Description

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Alaler Gharer Dulal (published in 1857) is a Bengali novel by Peary Chand Mitra (1814-1883). The writer used the pseudonym Tekchand Thakur for this novel. The novel describes the society of the nineteenth century Calcutta (now Kolkata), and the bohemian lifestyle of the protagonist named Matilal. The novel is a landmark in the history of Bengali language and Bengali literature, as it used Cholitobhasa (colloquial form of the Bengali language) for the first time in print. The novel also happens to be one of the earliest Bengali novels. The simple prose style introduced in the novel came to be known as "Alali language." The novel was first published serially in a monthly magazine, Masik Patrika. Later, a dramatised version was staged at the Bengal Theatre (January 1875).

About the Author

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Peary Chand Mitra (22 July 1814 - 23 November 1883) was an Indian writer, journalist, cultural activist and entrepreneur. His pseudo name is Tekchand Thakur. He was a member of Henry Derozio's Young Bengal group, who played a leading role in the Bengal renaissance with the introduction of simple Bengali prose. His Alaler Gharer Dulal pioneered the novel in the Bengali language, leading to a tradition taken up by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and others. Mitra died on 23 November 1883 in Kolkata.