher Isherwood]</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|40em}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |last=Chinmoy |first=Sri |author-link=Sri Chinmoy |year=1991 |title=From The Undivine Tree to the Divine Fruit: Girish Chandra Ghosh |url=https://www.srichinmoylibrary.com/utd}}
* {{cite book |last=Dutta |first=Utpal |author-link=Utpal Dutta |year=1992 |title=Girish Chandra Ghosh |publisher=[[Sahitya Akademi]] |ISBN=817-201-197-0}}
* {{cite book |last=Chetanananda |first=Swami |year=2009 |title=Girish Chandra Ghosh: A Bohemian Devotee of Sri Ramakrishna |publisher=Vedanta Society of St. Louis |ISBN=978-0-916356-92-7}}
* {{cite book |last=Isherwood |first=Christopher |author-link=Christopher Isherwood |year=1980 |title=My Guru and His Disciple |publisher=[[Farrar Straus Giroux]] |ISBN=978-0-374-21702-0}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|1346250}}
* {{Internet Archive author}}
* [https://www.ramakrishnavivekananda.info/gospel/introduction/girish.htm Biography of Grish Chandra Ghosh]
* [https://belurmath.org/girish-chandra-ghosh/ Biography of Grish Chandra Ghosh by Belur Math]

{{Bengali Theatre}}
{{Ramakrishna}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ghosh, Girish Chandra}}
[[Category:Bengali writers]]
[[Category:19th-century Bengali poets]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:Indian theatre directors]]
[[Category:Indian male stage actors]]
[[Category:1844 births]]
[[Category:1912 deaths]]
[[Category:Writers from Kolkata]]
[[Category:Lay disciples of Ramakrishna]]
[[Category:Bengali theatre personalities]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian male actors]]
[[Category:People from British India]]
[[Category:Hare School alumni]]
[[Category:Oriental Seminary alumni]]
[[Category:Indian male dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:Indian male poets]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian poets]]
[[Category:Dramatists and playwrights from West Bengal]]
[[Category:Novelists from West Bengal]]
[[Category:Poets from West Bengal]]
[[Category:Male actors from Kolkata]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian male writers]]

Girish Chandra Ghosh - Revision history

PaulineBarwell2 at 15:13, 18 February 2026