User:AruniRC/Ajoy Home

Ajoy Home (2 May, 1913 - 30 October, 1992)

Ajoy Home was born in a Brahmo family of Kolkata (calcutta) on 2nd. May, 1913 to Gagan Chandra Home and Basanta Bala Devi.He had seven siblings, of whom the eldest was noted scholar Amal Chandra Home who was an associate of Rabindra Nath Tagore and the founder editor of the then renowned The Calcutta Municipal gazette(The digital library of the kolkata municipal corporation has been named after him). Ajoy Home was an ornithologist and naturalist of India, based mainly in West Bengal. He studied at the Town School,  Brahmo Boys School and Vidyasagar college of Calcutta.He married Suparna,hailing from Shillong, in the year 1947, who predeceased him .Called The Bird-Man of Bengal,Ajoy Home authored seminal texts on birds of the region. .

In a lifetime spanning pre-Independence India to the ending of the last century, he had been active in literary, environmental and intellectual circles. The Archana Award was conferred upon him by the Bangiya Shahitya Parishad on 24th.July,1992.

Ajoy Home is best known for being the author of the books on ornithology written in Bengali ; Banglar Pakhi (Birds of Bengal- centenery edition brought out by Dey's publishing in January2015 ), Chena Achena Pakhi (Birds known and unknown) that won him a posthumous Rabindra Puroshkar awarded by the Govt. of West Bengal in 1996. His other works include Bichitra Jeeb-jontu (A plethora of animals), the sci-fi tale Moron Ghum (The Deathly Sleep)etc.Apart from writing in Wild life Journals, he also contributed regularly to many magazines such as Sandesh, Desh, Kishore Jnan-bijnan - a science magazine for the young, Mahanagar, Aajkaal and others.As a mark of his admiration, Satyajit Ray  designed the cover of Banglar Pakhi .Incidentally Ajoy Home and Satyajit Ray were born on the same day in 1913 & 1921 respectively.

Although having command over several languages, Ajoy Home wrote mainly in his mother tongue, Bengali.so that the world of birds could be enjoyed by the common populace who may not be very proficient in English or any language other than Bengali. His books brought down ornithology from being the preserve of the English-speaking elite to the Bengali speaking masses who were so far hamstrung by the scarcity of quality books on birds written in Bengali.These books were the product of his extensive travels, for over four decades, in the wilderness of India especially eastern India including the hills & forests of undivided Assam as well as the remote corners of the  Sunderbans.

Ajoy Home was a founder-member of Prakriti Samsad, a popular Nature Study group in Bengal and was actively involved in promoting environmental awareness, wildlife conservation, birdwatcher groups ( e.g Zoomers) etc. Ajoy Home was the editor of Prakriti Gyan. a Bengali  magazine on nature of which he was a founder.

Ajoy Home took a keen interest in varied fields such as hunting ( prior to transformation as a wild life activist), cricket, wildlife photography,philately, literature,science, music, fiction,editing ,film studies,  bridge etc.He developed the "Home's three-stage formula" while playing bridge , a hobby which took him to tournaments all over the country.After persuing many a vocations, Ajoy Home  was asked by  Prof.Prashanta Mahalanobis  to join the library of The Indian statistical institute,Calcutta and retired from there in the year 1973.

Ajoy Home passed away on 30th. October, 1992,survived by his only daughter Sutapa.

