Parvati Prasad Baruva

Parvati Prasad Baruva (1904–1964) was a noted poet, lyricist, and dramatist: an icon of Assamese literature and the culture of Assam. Known for his simple and sensitive use of the Assamese language, he is popularly known as the Geetikavi; the lyrical poet of Assam. He was also one of the early pioneering filmmakers of Assamese cinema. He was born on 19 August 1904 near the banks of the Dikhow river in Sibsagar, Assam to Radhika Prasad Baruva and Himala Devi. Parvati Prasad's great-grandfather Jaduram Deka Baruva wrote the first bilingual Assamese dictionary in 1839. Parvati Prasad graduated in philosophy from Kolkata's Scottish Church College as a graduating student of the University of Calcutta. During his sojourn in Kolkata, he would watch plays, dance dramas (or Rabindra Nritya Natyas) and other musical events based on the works of Rabindranath Tagore. These experiences helped to further hone his creativity as a music composer later.