History of Bengali Language and Literature c10.s3.26

c10.s3.26

Gopāla Uriyā was born about the year 1819 at Jajpur in Cuttack. When a boy of nineteen he came to Calcutta, and, being very poor, adopted the calling of a hawker,—selling bananas. One evening he was passing along a lane of Bowbazar Street, where Babu Rādhā Mohana Sarkār, a distinguished noble man, was busy with the rehearsal of a Vidyāsundara yatra which he had organised. Gopāla was crying ‘good bananas sir,’ and only for fun he was called in before the party, where question upon question was put to him. To the surprise of the jovial company, they found that the lad was remarkably witty, and had an excellent voice. He was at once admitted into the troupe, and soon after began to compose songs himself. Becoming trained in music by the favour of his patron Babu Rādhā Mohana Sarkār, he organized a party which far outdid the fame of all other Vidyāsundara yatrawalas. He died about the year 1859.