Recent Publications on Ajoy Home

 * 1) Bangalike Pakhi Chiniyechen Jini : Shatoborshey Ajoy Home(He Taught Bengalis Bird Watching : Ajoy Home in centenary year )- By Staff Reporter,Pratyahik Khobor(Daily News ),12th.June, 2012 Edition.
 * 2)  Kamon Chhilen Prokritipremi Ajoy Home (How Was Naturalist Ajoy Home like )- By Dipak Kumar Dawn, Kalantar , 18th.June , 2012 Edition.
 * 3) Shotoborshey Pokkhi Premi ,(  Bird lover in centenary year )- By Ashok Sengupta,Ananda Bazar Patrika , 11th.August, 2012 Edition.
 * 4) Kamon Chhilen Prokritipremi Ajoy Home ,(How Was Naturalist Ajoy Home Like)- By Dipak Kumar Dawn,  Ekhon Aranyak , July - August Issue, 2012.
 * 5) Radio interview of Smt.Sutapa Roychowdhury on Ajoy Home  : Akashbani (Kolkata- 'A'program ANWESHA ), Host: Manas Pratim Das.Broadcast on 13th.September, 2012.
 * 6)  Pakkhibid Ajoy Home:Janmosatobarsha ,(Ornithologist Ajoy Home:Birth Centenary Year )- BY Goutam Neogy, Kalantar Autumn Annual 2012,October 2012,Page- 126 to 128.
 * 7)  Shotoborsheyr Aloy Ajoy Home , ( Ajoy Home : Focus in centenary year )- By Arup Chowdhury ,Banyapran 4th.issue 2013  , Page- 45 to 49.
 * 8) Radio talk on Ajoy Home& Satyacharan Lahaby Dipak Kumar Dawn broadcast by Akashbani in the morning of 13th and 14th.February, 2013 respectively.( Kolkata -' A 'Program ANWESHA )
 * 9) Pokkhibisharad Ajoy Home O Kichu Ajana Katha , ( Ornithologist Ajoy Home : a few unknown facts  )-BY Sutapa Roy Chowdhury. Bi- monthly  Annyadin , 5th. Year, 5th. issue < 16 - 28 February 2013 >.
 * 10)  Janmoshotoborshey Ajoy Home ,(Ajoy Home in centenary year )- By Sumitra Chowdhury, Gyan O Bigyan ,Vol.66,No.5 issue < 10th.May 2013 > Publisher-Bongiyo Bigyan Porishod.
 * 11) Ajoy Home : Ekshotok',( Ajoy Home : Centurion  )- FeatureAyana  of the Bengali dailyAjkal '',29th. April, 2013.

12. Ornithologist Extraordinary  : Feature Note Book of Daily The Statesman , Monday,6th. May,2013.

13.,Janmo Shatobarshey Sraddhay Smaran:Ajoy Home ( 1913- 2013)(''Birth Centenary Homage : Ajoy Home;1913- 2013)- By Dr.Goutam Neogy, Brahmo Sammelan Barta,Vol.3,Issue-2,<1st. March, 2013 >

14.Pokkshipremik ( The lover of birds ): Feature Kolkatar Karcha of Bengali daily Ananda Bazar , Monday,24th.June,2013.

15.BANGLAR PAKHI,BANGLAI PAKHI,Janmashotoborshey Srodhargho(Birds of Bengal, Birds in Bengali,A tribute in the centenary year )- By Hirak Nandy(Potrait by Debebrata Ghosh).Bi- monthly Jara Parijaee, Vol.13,Issue-5,Oct- Nov 2013,sharad sankhya.

16.Amar Baba Ajoy Home ( My Father Ajoy Home )- By Sutapa Roy Chowdhury,SANDESH ,Centenary Autumn Issue (August- September,2013)

17.Smriti satoto sukher(Happy reminiscences)- By Sutapa Roy Chowdhury, Monthly  Gyan O Bigyan ( Knowledge and Science),Vol.67, Issue-1,10th.January 2014.Founder- Acharya Satyen Bose.

18.Banglar Pakhi(Birds of Bengal) By Ajoy Home,Birth Centenary Edition, Publisher-Dey's Publishing,ISBN:978-81-295-2325-9

19.Birdman of Bengal,in Amader Pakhi ( Our Birds) By Tapas Das & Ujjal Ghosh, 1st. Edition, .Published by Prodosh Ranjan Saha.

20. Bangla Boier Notun Dana( New wings for Bengali Books).Review of Banglar Pakhi in "GRANTHALOKE (Book World)" feature of literary fortnightly,DESH by its EditorHarsha Dutta ;82nd.year. 11th.issue, dated 2nd.April,20015.Page-71,Publisher- ABP(P)Ltd.

21.Hadichacha(Tree Crow ),with incidents from Ajoy Home's 'Aviary by Apurba Chatterji.Bengali daily Bartaman'',Sunday,26th.April,2015;Page-12.

22.Ajoy Homer BANGLAR PAKHI-Char dashak periyeo superhit(Ajoy Home's Banglar Pakhi- Still a Superhit after four decades ).Review of BANGLAR PAKHI(BIRD'S OF BENGAL )BY Judhajit Dasgupta in Pushtak Parichoy ( Book review)feature of Bengali Daily Anandabazar Patrika;Kolkata Ed.94th Year,255th issue,Saturday,21st November,Page-4.