Maniklal Sinha

Maniklal Sinha, also Maniklal Singha; (13 January 1916 -21 March 1994) was an Indian archaeologist, writer, poet, folk-culture scholar (Lokasangskritibid), novelist and assistant teacher at Bishnupur High School. He was the main entrepreneur and founding director of Acharya Jogesh Chandra Pura Kirti Bhavan(museum) and Bangiya Sahitya Parishad – Bishnupur Branch in 1951 at Bishnupur. He was awarded an honorary D.Litt. degree by the University of Burdwan in 1989 for his contribution as an archaeologist, writer and novelist. Maniklal Sinha, son of Amulyaratan Singha and Narayani Debi was born on 13 January 1916 at Joykrishnapur, near Bishnpur. In 1934, he passed Matriculation from Bishnupur High School (English Medium) and then completed I.S.C from Bankura Christian College. On 16 June 1936, Sinha was arrested from his home in Joykrishnapur on charges of sedition for the crime of Swadeshi. On that day he was kept in Bishnupur Jail, but the next day i.e. 17 June, Sinha was transferred to Mednipur Central Jail after that on fourth of September, he was again transferred to Madarganj, Mymensingh . Finally, on 22 December 1937, he was released from jail. In 1938, he married Jui Rani Sinha and later in 1942, he completed a Bachelor's and a master's degree (1945) from Calcutta University and joined Bishnupur High School as an assistant teacher. He took up teachers training i.e. B.T training from David Hare training college in 1952. At the age of 78, Maniklal Sinha died due to physical ailments of old age at home. In 2016, S.D.O, Bishnupur and D.M, Bankura, organised few events to celebrate his 101 years of birth day at Bishnupur and Bankura.