Birendra Krishna Bhadra: Divine voice heralding Mahalaya chant for generations of Bengalis for more than 90 years

It is usually difficult to convince two Bengalis to agree on anything. Brimming with intellectual snobbery and a penchant to psychoanalyse everything to bits, most arguments ....ahem.... alochonas (discussions) between Bengalis tend to come to a deadlock, with neither party willing to concede.

From what consists of the ‘proper’ definition of a Bengali (Ghoti vs Bangal), to which of these two stars is considered the GOAT of Bengali cinema (Uttam Kumar vs Soumitra Chatterjee), Bengalis seldom shy away from arguing about something till the cows come home.

However there are a few things Bengalis across generations and political affiliations will agree on. One is being enthusiastic over Durga Puja. Second: Durga Puja celebrations won’t really begin without the sonorous voice of Birendra Krishna Bhadra wafting through the autumn air, recounting the story of Goddess Durga’s victory over the demon king Mahishasura.


For Bengalis across the globe, the ‘Mahishasura Mardini’ programme broadcasted by AIR at 4:00 am in the morning, on the auspicious day of Mahalaya (celebrated a week before the 10-day-long Durga Puja) has become synonymous with Mahalaya itself.

91 Years & Counting …

Even after nearly a century, ‘Mahishasura Mardini’ (Annihilation of the demon) a set of Sanskrit recitations, recounting the tale of Goddess Durga’s creation, and her ultimate triumph over the shapeshifting demon king Mahishasura, broadcasted by All India Radio (AIR) every Mahalaya, on 4:00 am in the morning, still resonates with Bengalis whether they be native Kolkatan or probashi (diaspora).

The 90-minute audio extravaganza, which is also one of the oldest and longest-running radio shows of the country, is a heady combination of devotional songs, Sanskrit shlokas, narration and classical music.

Created by the All India Radio in 1931, this 90-minute programme was scripted by Baidyonath Bhattacharya or Bani Kumar, a composer-playwright long associated with the AIR. The music (comprising 20 devotional songs such as ‘Ya Chandi’, ‘Jago Tumi Jago’, ‘Jaya Jaya Japyajaye’ etc) was composed by singer-composer Pankaj Kumar Mullick.

However, Birendra Krishna Bhadra’s ‘Chandipath’ remains the highlight of the programme. The words “Ashwiner sharad prate beje utheche alokomonjir …. (What a brilliant light bursts forth this autumn morning, what veil of clouds adorns the skies..)” uttered in that gentle yet booming baritone heralded the arrival of the greatest festival known to Bengalis for generations.

Who was Birendra Krishna Bhadra?

Early Life

Bhadra was born in Ahiritola, North Kolkata in 1905, to ‘Roy Bahadur’ Kali Krishna Bhadra and Saralabala Devi. He was trained in Sanskrit by his grandmother according to reports. His father Kali Krishna Bhadra, was a celebrated linguist who could speak 14 languages.

Although he studied law after his graduation from Scottish Church College, he found his true calling in the world of music.

A Star is Born

He joined the All India Radio ( then located at No 1 Garstin Place in Dalhousie) in 1928 as a play director. He directed the play ‘Chikitsa Sankat’ (based on Parsuram’s short story). He also worked as the editor of Betar Jagat, the in-house magazine of the radio station.

On October 21 1937, he debuted as the narrator of the ‘Mahishasura Mardini’ programme. In the initial phase it was a live programme.

The songs were sung by the leading musical artists of that era such as Pratima Banerjee, Sandhya Mukhopadhyay, Arati Mukhopadhyay, Utpala Sen, Pankaj Mullick, Shipra Sen etc. The rendition was recorded in 1966 by the same set of artists. This version is what we are all familiar with.

The programme attracted its fair share of naysayers during the initial stage. The timing of the programme - 4:00 am was heavily criticised by the conservatives who felt that the broadcast should commence only after the Devi Paksha began in the morning rather than before the Pitru Paksha period formally ended with devotees offering prayers to the departed ancestors at dawn.

However the objections did not end here.

In in her essay ‘Making of a radio programme: Birendra Krishna Bhadra and Mahila Majlish in the early Calcutta Radio Station, 1929- 1938’ , historian Indira Biswas recounts how the orthodox section of the society disapproved of a non Brahmin (Kayastha) Bhadra reciting the Chandipath. To pacify these detractors, Bhadra issued a statement, “Ami path kori na, ami pujo kori (I don't recite, I worship).”

