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A few miles north-east of Kanchrapara, a station on the East Bengal Railways, there is a village of the name of Chauberia. A small river of the name of Jamuna flows encircling this small village, and hence is the name of the village, Chauberia. This village belongs to the district of Nadia, and is the birthplace of Dinabandhu. The district of Nadia enjoys a position of special honour for her literature, philosophy and the scriptures. Dinabandhu is one of those sons of hers of whom she may of justly be proud.

Dinabandhu was born in the year 1238 B.S. (1832 A.D.-Tr.) and was the son of Kalachand Mitra. There is not much to be said about his boyhood. Dinabandhu came down to Calcutta, when quite young, and began studying English in Hare School. While studying in that school he set his hand to Bengali literary composition.

During that period he got introduced to Iswarchandra Gupta, Editor of 'Prabhakar'. Bengali literature was then in a very poor state, and 'Prabhakar' was its best journal. Iswar Gupta was then reigning supreme over Bengali literature. Enamoured of his poetry boys would eagerly seek his acquaintance. Iswar Gupta, too, was equally eager to give encouragement to the young writers of the day. Rightly had the 'Hindu Patriot' commented that a good many of the modern writers were once the disciples of Iswar Gupta. It is however difficult to say how lasting or even desirable have been the results of what Iswar Gupta taught them. Like Dinabandhu and such other writers of distinction the humble writer of this article, too, owes a debt to Iswar Gupta. Hence I do not wish to prove myself ungrateful by writing disparagingly about his literary work. Nor can I altogether deny that judging by modern standard the taste of Iswar Gupta would appear to have been neither very elegant nor very high. A large number of his disciples