https://indianpedia.org/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Indira_Devi_ChaudhuraniIndira Devi Chaudhurani - Revision history2026-07-29T20:08:09ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.45.4https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=Indira_Devi_Chaudhurani&diff=466243&oldid=prevSaraWong at 06:39, 22 January 20262026-01-22T06:39:14Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{short description|Bengali literary figure, author and musician, born to the Tagore family}}<br />
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{{Use Indian English|date=January 2026}}<br />
{{One source|date=January 2026}}<br />
{{infobox person<br />
| name = Indira Devi Chaudhurani<br />
| image = Indira Devi Chaudhurani-ইন্দিরা দেবী চৌধুরানী.jpg<br />
| alt = Rabindranath Tagore and Indira Devi in Valmiki-Pratibha, 1881<br />
| caption = Indira Devi Chaudhurani c.1890<br />
| birth_name = <br />
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1873|12|29}}<br />
| birth_place = [[Calcutta]], [[Bengal Presidency|Bengal]], [[British Raj|British India]] (now [[Kolkata]], India)<br />
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|1960|08|12|1873|12|29}}<br />
| death_place = [[Calcutta]], [[West Bengal]], India<br />
| other_names = <br />
| father = [[Satyendranath Tagore]] <br />
| mother = [[Jnanadanandini Devi]]<br />
| family = [[Rabindranath Tagore]] (uncle)<br />
| spouse = [[Pramatha Chaudhuri]]<br />
| occupation = {{hlist|Musician|writer|translator}}<br />
| years_active = <br />
| known_for = <br />
| notable_works = <br />
}}<br />
<br />
'''Indira Devi Chaudhurani''' (29 December 1873 – 12 August 1960) was an Indian literary figure, author and musician. Born to the [[Tagore family]], Indira was the younger child of [[Satyendranath Tagore]] and [[Jnanadanandini Devi]] and younger sister of [[Surendranath Tagore]]. She is noted for her work in scoring the music for a number of songs by her uncle [[Rabindranath Tagore|Rabindranath]], with whom she was particularly close. She died in 1960.<ref name=Radhakrishnan>{{harvnb|Radhakrishnan|1992|p=521}}</ref><br />
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== Biography ==<br />
[[File:Valmiki Pratibha Indira Devi & Rabindranath Tagore.jpg|thumb|left|Indira with her uncle [[Rabindranath Tagore]], in ''[[Valmiki-Pratibha]]'', c.1881]]<br />
Indira Devi was born on 29 December 1873 to [[Satyendranath Tagore]] and Jnanadanandini Devi in 1873, at [[Bijapur]]. She spent her childhood in England, in [[Brighton]] where her family owned the ''Medina Villas''. At this time she and her brother [[Surendranath Tagore|Surendranath]] came to be very close to her uncle Rabindranath who joined them a year later, and the brother and sister were said to have been the favourite of among the poet's nephews and nieces, and the author's letters to Indira were later published as ''Chinnapatra''. Her early education was in India, at [[Auckland School Shimla|Auckland House]] in [[Simla]] and the [[Loreto House|Loreto Convent]] in [[Calcutta]]. In 1892, Indira graduated from [[Calcutta University]] with a [[First Class Honours]] in French. Indira translated into Bengali the works of [[John Ruskin]], as well as French literature, and translated published translations of Rabindranath's works in English. Indira was a strong proponent of women's issues, and authored a number of works on the position of women in India.<br />
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Indira took an early interest in music, achieving proficiency in piano, violin and the [[sitar]] and training in both [[Indian classical music]] as well as [[Western classical music]], later earning a diploma from [[Trinity College of Music]]. She is noted to have scored the music for almost two hundred of Tagore's songs. She was a composer of ''Brahmosangeet'', and also authored a number of essays on music. In later life, Indira Devi was instrumental in the establishment of [[Sangit Bhavana]] at [[Visva-Bharati University]], and served as the chancellor of the University for a brief period of time.<br />
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Indira was awarded Bhuvanmohini Gold Medal from Calcutta University in 1944, and received ''Desikottam'' (D.Litt.) from Visva Bharati University in 1957. Indira wed [[Pramatha Chaudhury]] in 1899.<br />
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==Family tree==<br />
{{main|Tagore_family#Family_tree}}<br />
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==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
* {{Citation<br />
| last = Radhakrishnan<br />
| first=S<br />
| year = 1992<br />
| title = Rabindranath Tagore: A Centenary, Volumes 1861–1961<br />
| publisher = Sahitya Akademi |ISBN = 8172013329}}<br />
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==External links==<br />
* [http://www.scots-tagore.org/#!indira-devi-chaudhurani/c20co Indira Devi Chaudhurani, from Scottish Centre for Tagore studies].<br />
{{Bengal Renaissance}}<br />
{{Tagore family}}<br />
{{Authority control}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Chaudhurani, Indira Devi}}<br />
[[Category:1873 births]]<br />
[[Category:1960 deaths]]<br />
[[Category:University of Calcutta alumni]]<br />
[[Category:Bengali writers]]<br />
[[Category:Bengali Hindus]]<br />
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[[Category:Tagore family]]<br />
[[Category:Women writers from West Bengal]]<br />
[[Category:Musicians from Kolkata]]<br />
[[Category:Women musicians from West Bengal]]<br />
[[Category:19th-century Indian women musicians]]<br />
[[Category:19th-century Indian musicians]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Indian women musicians]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Indian musicians]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Indian translators]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century women writers]]<br />
[[Category:Writers from British India]]<br />
[[Category:Musicians from British India]]</div>SaraWong