Within a short time Bhadra established himself as a tour de force through his superlative narrative skills. The public fell in love with his majestic voice and ability to infuse emotion in each stotra recitation.

Bhadra's stotra recitations always left the audience spellbound. In an interview (2018) with Anandabazar Patrika, Bhadra's daughter Sujata described how her father used to be overcome with emotion every time he recited the stotras. "My mother (Romarani Devi) once asked my father why he cried while reciting the stotras. To that he replied, 'I see Maa Chandi every time I sit down to recite', " she was quoted as saying to the newspaper.

So monumental was his impact that it soon became impossible to imagine any other artist reciting the Chandipath.

In 1976, the AIR tried replacing Bhadra with Uttam Kumar, the reigning superstar of Bengali cinema. The name of the programme was changed from ‘Mahishasura Mardini’ to ‘Devi Durgatiharinim’. This programme was helmed by Hemanta Mukhopadhyay. The AIR was confident that Kumar’s star power would lead to the programme being a massive hit.

Bhadra was not even informed of the news of his replacement. Upon receiving the news through hearsay several days later, he decided to maintain dignity. In an interview with Anandabazar Patrika, Bhadra's son Pradyot Kumar recounted how his father sat quietly, listening to the new programme with his family. "After the programme ended he said, 'Ei Mahalaya jodi loke ney nik. Ora amake akbaro janalo na! Aami ki konodin notun kicchuke badha diyechi? (If the public wants this Mahalaya, let them. Why didn't they think to inform me? Had I ever opposed anything new?)' , ’’ recalls Kumar.

However the programme received a huge backlash. Despite being the undisputed ‘Mahanayak’ onscreen, Kumar (Uttam) failed to create any impact on the audience. His Sanskrit pronunciation and recitation style were not well received. The Akashvani Bhavan was inundated with numerous phone calls from agitated ‘Mahishasura Mardini’ patrons, demanding that Bhadra be reinstated as the narrator. In a 2008 interview with The Indian Express, Ratna Sen, a radio presenter with AIR, recounts the episode. “Some phone calls were so caustic that we had to slam the phone down, “ recalls Sen.

The die-hard fans of the ‘Mahishasura Mardini’ programme held a demonstration outside the Akahvani Bhavan. At the end, L.K Advani, the then information minister, had to issue a public retraction and restore Bhadra’s version in 1977.

Kumar summed up this saga through his signature tongue-in-cheek humour. " Thakurghar ke renovate kore drawing room banale ja hoy, ty hoyeche (When you try to transform the room of worship into the drawing room, this is what happens).”

Aside from being a brilliant narrator, Bhadra was also a first-rate play-writer and director. His oeuvre includes gems like 'Mess No. 19'. He also directed a theatre production, 'Saheb Bibi Golam', written by Bimal Mitrra. In 1952, he dramatised Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay's story 'Subarna Golak', and even acted in plays like 'Blackout' and 'Sat Tulsi'.

Twilight Years

Despite dedicating his life to radio, Bhadra didn't get his due. He retired as a staff artist, without any gratuity-pension. Once a titan of the radio world, Bhadra tried to make ends meet through various jobs. He delivered lectures on radio-play production in Rabindra Bharati university. He also teamed up with singer-composer Ramkumar Chattopadhyay and held concerts where he sang devotional songs on episodes from Sri Ramakrishna and Mahabharata.

Although he had retired from the world of radio, Bhadra was unable to move on. He often visited the Akashvani Bhavan. Once he was stopped by the security guard, who demanded an entry pass. Overcome with anger, Bhadra issued a fiery response, "Aami radior jonmo diyechi. Amar kache pass dekhte chycho? (I gave birth to the radio, how dare you demand a pass from me?).”

Bhadra passed away on November 3 1991, at the age of 86. But that stately voice lives on in our hearts and continues to herald the advent of Goddess Durga to this day.

Parting Shots

Before bidding adieu, let's paraphrase Potion’s master Severus Snape's (Harry Potter) famous last words a bit.

Will Bengalis across the globe continue to be in awe of Bhadra’s narration of Maa Durga’s victory over Mahishasura? Will that piercing voice recounting the grand showdown of Goddess Durga and Mahishasura at 4:00 am in the morning still raise goosebumps on our skin? Will it still infuse hope and joy in the heart of even the most sceptical Bong? After all this time?

Always.